06/18/2026
Take Me There Tuesday: A Honeymoon Splurge That Was Worth Every Penny!
In August 1995, Dirk and I took our very first cruise together—and it was both of our first cruises ever.
In fact, we planned our August 19 wedding date around when we could take an Alaska honeymoon!
Part of the appeal was that neither of us had much interest in a tropical honeymoon. We’re both fair-skinned enough that we burn easily in the sun, so heading somewhere cooler and more scenic was much more our style.
Like many newlyweds, we had a long list of things we needed to buy as we started our life together. We also had a little extra money from wedding gifts and spent far too much time debating whether we should use it for honeymoon excursions or save it for newlywed expenses waiting for us at home.
Thankfully, we decided to splurge!
One of those splurges was a floatplane flight from Juneau to Taku Lodge.
We lifted off from the harbor and flew over glaciers, mountains, winding rivers, and remote wilderness that seemed to stretch forever. Seeing Alaska from the air gave us a completely different perspective on the Last Frontier.
After landing beside Taku Lodge, we enjoyed freshly grilled wild Alaska salmon cooked over an open alder wood fire, with glacier views providing the backdrop.
Looking back, the photos may show their age, but the memories certainly haven’t.
More than 30 years later, I couldn’t tell you what household item we might have purchased instead. But I can still remember the excitement of boarding that floatplane, the incredible scenery below us, and sharing that experience together as newlyweds.
As a travel advisor, I often tell clients that not every excursion needs to be a splurge. But sometimes there’s one experience that speaks to you, and years later, it’s the one you’ll still be talking about.
This was one of ours.
Have you ever taken an excursion that seemed extravagant at the time but turned out to be one of your favorite travel memories?
