Alaska's Glaciers Detailed Itinerary;Adventure Travel:African safari, Kenya safari,Tanzania safari, wildlife safari, Peru tour, Chile tour, South Africasafari, Argentina tour, Brazil tour andAntarctica cruise

Alaskan Coastal Odyssey – From Vancouver to Anchorage
aboard the deluxe 120 passenger Spirit of Oceanus

* 2009 Cruises: Save $800 per person on departures through June 15th if booked by December 12, 2008.

* 2009 Cruises: Save $400 per person on departures after June 15th if booked by December 12, 2008.

    * Cruise & Land Cost from: $7,199 per person (excludes above discounts/credits)
    * 13 days/12 nights
    * Vancouver, B.C. to Anchorage
    * 2008 Departure dates: May 24. June 5, 15, 27. July 31. August 12, 22. September 3.

Our Coastal Odyssey voyage cruises over 1,600 miles between Vancouver, B.C. and Anchorage, exploring the entire Inside Passage between British Columbia and Glacier Bay National Park, and the spectacular Gulf of Alaska coast.

The graceful, all-suite deluxe Spirit of Oceanus takes you to ports other cruise lines don't (or can't) reach, and brings you close to shore to find puffins in Glacier Bay, seals and sea otters in the Kenai Fjords, and bears feeding along the shoreline of Admiralty Island.

You may also extend your adventure into Alaska's Interior via motorcoach and rail, spending two nights at Denali National Park and one night in Fairbanks!

ITINERARY
(Note: For detailed descriptions of the destinations, please refer to the Port & Places section at the bottom of this page.)

DAY 1 - SET SAIL FROM VANCOUVER
Transfer to the Spirit of Oceanus at Vancouver's inner harbor. Sail under the Lion's Gate Bridge as your panoramic Coastal Odyssey cruise begins. D

DAY 2 - CRUISING BRITISH COLUMBIA
Over the next two days you will experience sheltered waterways lined by the evergreen wilderness of the Great Bear Rainforest that temptingly lead you north toward Alaska. These nutrient-rich waters are home to whales and dolphins. This is a truly special place and, at 19 million acres, one of the earth's largest remaining tracts of temperate rainforest. We will keep an eye out for the Kermode Bear. Known locally as the "Spirit Bear," this rare and elusive subspecies of black bear is a phenomenal sight with its white fur. The day will be filled with interesting narrative from your Exploration Leader and relaxing cruising in the wilderness. Stop for a visit at a remote port of call along the lush British Columbia Inside Passage to explore life in this beautiful and quiet region. BLD

DAY 3 - CRUISING BRITISH COLUMBIA
A second day of cruising British Columbia. We'll make a brief stop at one of the Native villages along our route. The First Nations of British Columbia have inhabited this rich region for thousands of years. The Kitasoo/Xaixais First Nation are a coastal people whose ancient history remains alive and well today. While comitted to educating their children in the ways of modern man, they are equally committed to the preservation of their language and traditions. We'll have the opportunity to meet with tribal members to hear their story and perspective on life in this remote region. Then we'll spend the rest of the day enjoying the scenic cruising. Set your clocks back one hour before bedtime as we'll cross the Dixon Entrance and enter Alaska Daylight Time. BLD

DAY 4 - MISTY FIORDS NATIONAL MONUMENT AND METLAKATLA
The dramatic granite cliffs of Misty Fiords National Monument welcome you to Alaska's grandeur as you explore spectacular Behm Canal, a glacially-carved fjord where six inlets come together. All the important geological and ecological characteristics of Southeast Alaska are found within these 2.3 million acres of pristine wilderness. Seagulls and pigeon guillemots find the perfect nesting sites along glacier-carved granite walls in this tranquil temperate rainforest. National Forest Service Kayak Rangers will join you onboard to offer information about this area. This is just the beginning of our adventures within the United States' largest national forest. At 17 million acres, the Tongass National Forest is the size of West Virginia and covers 80 percent of Southeast Alaska.

We'll have the unique opportunity to visit Metlakatla on Annette Island. In a quest for religious freedom, Father William Duncan and a group of Tsimshian Indians moved 100 miles north of Metlakatla, British Columbia to Annette Island, the site of present day Metlakatla. In 1891, the United States government set aside Annette Island for the exclusive use of the Tsimshian Indians and other Alaska natives and it is now the only such reservation in Alaska. We will have the special opportunity to meet members of this community and be honored by observing a traditional dance performance in full Tsimshian regalia in their tribal long house. BLD

DAY 5 - PETERSBURG
Winding Wrangell Narrows leads to the Norwegian-founded, bustling fishing village of Petersburg, at the northern tip of Mitkof Island. Disembark for your shore excursions and adventures in "Little Norway," with a population of about 3,000. We'll be entertained with an included celebration at the Sons of Norway Hall . The Leikarring Dancers perform traditional Norwegian dance in colorful and authentic dress of bright blues accentuated by red, white and yellow embroidered flowers. You will also be treated to an introduction to the community and sample some homemade Norwegian pastries. There will be time to explore this tiny, picturesque fishing community. BLD

DAY 6 - TRACY ARM AND FREDERICK SOUND
We will travel through Holkham Bay, the mouth of two spectacular, glacier-fed fjords. As we cross the bar look for signs of the strong currents tugging at the red and green navigational markers and for the many birds that feed on the rich nutrients stirred by these currents. We will be cruising far up Tracy Arm toward the twin Sawyer Glaciers, where steep granite cliffs line waterways choked with icebergs. The fjord twists and turns for 25 miles. We will come as close as safely possible to the face of a glacier and hope for a show of thundering ice splashing seawater hundreds of feet high. Arctic terns my buzz close to the bow, their shrill call warning you to stay away from their nests in the glacial till.

