alaskan majesty: glaciers, fjords & inside passage

It's not hard to understand why Vancouver is so appealing. This vibrant metropolis caters to all age groups and interests; it's particularly friendly to pedestrians and bikers, and even the most navigationally challenged visitors can find their way around with ease. The area has been occupied by the Coast Salish people, claimed by the Spanish, and was visited for exactly one day by British Captain George Vancouver. In 1827, Hudson's Bay Company built a trading post on the Fraser River, and the company is still around today -- though now as a department store. After that, the fur traders, gold miners and lumber workers arrived and, eventually, the railroad. Before Vancouver was Vancouver, it was known as Gastown, built out of the need for a bar to serve thirsty lumber mill workers. In 1867, an enterprising man called Gassy Jack supplied a barrel of booze and poured drinks for the men who built him a saloon in a day. A community built up around the bar and, a few years later, incorporated as the town of Granville. In 1886, the town had a population of 1,000 and was renamed Vancouver -- then burned to the ground. The legacy of post-fire reconstruction is the lovely old brick buildings of the original Gastown neighborhood. Today, Vancouver is an ethnic melting pot, with 35 percent of the 2.3 million metro-region residents being foreign born. It's been consistently rated as one of the most livable cities in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit, with a large population inhabiting high-rises in the city center. The 2010 Winter Olympic Games gave the city a chance to shine in the world spotlight; the Olympic cauldron still stands near the port, at Coal Harbour. Arriving in Vancouver by air or sea gives visitors a sampling of what to expect from this Canadian seaport. Ships seem to barely clear the underside of the Lions Gate Bridge as they make their way past the massive green space of Stanley Park on the way to Vancouver Harbor (and in fact, the bridge's height restricts the largest cruise ships from entering). The park dominates the west side of the downtown area, and visitors and residents alike can be found walking or cycling on its seawall perimeter or paddling a kayak in the surrounding waters. Just 12 blocks east of the park, the Canada Place cruise ship terminal has its own distinct character. It was built to resemble a ship with its motif of five large sails on top of the pier. It's easy to explore Vancouver from Canada Place because the city's most popular attractions are located within a two-square-mile area referred to as the downtown peninsula. A unique selection of harbor ferries, hop-on-hop-off buses and light-rail transit (the SkyTrain) makes its easy to get around. Farther-flung attractions even offer free shuttles parked alongside the plaza. On the north side of the peninsula, Gastown lies just a 10-minute walk east of the terminal building, encouraging history-minded travelers to discover Vancouver's roots. An additional few blocks east will put you in Chinatown, North America's second-largest after San Francisco's. The southwest portion of the peninsula borders False Creek, where the hip and fashionable can check out the ultra-trendy ambience of Yaletown. And across the creek, everyone from foodies to art-lovers to maritime buffs can browse Granville Island's public market, artisan studios and nautical shops. From Granville Island, you can take a harbor ferry west to Vanier Park, located in Kitsilano, or to the east end of False Creek, where Science World sits. Wherever you roam, there are interesting restaurants -- from fresh seafood or dim sum to trendy eateries. With the coastal mountains as its backdrop, and just 24 miles north of the Washington state border, Vancouver serves as the leading gateway to Alaska, a reputation that has lasted for the past 30 years. Cruise passengers can take advantage of a city with world-class accommodations, international dining, varied attractions, easy accessibility and the notoriously friendly and contagious Canadian attitude.

Seymour Narrows is a 5-kilometre section of the Discovery Passage in British Columbia known for strong tidal currents. The average width of the narrows is just 750 meters. During extreme tides, the current through the narrows is subject to severe Venturi effect, resulting in an increased velocity that can reach 15 knots. For much of its modern history, there was an additional hazard in the narrows called Ripple Rock, a shallow obstruction that claimed no fewer than 119 ships and 114 lives. 

The Queen Charlotte Sound is situated amidst the Queen Charlotte Strait, which meanders between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia to the south, and Hecate Strait, positioned northward and adjacent to the Haida Gwaii Islands off the Pacific coastline of British Columbia. This expansive body of water forms an integral part of the extensive shipping route known as the Inside Passage, which navigates through numerous islands extending from Puget Sound in Washington to Alaska.

Cruising Decision Passage offers incredibly rewarding scenic cruising as you head to or from Sitka on the west coast of Baranof Island. Look out for the lighthouse at Cape Decision, built in 1932.

