The last land stop before our cruise ended in Seward, AK, was Icy Straight Point and the native Tlingit village of Hoonah. The stop is home to what is purported to be the world’s longest zip line, something we had no interest in doing at this stage of our lives. However, it was exciting enough to ride the new, two-year old gondola to the top of Hoonah Mountain, with its commanding views of Icy Straight and Glacier Bay.

When our ship docked it was enveloped by a thick marine layer that obscured much the surrounding countryside. We bundled up against the chill and clamored into the gondola, not quite knowing what to expect. The initial ascent was gentle, but it quickly turned into a steeper climb, and we broke above the fog line, revealing a glorious blue sky and brilliant sunshine.

Unfortunately, the fog obscured most of what lay below us, so we resolved to return later in the day if the murk burned off. Luckily it did, and we were able to enjoy the views as seen in the opening photo and the one below.

There are trails at the top of the mountain, but bear activity is a concern. Signs warn visitors to only travel in groups of 10, as noise generally keeps the bears away. Upon our return, one of the trails was closed due to bear activity.

There is a second gondola that’s essentially a level ride through a stand of trees that zips passengers from the base of the mountain to the site of a restored salmon cannery, shops and restaurants. It’s a quick ride that’s free. The mountain tram, on the other hand, has a listed price of $49 for an all-day pass. Our fee was covered as part of our cruise fare, but not all lines offer that.

We opted for a sedate, but interesting tram tour of the mountain, led by a local guide. The young man who guided us had grown up in Hoonah, but now lives in Juneau. He came back for the summer season to lead tours. Our second activity was an afternoon seafood fest. It was basically a crab boil that featured locally caught Dungeness crab. They were delicious – larger and meatier than the blue crabs we are used to on the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S.

In between we walked the 1.5 miles from the cannery/shopping area to the town of Hoonah. About half of the walk is along a lovely seawall. If you don’t feel like walking to town there is a shuttle bus that costs $5 per person round trip.

One-way returns can be purchased at the town’s craft brewery. We did ride the bus back, but not before sampling the beer. There are fewer than 1,000 residents, so it’s a very small village, but it’s the first one we visited in Alaska that didn’t feel overly touristy. Plus we were able to extend our string of craft brew stops on this trip.

It’s interesting that all of the services and activities at Icy Straight are operated by the Huna Totem Corp., which is 100% owned by the local Tlingit people. There are roughly 1,200 shareholders in the company who come from the surrounding area. The actual village of Hoonah has few than 1,000 inhabitants. The business appears to be doing well as the gondola we rode was completed two years ago at a cost of $36M. Before its existence visitors had to ride a bus 45 minutes to the top.

After leaving Icy Point our ship set out for its final stop in Seward, with a pause to view the Hubbard Glacier. Unfortunately, the weather had finally started to close in, and fog obscured some of the view. It could have been worse; we learned from one of the ship’s staff that there can be occasions when you see nothing at all. It was a bit disappointing that we weren’t able to get close, but there were ice chunks in the water, and you have to trust that the captain knows best.

The rest of the day and following night were spent at sea before landing in Seward. Seward is the first city of any size that really feels Alaskan to us. There are tourists for sure, but the downtown lacks the Disney-like feel of Ketchikan and other stops on this trip.

Many of the visitors are pulling campers, or they have come down from Anchorage for some outdoor adventure. It’s a much different vibe than the cruise ports. We enjoyed an outstanding meal at a local restaurant called the Flamingo Lounge. I had a piece of seared halibut, locally caught, that was amazing. As good or better than any top restaurant in New York or other big city. We like the town.

Tomorrow we will leave on a smaller boat that will take us to a wilderness lodge in the nearby Kenai Fjord National Park for three days of outdoor activity. We are going off the grid. There is no internet or cell service where we are headed, which will be a unique experience for us. Hopefully the digital withdrawal symptoms won’t be too severe.