The Alaska cruise is a breathtaking adventure that
you'll never forget. Giant snow-capped mountains,
sparkling glaciers, thick pine forests rising up from the
shoreline and abundant wildlife vie for your attention
in this dramatic landscape. Towns and villages brimming
with history tell a story of the Great Land that will
endear Alaska to you forever.

An Alaska cruise typically departs from Seattle in
Washington State or from Vancouver in British Columbia.
Winters are very harsh in Alaska, so the main cruising
season is confined to the summer months, typically
between May and September.

The most popular Alaska cruise route takes passengers
on a one week round-trip up the Alaskan coastline and
through the Inside Passage. This route takes in the
ports of Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Sitka in the
extreme southeast of Alaska. Other cruise routes run
to Prince William Sound near the city of Anchorage,
and also along the Alaska Peninsula and into the Bering
Sea. These longer cruises are often one-way, requiring
passengers to make their return journey by train or
plane.

Ketchikan is well worth a visit alone for the Tongass
National Forest - the most northerly rainforest on the
North American continent. It is more than eight times
the size of the Yellowstone National Park, and offers
the ultimate in adventure tours where you'll find rich
salmon runs and grizzly bears. Ketchikan is also home
to the world's largest collection of totem poles.
These can be found at the Totem Heritage Center Museum.

Juneau, often known as 'little San Francisco', is
Alaska's capital. Here you can experience life in a
true northern city. The Mendenhall Glacier is sure
worth a visit, as is the Sawyer Glacier a little
further to the South.

Skagway is Alaska's gold-rush town. It is well
preserved and offers access to the Klondike Gold Rush
National Historical Park. Disembark at this port and
view the way of the world famous White Pass railroad,
before panning for gold in this northern outpost. And
when you're done with the gold, why not take time out
to watch the whales near Sitka - a haven for these
beautiful creatures all year round.

For the more adventurous, an Alaska cruise can take
in Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. Known as
Alaska's 'Emerald Isle' Kodiak Island takes visitors
back to the time when the first inhabitants settled on
the island more than 7,500 years ago. You can even
locate Alaska's oldest parish here on Kodiak Island. 

John Metcalfe is the webmaster for http://www.azcruises.com 
which is the No1 resource for Cruise related Information on the
Internet. Be sure to visit his complete archive of articles here:
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