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We also thought the Dog Musher's wheeled dogsledding was pretty lame for $100/pp. We, however, were the 1st group that morning and we were pulled up the hill, turned around and pulled down the hill. As an aside, the rest of our 11-member family (7 of them) rented a van and drove out to Emerald Lake. On the way, they arranged a stop at a dog kennel (not really a kennel, but a place where they kept a lot of sled dogs). They visited all the dogs and just paid the guy there to meet them a pre-arranged reasonable fee - far less than $100/pp. Unfortunately, it looks like the start of the rainy season in Alaska will begin just in time for our cruise.
Misty Fjords Tours
When leaving Ketchikan on Revillagigedo Island, the vessel cruises slowly to adhere to the marine bylaws. Through the Tongass Narrows, you’ll see Pennock Island to your right and the signs of a vibrant fishing industry to the left. In distance, the tour travels 110 nautical miles or 121 miles (202 km) roundtrip.
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We were very happy that Family Air Tours was honest and said that we would not see anything if we flew to Misty Fjords that day, then gave us the choice if we wanted to go anyway. He could have made an additional $220 from us but chose to refund our money. Although above the waterline, none of the five staterooms offers window views, and all are politely described as "snug", with most measuring just 85 square feet. Beds are berth-style, so those wishing to sleep together may find themselves disappointed. Some beds are also a decent height off the ground, making Misty Fjord a poor choice for those with mobility issues.
My Thoughts Of The Misty Fjords Boat Tour
With both the upper and lower deck open for viewing, there was plenty of space to accommodate all guests to get photos. Misty Fjords is one of those places where you can’t capture a bad image. We took the Misty Fjords excursion during our mid-May Alaska cruise and saw no whales during our 5-1/4-hour journey.
Our lake landing was about 10 minutes long and there was another plane on the lake at the same time. Hard to enjoy the silence with another plane taking off. I did the wheeled dogsled in Skagway and found that it wasn't worth the money. I only did it because I wasn't able to book a "regular" snow dogsled excursion elsewhere due to time constraints. The people were nice enough but it wasn't anything great.
MV Misty Fjord
The scenery is awe-some, truly, and the 75 minutes sped by. Landing on a lake 1800 ft above sea level, surrounded by huge mountains, waterfalls roaring straight down, and all that serenity--it's a great trip. For season 2019, Alaskan Dream Cruises received permission for Misty Fjord to spend two days in Glacier Bay. The 8-day itinerary is themed "Alaska’s Islands, Whales and Glaciers" and is also available for private chartering. The glacier trip was awsome and I'm so glad we upgraded from the Mendenhall landing to the the Pilot's Choice 2-landing.
Among its many awe-inspiring destinations, the Misty Fjords National Monument in southeast Alaska stands out as a true gem. We also added Misty Fjords to this excursion but we were unable to go because of the weather. Misty Fjord typically operates five-night, six-day itineraries roundtrip Sitka, or running between Sitka and Juneau or reverse. Alaskan Dream Cruises places strong emphasis on utilizing fresh Alaskan cuisine -- particularly locally harvested specialties including king salmon, halibut, shrimp, and crab.
Is Misty Fjords Flight Worth It?
Everyone else has been able offer opinions on the flying, so I'll just offer some food for thought about the crab feed. The two buildings used for it (I'm assuming there's only one crab feed excursion in Ketchikan) are at the southern end of the road. We went with Southeast Seakayaks on a custom trip for the four of us. We went in the same inlet as the crab feed, but on the other side and down a little further. While we paddled, our guide (an 18 year old local who was an absolute delight) told us about the buidlings and the crab feed they do for tourists.
In mid-May, the higher elevations still had snow. With temperatures beginning to rise, the snow meltwater added to the volume of water in nearby waterfalls. If you visit during a dry spell in the peak of summer, you may not see the cascades we enjoyed.
Having 2 engines adds additional safety, as well. Having cruised through Tracy Arm, Endicott Arm, and College Fjord, this tour was a scaled-down version without the glaciers. Although the fjord was picturesque, the travel time to access it was far too long.
I recall seeing th plane climbing out about half way up the cliffs. I also did the Glacier Helicopter landing in Skagway, which was great. Some friends of mine on the same cruise took the train up into the Yukon and thought it was great. Everyone agreed that the Misty Fjords excursion was the highlight of the trip. It was the one big excursion I did this year and would do it again in a heartbeat. However, taking the Explorer cruise, as we did, was the effortless way to enjoy the Alaskan wilderness.
One of the trip’s highlights was the impressive New Eddystone Rock formation. It juts out of the emerald sea like a sore thumb. Located in the Behm Channel, the 237-foot pillar creates quite a majestic image. We boarded a large catamaran close to our ship, the Quantum of the Seas, and we were thankful we didn’t have a take a bus to reach the touring vessel.
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