We head back out of the fjord and follow the tenacious plant succession up and down the steel-gray mountainsides. As we exit Holkham Bay , we enter Frederick Sound, the body of water that hosts a world-renowned humpback whale population. Nutrient-rich waters compel large numbers of humpbacks to return from Hawaii every summer to feed and frolic in this region. We'll spend the afternoon seeking glimpses of these magnificent creatures. We may also be able to find and observe the massive and gregarious Steller's sea lions and harbor seals.

You'll want to be on deck as we transit Wrangell Narrows, a waterway that separates Mitkof and Kupreanof Islands. Too narrow and shallow for the large ships to successfully navigate, our small ship is masterfully steered 21 miles along a snake-like path with 46 course changes. Seventy red and green navigational lights mark the course, earning it the nickname of "Christmas Tree Lane." This is a great area to look for Sitka black-tailed deer, black bears and large rafts of seabirds. BLD

DAY 7 - SKAGWAY
Early this morning we'll cruise the deep and mysterious waters of Lynn Canal, bordered by tall, rugged snowcapped mountain peaks. Relive the Gold Rush in the picture-perfect setting of Skagway, the starting place for many early gold seekers of the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush. Your included tour is a 15-minute drive and overview of the town in a unique touring car. Tour guides are dressed in period costumes and are well versed in the raucous stories of this frontier settlement. Wooden sidewalks border historic buildings erected when this boomtown was jammed with thousands of folk lured by gold fever. This is the home of the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway. BLD

DAY 8 - GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE
Realize the beauty of majestic Glacier Bay National Park, as we cruise looking for wildlife and glacier activity in remote bays. We'll pick up a Glacier Bay Park Service Ranger and Tlingit Native Cultural Interpreter in Bartlett Cove. They'll join us onboard to help spot wildlife and other fascinating information on this evolving area. Over 65 miles of pristine terrain and habitat have been revealed in Glacier Bay since its giant rivers of ice have dramatically retreated over the past 200 years. We'll approach the Marble Islands and encounter a teeming multitude of seabirds such as black-legged kittiwakes, murrelets and puffins all swooping and swarming above the barking haul-out of Steller's sea lions. Keep an eye out for mountain goats on the Gloomy Knob or brown and black bears foraging on the shoreline. We may also spot harbor seals, sea otters and humpback whales. BLD

DAY 9 - SITKA
Breathtaking waterways lead to attractive Sitka. We will cruise through a zigzag of beautiful, narrow passageways between Baranof and Chichagof Islands to Sitka, the oldest non-Native settlement in Southeast Alaska. Along the way there will be an excellent opportunity to view bald eagles and Sitka black-tailed deer along the shorelines. Also look for sea otters feeding on sea urchings and floating close to protective kelp beds. Sitka is nestled on the shores of Sitka Sound, on the west coast of Baranof Island, protected from the Pacific by lush, forested islands and Mt. Edgecumbe, the "Mount Fuji of the West." This one-time capital of Russian America has a wealth of historical art and artifacts. Stroll the totem-lined forest trail at Sitka National Historic Park. Various optional shore excursions are offered to maximize your time in this small coastal community that was once called, "The Paris of the Pacific." BLD

DAY 10 - EXPLORING THE ALASKAN COAST
Snowcapped mountains, some soaring to 15,000 feet, line the northern horizon today as you enjoy a full day of life at sea. BLD

DAY 11 - PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
We'll explore the more remote wilderness region in the southwestern part of Prince William Sound.Keep your binoculars and camera handy as we cruise through spectacular coves, inlets and view the steep rocky cliffs that demarcate the mainland and various islands. Knight Island Passage and Montague Straits supports an extraordinary plethora of marine mammals including humpback whales, orcas, harbor seals and sea lions. Snaggle-toothed rocky outcroppings on the periphery of the Gulf of Alaska are the perfect protected habitat for a multitude of nesting seabirds, particularly puffins, common murres and cormorants. Our years of exploration here enable us to show you the very best of the hidden wildlife wonders. BLD

DAY 12 - WHITTIER TO ANCHORAGE
Disembark the Spirit of Oceanus and transfer to Anchorage via motorcoach. Included Anchorage sightseeing features the Anchorage Museum of History and Art. Evening dinner will be enjoyed at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel or at your choice of restaurants in beautiful Anchorage, nestled between the Chugach Mountains and the shoreline of Cook inlet. BD

DAY 13 - ANCHORAGE
Prior to your transfer to the airport, enjoy a morning Anchorage tour.

* 2009 Cruises: Save $800 per person on departures through June 15th if booked by December 12, 2008.

* 2009 Cruises: Save $400 per person on departures after June 15th if booked by December 12, 2008.

2008	SUP	MAJ	PRE	CLS	EXP	GT	OWN
Jun 5	$7599	$7949	$8149	$8649	$9899	$10699	$13549
Jun 27	$8099	$8399	$8599	$9149	$10399	$11299	$14199
Aug 12	$8099	$8399	$8599	$9149	$10399	$11299	$14199
Sep 3	$7599	$7949	$8149	$8649	$9899	$10699	$13549

2008	SUP	MAJ	PRE	CLS	EXP	GT	OWN
May 24	$7599	$7949	$8149	$8649	$9899	$10699	$13549
Jun 15	$8099	$8399	$8599	$9149	$10399	$11299	$14199
July 31	$8099	$8399	$8599	$9149	$10399	$11299	$14199
Aug 22	$8099	$8399	$8599	$9149	$10399	$11299	$14199

The costs do not include the above mentioned discount or credit. The cost of your cruise does include $790 per person which covers taxes/port charges/fees and fuel surcharges. Prices are per person, double-occupancy, U.S. dollars. Single and Triple rates available upon request where applicable. Airfare extra. This tour requires a $1000 per person deposit.

