Alaska Cruise
Thinking about taking an Alaska cruise? If so, you'll be happy to know Alaska is a popular destination for cruise ships departing from the west coast. An Alaska cruise offers a chance to see the beautiful but remote and sparsely populated 50th US state. The capital of Alaska is Juneau. It is also the 3rd largest and one of the most colorful cities in the state with a history dating back to the discovery of gold in 1879. You'll enjoy cruising the myriad of fjords, straits, sounds, and passages of the Tongas National Forest with its unsurpassed scenery and abundant wildlife. Other points of interest include the aerial tram ride that takes visitors from the cruise terminal to the top of Mt. Roberts, the incomparable Glacier Bay National Park, the Mendenhall Glacier, the Alaska State Museum, and the Golden Creek Mine Town. Most Alaska cruises offer a variety of tours to Mendenhall Glacier, to the Golden Creek Mine Town, and to an Alaskan salmon bake to sample area's most famous delicacy. Other shore excursions offered by many of the Alaska cruise ships include a rafting trip down the Mendenhall River, a helicopter flight over the Mendenhall Glacier and other glaciers with a landing on an ice field, and a float plane ride to Taku Lodge through the glaciers to a wilderness habitat where visitors can gorge themselves with barbecued salmon and take a nature walk. Most Alaska cruise ships meander into Glacier Bay which affords passengers an opportunity to photograph both the mirror like blue waters with bobbing ice formations all surrounded by jagged wilderness, mountain peaks, and fjords interlaced with gleaming white glaciers. Ketchikan is known as Alaska's first city because it is the first major community travelers see as the head north. The city is located on a large island at the foot of Deer Mountain with fishing, timber, and tourism comprising the major industries. The city is known for its outstanding collection of native totem poles located at Totem Heritage Center, Totem Bight Historical Park, and Saxman Village. Sitka is a picturesque little city reflecting the early Russian influence of its first European settlers. You will see harbors filled with little fishing boats, roofs lined with gulls, and a backdrop of snow peaked mountains. In the summer you can take a three-hour jet boat cruise past little islands to view bald eagles, sea otters, and humpback whales. Skagway dates back to Alaska's Gold Rush days and is presently a tribute to the era. From the pier where your cruise ship docks, you can walk to downtown Skagway or you can take a horse-drawn carriage or antique bus on a tour. Options for tourists include a spectacular helicopter ride landing on a glacier, a glider ride over ice fields and Glacier Bay with a float trip through a bald eagle preserve, a city and historical tour on a streetcar, and several other options. An Alaska cruise will give you a new appreciation for the beauty of the largest state in the US as measured by land area. |
