Grand Tour: the Pacific Northwest by train, plane and luxury cruise ship

With glaciers, rainforest and humpback whales, a Pacific Northwest family holiday is a wild adventure from start to finish. Katie Bowman and her daughter take a trip.

Glacier gazing, Petersburg, Alaska ©Katie Bowman

How it all started

Make it count.” That’s the travel mantra we’ve all been spouting since 2020. Sound familiar? Also reframed as “Making memories”, “Meaningful travel” and/or “Spending time with loved ones”. Of course, as an insatiable traveller, I’ll take any excuse to jump on a train, plane or automobile. I don’t need a pandemic to concoct any more reasons to book a trip. But this newly coined phrase really did come to inspire – and beautifully shape – my most Pacific Northwest family holiday with my 12-year-old daughter.

It all started on TV.

We were in awe of the Race Across the World contestants as they broached the epic Rockies, spotted humpbacks off Vancouver Island, and hiked through the giant firs of British Columbia.

We had to see Canada with our own eyes. But then the “make it count” mantra came into play, and we thought to ourselves, “While we’re there, we should really strike Alaska off the bucket list too”. And then, “It’d be 60 criminal not to see Seattle and Washington’s national parks.” After all, who knows? There might be another global emergency around the corner, and we’ll be stuck indoors again, dreaming of snow caps and grizzly bears.

Taking in the view, Celebrity Edge ©Katie Bowman

The way to do a Pacific Northwest family holiday

And so, we set off on our once-in-a-lifetime trip, exploring Alaska, British Columbia and Washington state, nicknamed the great “Pacific Northwest”. The best way to experience Alaska with children is by water, so we boarded Celebrity Edge cruise ship at Seattle.

There are bigger ships that visit Alaska, with water slides and rollercoasters on board for children, but that seemed antithetical to sailing the Great Outdoors, while a serious small ship was unlikely to have fellow families on board. Celebrity Edge was just the right balance of seafaring, safety and comfort. Along with amazing glass-dome pools and elevated hot tubs, Celebrity Edge has been designed ‘outward-facing’, so that passengers are constantly surrounded by the view.

Boardwalk, Creek Street, Ketchikan, Alaska

Onboard excellence and offboard views

And what a view. En route to our first stop Ketchikan, we saw thunderous waterfalls, bald eagles, and even a whale flip his fluke as we ate dinner (the food on board is excellent, including local crab, salmon and halibut picked up at ports).

Combining spectacular landscapes (for me) and action (for my 12-year-old), we ziplined through Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary, where it took nine linked descents to reach from the tree canopy all the way down to the forest floor. Along with families from Chile, Australia and Korea, we whizzed through the sky, so high we could see black bears below and giant Native American Totem poles, which looked like matchsticks.

At Juneau, our next stop, we boarded a catamaran out to Auke Bay, where seals popped up to say hello, and a posse of sea lions sunned themselves on a bell buoy, oblivious to our cooing and cameras. Then Skagway was another highlight, a former gold rush town, where an old steam train winds up the through the mountains, following Seattle the track made by miners in the 1890s. We were enraptured.

Celebrity Edge, Dawes Glacier

Gazing on Dawes Glacier at dawn

But the greatest port? It turned out not to be a port at all. At dawn, our ship sailed through the perilously narrow Endicott Arm to access Dawes Glacier. While we were wrapped up in blankets on deck the mammoth Celebrity Edge ship “pirouetted” so that everybody could see the glacier up close, even if they were still in PJs in their cabin. We were so enveloped by the glacier – and so hushed on board – we could hear as giant shards of ice shifted at sea.

Amtrak, Seattle to Vancouver ©Washington State Department of Transport

The second leg of our Pacific Northwest family holiday

Sailing back into Seattle, now halfway through our fortnight, I wondered how we could top Alaska. But after 48 hours of Starbucks and sunshine – the mega coffee brand was born in Seattle, along with Nirvana, Amazon and Microsoft – we were wishing we could extend our trip. Next stop was Vancouver, over the border into Canada, and we travelled by the scenic Amtrak Cascades train. The route runs right along the coast, often hugging the waterline so tightly you can wave at wild swimmers from your seat.

Vancouver, like Seattle, was another urban escapade for us – both on the waterfront, hemmed by snowcapped mountains, they must be two of the family-friendliest cities in North America. My daughter loved getting around the city by water taxi, and I loved stopping for oysters at every terminal.

Fisgard Lighthouse, Vancouver Island

Fly away to Vancouver Island

But we were on our way to Vancouver Island, confusingly not part of Vancouver, and almost two hours’ away by sea. Not that we caught the ferry. Instead, the familiar adage “make it count” came back into play when we heard that seaplanes whisk passengers to the island capital, Victoria, in under 30 minutes.

How could we not? We justified the flight by declaring it a bucketlist experience in itself. Which it was. Captain John Ferguson of Harbour Air invited my daughter into his empty co-pilot seat (he does so every flight to one lucky passenger) and told us all to “holler if you spot a whale”. For the umpteenth time on this journey, we were in awe.

Whales, Vancouver Island

Pacific Northwest family holiday grand finale

Our expectations were high for famously picturesque Vancouver Island, since we’d seen it on Race Across the World. Mother Nature is the big draw here, and locals and tourists both live life in hiking boots, or with an SUP under their arm. We set off immediately on a tour with Eagle Wing, a conservation and whale watching company. Yes, we were there to spot orcas, but it was equally captivating as the young naturalists told us about whale populations (increasing), whale feeding (ingenious), and whale poo (pink!). When we saw literally dozens of humpbacks breaching at sunset – something I’ve never witnessed in 25 years of taking whale tours – our bucketlist was complete.

Had it not been for the pandemic, I don’t know if we’d have made it to the extraordinary Pacific Northwest. It’s true we returned home to dull credit card bills and jet lag, and the environmental cost of travel is not lost on us. But the empathy and insight that world travel gives children is priceless. And if the pandemic produced only one single positive, let it be that.

Seattle skyline with Mt Rainier, Pacific Northwest family holiday

Inside Seattle

What to do: You can’t miss the Sky Needle with its revolving glass floor, nor Seattle Aquarium. Then there’s extraordinary Chihuly Garden and Glass. A Seattle CityPass includes entry to all three.

Where to eat: Iconic Pike Place Market is one of the oldest farmer’s markets in North America, and you can eat on the go or stop in many sit-down restaurants. For local seafood, book Goldfinch Tavern.

Where to stay: With a heated infinity pool overlooking the Seattle Great Wheel, Four Seasons Seattle is a brilliant family hotel for exploring the city.

Downtown Vancouver, Pacific Northwest family holiday

Inside Vancouver

What to do: All ages will love Flyover, a 3D flight across Western Canada’s greatest natural wonders. Make time for Granville Island Public Market too, for food trucks, live music, and walk-in artists’ studios.

Where to eat: We found the best poutine at Stanley’s Bar & Grill. It’s a great Stanley Park pit stop, in between carriage rides and Totem Poles.

Where to stay: The Fairmont Waterfront is a family fave thanks to its heated outdoor pool overlooking the harbour. The hotel also offers free bike use.