This vessel is spacious and luxurious and is equipped with stabilizers. More details:

    * 295 feet in length
    * Cruising speed of 14.5 knots
    * Registered in the Bahamas
    * English-speaking multinational crew
    * All cabins feature private facilities
    * Bed sizes will vary from standard
    * Elevator to all passenger decks
    * TV monitor/VCR in each cabin
    * 120 guests
    * Satellite phone, email and Internet capability
    * 15 Suites have private balconies

Sitka lies in the shadow of the Mt. Edgecumbe volcano. This dormant volcano is unlikely to erupt in your presence, as it has not done so in 6,000 years. The ancient crater adds to the energy of a landscape that is interwoven with the Tlingit and Russian cultures that make up Sitka’s past and present. Sitka was the Russian Capitol of Alaska before it was sold to the United States in 1867. The remnants of its architecture, also known as the “Paris of the Pacific,” are all still apparent, especially with St. Michael's Russian Orthodox Cathedral which dominates the town’s skyline. In the middle of town, the Tlingit ceremonial long house will also capture your attention. It is these two cultures, the Russian and the Tlingit, that in times past clashed and fought fiercely in Sitka. The Tlingit ultimately were defeated in their right to govern themselves here, however it is the Tlingit who persisted and live here today.

No visit to Sitka is complete without visiting the Sheldon Jackson Museum. This museum represents a vast collection of artifacts from all over Alaska, presented in an intimate and fun way you can explore on your own. Immediately adjoining the museum is the Sitka National Historic Park, where many totem poles stand in the mist-shrouded forest. When you walk here among the icons of the Pacific Northwest in their natural setting, it is as if you are stepping back to a time long forgotten. Sitka is situated on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, and it is here that the raw swells can be seen crashing on the islands protecting its inner harbor and fishing fleet.

While in Sitka, there are options to kayak, hike, bike, and/or visit the world famous Raptor Rehabilitation Center where you can come within inches of bald and golden eagles, just to name a few. These birds are here for medical attention and recovery from injury. Some may not have the ability to re-enter the wild. A guided tour of the facilities and a demonstration showing how magnificent and noble these raptors are will be available, and often leaves our guests speechless.

Visit the bustling port of Prince Rupert. Prince Rupert is located on Kaien Island at the mouth of the Skeena River, on the southeastern edge of the U.S./Canada water boundary of Dixon Entrance. Prince Rupert is approximately 40 miles south of Alaska’s southernmost boundary, 950 miles north of Vancouver, and 447 miles west of the city of Prince George on Highway 16. The city’s population is 14, 643, and annual precipitation averages approximately 8 feet. Average summer temperature is 60 degrees F; winter averages 28 degrees F.

The community of Prince Rupert began as the western terminus of the second Canadian transcontinental railroad and continues today as a transportation center, linking the northern Canadian Pacific Coast to the rest of Canada as well as to Alaska by state ferry or to Vancouver Island on the British Columbia ferry system.

The bountiful North Pacific has always provided well for the coastal inhabitants of British Columbia. Tsimshian and Haida First Nations have lived on the shores of this region for thousands of years. Some archaeological sites of ancient villages are dated back 5,000 years or more on the islands around Prince Rupert. The Historic Museum of Northern British Columbia has documented this history of their First Nations from contact with fur traders and missionaries on to present day activities.

The economic heart and passion of Prince Rupert is commercial and sport fishing of salmon, halibut, crab and prawns. Prince Rupert is also a leading Northwest port, exporting lumber, grain, coal and potash in the billions of dollars each year. Today this port offers all the amenities of a larger city with a friendly small town attitude. A tour of this community reveals a performing arts center, golf course, swimming pool, and civic center with reproductions of cedar totem poles that were carved hundreds of years ago.

As Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage is the hub of the state, supporting a vital business sector. An urban metropolis surrounded by wilderness, Anchorage provides all the amenities and conveniences of a large city, but leaves behind the normal congestion.

Anchorage is the largest community in Alaska with 270,000 residents. The town was founded in 1914, and within one year, the Alaska Railroad made Anchorage its hub. In 1915, Anchorage became a tent city of 2,000 people following the ‘Great Anchorage Lot Sale.’ The land auction sold lots for an average of $225 each. The city of Anchorage became officially incorporated in 1920. Major military impact allowed for the growth of Anchorage between 1939 and 1957. Roads were built and airports were constructed, allowing for continual growth of the city, and the port of Anchorage was completed in the early 1960s. In 1964, the Good Friday Earthquake demolished a large part of the town. The quake registered 9.2 on the Richter Scale, killing 131 people. Downtown Anchorage and residential areas suffered massive land slide damage. During the 1970s, Anchorage experienced another major economic boom with the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. The economy continues to thrive on natural resource production, along with finance and real estate, government agencies, tourism and transportation.

