PORTS OF INTEREST

Many of the Alaskan cruises begin or end in Vancouver. If you have some time to spend there, it’s a great place to wine and dine, as well as purchase items from all over the world. Vancouver is known for its huge Chinatown and for Stanley Park, which occupies 1,000 acres in the middle of the city.

Wrangel is the only Alaskan fort to have been under Russian, British, and American rule. The town is proud of its traditional Alaskan culture and is rich in Native history. The ferry terminal is in the center of Wrangel so you can take a quick look around if you’re traveling on the ferry. If you visit for longer, visit the Kiksadi Totem Park, where you’ll find four traditional totems. You can find an entire collection of totem poles at Chief Shakes Island. There is also a tribal house to explore.

Juneau is considered by some to be the most scenic capital in the world. The city center is nestled next to the snowcapped peaks of Mt. Juneau and Mt. Roberts. The city has many interesting places to see including a marine park, Davis Log Cabin, and St. Nicholas Church. Juneau is also close to several glaciers, including the Mendenhall Glacier at the end of Glacier Spur Road. If you have time, you may want to consider a helicopter glacier flight. You’ll get the chance to walk on the face of a glacier.

Much of historic Skagway is in the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park so many of the shop fronts and buildings look similar to the way they looked in the 1890’s when the gold rush boomed in the town. This is a delightful town in which to spend an afternoon and is full of interesting things to see, such as Reid Falls and the Arctic Brotherhood Hall.

Seward is a quiet seaport village neighboring rugged mountains to one side and Resurrection Bay to the other. The Alaska SeaLife Center is an impressive cold-water marine science facility for the rehabilitation of fish, marine mammals, and sea birds. Tours are given regularly and this is a great place to see some of Alaska’s wildlife close-up. Seward is close to Exit and Portage Glaciers and you can join a tour to either one. For an amazing view of Mount McKinley, also known as Denali, take a flight from Seward and enjoy the impressive vistas on your way to the highest peak in North America.