ALASKA

VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA
CRUISE INSIDE PASSAGE
KETCHIKAN, AK
JUNEAU, AK
SKAGWAY, AK
CRUISE LYNN CANAL
SITKA, AK
CRUISE PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
CRUISE COLLEGE FJORD
ANCHORAGE (WHITTIER), AK

VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA Vancouver is a dream-like, mountain-ringed city blessed with a huge natural harbor that remains ice-free year-round. Wide open spaces, beautiful beaches, tall skyscrapers and an enchanting rainforest all mingle together to create a most relaxed and stress-free setting. Most folks come here to get away from it all, and enjoy fantastic cuisine, world-class entertainment, and unlimited shopping opportunities.  The Punjabi Market is a commercial district and ethnic enclave in Vancouver, British Columbia. Officially recognized by the city as being primarily a major Indo-Canadian business community and cultural area, the Little India area is roughly a six block section of Main Street around 49th Avenue in the Sunset neighbourhood.  Today, Little India offers a variety of shops, including a number of restaurants, cafes, and buffet style eateries, and Hindi video stores. Over the years the neighbourhood has become increasingly popular among the estimated greater than 160,000 South Asian residents in the city as a focal point for culture and commerce.  There are a number of Indian restaurants, sweet shops, and grocers representing cuisine from varying parts of the subcontinent; as well as other businesses that cater to an Indo-Canadian community and tourists alike. The market has become a shopping destination for many weddings because of the numerous Indian ethnic clothing and bridal goods that are available. There is also a significant number of jewelry stores lining the strip, said to be the highest concentration of jewelers in the nation. The city of Vancouver has selected the intersection of Main Street and 50th Avenue to become the location for the first India Gate of any North American city. Local leaders believe the entrance will enhance tourism in the city while also providing recognition to the historic community, in a similar way that Millennium Gate in Chinatown has done for Chinese Canadians. The $3 million dollar project is slated for completion in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics. back to top CRUISE INSIDE PASSAGE Located right along the coast of British Columbia, the Inside Passage is the longest sheltered inland waterway in the world. Watch the water for orcas and humpback whales as you cruise the passage to the historic Alaskan ports of Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. The Alaskan portion of the Inside Passage, in the north, extends 500 miles (800 km) from north to south and 100 miles (160 km) from east to west. The area encompasses 1,000 islands, 15,000 miles (24,000 km) of shoreline and thousands of coves and bays. British Columbia's southern portion of the route is of similar extent, with up to 25,000 miles (40,000 km) of coastline, and includes the narrow, protected Strait of Georgia between Vancouver Island and the B.C. mainland, the Johnstone and Queen Charlotte Straits between Vancouver Island and the mainland, as well as a short stretch along the wider and more exposed Hecate Strait near the Queen Charlotte Islands, though from Fitz Hugh Sound northwards the route is sheltered via the various large islands in that area such as Princess Royal Island and Pitt Island. back to top KETCHIKAN, AK A popular destination along Alaska's famed Inside Passage, Ketchikan is teeming with Native American culture. Home of the largest concentration of Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian people in the state, this extraordinarily beautiful city on Revillagigedo Island boasts the world's largest collection of totem poles, and an equally impressive selection of museums and cultural centers featuring Native dance, carvings and artifacts. Ketchikan's calm waters and surprisingly gentle climate make it a favorite of sports fishermen. Ketchikan is named after Ketchikan Creek, which flows through the town. Ketchikan comes from the Tlingit name for the creek, Kitschk-hin, the meaning of which is unclear. It may mean "the river belonging to Kitschk"; other accounts claim it means "Thundering Wings of an Eagle." back to top JUNEAU, AK Juneau, Alaska is considered by many to be the most beautiful capital city in the nation. Checking in at just a little over 3,100-square-miles, Juneau qualifies as the biggest American city - geographically, that is. The terrain is hilly and winding, and narrow streets present a small-town quaintness existing side-by-side with cosmopolitan sophistication. You'll find great shopping, fine restaurants and superb museums. Juneau is home to Perseverance Theatre, Alaska's only professional theater. The area hosts the annual Alaska Folk Festival and Juneau Jazz & Classics music festivals, and the Juneau Symphony performs regularly. Downtown Juneau boasts dozens of art galleries, which participate in the monthly First Friday Gallery Walk and the enormously popular December Gallery Walk held in the first week of December. The Juneau Arts & Humanities Council coordinates events while fund-raising, distributing some grant money, and operating a gallery at its office near 2nd Street and Franklin Street. On summer Friday evenings open-air music and dance performances are held at Marine Park. back to top SKAGWAY, AK As your ship approaches Skagway, you'll see the town resting peacefully at the base of a river valley bordered by the Coast Mountains. The mountains, ranging from 5,000- to 7,000-ft. in height, seem to rise straight up from the saltwater fjord. Once on land, the streets of Skagway draw you back over 100 years, when this idyllic native fishing village was overrun by hordes of prospectors. Today, wooden sidewalks, old-fashioned saloons, quaint gift shops and horse-drawn carriages serve as reminders of the Alaskan Gold Rush days. