Alaska Highlights September 2025

Norwegian Encore Seattle to Alaska Inside Passage

The one where I fell in love with a whale.


Four seniors and a forty-something from the midwest traveled to Seattle and then boarded the NCL Encore for Ketchikan, Glacier Bay, Juneau, Skagway and Victoria. Whale watching in Juneau, White Pass Rail in Skagway and a Creek Street wander were just some of the highlights. I now refer to this as my Alaska-teaser trip. For the 2026 season I have a costal adventure from Vancouver to Whittier, visiting Ketchikan, Juneau, Icy Point Straight, Skagway, and Whittier June 29- July 13.


The 2025 highlight was getting to listen to a humpback named Kelp sing to his dinner in Auk Bay in Juneau while solo bubble net feeding. He left quite the impression and I have been following him on Happy Whale. I'm hoping I can say hello to him again this season!

Two people sit on benches outside the light blue Alaska Geographic Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park building.
Historic narrow gauge railway winding along a steep mountain valley with evergreen forests and hazy peaks at golden hour.
Aerial black and white view of passengers relaxing on cruise ship deck.
Panoramic view of misty forested mountain valley with pine trees and peaks at twilight.
Humpback whale surfacing in calm ocean waters with scenic mountain range visible on the horizon.
Seagull spreading wings on cruise ship railing with turquoise water and green hills behind.
Dramatic glacial valley with rocky snow-capped peaks descending to a turquoise bay with floating ice.
Snow-capped mountains and a glacier reflecting in the calm waters of an Alaskan fjord on a clear day.
A whale spouting water vapor from its blowhole in calm ocean waters with misty mountains in the background.
Silhouette of a forested island peninsula at dusk with layered mountain ridges in soft evening light over calm water.
Norwegian cruise ship docked at Skagway, Alaska pier with dramatic snow-capped mountains under a clear blue sky.
A smiling woman in a floral dress leans on a cruise ship railing with the ocean in the background.
Interior of a shop displaying a large driftwood log with a Danger 13800 Volt warning sign and chainsaw on top.
Layered mountain silhouettes rise above a misty golden bay at sunset with a small island.
A serene creek flows between mossy rocks and evergreen trees beside a turquoise building on a wooden deck.
A photographer takes selfies with a camera against a scenic mountain lake backdrop in Alaska.

Keli in Juneau Alaska