Juneau vs Whittier

I%26#39;m planning a first trip to Alaksa and am completely overwhelmed. Our vacation time is limited to 10 days, so that complicates things but we live near Seattle and hope this will be the first of many trips. I%26#39;m interested in the shorter Cruise West trips (5 days) which have 2 options: 1)Juneau-Skagway-Glacier Bay or, 2) Whittier-College fjord-Cordova-Knight Island. I figured we could fly in, spend a few days exploring/hiking the area prior to our cruise and then fly home. Any advice? Pros/cons of either area %26amp; best time of year? Thanks

Juneau vs Whittier

Hi there! Well, comparing Juneau and Whittier is like comparing Seattle and Colville - big difference. While Alaska is small compared to places in the lower 48, Juneau is one of our largest cities - it%26#39;s the state capital, filled with many historical places to see, museums, lots of attractions/activities . . . .Whittier by contrast is very small, and other than taking a glacier cruise, there isn%26#39;t much there. However, since you are already in the Pacific NW, the cruise thru the Southeast will be beautiful but not unlike the rain forests in WA state. If I were you, I would do as many days as you can in the main section of the state - Anchorage, Denali Park, Seward, Homer, etc. to name a few. Perhaps fly into or out of Anchorage, and do several days touring . . . . I think it would give you a much bigger picture of Alaska. Good luck! :)

Juneau vs Whittier

I agree with Coalminer 100%. I too suggest flying to Anchorage and exploring from there. Any time between mid-May and and mid-September is a great time for visiting. I know that Coalminer%26#39; s favorite time is June, for me it is the end of July of beginning of September.

Thanks a bunch. My deadline to request vacation time for %26#39;07 was today so we%26#39;re looking at 6/11-22 and I%26#39;ll keep reading--really appreciate all your great advice on the forums.

If you plan to explore the area a bit before the cruise than I would recommend the one out of Juneau. Although, on the other hand, I woudl back Coalminer on his recommendation. Make your first visit to Alaska a land visit. Explore anchorage, drive to Denali park, maybe catch Fairbanks for a day. Than, if you really want to take a cruise, you could drive to Whittier and take the cruise out of their, since it%26#39;s easier (and shorter) to drive to than Juneau. College Fjord is a beautiful area, although so is Glacier Bay.