Misty Ketchikan, the rainiest town in Southeast Alaska, is known as the "Salmon Capital of the World." The town offers the perfect blend of activities: kayak in Misty Fjords or hike up Deer Mountain in the morning, then poke in and out of fantastic galleries and shops in the afternoon. You're bound to visit Creek Street, a row of wooden buildings perched over the water on pilings. Brightly painted boutiques once catered to gentlemen seeking the company of "sporting women." The museum at Dolly's House gives you a glimpse into the bawdy ways of frontier life, though Ketchikan's red-light district wasn't shut down until 1953. Legends of a different sort are recorded on totem poles. Boasting the world's largest collection of Northwest totems, Ketchikan offers plenty of places to see these fascinating works of art.

Over the centuries, Sitka -- one of Alaska's most exotic ports -- has reinvented itself over and over again. It's been home to the Tlingit Native Americans, an outpost of the Russian empire and the one-time capital of Alaska. The region is still a centre for commercial fishing. Through it all, its residents have always figured out a way to get the best out of their resources. Today, roughly 8,900 locals still rely on their natural surroundings, but with an eye toward the burgeoning tourism market. From the moment you arrive, you'll notice that Sitka is different from the rest of Alaska. It's not just the Russian influence that makes the town unique. In addition to the usual commercial fishing and tourism, Sitka's economic livelihood also relies on drinking-water exportation, healthcare and education, including the Alaska State Trooper Academy. Sitka is located on the west side of Baranof Island -- a 100-mile-long island in the state's panhandle -- and is only accessible by air and sea. The vast Tongass National Forest covers the area outside of town, which only has a roadway along the Pacific coast about 7 miles in either direction. Watching over Sitka from across the sound is Mount Edgecumbe, a dormant volcano and Mount Fuji lookalike. Although the port's more than 210,000 cruise passengers provide economic stimulus each summer, Sitka is primarily known for the quality and quantity of seafood harvested from its waters and processed in its plants. Sitka's historic attractions are located within walking distance of downtown. Lincoln Street is approximately 1 mile long, starting at the city's southeast corner (featuring the lookout at Castle Hill) and ending at the Sitka National Historical Park visitor centre to the north. The street passes by the historic onion-shaped domed architecture of St. Michael's Cathedral and the Russian Bishop's House as it follows the Sitka Sound waterfront and Crescent Harbor (the multi-slip marina). The other main street is Katlian Street, a road that follows the waterfront of the Sitka Channel, featuring colourful fishing boats, weathered houses and the essence of a working harbour town.

Hubbard Glacier is the largest glacier in North America, with a calving front that is over 6 miles wide. An extremely active glacier, there have been two major surges in the last 30 years alone.

From the entry point that measures some 18 miles wide that narrows progressively as you head to Hubbard Glacier. The presence of the enormous glacier can be felt sometimes up to 30 miles away. As you approach, the dusting of floating ice increases, the chilled air from the glacier intensifies and often results in mists and cloud. Nature at its most impressive.

The remote Inian Islands stand as gatekeepers to the northern entrance of the famous Inside Passage. Exposed to high energy tidal currents that surge through the narrow channels, the sea conditions here can be severe - nicknames like 'The Laundry Chute' serve as timely reminders of this. Offering a rich sea life, this has been the home for local tribes for many hundreds of years.

