KENAI FJORDS IN SEWARD

The final destination on my recent 7-night Alaska cruise was Seward, Alaska.  Named after former Secretary of State William Henry Seward, the population struggles to hit 3,000. 

Seward is the southern terminus of the Alaska Railroad 

and the historic starting point of the original Iditarod Trail 

to the Alaska interior, with mile 0 of the trail marked on the shoreline at the southern end of Seward.

Iditarod Trail Seward to Nome

The Norwegian Jewel docked in Seward at 5am on Monday, September 2, 2019.  The Seward Cruise Port is the start or the end for more than a half of all cruise passengers in Alaska.

The Norwegian Jewel docked in Seward - photo taken from Harbot 360 Hotel

The nearest airport to Seward is the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.  Allocate 3 hours to reach it by motorcoach and up to 5 hours by train. The train departs from Seward at 6:00PM and arrives at 11:05PM in Anchorage.  The adult fare will run $99 in Value Season and $113 in Peak Season.

Train from Seward to Anchorage

Train Anchorage to Seward

If you prefer to rent a car, you can rent from Hertz, located at the end of the docks, and drive 127 miles along the Seward Highway.     

My confirmation email from Major Marine Tours instructed me to arrive at the check-in point for the Kenai Fjord Boat trip by 10:30am.  My departure from Seward was set for 11:30am. 

The cruise terminal is located about a half mile from the the Harbor 360 Hotel. As you disembark the ship and head to the terminal exit you will see a Hertz counter on your right hand side.  This same counter is also where you can check-in or get information about Major Marine Tours, the tour operators for the Kenai Fjords shore excursion. 

Seward Cruise Port Terminal

Staff is very helpful and friendly and I was pleased to discover that my name was on the list.  You are escorted out of the terminal to the waiting van for the short drive over to Hotel 360.  The vans are white and have “Major Marine Tours”, “Harbor Hotel 360” and "Hertz” printed on the side.

Shuttle bus from cruise terminal to the Harbor 360 Hotel for check-in

The van will make 1 stop at the Hertz rental car location and still be at Harbor Hotel 360 within 5 minutes.   As you walk into the hotel you will see the Major Marine Tours check-in desk located just to your right.  This was the check-in point for my Kenai Fjords shore excursion. 

Major Marine Tours check-in desk inside the Harbor 360 Hotel

Check-in here was also quick and efficient, taking just a couple of minutes.  There is a small shopping area inside the hotel along with a waiting area providing free breakfast and coffee.

Shopping area inside Harbor 360 Hotel

Handicap waiting area for boarding boats

I checked on hotel rates while waiting to board.  The rates run $349/nt for high season.  On 9/1/2019 the rate will drop to $209/nt and then on 10/1/2019 it will drop to $99/nt.   

Harbor 360 Hotel Registration Desk

Harbor 360 Hotel waiting area

Harbor 360 Hotel breakfast area

Harbor 360 Hotel breakfast area

Harbor 360 Hotel breakfast area

It was finally time for boarding.  The boat holds a maximum of 180 but on the day of my tour we were only 130 strong.

Heading to boarding area

I am often leary of using the bathroom on a small boat and was pleasantly surprised at both the size and cleanliness of the one on the Spirit of Adventure.  I was also impressed that it contained a changing table.

Seating inside top deck of the Spirit of Adventure

The trip was listed as a “6-hour Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise”. The boat itself was the Spirit of Adventure and is one of their fastest catamarans.  A uniformed National Park Ranger boards the boat and provides a full narration of the journey, pointing out sights and providing information on the areas ecology history and geology.

Spirit of Adventure boarding area

Spirit of Adventure

Spirit of Adventure

If you are arriving into Anchorage and cruising southbound out of Seward, you can train to Seward and arrive at 11:05am.  This will give you ample time to make the 11:30am departure.  You will simply walk from the train over to the check-in counter at Harbor 360 Hotel, about a 4 minute walk from the Alaska Railroad Depot. 

Seward Train Depot

If you are arriving into Seward and planning on training to Anchorage you still have time to take the Kenai Fjords shore excursion.  The boat will arrive back at the dock at 5:30pm, giving you plenty of time to walk the 4 minutes to the depot and board the train before the 6:00pm departure. 

Walking map from Seward Train Depot to Harbor 360 Hotel

During our tour Captain Kaylean steered us next to Three Hole Point for a great view of that area.  

