ISP, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan for walking-impaired

[Alsmez]

We are heading to Alaska next May on Celebrity Solstice with my parents, who will be 75 and 79 when we travel. My father has had both knees replaced and while he can walk, he gets grumpy if he has to do so for very long, LOL. Would love some excursion ideas that don't require a ton of walking for him. We are considering a small-boat whale watching tour for ISP, the scenic train for Skagway, maybe flightseeing from Juneau if I can talk them into getting on a small plane, and I have NO ideas for Ketchikan at this point. Thanks in advance for your advice and suggestions!

 

[Alsmez]

Having done a little further research, I think we'll probably check out Totem Bight and/or the other totem poles in Ketchikan. That will be right up my dad's alley, as long as we can avoid any long walks. Is renting a car for Ketchikan worthwhile?

[AlanF65]

Skagway has golf carts to take you to the ships from close to where you get off shuttles after you clear the first checkpoint, ISP may have them to get to the "excursion center" which is where excursions that meet in town shuttle form or the shuttle picks up.

The small boat whale watching may be stepping up and in but the have step stools and hand holds. The tour buses from Skagway to the Yukon are pretty easy on off and most everywhere you stop you can walk more or less or ask the driver to drop you somewhere.

[Alsmez]

Thank you Alan, that is very helpful! Getting on/off buses, boats etc is no problem as long as there are grab bars. After talking to my mom, I think we are going to rent a car in Ketchikan and Juneau so we can see what we like at our own pace (and drop my parents close to the entrances of things - DH and I can then go park and walk back to the venues), and do whale watching in ISP and the train and flightseeing in Skagway. 

[niborHS]

I will be able to give you a little more information in 2 weeks. My husband and I are in our 60's, and because of knee issues neither of us can do the 3 mile hikes I would like to do if this weren't the case. Someone mentioned in Juneau that there is a taxi company, Evergreen, that I looked into, and they have vans you can rent with a driver for $70 per hour. I am waiting for them to call me, but plan to hire them for 4 hours, which for just the 2 of us would be cheaper than any excursion, and have them design a tour to take us to Mendenhall Glacier and some other historical sites around town. Maybe the botanical garden too. We have booked the Deadliest Catch Tour in Ketchikan because I have heard rave reviews about it. In Icy Straight Point I am hoping that we will find a driver to take us to Hoonah, maybe stopping for a shorter walk on the way, looking for wildlife. You certainly might want to do one of the whale watching tours, but we had done that in Nova Scotia so don't particularly need to do it again. We will not be in Skagway. I was considering the float planes until the recent accident that killed a number of tourists, then the accident the following week that killed a researcher. I believe for now most of the cruise lines have cancelled the float plane tours.

[luvteaching]

Have you considered renting a scooter for the cruise? My husband(age 79) has mobility issues and we've been to all of these ports. We rent a scooter for him and have it delivered to the ship so it's waiting in the cabin. We sail Holland America most of the time and some on Princess. I have him wheelchaired on and that starts right at the pier. Sometimes the walk onto the ship can be long, uphill, and several back-and-forths. Also, if you do a ship's tour and it's the more "Greyline" type buses the scooter fits in the luggage bay! 

 

ISP has a large golf cart that will take you to the main area. The walk to Hoonah is about 1.5 miles and it is a lovely paved walkway along the water. With the scooter we can go everywhere. It's very scooter friendly. I haven't seen taxis in ISP but it's been 2 years. In Ketchikan there is a great museum right in town that is all about the totems. There is another one up near their city park as well. Both of them we have scootered/walked to. 

 

In Skagway they have golf carts that take you right to the train and that is really helpful. We've taken the scooter on the train a few times and they have a dedicated car for people who use scooters, wheelchairs, etc. 