One of Alaska's newest cruise ports, Icy Strait (just outside of Hoonah) opened in 2004 so local communities and giant cruise corporations alike could profit from visitors eager to experience America's "last wilderness." The native Tlingit Corporation Huna Totem owns Icy Strait Point, and in conjunction with cruise line partners and investors, they've created a cruise port with some of the highest passenger satisfaction levels around. The demand for a slice of "real" Alaska has only increased in the years since -- shore excursion offerings in Icy Strait more than doubled from 2015 to 2019. Facilities have expanded and increased over the years -- Huna Totem owns 23,000 acres. In 2020, Icy Strait will debut a second dock and their largest yet -- the Wilderness Plaza -- built in conjunction with Norwegian Cruise Line. No matter how big the port expands, the company is careful about the tiny details that preserve its nature-focused ethos; you'll never see a tour bus until it's time to board. The facility -- just down the road from Hoonah, Alaska's largest Huna Tlingit village, and 22 miles southeast of Glacier Bay National Park -- has been a lifeline for the community, providing a much-needed alternative source of income for locals afflicted by a downturn in their traditional businesses of fishing and logging. Millions of dollars have been invested in creating facilities that offer cruise travellers an authentic "wilderness experience" and a refreshingly non-commercialized alternative to the usual run of Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway and Sitka. What they've created is an attractive destination expressly for cruisers that's manmade but not commercialized. Icy Strait offers pretty woodland walks, an insight into Tlingit history and culture, a wide range of back-to-nature adventures and high-quality restaurants. Upmarket craft shops feature artisan crafts and locally made goods like woodland berry jam and confectionery, rather than the "made in Taiwan" goods so prevalent in, say, Juneau. Buildings are constructed from sustainable local timber and built by local Tlingit workers in traditional style. Although the port receives ships from many cruise lines, officials -- have wisely limited ship calls to ensure high passenger satisfaction. This will shift slightly when two ships are accommodated at a time, heading into the 2020 cruise season.

If you loved the TV show "Northern Exposure," you'll love Haines. It's the kind of laid-back place you picture when you think about an Alaskan town. The first thing you'll notice when you arrive is how scenically beautiful Haines is. The setting is probably the best of any Alaska town. The town is located on the shores of the Lynn Canal, the state's longest fjord, and surrounded by glacier-covered mountains and rolling hills. Close to the town are lakes and rivers.

The population here is only 2,500, and you can easily walk around the town in an hour or two. Only a few cruise ships visit here, which is a big bonus: Haines is not at all touristy (at least not yet). This is a place where you can mingle with locals, chat with a lumberjack at the Pioneer Bar and maybe even hear about how someone had a bear in their backyard the night before.

The first people to call the Chilkat Valley home were the Tlingit. In the 1800s, fishermen -- including Indians and imported labourers from China -- began commercially fishing the waters.

Missionaries arrived later, in 1879, led by S. Hall Young and the naturalist John Muir, and made the area a base for converting the Chilkoot and Chilkat Tlingit tribes to Christianity. The town was actually named for Francina Haines, who was secretary to the Presbyterian Home Missions Board (she never actually visited the town, but helped raise funds for the exploration).

The next chapter in Haines' history was the arrival of prospectors, who began stopping by in 1897 on their way to the Klondike in search of gold; the precious metal was also discovered about 36 miles away in Porcupine, though it quickly petered out there. Then it was the turn of the U.S. military, which decamped here in 1903 at a time when America was concerned about border disputes with Canada. They chose the place for its protected location and set up the first permanent Army post in Alaska, Fort William H. Seward.

The fort was used until after World War II when it was decommissioned after 42 years of service. The veterans who stayed started local businesses, including a salmon smokehouse and the Hotel Halsingland, established art galleries and funded Indian arts training programs for local kids, including the Alaska Indian Arts Cultural Center at Fort Seward. Preservation efforts were put in place by one group who bought the fort's 85 buildings from the government in 1947 with the goal of turning it into a utopian art and business community – galleries and small shops exist there today.

Haines is also blessed with surrounding natural areas and wildlife in what is known as the "Valley of the Eagles." The area is a magnet for bald eagles, drawn by the warm open water and abundant supply of salmon. More than 3,500 of the birds visit from October to February – during that time a dozen eagles may share a single tree limb. But even during the May to September cruise season, there's a resident population of several hundred. And if you head out of town you're likely to see plenty of them – on a bike ride to Chilkoot Lake (about 10 miles from the ship pier) we counted eight bald eagles.

Note: If you aren't on a ship that visits Haines, you can still get here easily on the fast ferry from Skagway. The two communities are both at the northern end of the Lynn Canal, about 35 minutes apart. Haines makes a great side trip, especially if you've been to Skagway before. Roundtrip ferry fares are $54 for adults and half-price for kids.