Downtown Anchorage offers a variety of shops and enjoyable cafes and restaurants. You will enjoy your day of sightseeing, traveling south along the Turnagain Arm, a beautiful trip by motorcoach to view Cook Inlet, and looking for mountain goats along the Chugach Mountain Range. You will visit the Alyeska Resort and partake in a scenic tram ride to the summit. Later in the day you will travel northeast to the Alaska Native Heritage Center and have the wonderful opportunity to learn about the various native cultures in Alaska. Members of different tribes conduct education workshops, discussing their history, customs, and way of life.

Bring lots of film when you cruise Prince William Sound. Prince William Sound is a must-see if you believe that “big things come in small packages.” Roughly the size of Puget Sound and three times the size of San Francisco Bay, Prince William Sound stretches nearly 70 miles both across and from top to bottom. Sailing the Sound brings visitors up-close and personal with centuries-old glacial ice, from small cirque glaciers(shallow bowls on high mountain peaks) to large tidewater glaciers (glaciers that end with their faces in water). It’s exciting to watch these large rivers of ice drop huge pieces into the water right in front of you! Listen for the sound of the mass moving along; large fissures crack like rifle shots as the plummeting chunks of ice smack the water. As the glacier calves, it creates a chain reaction in the water, moving ice bits, bergs, and the sea life with it.

This area is steeped in history, with a diversity of names that indicate the people who left their mark here. You’ll find Native, Russian, English, and Spanish names reflecting the pioneers who explored and lived in this area. Because the rugged and tall Chugach and Kenai Mountains cut off Prince William Sound from the interior, it’s easy to pretend you are one of the first explorers to sail in these waters.

One of the shaping forces of Alaska is out in the Sound, the collision deep in the earth of the Pacific Plate with the North American Plate. It has lifted up the world's greatest coastal mountains, the Chugach. The highest peak in the Chugach Range, 13,176-foot Mount Marcus Baker, towers above Harvard Glacier in College Fjord. It’s no wonder that copper, gold, and silver ores, among others, were found aplenty.

The incredible scenery -- narrow waterways, forest-covered islands, sea caves, marine mammals, and sea birds -- keeps visitors busy photographing, and with a maximum 19 hours of daylight around the summer solstice, there is plenty of time in which to do it. This is definitely color photography at its best. The color of the water changes from an eye-popping copper sulfate blue to the violet blue of the deep ocean. Close to glaciers the water turns a turbid gray from the glacier “flour” or silt that occurs as glaciers grind the rock on which they slide. We are able to get very close to these spectacles, making the experience richer, more poignant, and the photographs more spectacular: like being in a movie instead of just watching it. This is one place you shouldn’t forget to bring plenty of film.

About 12,000 years ago, the glaciers that created this area began to recede, leaving 3,000 highly convoluted miles of shoreline surrounded on three sides by the Chugach Mountains and the Kenai Mountains to the west. The glaciers scoured the Earth's crust down to the granite roots of the Chugach range and dug out deep fjords, glacially-carved valleys filled with seawater, creating the Sound and the rugged, sculpted Chugach Mountains. There are more breathtakingly beautiful tidewater glaciers surrounded by precipitous mountain peaks here than in the rest of Alaska. In all, there are over 20 glaciers terminating at sea level; numerous others cling to precipitous mountainsides. Of these, we see over half up-close and personal.

In the summer of 1899, railroad magnate Edward H. Harriman, president of the Union Pacific Railroad and the Washington Academy of Sciences upon advice from his physician to take a sea voyage as an antidote to stress, funded a scientific expedition along the Alaskan coast. The two-month expedition, intended initially as a family vacation, eventually gathered an illustrious group of scientists, naturalists, writers, and artists, and combined scientific research with leisure activities.

It was the Harriman Expedition party who named College Fjord as well as the glaciers that line it. The dozen or so glaciers lining this fjord were named for the Ivy League schools that members of the party attended. On the northwest side of the fjord, the glaciers were named after the women's colleges, such as Smith, Bryn Mawr, Vassar, Wellesley, Barnard, and Holyoke. On the southeast side, the glaciers are named after men's colleges Harvard, Yale, Amherst, and Dartmouth.

Some of these glaciers have retreated since the original Harriman Expedition, but not the largest of them, Harvard. Harvard Glacier is 1-1/2 miles wide, approximately 225 feet high at its terminal face, stretches below the waterline up to about 120 feet, and reaches back to the Chugach Icefield nearly 24 miles away. This giant of College Fjord is slowly advancing, calving literally tons of ice into the fjord each day. These glaciers parade down from the steep mountains. Nowhere else is there such a density of tidal glaciers.

There are often harbor seals hauled out on the ice floes in front of Harvard Glacier throughout the summer. It’s also not unusual to see large rafts of sea otters together, grooming their luxuriously dense fur, slipping beneath the surface to dine on crab, or simply floating with their babies nestled on their chests watching with curiosity as we pass by.

Visit the Ice Age in Alaska's many glaciers. Glaciers form where more snow falls in the long winter than melts in the short summer and, over a period of years, compacts into ice, becoming massive enough to begin to move. That is, a snow patch becomes a glacier when the deepest layers begin to deform due to the weight of the overlying snow and ice.

There are so many glaciers in Prince William Sound because moisture from storms sweeping in off the Pacific Ocean in the winter is trapped by the high mountains and drops that moisture as snow. In fact, in the higher elevations of the Chugach Mountains it is not uncommon for snow to fall 12 months of the year. The thick, accumulating snow layers compress over years into ice that gradually flows down to the sea like massive rivers of ice. In the high reaches of the mountains, the glacier accumulates the snow that turns into ice. This area is called the accumulation zone. It can take the glacial ice about 100 years to move from this point to its terminus point at sea. The ice moves down from the mountains and begins melting and calving into the water. The area where more ice is lost to calving, melting, and evaporating is called the ablation, or melting, zone. The glacier’s thickness is about one-half of the surface width of the glacier. Although few glaciers have been measured, the measured thickness ranges from a few hundred feet for small glaciers to about 5,000 feet for the largest glaciers in Alaska. At the end of the last great Ice Age, the glaciers covering Prince William Sound may have reached two miles in thickness in places.

