20/05/2026
๐๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ง๐๐ฑ๐ญ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ, ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ข๐ญ. ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐.
The moment we stepped off the ship, we all felt this strange sense of calm and warmth, hard to explain really, but it just felt right. It had such a lovely relaxed, small town atmosphere that instantly made us slow down and take it all in.
Icy Strait Point is rich in Alaska Native Tlingit culture and local history, and the scenery was just stunning, forests, mountains, and endless ocean views everywhere you looked.
Wildlife wise, we spotted a few sea lions, another whale, and a huge bald eagle nest. Bears are apparently around too, although we made sure to stick closely to our โBe Bear Awareโ guidance ๐
That said, if one of those giant furry beasts had actually appeared, there is absolutely no chance Iโd have stood there calmly with my arms outstretched making myself look bigger. Iโd have been halfway back to the ship screaming and very likely served as the evening special. ๐ณ
There are two connected gondola systems here:
The first, the Transporter Gondola, takes people from the cruise ships up to the adventure area and shops.
Then thereโs the Wilderness Landing Gondola, which climbs even higher for incredible panoramic views ( although it was a bit cloudy today, nevertheless there were moments you could see the amazing views)โฆโฆand flights of beer ๐ Honestly, I needed one after that ride. Itโs very steep and very high. At one point I was completely frozen to the spot, which was not helped by my son deciding it would be hilarious to try rocking the cabin ๐
The gondola is also part of Hoonahโs bigger tourism story. The local Alaska Native owned corporation developed it to help bring cruise revenue directly into the community while still protecting the beautiful natural landscape. Basically: โWelcome to Alaskaโฆ please enjoy responsibly and donโt flatten the mountain.โ
I genuinely think this ended up being one of my favourite places โค๏ธ