Map showing Seward, Three Hole Point and Ailak Glacier

Passing by Three Point Hole

Lunch consisted of an all-you-can-eat Alaska salmon and prime rib buffet.  The buffet is NOT included in your ticket price and is an additional $24 per adult. The buffet includes Alaska Copper river salmon, prime rib, rice pilaf, green salad, hot sourdough bread and complimentary soft drinks, coffee, tea and water.  Dessert included cheesecake, brownies and fruit salad.  Special dietary restrictions can be accommodated but require advance notification.

Salmon/Prime Rib main buffet sample

Desserts offered onboard

I could certainly feel the chill in the air as I stood on the deck viewing Ailak Glacier.  Captain Kaylean slowly rotated the catamaran 360 degrees for perfect viewing from all vantage points.  After several minutes on the open deck it was time to head down for a hot drink.

Mike and I on the outside deck of Spirit of Adventure at Ailak Glacier

I opted to try the “Hot Otter”.  This drink is a blend of Kahlua, Irish Cream, Peppermint Schnopps, Hot Cocoa and Whipped Cream.  The cost was $8 but was oh so good and so warm going down. 

The boat encountered some severe seas on the day of my tour and climbing up and down the stairs was a bit tricky.  All seats are assigned and after boarding I discovered that my seat was facing to the rear of the boat.  With plenty of spaces available I simply moved to one of the seats facing forward.

I had anticipated seeing more wildlife but by September most of the whales have gone south.  I did view puffins, sea otters, seals, stellar sea lions, harbor seals and bald eagles.  One whale spout was said to have appeared.  I didn't see it and it was never seen again. 

The only glacier we viewed for the day was Aialic Glacier,  a tide water glacier and the largest in Aialik Bay, located in Kenai Fjords National Park. While fairly stable, the glacier calves most actively in May and June. Some calving occurred during our 20 minute stay but photographing it seemed to illude me.

Approaching Ailak Glacier

Ailak Glacier

Ailak Glacier size comparison

I read you might be able to see bears on the beach but none were spotted on the day of my tour. 

The list price for the 6 Hour Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise is $159 per adult and $79.50 per child.  The seasonal operation for 2019 was May 3rd to September 22.  

Unfortunately I would not be willing to take this trip again.  Commanding a hefty price of $159 per person I felt the cost was excessive considering we viewed only one glacier and saw limited wildlife and no whales.  I am fully aware that my trip was at the end of the season and that whales have typically all headed south by the middle of August.  

Perhaps having the buffet lunch included would have made the trip a bit more palatable to me.  A price of $159 represents one of the more expensive shore excursions that I have ever taken.  Add to that another $24 for the buffet lunch and I just don't feel this is a good value for money spent.  

"BEER POWERED BEER"

The year is 1986.  You are an adventurous and energetic 28 year old living in Juneau Alaska.  You have made the decision to open a brewing company.  Sounds simple enough, right?

Here’s the problem. . . . with the exception of Honolulu Hawaii, Juneau holds an unusual distinction among all U.S. capitals.  There are no roads connecting the city of Juneau to the rest of Alaska or to the rest of North America.  The absence of a road network is due to the extremely rugged terrain that surrounds the city.  

Ferry service is available so you will find cars throughout the city however, all goods coming in and out of Juneau must go by plane or boat, in spite of the city being on the Alaskan mainland. So how and where are you going to market your product?

Who, in their right mind, would want to open a brewing company in a town that is only accessible by plane or boat and expect the business to survive, much less thrive?

This is a question that played over and over in my head as I headed off to find the Alaskan Brewing Company.

The Alaskan Brewing Company is located in Juneau Alaska but is not within walking distance to the port area.  I arrived via the Norwegian Jewel and we docked at A.J. Dock.  

Arriving into Juneau / docking at A.J.Dock

I now needed to take the complimentary shuttle from the ship to Mount Roberts Tramway Center.  As I stepped off the ship the covered shuttle stop was located just to my left.  

One of my favorite apps when traveling is Rome2Rio. 

A quick search for directions to the Transit Center indicated it would take 7 minutes walking.

It was a beautiful day and the boardwalk area is very scenic so I opted to walk

Heading to the Boardwalk

Walking down the Boardwalk toward the Transit Center

Front view of Juneau Transit Center

Another check of my Rome2Rio app indicated that bus #3 would be my best option to get from the Transit Center to the Alaskan Brewing Company.  The 23 minute trip runs hourly at a cost of $2 each way.