Juneau, often described as America's most unusual state capital, is the only centre of U.S. government with no roads leading into or out of town. The city is surrounded by nature, namely towering mountains and the waters of Gastineau Channel. For most visitors, the only way in or out is by air or sea. Residents boast three routes: plane, boat or birth canal. Gold put Juneau on the map in the 1880s, though the mining camp went by several names before prospector Joe Juneau finally wrangled enough votes to get his name to stick. Juneau became a state capital when Alaska became the 49th U.S. state in 1959, and nearly 60 percent of the city's population works in government. The governor's mansion stands on a hillside overlooking the cruise docks, and anyone can take a walk up the hills via steep stairways. Juneau offers a wide range of shoreside activities, from whale watching, dog sledging and ziplining to touring the Capitol building or the Alaskan Brewing Company. Then, there's the state's most accessible glacier -- Mendenhall, an immense, 12-mile-long river of ice. Along with glacier viewing, there's always the chance of seeing a bear or two up close. The Juneau Arts & Humanities Council has a community calendar on its website that is jam-packed with events, so you can easily find out what's happening while you're in port.

A remarkably straight stretch of the Inside Passage, this 105-mile long channel cuts between peaks of 5,000 ft or more. Be sure to secure your vantage point on deck; Admiralty Island to the west is home to more bears than people and, as the forests come down to the water, you may catch a glimpse from your ship. The region also offers some of the best whale-watching waters in Alaska.

Tracy Arm is a 30-mile long fjord and one of the two branches of the Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness region, the other being Endicott Arm. During the summer, these fjords are dotted with pristine white floating ice fragments from the calving glaciers, some the size of houses and others that look like icing sugar dusting the pristine dark blue water. A rewarding few hours of scenic cruising.

Cruising Decision Passage offers incredibly rewarding scenic cruising as you head to or from Sitka on the west coast of Baranof Island. Look out for the lighthouse at Cape Decision, built in 1932.

This picturesque channel in the Alexander Archipelago was first mapped in 1848 on a Russian chart.

Unlike other ports along Alaska's Inside Passage, Wrangell is one of the less travelled, but its small size and dedication to preserving its culture and history are a far cry from "less," as far as what you can explore.

Feel the true scale of nature as you sail through the Misty Fjords National Monument. Spanning two-million acres, there are winding fjords, glass-like lakes, gushing 1,000ft waterfalls and dramatic granite cliffs. 

A trip along the Behm Canal will provide evidence (if any was ever needed) that Alaska is a true paradise for those seeking wilderness and the true grandeur of nature. At approximately 100 miles long, the canal is framed by the rich National Forest - be sure to keep one eye skyward for Bald Eagles, plus the other scouting the shore for brown bears, wolves and deer.

The port city of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada, is actually on an island at the mouth of the Skeena River, just 40 miles south of the Alaska border and 65 miles south of Ketchikan. Its name was decided in a nationwide contest at the time of its incorporation in 1910, but plans for the city to rival the Port of Vancouver, some 550 miles south, have never been realized.

Arriving into port by ship is breathtaking, as you skirt hundreds of islands and make your way through narrow, mist-shrouded passageways to this town of 16,000 residents. And, because of its moderate climate and mists, it is not unusual to see several rainbows a day, including double and triple rainbows that span the entire horizon.

The natural landscape provides most of the draw for this locale, but it also has a history as one of the oldest continuously occupied regions in the world, with a First Nations culture that dates back over 10,000 years. In fact, the area surrounding Prince Rupert was at one time one of the most densely populated regions north of Mexico. The Tsimshian Nation's sites and archaeological artefacts are available to visitors touring here, and there is a museum dedicated to the First Nations peoples.

If it's wildlife you seek, Prince Rupert is a dream location, home to Canada's only Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, the highest concentration of humpbacked whales in North America, white Kermode bears and soaring eagles. Your visit will leave you with a greater appreciation for the interaction between man and the natural world.

Grenville Channel is a delight to cruise through, providing scenic views along the northern British Columbia coast between the large Pitt Island and the mainland. The shores are mountainous on both sides, with two notable peaks about halfway through, Mt. Batchellor on the east side and Mt. Saunders on Pitt Island to the west.

The Princess Royal Channel separates the largest island along British Columbia’s coast from the mainland. It is located roughly halfway between Bella Bella in the south and Prince Rupert in the north, in one of the province’s most remote areas. Princess Royal island was named in 1788 by Captain Charles Duncan, in honor of his ship, the Princess Royal. The island is uninhabited, although there are two small villages in the channel, the First Nations community of Klemtu on Swindle Island and Hartley Bay on the mainland. Wildlife, by contrast, is plentiful, including Kermode, black and grizzly bears, deer, wolves and foxes. Golden and bald eagles nest in the region, as well as the endangered marbled murrelet. In the waters, there are abundant salmon, elephant seals, whales, orcas and dolphins.