Most of the glacier ice in Alaska is only a few tenths of a degree below the melting temperature, except for a surface layer several feet thick that is cooled during winter. Because of this, most glaciers in Alaska are not frozen to their beds. These glaciers are referred to as "temperate" glaciers. Glaciologists refer to a glacier as a "cold" glacier if it is more than a few degrees below the freezing temperature throughout most of its thickness. Cold glaciers are frozen to the bedrock, do not move, and are found in Greenland and Antarctia.

Tidewater glaciers show a cyclical behavior. Glaciers push debris in front of them as they slowly move down a mountainside. The moraine, which is formed of rocks, boulders, and debris, protects the face of the glacier from the melting effects of saltwater. Eventually too much of the glacier is in the melting zone compared to the amount in the accumulation zone and the glacier retreats off its protective moraine. When the glacier retreats, it is still flowing downhill due to gravity and its own mass. Now its ice-face is exposed to the relatively warm salt water and drastic retreat begins with the glacier calving millions of tons of ice daily. When the glacier retreats onto land or into shallow water, the melt rate decreases, the glacier stabilizes, and it once again begins to build a new terminal moraine from rock debris carried down the mountain by the glacier. Over time, the new moraine will protect the face of the glacier again slowing the melting and the glacier will begin to advance, slowly bulldozing its moraine down the mountainside.

Look out for calving bergs at Columbia Glacier. Columbia Glacier is the Prince William Sound's largest tidewater glacier. As of 1984, it has been in catastrophic retreat and is discharging huge quantities of icebergs that totally clog the area behind its formerly deposited moraine. Much of the time it fills the outer bay with so much ice that it is impossible to get within seven miles of the face of this glacier. It has retreated an astounding seven miles and shrunk from five miles across its face to less than two miles in less than 20 years!

In June of 1999, the terminal advance of the glacier suddenly accelerated from 82 feet/day to 115 feet/day indicating that there was rapid thinning at its terminus or face. Glaciologists don’t know whether the glacier will stabilize or retreat back beyond the narrows. Currently the glacier's face is in contact with seawater 600 feet deep. Behind the narrow area where it now lies is a very large glacier-filled basin that reaches 2,000 feet below sea level. If the glacier retreats over that ridge, then incredible amounts of ice will be exposed to the melting effects of saltwater and a gigantic breakup will occur. The Icefield that feeds the glacier is 34 miles back into the Chugach to about Valdez. Columbia's catastrophic retreat is one of the most interesting geological events occurring on the planet because a whole new fjord is being released from the ice. Some glaciologists think that this is the first retreat Columbia has made in perhaps 3,000 years. It will be many hundreds if not thousands of years before Columbia Glacier will, once again, reoccupy the fjord.

Because the old terminal moraine forms a shallow dam under the water across Columbia Bay, large icebergs that reach more than 60 feet below the surface are corralled up in it and hold the remainder of ice in the seven-mile-long inner bay. Each high tide some of these melting bergs float across the moraine and temporarily allow a stream of smaller ones behind them to escape into the outer bay. This is the glacier from which icebergs drifting out into Prince William Sound played a small role in the grounding of the oil tanker, Exxon Valdez.

Sample everything from old-growth forests to world-class Chinese food in Vancouver.

Just one look around this stunning city, bordered by saltwater and the Coastal Mountain Range, is enough to convince you why it was chosen for the 2010 Winter Olympics. It’s possible to go sailing, play golf, and ski all in one day from Vancouver! It is located on mainland British Columbia on a peninsula bordered by Burrard Inlet to the north, English Bay to the west, and False Creek to the south. The Fraser River, so important for its contribution of fresh water into the Salish Sea, is located just south of the city. Vancouver is Canada’s third largest city after Toronto and Montreal, with a population of approximately 546,000 residents of multicultural diversity such as Italian, Greek, East Indian, Coast Salish, and Asian. It has a mild climate similar to Seattle, with an average rainfall of 50 inches (less than Boston). Vancouver is North America’s largest port after New York, and is one of the world’s major cruise ship ports.

The Coast Salish were the first inhabitants of the Vancouver region. They occupied approximately 10 villages along the shores of Point Gray and Burrard Inlet, sustained by the abundance of clams, herring, and salmon. The first European to sail into the waters around Vancouver was Spanish navigator Jose Narvaez, who anchored off Point Gray in 1791. Captain George Vancouver, whom the city’s name honors, spent a day in the area while exploring and charting Northwest waters and claimed the area for the British Empire.

In 1808, Simon Fraser arrived in the area overland and named the major freshwater tributary. Fraser River became an integral inland waterway of Vancouver’s pioneer days. The Hudson's Bay Company established settlement on the Fraser River and in Victoria. The first non-native settlement of the city, Gastown, was developed around a saloon built by John “Gassy Jack” Deighton. However, the name was discarded 16 years later when it was changed to Vancouver, and the city was incorporated in 1886.