Route from Transit Center to Alaskan Brewery via bus #3

I finally arrived at the business office and was introduced to Matt Chambers and Lena Gilbertson. 

Alaskan Brewing Company Business Office Entrance

Matt Chambers and Lena Gilbertson

By way of modern technology, meet visionaries and entrepreneurs Geoff and Marcy Larson.  This video is entitled “Putting a Little Alaska in a Bottle" and it will give you a sense of their compassion, commitment and vision for Alaskan Brewing Company.   

Pioneers Geoff and Marcy Larson

The year was 1986.  Geoff and Marcy were 28 years old.  Geoff was a chemical engineer and a home brewer and Marcy was an adventure-seeking accountant and aspiring bush pilot. Their vision would eventually became reality with the opening of the Alaskan Brewing Company, the 67^th independent brewery in the country and the first brewery in Juneau since Prohibition.

Independently owned and operated, Alaskan Brewing Company continues to abide by a three-part mission:

1. To produce internationally recognized quality craft  beverages
2. To showcase quality-oriented manufacturing in Alaska
3. To have fun growing both individually and as a company

In the beginning it was Marcy who discovered shipping records from the Douglas City Brewing Company (1899-1907) listing the ingredients for its popular beers, along with a newspaper article outlining the brewing process. Geoff home brewed a batch of the Gold Rush era brew that would become known as Alaskan Amber.

In December 1986 Geoff, Marcy and 10 volunteers, tested 22 different batches of brew before settling on their now famous Alaskan Amber. 

Alaskan Amber

Production on their first 253 cases of Alaskan Amber would take 12 hours of hand packing.  From that fledgling birth, production lines today produce a staggering 300 bottles per minute, 3,800 cases in a 12-hour shift.   The Alaskan Amber still represents 50% of their volume and repeatedly ranks as their best selling beer year after year.  Coming in at second is the Alaskan White, introduced in 2008.

In order to stay competitive over the years, Geoff needed to adapt and change some of the processing procedures.  Matt was quick to tell me Geoff has a favorite saying: “We brew the way we do because of where we brew.”    

Matt Chambers leading my tour through the facility

 

 

 

In 2008 the company purchased and installed a mash filter press, allowing them to grind their grains to a fine grind, thus allowing them to use less water.  The process uses 10% less grain, saves 68,000 gallons of water per year and maximizes their yield.  

Water is one of the most important ingredients in beer and the Alaskan Brewing Company holds the distinction of being the largest water consumer in Juneau. With 1,500 square miles of ice and glaciers, the Juneau Icefield is larger than the state of Rhode Island and provides a pristine water source for all of their brews.  

Juneau Icefields

The biggest waste product in brewing is spent grain.  A normal brewery would sell their waste product to farmers as high protein feed.  With a lack of cattle in Juneau, Alaskan Brewing Company was forced to transport their spent grain once a week to Seattle.  The problem with this method is that it takes a week for a barge to travel from Juneau to Seattle and wet spent grain spoils within 48 hours.  Being forced to dry your spent grain before shipping it out adds considerable production expenses. 

Alaskan Brewing Company is now the only company in the world to use spent grain as a fuel source through the use of steam boilers.  The spent grain is still dried onsite but instead of shipping via barge to Seattle, the grains are placed in a steam boiler and burned, thus creating steam which is used to power their manufacturing and production equipment.  This process makes Alaskan Brewing Company truly unique.  The plant is powered by the waste product it produces during the brewing process, hence the adoption of their motto:  “BEER POWERED BEER”

It was time to head to the tasting room which opens at 11am.  You will find plenty of seating both inside and outside. 

Inside the tasting room

Merchandise shop inside tasting room

Now deciding what to taste

Colored label display of the brew offerings

During the tasting process I was educated on ABV and IBU. 

ABV is Alcohol By Volume
The higher the number the higher strength

IBU is International Bitter Units 
The higher the number the more bitter 

Available samples on my tour date

My flight selection

Alaskan Brewing Company added state #24 and #25 to their distribution list with Hawaii and Utah added in August of 2019. 

Alaskan Brewing Company is located at 5429 Shaune Drive, Juneau, Alaska 99801-9540.  Phone: 907-780-5866 and Fax: 907-780-4514.