Glacier Bay National Park Blog
Our day cruising through Glacier Bay National Park onboard the Norwegian Sun
Author: Northwoods Thornes
Cruise Port Guide: Icy Strait Point
Icy Strait Point is a cruise port in Hoonah, Alaska. The port is only open when there are ships coming into port for the day, and is primarily a cruise destination. It is owned and operated by Alaska Natives and all profits support the local communities. Hoonah is within a short walking distance of the port, or a quick drive.
Icy Strait Point was purchased by Huna Totem Corporation in 1996, and cruise ships began to dock there in 2004. Originally Icy Strait Point was an extension of Hoonah, a very small town inhabited by the Huna Tlingit people. In 1880 the Northwest Trading Company built the first store in Hoonah, from there the town began to build and the population rose. In 1912 the Hoonah Packing Co. built the cannery, where Icy Strait Point is today. A devastating fire destroyed a large part of Hoonah in 1944 and remnants of that are still noticeable today.
The cannery is the main focus point at Icy Strait Point. The cannery changed ownership multiple times throughout the early years all while operating as a salmon cannery. When the fire destroyed the town in 1944 the cannery acted as a makeshift shelter for the residents. Things began to slow down for the cannery in 1953 when they slowed down into a support facility for the fishing fleet until 1999. In 1996 the Huna Totem Corporation bought the cannery but allowed Ward’s Cove Packing Co. to continue leasing it until 1999.
Getting AROUND icy strait point
Getting around Icy Strait Point is very easy. There are two potential spots where your ship may dock. The Wilderness Dock is located on the farthest edge of Icy Strait Point and the Adventure Landing Dock is closer to the Cannery. If you are docking at the Wilderness Dock you’re going to need to take the transporter gondola or walk to the adventure landing site before heading out into your activities.
The transporter gondola is free and takes a few minutes, and the trail is about half a mile and would take roughly 15 minutes to walk. When we visited we took the gondola into adventure landing and walked back to the ship in the afternoon. The entire port is very easy to walk with paved or hard packed surfaces.
If you’re interested in visiting Hoonah and don’t have an excursion that will pick you up in Icy Strait Point the walk is about a mile and a half and roughly 35 minutes. The view along the sidewalk is beautiful.
Best things to do
Visit the cannery
The cannery is the central tour stop at Icy Strait Point. Most visitors stop in at some point throughout the day to shop and view the cannery exhibits. Inside the main building are a few shops and machinery examples in the museum section. It isn’t a place to dedicate your entire day to, but a good stop as you are passing by.
zipline
Icy Strait Point features a large zipline that takes you downhill towards the cruise docks. Max speeds are said to be around 60 miles per hour so it is not for the faint of heart. The zipline excursion takes about an hour and a half and leaves you with a good portion of your day to explore the port.
Have a beach day
If you want something more laid back for your port day, hang out on the beach and relax. At low tide there is plenty of space for the crowds to spread out. They are not sandy beaches, but you can still lay a picnic blanket on the small rocks. If the tide is low be on the lookout for tide pools and sea creatures.
Whale Watching
Whale watching in this area is one of the best cruise ports to do so at. Of course it depends on the season, and the animal themselves but it will not disappoint. We did this as our excursion of the day and saw over two dozen whales, and many many more spouts. If you do choose to whale watch, make sure to pick a company that has outdoor space on their boats that you are allowed to view from. Some companies have fully enclosed boats, which would have been a damper on our day.
Eat
Duck Point Smokehouse Restaurant
This spot was recently beautifully renovated, on top of being in a fantastic location on the beach. They serve great food and beer, if you’re just looking for a brew this is a great spot as well. While we visited, we were able to sit on the deck and whale watch for a while.
The Cookhouse Restaurant
Compared to Duck Point this location is geared more towards seafood, but has equally as amazing views from the deck. It is a great stop for a family with diverse tastes as they have burgers and normal land based food too.
The Crab House
The Crab House is connected to the cannery and is famous for their Dungeness and King Crab dinners. The prices are a bit high (as to be expected in the cruise ports) for seafood so be prepared for that if you have your heart set on eating here. It is worth it for the experience.
Lil’ Gen’s
If you have a sweet tooth you can’t skip Lil’ Gen’s. They serve fresh mini donuts in just about any flavor you can dream up. The donut shack is run by the Salvation Army as a way to raise funds for the local community.
If your itinerary includes Icy Strait Point you’re bound to have a good day. There are plenty of adventures to be had no matter what your interests are. Be sure to leave us a comment if you have an upcoming trip or had a favorite activity on your last trip!
Cruise Port Guide: Skagway
Skagway is the most northern deep water, ice-free port in North America. It is also one of the best cruise ports to visit on an Alaskan Cruise.
Cruise Port Guide: Ketchikan
Ketchikan is the southernmost Alaskan cruise port and the Salmon capitol of the world. This guide is designed to help you plan your perfect port day.
Camping with a Dog
Camping is a great way to get out and enjoy nature, and being able to bring your best friend is an added bonus. It can be a bit complicated depending on your plans and the age and ability of your dog, as we have learned over the years. We’re going to go over our camping experiences and some tips for camping with your pup!
