ALASKA TRAVEL
WEATHER MONTH by MONTH
Glacier Bay is a rainforest and rain is the main reason it is so beautiful! The saying is “there is “never bad weather just bad gear”
WEATHER MONTH by MONTH
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May's long days mean a lot of time to explore and fewer people in the Bay! Some of the best weather of the season. Mountain Goats are grazing low and wildlife is usually easy to spot. Bears feed on grasses along the shore. Migratory birds are flying through on their way north. Spring on the average has less rain than mid-summer. Sometimes there is even a bit of snow on the ground. |
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June has long days for exploring southeast Alaska. The weather is usually clear with less rain than later in summer and the flowers in full bloom. Throughout the area, Bears are easily spotted on shore eating sweet rye grass shoots to regain the fat they lost in winter. The whales have fully have returned to Glacier Bay. |
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July and August :The whales are all here, breaching and playing and feeding. Wild berries are ripening in August and the summer flowers are in full bloom. July & August the salmon are running so we see bears along the streams. August-September is superb lighting for photography! |
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September has fewer people around and more bears by the streams fishing for salmon! Great for glaciers! The best time of the year for a possible view of the Northern Lights. Birds are migrating south for good bird watching. August-September is superb lighting for photography! |
Getting to Gustavus
GUSTAVUS: GATEWAY TO GLACIER BAY
Gustavus is a fun place to tour by bicycle and most lodges provide bikes for your use. We have 13 miles of road from Glacier Bay National Park to the Gustavus dock. It is safe to wheel along the roads. There a a few stores, galleries and gift shops, and a great 9-hole golf course with incredible vistas on the beach and you can rent clubs. There is a museum and a gift shop at the park lodge as well as several hikes. Hikes are anywhere from a few hundred yards to an all-day hike along Bartlett River Trail. Don’t forget your cameras as everywhere you turn there is a photo opportunity.
Fishing packages are available through most of the inns. A great fishing guide is Mike at http://www.glacierbaysportfishing.com/.
Gustavus Visitors association: http://www.gustavusak.org
LODGING:
Gustavus Inn:http://www.gustavusinn.com
Annie Mae Lodge: http://www.anniemae.com/
Homestead B&B: http://www.homesteadbedbreakfast.com/
Aimee’s Guest House: http://gustavus.com/guesthouse/index.html
JUNEAU LODGING & ACTIVITIES
GUSTAVUS: GATEWAY TO GLACIER BAY
Juneau has several walking trails. Mendenhall Glacier is a must see walk, museum and exhibit. The State Museum downtown is an incredible natural history museum, from ancient history to the work of our current native artists. Lodging ranges from B&Bs to the Best Western and Prospector. Most inns offer free shuttle service around town.
Lodging:
Prospector Hotel: www.prospectorhotel.com
Travelodge Inn: www.travelodge.com
Westmark Baranof Hotel: http://www.westmarkhotels.com/juneau.php
Activities
Juneau Travel Bureau: www.traveljuneau.com Complete Travel Info
Alaska State Museum : Fantastic Museum
Mount Roberts: A tram takes you to the top and you can hike all the way up for an even more terrific view.
The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center
KETCHIKAN, ALASKA
You will not be bored in Ketchikan. With dozens of attractions designed to educate and/or entertain everyone from the history buff and the outdoor enthusiast to the naturalist or Native art lover, there is enough to fill your days. More……
Lodging
The New York Hotel: One of my favorites, it is situated right on Creek st. Ask to be in main hotel or on Creek St.
The Cape Fox: Lovely hotel with good food and situated above Creek St.
Activities that are well worth seeing in Ketchikan
Totem Bight Park, Discovery Museum, Tongass Museum, Creek Street Shopping, and History.
