Cruise Traveling: Hidden Gems to Find While Traveling from Seattle to Alaska
Cruising up the Pacific NorthWest from Seattle to Alaska is a wonderful experience. The best Seattle to Alaska cruises take in some of the most extraordinary landscapes and coastlines of North America, and even the world, from towing mountains and rugged cliffs to lush temperate rainforests and stunning glacial bays.
This part of the world is filled with breathtaking scenery and unique wildlife, but it is also dotted with charming hidden gems that many of the most popular itineraries will never visit. For more adventurous travelers, the route is packed with amazing, under-the-radar spots to discover. Here are a few of the lesser-known but must-visit destinations to see while traveling from Seattle to Alaska.
Ketchikan’s Totem Heritage Center
Alaska’s Native heritage is rich and vibrant, and no trip to the 49th State would be complete without exploring the traditions and customs of the indigenous peoples of the area. Ketchikan’s Totem Heritage Center is a great place to start, a hidden cultural treasure that houses one of the world’s largest collections of unrestored 19th-century totem poles. It is a wonderful opportunity to gain insight into the history and lives of Native communities, as well as a great chance to see some exciting and wonderful artworks.
Misty Fjords National Monument
Combining a visit to Ketchikan with a trip across the fjords to Misty Fjords National Monument is a fantastic idea. The floatplane ride itself is exciting, and the National Monument is a wonderfully unspoiled wilderness that is blissfully free of other tourists thanks to its relative inaccessibility. With towering cliff faces, lush rainforests, and tumbling cascades that run off into the picturesque fjords, it is an amazing place to visit, before you even mention the incredible wildlife that you can see, from whales and dolphins to bears and eagles!
Haines’ Hammer Museum
The quaint and charming town of Haines doesn’t feature on many mainstream itineraries, but it is worth a visit to see its quirky Hammer Museum, a cultural institution dedicated entirely to the history and evolution of the hammer. With a vast collection of over 2,000 of these humble implementts, it is an extraordinary deep dive into human history and the evolution of work and manual labour. It is fun and educational at the same time, and is a great way to inject a little weirdness and whimsy into your Alaskan adventur.
Sitka’s Fortress of the Bear
If seeing amazing wildlife up close is part of the reason you are visiting Alaska then a visit to Sitka is a must. Known for its strong Russian heritage, Sitka is home to the Fortress of the Bear, a sanctuary for orphaned bear cubs. This wonderful organization provides a secure and protected home for rescued bears, and gives visitors the opportunity to see them up close, while also focusing on education and conservation.
Skagway’s Dyea Ghost Town
There are several ghost towns in Alaska, and Skagway’s Dyea is one of the most underrated. Established during the Klondike Gold Rush, it faded after the gold dried up, and is now just a series of ghostly remnants and ruins, offering an eerie and fascinating insight into the history of Alaska.
Wrangell
One of Alaska’s oldest and best-preserved historic towns, Wrangell is well off the beaten path and well worth a visit. From the ancient rock carvings of Petroglyph Beach State Historic Park to the amazing creatures that can be seen from Anan Wildlife Observatory, it is a wonderful spot to see a different side of Alaska.
Stepping away from the well-trodden tourist trail offers a wonderfully rich experience for cruise travelers from Seattle to Alaska. The suggestions above are just a small selection of the amazing experiences that await in the Last Frontier!