{"id":394,"date":"2013-02-02T19:16:42","date_gmt":"2013-02-02T19:16:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alaskagold.com\/blog\/?p=394"},"modified":"2013-02-02T19:18:19","modified_gmt":"2013-02-02T19:18:19","slug":"four-unmissable-experiences-on-a-cruise-to-alaska","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alaskagold.com\/blog\/2013\/02\/02\/four-unmissable-experiences-on-a-cruise-to-alaska\/","title":{"rendered":"Four unmissable experiences on a cruise to Alaska"},"content":{"rendered":"

Four unmissable experiences on a cruise to Alaska<\/strong><\/p>\n

The continental United States may have great cities like New
\nYork and spectacular natural beauty like the Grand Canyon, but
\nnothing quite prepares you for the isolated magnificence of its
\nnorthern-most state, Alaska. An
\nAlaskan cruise<\/strong><\/a> is one of the best
\nways to see and experience some absolutely unique things. From
\nreindeer sausage to humpback whale-watching to taking a step back
\nin time to gold-rush era Alaska, read on for four unmissable cruise
\nexcursions you can have on a cruise to Alaska.<\/p>\n

Reindeer sausage<\/strong><\/p>\n

When in Alaska, eat as the locals do. Reindeer sausage is a
\ntraditional Alaska delicacy, and you’ll find it in supermarkets and
\ngrocery stores (Finland is the other place you’ll find this special
\nproduct).<\/p>\n

Reindeer sausage can be eaten in various ways, but one of the
\nmost satisfying must surely be in the form of hot dog. What better
\nway to enjoy a reindeer sausage hot dog than from a street-side
\ncart \u2014 and especially if the vendor makes some of the highest
\nrated reindeer hotdogs in the state. MA’s Gourmet Dogs on West 4th
\nStreet in Anchorage gets an excellent 4.5 stars out of five on the
\ninternational ratings site Yelp. Tourists and locals alike have
\nleft rave reviews for the stand’s unique reindeer hotdogs. Grab a
\n‘Rudolph’ dog on the sidewalk before continuing on your Alaska
\ncruise.<\/p>\n

But since not everyone can come along with you to sample
\nreindeer hotdogs, be sure to pack some for the folks back home.
\nGrab a box or two from Alaska Sausage & Seafood in Anchorage.
\nIt comes recommended by locals on the travel ratings site
\nTripAdvisor and on Yelp. Besides the reindeer sausage, the store
\nalso stocks a selection of other local produce including Alaskan
\nmustard, smoked salmon and other frozen seafood.<\/p>\n

Hubbard Glacier<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hubbard Glacier is the largest tidewater glacier in Alaska, and,
\nfittingly, it afford some of the most spectacular natural views you
\nwill see on an Alaska cruise. While many visitors to the state have
\nseen the glacier, one of the tasks many people forget is how to
\ntake good photographs of the beautiful scenery in Arctic
\ntemperatures.<\/p>\n

According to the Alaska Photography Blog, the right
\nconfiguration of gloves is essential. The blog recommends a pair of
\nfleece gloves as a first layer, followed by loose-fitting beaver
\nfur mittens with a leather hand-pad on top of them. According to
\nthe blog, you should be able to operate your camera through the
\nmittens, thanks to the suppleness of the leather hand-pads. This
\nwill keep your hands warm enough to take the spectacular photos
\nthat a Alaska cruise to the Hubbard Glacier affords.<\/p>\n

Humpback whales at Point Adolphus<\/strong><\/p>\n

Point Adolphus in southeast Alaska is a popular feeding spot for
\nthe majestic humpback whales that migrate to Alaska in the summer
\nto feed. Humpback whales can weigh between 25 and 40 tons, and can
\ngrow up to 50 feet long. They’re also known for their playful
\nnature, so they are likely to be one of the most memorable sights
\non an Alaska cruise if you manage to run into a pod.<\/p>\n

But what’s the correct etiquette when viewing such majestic
\nmarine mammals in their natural habitat? According to the ‘humpback
\nwhale approach regulation’ issued by the National Marine Fisheries
\nService’s Alaska Regional Office, when on an Alaska cruise,
\nwhale-watchers should adhere to strict rules, including not
\noffering food or discarding fish waste or any other food item.
\nWatchers should not attempted to touch or swim with the animals as
\nthey can behave unpredictably. Additionally, the guidelines note
\nthat if the whales perform “surface displays” such as tail slapping
\nor tail swishing at the water surface, then they are likely to be
\nfeeling disturbed. Watchers are advised to depart cautiously if the
\nanimals display such behavior.<\/p>\n

Gold rush at Skagway<\/strong><\/p>\n

Skagway is a sort of ghost town in southeast Alaska that, back
\nin the late 1800s, was a gold-rush town for prospectors and fortune
\nhunters who had heard about gold being discovered in the Yukon.
\nIt’s a picturesque place to see a part of the state’s history when
\nyou’re on an Alaska cruise.<\/p>\n

Although Skagway can be touristy, some sights are still worth a
\nlook. Check out the White Pass and Yukon Route narrow-gauge
\nrailroad, which was built for prospectors headed to the gold fields
\nin the late 1800s. It was still in use as recently as the 1980s,
\nserving the large-scale mining companies that came to replace the
\nindividual prospectors of yore.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A portion of the railroad has been restored with replica
\nhistoric passenger cars. Uniquely, because the train is
\nnarrow-gauge, the cars were built with reversible seats so that
\npassengers can face the direction of travel. Parts of the route
\nalso crosses the border into Canada, although there is no
\nborder-stop and passports aren’t required! It is certainly worth
\nvisiting Skagway and reliving some history if you’re in the
\narea.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Four unmissable experiences on a cruise to Alaska The continental United States may have great cities like New York and spectacular natural beauty like the Grand Canyon, but nothing quite prepares you for the isolated magnificence of its northern-most state, … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alaska-love"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alaskagold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/394","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alaskagold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alaskagold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alaskagold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alaskagold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=394"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.alaskagold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/394\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":396,"href":"https:\/\/www.alaskagold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/394\/revisions\/396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alaskagold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alaskagold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alaskagold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}