The Canadian Pacific Railroad opened up the west for Vancouver and British Columbia, and with its natural, deep port, Vancouver became an important west coast seaport. Like Seattle, Vancouver was a supply and launching area for the Klondike Gold Rush of 1899, and by the 1930's became Canada’s third largest city. Some people predict the future will make it Canada’s largest city.

Today, Vancouver is a bustling, friendly city with a cosmopolitan flair, offering a wide range of attractions. It is so picturesque, with its wide variety of locations, mild climate and favorable economics, that it has become one of the larger film production centers in North America.

Stanley Park is Vancouver’s first park, established in 1886 with 1,000 acres that border the edge of the city’s downtown core. Large, fragrant cedar, hemlock, and fir trees dominate this park, which also offers a salmon demonstration stream, a totem park visitor center, a children’s farmyard, beaches, and playgrounds. Stanley Park also showcases the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, Canada’s leading aquatic conservation organization and a leader in orca research for over 25 years.

Frederick Sound. Look for humpbacks breaching in Frederick Sound.

Frederick Sound is a body of water approximately 45 miles wide in the central part of Southeast Alaska, at the confluence of Portage Bay (West), lower Stephens Passage (North), and Chatham Strait between the communities of Juneau (North) and Petersburg (South). Frederick Sound is only accessible by boat or air.

Abundant krill (small, shrimp-like crustaceans), zooplankton and herring thrive in the glacially-fed waters of Frederick Sound, making it one of the premier places in Alaska to observe feeding humpback whales. It is estimated that over 500 of the 1,000 humpbacks that migrate annually to Alaska from Hawaiian breeding grounds head particularly to Frederick Sound to feed in its super nutrient rich waters. Marine mammal abundance in the sound also includes orcas (killer whales), Steller's sea lions, Dall’s porpoise, and harbor seals. A variety of seabirds thrive in this region as well and can be observed flying overhead or flocking after the whale’s watery leftovers, creating a great clue to where the humpbacks might be. Surrounding the sound are the majestic craggy snow-covered mountains of the Coast Range rising from the sea to grand heights of 10,000 feet.

Enjoy the scenery in Icy Strait. Icy Strait is a body of water in Southeast Alaska that is located between Chichagof Island and the mainland, and extends 40 miles northwest from Chatham Strait to Glacier Bay and Cross Sound. Icy Strait’s nutrient-rich waters are abundant with marine mammals, sea birds and the scenery is spectacular.

Glacier Bay Park and Preserve is reportedly the most sought after park to visit in the United States and it is no wonder. Where else will you find a 25 mile-long river of ice still carving the land just as it has for the past several thousand years? When Captain Cook and George Vancouver sailed by in 1879, they saw a 20-mile wide glacier where today the entrance of the park lies, as well the wilderness lodge and park headquarters. Over the past 200 years, this wall of ice has retreated an astonishing 65 miles north, splintering into a vast number of tributaries spaced throughout the entire park. Each glacier has its own name and character; our captain will decide which to visit for the day depending on ice conditions and wildlife sightings.

Visiting Glacier Bay Park is also like visiting a wildlife park. Here bears, goats, moose, whales, sea otters, and all the creatures of the water and forest flourish, completely protected from man. A National Park Interpreter will join us on this day for our entire journey. He or she will explain the park's geology, glaciology, wildlife, and its deep roots in Tlingit culture, bringing the park alive on a level that will keep you engaged the entire time we are there.

As we cruise our way up to the towns of Skagway and Haines, we will be within one of the largest fjords in the world, Lynn Canal. Lynn Canal stretches many miles and provides a very dramatic backdrop that makes it appear as if we are taking our ship through the Swiss Alps. It is not uncommon to see whales or Steller's sea lions in this stretch of water. We will also pass the Eldred Rock Lighthouse, a lonely sentinel surrounded by jagged peaks of snow, rock, ice, and green-silted waters, and one of the most scenic lighthouses anywhere. This stretch of Lynn Canal, including Haines and Skagway, provides some of the most intense scenic beauty, wildlife sightings, and human history Alaska can offer.

When we finally see Haines, it will be at the base of the mighty Chilkat mountain range, with glaciers seemingly flowing down to the edge of town. The setting in Haines is breathtaking. Cruise West’s founder, Chuck West, was so taken with Haines’ beauty and tranquility that he owned a family cabin here. This sleepy little village is dominated by Fort Seward and its colonial structures at the center of town. In 1993, Haines was used to film Jack London’s "White Fang." This small town is quiet and sincere, and its residents make their living by fishing and guiding local visitors by horse, raft, and nature walks. Haines is and has been a Tlingit clan site. Haines provides a very real look at small town life in Alaska.

During the winter, up to 4,000 bald eagles congregate in just a few square miles to snatch spawning salmon from the Chilkat River. This spectacle attracts wildlife enthusiasts from around the world, for this happens nowhere else but Haines, Alaska!

Lynn Canal is a spectacular fjord in Southeast Alaska, 90 miles long and 7 to 12 miles wide. Its southern border connects with Chatham Strait and Stephens Passage and carves north between majestic mountains into the inlets of the Chilkoot and Chilkat Rivers. This navigable passageway connects Skagway, Haines, and Juneau, Alaska, and was the last leg of the voyage north to the gold fields in 1896. Lynn Canal remains an important water transportation highway within northern Southeast Alaska, with stunning scenery of jade-green water lined with jagged mountain peaks topped by icy blue hanging glaciers.

As you sail into Skagway, you are immediately transported back to 1898. You gaze from the bow of the ship and can just imagine the bustling streets teeming with Stampeders buying last-minute supplies from the multitude of false-fronted businesses that line the boardwalk.