 

Karen

 

[AlanF65]

2 hours ago, Robinsilver said:

I will be able to give you a little more information in 2 weeks. My husband and I are in our 60's, and because of knee issues neither of us can do the 3 mile hikes I would like to do if this weren't the case. Someone mentioned in Juneau that there is a taxi company, Evergreen, that I looked into, and they have vans you can rent with a driver for $70 per hour. I am waiting for them to call me, but plan to hire them for 4 hours, which for just the 2 of us would be cheaper than any excursion, and have them design a tour to take us to Mendenhall Glacier and some other historical sites around town. Maybe the botanical garden too. We have booked the Deadliest Catch Tour in Ketchikan because I have heard rave reviews about it. In Icy Straight Point I am hoping that we will find a driver to take us to Hoonah, maybe stopping for a shorter walk on the way, looking for wildlife. You certainly might want to do one of the whale watching tours, but we had done that in Nova Scotia so don't particularly need to do it again. We will not be in Skagway. I was considering the float planes until the recent accident that killed a number of tourists, then the accident the following week that killed a researcher. I believe for now most of the cruise lines have cancelled the float plane tours.

ISP has a lot about a 5 minute walk from where you get off the boat, there is a cart that will take you to the lot and a shuttle to town.

 

This is the covered walkway off the boat right after we docked, I am not sure if there were carts there or not, you could call the adventure center or the ship.

 

this is the adventure center

 

 

 

[niborHS]

Thanks. I don't even think my husband will have a problem with a 5 minute walk, and if there is a shuttle into Honnah, maybe we will just do that. I just can't see the point of trying to find bears when you don't have any guarantee of seeing them. I have seen lots of wildlife in the Canadian Rockies, the Tetons, and Yellowstone. Not to mention I have been to the Bronx Zoo numerous times. I would rather learn about the history of the area, and just look at the scenery. 

[AlanF65]

Here is the map of the adventure center

 

Is ISP ADA-accessible?

Yes. The Icy Strait Point cannery is connected by smooth paths and boardwalk and every effort has been made to make the site ADA accessible. For guests needing assistance, ISP does have several compact utility vehicles to assist guests in getting from place to place.

Many of ISP’s tours are ADA-accessible. For specific inquiries, please see individual tour descriptions.

 

 

https://icystraitpoint.com/faq/

 

[misguy]

I will recommend the Alaskan Lodge Adventure in Ketchikan, my wife uses a wheelchair sometimes to ride and sometimes as a walker, and they have a boardwalk that takes you out into the rainforest, and it was very easy with her chair.  I will be posting a video after I get it edited.  Icy Strait Point has a really nice nature hike, and you don't have to walk that far to enjoy at least part of it.  They also have a shuttle for those with mobility issues.  

[Alsmez]

So as it turns out, my plans for Juneau have been foiled somewhat due to the fact that we will be there on Memorial Day. I rented a car and was planning to drive to the AK State Museum and a few other points of interest, but the state museum is closed (as is the city museum; still waiting to hear about Sealaska Heritage but I'm guessing it will be closed as well). Without those things I'm not sure there is enough of interest to justify renting a car, so I'm considering canceling and booking a tour instead. 

[mapleleaves]

32 minutes ago, Alsmez said:

Without those things I'm not sure there is enough of interest to justify renting a car, so I'm considering canceling and booking a tour instead. 

 

You can drive to Mendenhall Glacier.  If your father doesn't want to do the 2 mi RT walk to Nuggett Falls he could do the 1/3 mile RT  to Photo Point or sit at the Visitors Center.

Trail map in this link:  https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3835583.pdf

 

Then drive to the coast .... Eagle Beach,  Shrine of St Therese and just enjoy the sea views.   If salmon are running visit the Dipac Fish Ladder.    Map and distances to popular sites are on pg 26 of the Juneau Visitor Guide.

 http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/10785063#/10785063/26

 

 

[Alsmez]

7 minutes ago, mapleleaves said:

You can drive to Mendenhall Glacier. 

 

Yes, but if that's as far as we decide to go it is probably cheaper to take a cab. If my parents want to go down the coast a bit we may keep the car. In looking at other activities it seems like most of what is popular in Juneau is too active for my father, which is why I had planned some museums, etc. I sent them a list of options (including the Glacier Gardens, salmon hatchery, tramway, mining tour, etc.), so we'll see what they say.