Tent Camping
We tent-camped with Riley from when she was a puppy up until she injured her knee. For context, she tore her ACL and had surgery to fix it when she was 6. We had a camping kennel for her, that she never used. She always ended up sleeping right on the air mattress with us. During this time period, we did a lot of hiking and always took her with us.
When you tent camp with a dog, it should go to say that you can’t leave them alone. A tent is not designed to hold a dog, nor should you want to leave them alone anyway. That would be a downfall to tent camping with a dog. The next downfall is that if it rains, you’re probably going to get wet. Riley got the biggest kick out of leaning on the tent walls and letting all the water in, then licking it off the floor. I would have to say the last downfall is when they get wet, all of your stuff is going to get wet. Unless you bring their kennel, then you stand a chance at keeping your things dry.
The key to tent camping with your pup is to make sure you are well enough prepared. You’ll want to bring extra towels, extra potable water, bed, kennel (optional), and leashes. Another thing we did to keep our sanity is bought a portable cabinet from Cabela’s. It made it so you didn’t need to keep your things on the ground, and kept it all dry.
RV Camping
We bought our first camper shortly after Riley healed from her ACL surgery. The decision was a good one to make because we could no longer bring her on the longer hikes we like to do. She now gets to rest in comfort on the couch and lounge in the AC all day.
It may seem like having an RV would solve all of your camping needs but sadly it doesn’t. The main issue is the restriction in freedom, whether it’s limiting where you can go with the RV, how long you can be away from your pup, and the power needs of your RV. In our current setup, we need to have shore power to feel comfortable leaving Riley in the camper while we step out. We are always very cognizant of the campground rules because some campgrounds do not allow dogs to be left at all. If the campground you’re staying at allows dogs to be left in RV’s, you should assess whether your dog will be stressed when left alone. Most dogs will bark when stressed and you don’t want to come back to an angry campground host and neighbors.
Riley is really well-behaved when left alone. How do we know? We set up cameras to keep an eye on her. We have Ring cameras at home and made a configuration that works for our camper as well. Being able to see what she is up to while we are gone gives us great peace of mind. It is always a good idea to test your pup’s ability to be left alone before you leave home. Try leaving them in the camper (fully set up of course) at home and get them used to it before you hit the road.
Camping Packing List for Pup
- Portable food container
- Food and Water
- Bed
- Leashes
- Long lead
- ID Tags
- Rabies tag or certificate
- Poop bags
- Safety lights or reflective collar
- Towel
- First aid kit
A note for the first aid kit item on the list- if you are traveling far from your local area you should research emergency vet offices that will be close to your final location. Knowing where to go if something happens will take a lot of stress off of you. We have had to use these resources before and know that it does happen.
What you bring and how much of it really depends on your camping style. Make sure to bring your pup’s rabies and vaccine paperwork or check in advance with the campground on their rules. Most campgrounds require proof of vaccination now, and it is good to have if something were to happen.
No matter what type of camping you’ll be doing bringing your pup is doable. It just takes extra planning to make sure everything goes smoothly. If I had to pick one piece of advice to leave you with out of all of this, is to train your pup for what you want to do. They won’t understand what you want from them on their first outing, especially if they’re still young or a puppy. The more prepared you are, the better your experience will be. Happy camping!
Best Donuts in Maine
Not all donuts are created equally, but we love them all the same. These are our favorite donut shops in Maine. Be sure to get there earlier in the day, they all sell out fast.
Visiting Camden, Maine
Camden is a coastal town in Maine that brings on the charm and nautical lifestyle. A must stop town in a road trip across Maine.
Late Spring 2023 Updates
Hi Friends!
We have a few things that we’ve worked on over the winter to make this travel season fun. We have almost fully booked our summer weekends with camping and hiking plans. We’re losing a significant chunk of June to our trip to Alaska. The rest of the summer we plan on travelling around the New England area and sharing our adventures.
When we were stuck inside this winter with cabin fever I ended up planning another trip for October-oops. It’s always been a dream of mine to go to Disney World for Halloween. No, I don’t qualify myself as a Disney adult but I love it anyway. If you have any tips for visiting Disney during peak times or holidays let me know!
Riley is turning 9 this year-in just two months. We have found the first round of “lab lumps” on her. If you’re unfamiliar with Labradors, when they get old they tend to develop benign tumors or fatty tissue deposits-aka lab lumps. She has an appointment later this month to have the first two biopsied just to be sure. We’re optimistically hopeful that they’re benign and she can carry on as is.
I have just begun the process of imagining and going through the process of planning out a very large adventure for us. It has a lot of moving parts and a lot of decisions that are almost out of our hands to fall into place before we can solidify anything. Once the first domino falls I think that it will be easier to solidify our plans. I want so badly to share the process but I can’t count the chicks before they hatch. Wish us good luck!
Best Small Maine Towns
The best small towns to visit in Maine is widely debatable. We’ve sorted our favorite small Maine towns down into three activity categories; shopping, outdoor recreation, views, and all three.