Off we go again, returning to Alaska so much sooner than we could have imagined after we wrapped up our first visit in September of 2025.
This time?
This time, we are traveling with over a dozen friends and family as we take a more traditional approach to the final frontier on Royal Caribbean‘s Serenade of the Seas. Yes, over a dozen people…what could go wrong? Wait, don’t answer that.
If you’re wondering just how much we loved our last trip to Alaska, look no further than the booking date on this one, as we pushed the button just weeks after we returned from our 2025 trip. Our first trip to Alaska was primarily land-based as Holland America took us by train, plane, and bus from Vancouver to the Arctic Circle with stops in Dawson City, Denali, and more. It was epic.
This time, we’ll be strictly cruising with stops in Ketchikan, Sitka, and more. I have no doubt that it will be epic, again.
There were many moments throughout our first trip when I quietly dissociated while questioning my life choices. A few examples:
- On our tin-can of a flight from Fairbanks to Wiseman, AK (population 11), piloted by a twelve-year-old (he was probably at least twenty).
- Witnessing a horse go down while on a covered wagon tour in Denali. It turned out to be a World Cup-level flop, but that didn’t stop my own breakdown from arriving.
- Throwing back the famed Sour Toe Cocktail, in which a mummified toe must touch your lips to reach success. Evidently, my standards of success have dropped significantly.
This time, my predicted moments of dissociation will be while crammed into a helicopter on its way to Mendenhall Glacier.
Mountaineering on that glacier. I should probably research what that actually means.
Salmon fishing in Ketchikan.
And all of the other things I signed up for under the guise of YOLO and/or “What could go wrong?“
While I’m off enjoying my trip, please enjoy a look back to last year’s Alaskan Adventure:
Check back next time for a guest blog from Kathy Crowley as she wraps up our time in the Banana Ball league. Read the first installment here: Banana Ball (and all its Bliss).
Do you have the travel bug? When I’m not writing, I’m planning trips! Reach out to me to get started on your next adventure!