In 1898, Skagway was a destination hot spot for over 20,000 men and women with dreams of hiking either the Chilkoot Trail or White Pass to reach their final destination, the gold fields of the Klondike.

Today, Skagway is again a preferred destination, popular with history buffs wanting to explore parts of the Klondike Gold Rush International Historical Park, one of the longest in the world, encompassing the whole Inside Passage from Pioneer Square in Seattle all the way to Dawson City in the Yukon Territory. Skagway is also a hit with train enthusiasts who dream of riding the narrow gauge rails of the White Pass & Yukon Route railroad, an International Historical Civil Engineering Landmark, built in 1898 and completed 110 miles later in 1900.

Look for petroglyphs along the beach in Wrangell. Wrangell Island is part of the Alexander Archipelago, seven miles from the mouth and delta of the Stikine River. This frontier town population is 2,308 (2000 census). The Stikine River, running 330 miles from inland British Columbia, is a very important freshwater contribution to the Inside Passage. The powerful Stikine Tlingit tribes inhabited this region for thousands of years, developing a very important trade center at the mouth of this river with the interior Athapaskan tribes. Along the beach north of town remains a very extensive collection of petroglyphs. It is thought that these rock carvings may have been primitive boundary markers for the First Peoples that lived in this area, establishing its importance.

The first non-natives to document this region were the Russians, who arrived in 1811, trading for beaver and land otter furs from the Stikine River. By the early 1800's, the British set up Hudson Bay Fur Trading Posts along the river, causing controversy. Wrangell’s colorful pioneer history includes takeovers by the Russian-America Company, then the British, and finally Americans.

Wrangell was also a jumping off point for the Gold Rushers, touting Wyatt Earp in their guest book of famous visitors when he stopped in Wrangell en route to the northern gold fields. John Muir also has his place in the Wrangell history books, staying here in his early days of Alaska exploration.

For many years, this rough and rugged Wild West town was supported economically primarily by the logging industry, with its sawmill and export of lumber to Japan, and as a fishing hamlet complete with a cannery until the late 1980's.

Today, Wrangell continues to redefine itself. The lumber mills have been upgraded and refashioned into a sustainable forest products industry, and the town has become a unique outpost for independent travelers proud of its frontier history and Tlingit roots. The natural setting of the area is the temperate rainforest, complete with abundant wildlife and the complex estuarine system at the mouth of the Stikine, which has become the recreational playground for locals and visitors with its fantastic wildlife sightings, boating, camping, fishing, and hunting.

Cruise the “Christmas Tree Lane” of Wrangell Narrows. Wrangell Narrows is one of the two narrowest waterways in Southeast Alaska, with Peril Straits near Sitka being the other. It is approximately 21 miles long, and is a very narrow and shallow waterway separating Mitkof Island and Kupreanof Island. Depending on tide activity, Wrangell Narrows is one-half mile to 100 yards wide, with its snakelike path winding around 46 total course changes. More than 70 navigational aids mark this course, giving Wrangell Narrows its nickname of “Christmas Tree Lane,” reminding folks of the red and green holiday lights when all the buoys are lit at night. This waterway averages just 19 to 22 feet deep, depending on the tide. Large boats require more than two feet of water above average low tide in order to navigate this challenging waterway safely. The southern point of Wrangell Narrows is the confluence of Sumner Strait, and its northern point is the small, quaint fishing village of Petersburg and the confluence of Frederick Sound, with the tides entering and exiting from both ends.
Ketchikan

Ketchikan has a rich and diverse history, all of which you can see elements of today. This includes its beginning as a fish saltery and salmon cannery - the salmon still spawn in the river that runs through the middle of town. Hanging above this salmon stream are the pilings supporting the buildings that once housed the red light district and helped bootleggers move their whisky unseen at high tide. Today, these same structures hold souvenir shops, bookstores, and restaurants, and await your exploration. In the surrounding hills, gold, copper, and molybdenum were mined. (Molybdenum is a silver metallic element used as an alloy to make high-speed cutting tools.) Ketchikan was crucial during WW II for supplying lightweight cedar for the construction of airplanes. For the next half century, Ketchikan was synonymous with the timber industry.

Within the city limits of Ketchikan is the Tlingit village of Saxman, a historical town site that still displays totem poles and a proud sense of its past. You may choose to visit the multimedia center or clan house for an in-depth introduction to the Tlingit culture, including dancing and storytelling. There are also a number of museums that tell the history of this town from a pioneer, native, and modern perspective.

Ketchikan is also a favorite for shoppers. Here you will find one of the largest selections of jewelery, native carvings, art, souvenirs, and folk art. The most unique point of interest in Ketchikan is the Tongass National Forest Discovery Center. This first-class education center has true-to-life displays of temperate rainforest, salmon streams, and native structures. It's as if you are stepping into the temperate rainforest! You will leave with an understanding of just how complex an ecosystem the temperate rainforest is.

Although Juneau is the state capital of Alaska, it seems to be situated in the middle of nowhere. Juneau is only reachable by plane or boat. This small, isolated city must be the most picturesque state capital in North America, with mountains and waterfalls visible right behind downtown and the Capitol building. Only a few minutes walk from the Capitol building and you are in the woods on a mountain slope. Bears have been spotted in downtown Juneau at night--note that all the downtown garbage receptacles are “bear proof.”