Seymour Narrows is a 5-kilometre section of the Discovery Passage in British Columbia known for strong tidal currents. The average width of the narrows is just 750 meters. During extreme tides, the current through the narrows is subject to severe Venturi effect, resulting in an increased velocity that can reach 15 knots. For much of its modern history, there was an additional hazard in the narrows called Ripple Rock, a shallow obstruction that claimed no fewer than 119 ships and 114 lives. 

Alert Bay, situated on Cormorant Island is tucked in the Queen Charlotte Strait off British Columbia's west coast, in Canada. Formerly a thriving fishing village, now home to the Namgis First Nation, the tiny town features an array of totem poles, including what may be the world's tallest. The U'mista, a local cultural center, is devoted to preserving masks and other important artefacts of the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw. Nearby Robson Bight Ecological Reserve is a protected area for the world's largest concentration of orca whales.

It's not hard to understand why Vancouver is so appealing. This vibrant metropolis caters to all age groups and interests; it's particularly friendly to pedestrians and bikers, and even the most navigationally challenged visitors can find their way around with ease. The area has been occupied by the Coast Salish people, claimed by the Spanish, and was visited for exactly one day by British Captain George Vancouver. In 1827, Hudson's Bay Company built a trading post on the Fraser River, and the company is still around today -- though now as a department store. After that, the fur traders, gold miners and lumber workers arrived and, eventually, the railroad. Before Vancouver was Vancouver, it was known as Gastown, built out of the need for a bar to serve thirsty lumber mill workers. In 1867, an enterprising man called Gassy Jack supplied a barrel of booze and poured drinks for the men who built him a saloon in a day. A community built up around the bar and, a few years later, incorporated as the town of Granville. In 1886, the town had a population of 1,000 and was renamed Vancouver -- then burned to the ground. The legacy of post-fire reconstruction is the lovely old brick buildings of the original Gastown neighborhood. Today, Vancouver is an ethnic melting pot, with 35 percent of the 2.3 million metro-region residents being foreign born. It's been consistently rated as one of the most livable cities in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit, with a large population inhabiting high-rises in the city center. The 2010 Winter Olympic Games gave the city a chance to shine in the world spotlight; the Olympic cauldron still stands near the port, at Coal Harbour. Arriving in Vancouver by air or sea gives visitors a sampling of what to expect from this Canadian seaport. Ships seem to barely clear the underside of the Lions Gate Bridge as they make their way past the massive green space of Stanley Park on the way to Vancouver Harbor (and in fact, the bridge's height restricts the largest cruise ships from entering). The park dominates the west side of the downtown area, and visitors and residents alike can be found walking or cycling on its seawall perimeter or paddling a kayak in the surrounding waters. Just 12 blocks east of the park, the Canada Place cruise ship terminal has its own distinct character. It was built to resemble a ship with its motif of five large sails on top of the pier. It's easy to explore Vancouver from Canada Place because the city's most popular attractions are located within a two-square-mile area referred to as the downtown peninsula. A unique selection of harbor ferries, hop-on-hop-off buses and light-rail transit (the SkyTrain) makes its easy to get around. Farther-flung attractions even offer free shuttles parked alongside the plaza. On the north side of the peninsula, Gastown lies just a 10-minute walk east of the terminal building, encouraging history-minded travelers to discover Vancouver's roots. An additional few blocks east will put you in Chinatown, North America's second-largest after San Francisco's. The southwest portion of the peninsula borders False Creek, where the hip and fashionable can check out the ultra-trendy ambience of Yaletown. And across the creek, everyone from foodies to art-lovers to maritime buffs can browse Granville Island's public market, artisan studios and nautical shops. From Granville Island, you can take a harbor ferry west to Vanier Park, located in Kitsilano, or to the east end of False Creek, where Science World sits. Wherever you roam, there are interesting restaurants -- from fresh seafood or dim sum to trendy eateries. With the coastal mountains as its backdrop, and just 24 miles north of the Washington state border, Vancouver serves as the leading gateway to Alaska, a reputation that has lasted for the past 30 years. Cruise passengers can take advantage of a city with world-class accommodations, international dining, varied attractions, easy accessibility and the notoriously friendly and contagious Canadian attitude.