Day 4: Long Bay
About 5:30 a.m., the captain notified still sleeping guests over the loudspeaker that orca were sighted at the stern of the ship. We were too sleepy to notice, but many people trudged outside in their pajamas for some early morning whale watching.
We did make it downstairs in time for breakfast. The choices were a veggie omelette or a turkey and bacon quiche.
Our first adventure of the day started early. We’d signed up for a “bushwhack lite.” A group of us gathered, life vests on, ready to board the skiff that would take us ashore along with our guides Andrew and Jessie. A bushwhack is an unstructured hike. Rather than searching out trails, we faced obstacles like branches and logs head on. The full bushwhack is even more strenuous. We opted for “lite” during our first family bushwhack. We climbed up a rocky shore, then into the forest. The moss was spongy under our feet, feeling a bit like a natural trampoline. My son, Griffin, enjoyed stomping around, jumping onto stumps and scrambling under bushes. The rest of us admired his agility as we walked a little more slowly, trying not to lose our footing.
We eventually ambled out of the forest into a meadow. There were large pools of water, about ankle deep, that we waded into. We looked for signs of life. We could tell that this was a watering hole for bears. Besides the scat left behind, the tall grasses lay in large flattened patches and had clearly served as a napping spot for bears. Both kids enjoyed the opportunity to stomp in puddles, empowered by their waterproof gear, they didn’t mind when the rain started falling quite heavily. Eventually our skiff arrived to take us back to the Legacy. We were pretty soaked by the time we returned. We stripped off our rain gear, hung it around our cabin to dry, then changed for lunch.
KidTripster Tip: The attire during an UnCruise is casual. Shorts, jeans, t-shirts, and hoodies are perfectly acceptable clothing for mealtimes. You won’t find anyone dressed up. There are no “formal nights” on board, thank goodness!
Chef had prepared an Asian-inspired menu. Poke bowls were served with raw tuna, rice, edamame salad and a wasabi dressing. There was also chicken teriyaki with rice. Dessert was a mud pie (basically a warm chocolate cake topped with marshmallows and drizzled chocolate).
The rain continued coming down outside, but we didn’t let that keep us from our next activity, a skiff tour with Spencer. We cruised around, following the shoreline, looking for wildlife. Spencer thought we might see bears or deer, but, unfortunately, we didn’t. We did find a large group of harbor seals piled up on a rock island. Once they saw us, they got shy and started quickly sliding into the water. They would bob their heads up and down, to see what we were up to, but mostly steered clear of us. We also spotted several bald eagles, including some young birds. Salmon season was underway so the birds were hunting for fish. We spent about an hour cruising around. It was wet and cold and at this moment, we were glad we’d invested in quick-dry clothing and waterproof shells. As we got back to the ship, we noticed a “smack” of jellyfish. That’s a name for a large group of jellies. We saw moon jellyfish peacefully moving around just below the surface and some bright red Lion’s Mane Jellyfish, too.
Photo: UnCruise Adventures 
Photo: UnCruise Adventures
KidTripster Tip: When packing for Alaska in the summer, think layers. You don’t need to bring big puffy jackets or heavy winter gear. The temperatures at this time of year are relatively mild, but the conditions can (and do!) change quickly, from sun to rain. You’ll want to wear thin layers of quick-dry clothing, topped with waterproof jackets and pants as well as hats and gloves. Columbia Sportswear is good outdoor brand that has affordable items for the entire family, including small children.
Related: What to Pack when Sailing with UnCruise Adventures in Alaska
Once again, we peeled off our wet clothes and hung them to dry. After getting changed, we gathered in the lounge for some family game time. People looked enviously at our deck of Uno cards. We like to travel with a small assortment of games, things like Uno and Left Center Right which are compact and easy to drop into a carry-on bag.
KidTripster Tip: UnCruise has board games available to use. There are also DVDs that you can borrow during your stay. There’s a mounted TV in each room. It’s not connected to cable or a satellite dish, but you can play DVDs. The selection varies on-board.
Each afternoon, snacks are provided at the bar. Typically it’s a pastry or cookie. We munched on cookies while we played several rounds of Uno. There’s also a specialty cocktail offered each day, created by the bartender.
For news hour, Skiba came in to tell us about the next day’s activities. We could anticipate water activities in the morning and land activities in the afternoon. We decided to sign up for “open paddle” for the morning. That’s basically an opportunity to get out on a kayak or paddle board at your leisure. We decided to go for another “bushwhack lite” in the afternoon.
We headed back down our booth in the dining room for dinner. We were greeted with a beet salad with cheese and candied walnuts. Our entree choices were a halibut poached in olive oil served with a lemon puree – or duck, prepared medium rare, with a crispy skin and wild berry topping. The vegetarian dish was pierogi with caramelized onion. Dessert was a profiterole, which was a creampuff with whipped cream served with a container of melted chocolate.
We were wiped out after a busy few days and headed right to our cabins for an early bedtime.
Meantime, in the lounge marine expert Jessie offered a presentation about the various whales we might see during our trip. We listened to her presentation via the speaker in our room, as we lounged in our pajamas.
About an hour after falling asleep, our phones started pinging. We’d sailed into cell coverage. My daughter and I hopped up to look at our phones. I responded to one email then lost service for the remainder of the night. Oh, well! It was fun while it lasted.
Click on “5” to find out about a really cool encounter with whales on our fifth day with UnCruise.
