Alaska Cruise Journal: Skagway & Ketchikan

The lively town of Skagway, Alaska:

It’s a charming little community (population 800) that resembles a film set. In winter, it shuts down completely, and even in summer, it maintains a peaceful atmosphere. We decided to dedicate our day in Skagway to hiking the trails just outside of town, where the views were breathtaking.

Here’s Icy Lake:

The water is an incredibly vibrant blue (no photo filters used):

Before setting out on our hike, two individuals assured me that "there are no bears": the park ranger at the visitor center where we got our trail map, and a man at the sporting goods store where we acquired bear pepper spray. Right… I wasn’t convinced. However, I did feel much more secure with the bear spray in hand, and we made plenty of noise while hiking (please check out these tips for what to do if you encounter a bear). The terrain was open, providing better visibility than the dense underbrush where we spotted a bear in Juneau. The trails appeared like this:

Here is Lower Dewey Lake:

And here lies our ultimate reward, Upper Reid Falls, the trail's endpoint. By the time we arrived, we were completely worn out and sore. Trekking roughly 5 miles is no easy feat, especially with an elevation gain of 850 feet.

More evidence that Skagway resembles a film set:

On the evening of our hike, we indulged in a special experience aboard the Dinogo Legend known as The Chef’s Table. The first part of the evening took place in the main kitchen, where we sampled 4-5 appetizer dishes that were truly artistic. I even volunteered to assist the Head Chef in preparing their renowned chocolate melting cake. (He’s probably either chuckling at my culinary skills or enjoying my jokes. You can be the judge of that.)

The second part of the evening featured a lavish 7-course sit-down dinner paired with plenty of wine. While this experience comes at an extra cost, they truly pamper you beyond expectations, making it worth every penny—even for someone like me who doesn't consider themselves a foodie. The dishes were as delicious as they were visually stunning:

Our final stop was Ketchikan, another charming town with a slightly larger population (around 8,000):

We kicked off our visit with the “Canopy Adventure & Wildlife Expedition.” This adventure features 7 zip lines and over 4,500 feet of cables. The bears tend to stay hidden until salmon season, so wildlife sightings were scarce, but it was still an exciting experience!

Following the zip lining adventure, we made our way to the gift shop area, where we encountered these stunning winged creatures. All of them are unable to survive in the wild due to their various injuries and are cared for by a local nonprofit organization. The sight of a bald eagle up close is truly awe-inspiring; they are enormous and majestic beings.

We spent the remainder of the day exploring shops and enjoying the atmosphere in downtown Ketchikan:

I couldn’t have imagined a better honeymoon. While Alaska was amazing, my favorite part of this trip was this guy right here.

This wraps up our cruise diary, but in the coming weeks, I’ll be posting a guide on “What to Pack for Alaska” with insights on outfits and packing tips!