There is much excitement in Juneau as it is the hub for state politics, cruise ships, and still has the taste of an old mining frontier town. This allows a number of services to exist in Juneau like no other town you will visit. Kayaking, hiking, nature walks, salmon bakes, and flightseeing combined with ice climbing, glacier trekking, dog mushing, and bear viewing are just some of the things you can explore. Or perhaps you would like time on your own to visit one of the many museums, cafes, and bookshops downtown. If you want to get away from it all, the tram up Mt. Robert's will whisk you out of town to the mountain tops. There is so much to do in this small city in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness.

Misty Fiords is south of Ketchikan on the border with Canada. As we begin our journey into Behm Canal, the seemingly quiet entrance becomes more and more narrow as we pass New Eddie Stone Rock. This geologic oddity is the remnant of a “volcanic plug” rising out of the middle of this passage, and named for resembling a lighthouse back in England by Captain George Vancouver. It is just the first glimpse at many of the geological features seen while in the Misty Fiords National Monument. In addition to enjoying the beauty of the landscape and waterways, visitors may spot whales, porpoise, and orca.

This national monument was created in 1980 and consists of over two million acres. Misty Fiords was carved out by the last great North American glaciation, leaving narrow winding granite walls to guide our ship deep into the wilderness. Many of these winding passageways open to large granite amphitheaters of rock rising some 3,000 feet out of the water. One, aptly named “Punchbowl Cove,” looks just like that, and it is as if our small ship is floating in a giant bowl of granite. This protected wilderness area is a place where we may spot brown bear and mountain goats. As if by magic, the forest holds onto these steep walls and flourishes on incredibly abrupt slopes coming down to the waters edge. It is common to see bald eagles here swooping down from these trees to take salmon out of the water. Often the mist and clouds will hover throughout the fiord, shrouding your whole experience in what seems like a dream. Cruising through Misty Fiords is like traveling through a mystical storybook, with epic walls of rock and deep, dark forests winding through small canyons and passages. You will never know or guess what lies around the next corner.

Visit the Tsimshian Natives in Metlakatla. Metlakatla is the only native reservation in Alaska, home to approximately 1,400 of the only Tsimshian Natives in the state, and a unique introduction to the native people of the Pacific Northwest.

The Tsimshian are primarily a coastal tribe of British Columbia, Canada, but in 1887 this band of Tsimshians immigrated with the permission and protection of the United States and under the guidance of their Anglican clergyman, Father William Duncan, to form a model community.

Situated on Annette Island just a short distance away from Ketchikan and right across the border from Canada, the residents of Metlakatla work together to provide for their community. Commercial fishing and processing is the lifeblood of the town, and you will see Annette Island Packing Company perched on stilts over the water. It's been in operation since 1890, and depending on what time of the summer you visit, it may be in operation. Many of the salmon come from Metlakatla's fish traps, the only such traps still allowed in Alaska. Looking for ways to supplement the slump in the timber industry, the town just recently opened a bottled water production facility and is working to market the product to outside consumers.

This small community represents a unique example of how ancient rituals can be interwoven with modern life and the values of the west.

Visiting Petersburg is like visiting a little bit of Scandinavia. In 1890, Norwegian immigrant Peter Buschmann arrived and saw that he could use the ice from the nearby LeConte Glacier to build a mill and fish-packing plant at the head of Wrangle Narrows on Mitkoff Island. He chose this location because it reminded him of his beloved homeland. This tiny town, with a population of about 3,300, makes its living off salmon and halibut fishing, and still holds much of the Old World charm and character of a small European town. Homes are decorated with flower boxes and other Scandinavian traditions. Here we will be introduced to Norwegian culture at the Sons of Norway Hall, where we will meet the town children dressed in traditional clothes, and enjoy a performance of time-honored Norwegian dances along with homemade food. The water’s edge and the rainforest surround this tiny town, making you feel as if you are in a tiny slice of Europe. Remnants of old Tlingit fish traps and ancient petroglyphs lie just outside of town. There will be opportunities for free time, flightseeing, and rainforest walks. Only Cruise West can deliver such an intimate visit to this small town.

Tracy Arm quickly becomes a favorite place for those who visit. It is perhaps one of the most dramatic locations in all of North America. This fantastic fjord rivals if not surpasses the fjords of Norway and New Zealand. Completely protected within the Tongass National Forest, this fjord stretches some 25 miles up into the Coastal Range Mountains. These snow- and glacier-filled mountains over 7,000 feet tall drop immediately to sea level. We will be surrounded by sheer 1,500-to 2,000-foot walls of granite falling into the extremely narrow passage, creating countless waterfalls and strange rock formations covered in forest, and trees hanging onto precipices at impossible angles. Bears, mountain goats, and other fur-bearing animals live here, on a terrain you would think has to be devoid of such large animals. You might spot a bear in a spot that does not look possible.

Twisting and turning, not being able to see what is around the next corner, you will be presented with a continual flow of scenery that could only be compared to Yosemite National Park but filled with over 1,000 feet of water! Here killer whales come to prey upon harbor seals who think they have safely hauled out on the ice to give birth or molt their fur. Each turn will present a new view of waterfalls and “u”-shaped valleys, carved out by ice in the not-so-distant past.

At the head of the arm is our true destination, the two Sawyer glaciers that carved out the fjord. As we make our way to the head of the fjord, we will pass through a field of icebergs that will bump into the ship as we push them out of the way. We will be entering a surreal world you could not imagine, with ice more blue than the sky itself. When we arrive at the face of the glaciers, we will no doubt see hundreds of harbor seals laying on the ice. If we are fortunate, a building-size piece of ice will break off the glacier's face only to crash and thunder into the water below, creating massive waves that will rock our ship as our guests cheer.