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 862. However, the population doubles in the summer tourist season in order to deal with more than 900,000 visitors.  The port of Skagway is a popular stop for cruise ships, and the tourist trade is a big part of the business of Skagway. The White Pass and Yukon Route narrow gauge railroad, part of the area's mining past, is now in operation purely for the tourist trade and runs throughout the summer months.  The White Pass and Yukon Route is a Canadian and U.S. Class II narrow gauge railroad linking the port of Skagway, Alaska with Whitehorse, the capital of Canada's Yukon Territory. An isolated system, it has no direct connection to any other railroad.  The railway still uses vintage parlor cars, the oldest four built in 1881 and four new cars built in 2007 follow the same 19th century design. At least three cars have wheelchair lifts. back to top CRUISE LYNN CANAL Stretching nearly 100 miles through some of Alaska's most breathtaking scenery, Lynn Canal is the longest glacial fjord in North America. As you cruise through this regal landscape you'll be awed by hanging glaciers, towering waterfalls and majestic mountains.  The Lynn Canal runs about 90 miles (145 kilometers) from the inlets of the Chilkat River south to Chatham Strait and Stephens Passage. At over 2,000 feet in depth, the Lynn Canal is the deepest fjord in North America and one of the deepest and longest in the world as well. back to top SITKA, AK Sitka, the only major city on Alaska's Baranof Island, is the beneficiary of three distinct cultures: Tlingit Indian, Russian and American. You'll find relics of all three cultures throughout the area. With the spectacular natural beauty of Sitka Sound, its fascinating history, unique totem park and Mount Edgecomb - a dormant volcano which rises above the harbor - Sitka is definitely a treasure in the Alaskan wilderness.  The name Sitka (derived from Sheet’ká, a contraction of the Tlingit name Shee At'iká) means "People on the Outside of Shee," Sheet’-ká X'áat'l (often expressed simply as Shee) being the Tlingit name for Baranof Island. The town is sometimes referred to as "Sitka-by-the-Sea." The town served as the capital of Russian America until 1867, and was the busiest seaport on the west coast of North America.  Sitka has the largest incorporated city limits in the United States, four times the size of the state of Rhode Island. back to top CRUISE PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND Located off the coast of Anchorage, this amazing body of water hosts the largest concentration of glaciers in Alaska, including the College Fjord, a series of glaciers named after elite Ivy League schools. Most of the land surrounding Prince William Sound is part of the Chugach National Forest, the second largest national forest in the U.S. Prince William Sound is ringed by the steep and glaciated Chugach Mountains. The coastline is convoluted, with many islands and fjords, several of which contain tidewater glaciers. The principle barrier islands forming the sound are Montague Island, Hinchinbrook Island, and Hawkins Island. Keep one eye on the shoreline while you cruise, as you just may spot otters, seals, bears, eagles and deer. back to top CRUISE COLLEGE FJORD College Fjord was discovered during an 1899 expedition funded by Ivy League colleges. As a result, all of the glaciers were named after the various schools in their honor. According to Bruce Molina, author of Alaska's Glaciers, "they took great delight in ignoring Princeton". Located in the northwest corner of Prince William Sound, College Fjord is surrounded by over a dozen glaciers, the largest of which is called Harvard Galcier. As you sail along enjoying the serenity and natural beauty of this destination, listen for the splash of glaciers calving into the water below. The fjord contains five tidewater glaciers (glaciers that terminate in water), five large valley glaciers, and dozens of smaller glaciers, most named after renowned East Coast colleges (women's colleges for the NW side, and men's colleges for the SE side). back to top ANCHORAGE (WHITTIER), AK Located at the upper end of Cook Inlet in the Gulf of Alaska, Anchorage is Alaska's largest community. This popular tourist destination and crossroads for global air travel is only minutes away from the recreational areas bordering the Gulf of Alaska. Guests can choose to take the Grandview Cruise Train excursion which offers an incredible opportunity to view Anchorage's beautiful, pristine wilderness, including the Kenai Mountains.  Anchorage has been named All-America City four times, in 1956, 1965, 1984/85, and 2002, by the National Civic League. A diverse wildlife population exists in urban Anchorage and the surrounding area. Approximately 250 black bears and 60 grizzly bears live in the area. Bears are regularly sighted within the city. Moose are a common sight. In the Anchorage Bowl, there is a summer population of approximately 250 moose, increasing to as many as 1000 during the winter. Dall sheep can be commonly sighted along the Seward Highway between Anchorage and Girdwood. Approximately 30 wolves live in the Anchorage area, in 2007 several dogs were killed by wolves while on walks with their owners. There are also beaver dams in local creeks, and it is common to see fox and kits in parking lots close to wooded areas in the spring. back to top