10-night Gold Rush Inside Passage Cruise Alaska Cheap Cruise

Cruise Itinerary for 10-night Gold Rush Inside Passage Cruise Alaska

Juneau

8/30/2009

8/30/2009

Juneau is one of America's most beautiful state capitals, with the looming summits of Mt. Juneau and Mt. Roberts providing a gorgeous backdrop. Once part of Alaska's Gold Rush, the city boasts natural and manmade attractions. Downtown is filled with many vibrant buildings, including must-see St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, which houses artwork and artifacts dating back to the 18th century. From the bright mural in Marine Park to the carvings in House of Wickersham, downtown is filled with Alaska's own unique brand of culture and architecture. Often hailed as Juneau's most impressive sight, nearby Mendenhall Glacier is approximately 12 miles long and 1.5 miles wide. See the glacier on a float trip or a "flightseeing" adventure, or hike up one of its trails for a closer inspection. For a bird's-eye view, the Mt. Roberts Tramway offers a short, six-minute trek to the top of Mt. Roberts, 1800 feet above the city. If wildlife is your passion, scenic Admiralty Island has the world's highest concentration of brown bears.

10-night Gold Rush Inside Passage Cruise Alaska Cheap Cruise aboard the Cruise West Spirit of Discovery

Skagway

8/31/2009

8/31/2009

This "Gateway to the Klondike" watched as fortune-seekers headed to Chilkoot and White Pass Trails during Alaska's Gold Rush. Today, feel like a prospector in Skagway, as you walk along its rustic boardwalks and frontier-style storefronts. This cozy town offers a pleasant respite from the hustle and bustle of most cities. With classic cars and one of the oldest narrow-gauge railroads in the world, the city retains the flavor of days gone by and remains an important link to Alaska's history. A stroll down Broadway is a must. Highlights include Arctic Brotherhood Hall. Other buildings like the Trail of '98 Museum, Corrington's Museum of Alaskan History and the Alaskan Wildlife Adventure and Museum present different facets of prospecting times. Before hitting famous Chilkoot Trail, there are other well-marked trails to try. Hiking to Lower Dewey Lake is an easy, 20-minutes, and there are more adventurous trails to remote Sturgill's Landing, Upper Dewey Lake and Devil's Punchbowl. The White Pass Scenic Railway and Eagle Preserve Wildlife Quest provide additional options.

10-night Gold Rush Inside Passage Cruise Alaska Cheap Cruise aboard the Cruise West Spirit of Discovery

Haines

8/31/2009

8/31/2009

Alaska's heritage comes alive in the handcrafted artistry of the Tlingit Indians and in the lively performances of the Chilkat Dancers, with their brightly painted tribal masks. Get a glimpse of the town’s gold-rush history in local museums. Visit the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve—Haines boasts the world’s largest concentration of the magnificent birds, drawn to the area by the salmon-rich waters. Take a boat trip on Lake Chilkoot or a glacier country flightseeing trip.

10-night Gold Rush Inside Passage Cruise Alaska Cheap Cruise aboard the Cruise West Spirit of Discovery

Glacier Bay

9/1/2009

9/1/2009

Spread across an impressive 3.2 million acres in southeast Alaska, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve offers an inspirational glimpse of what Mother Nature does best. The head of Glacier Bay is Tarr Inlet, where scientists have found exposed rock believed to be more than 200 million years old. The Tarr Inlet is home to Grand Pacific Glacier, an active body of ice slowly making way toward Margerie Glacier, which it last touched in 1912. Johns Hopkins Inlet is home to no less than nine glaciers. Framed by rocky slopes stretching skyward more than 6,000 feet, these wondrous bodies are eclipsed only by mighty Mount Fairweather, which at more than 15,300 feet is the highest point in southeast Alaska. In northeast Glacier Bay, the snow-covered Takhinsha Mountains feed active Muir Glacier. The brilliant blue glow of a calving glacier and the thunderous roar of ice crashing into the water below are sights and sounds to remember for the rest of your life. With such diverse landscape, the park provides a variety of habitats for animals.

10-night Gold Rush Inside Passage Cruise Alaska Cheap Cruise aboard the Cruise West Spirit of Discovery

Sitka

9/2/2009

9/2/2009

Resting between snowcapped mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Sitka is one of the most beautiful seaside towns in Alaska and the biggest city in America - encircling 4,710 square miles on Baranof Island. No symbol shows Russian influence more than the landmark St. Michael's Cathedral. Original artifacts and icons, including the Sitka Madonna, were saved from fire and are on display. Visit Castle Hill, once site of a two-story log mansion known as Baranof's Castle, which overlooked Sitka Sound during the town's fur trading days. Only stone walls and mounted cannons remain from Russia's bloody battles against native Tlingit. Sitka National Historical Park offers information and artifacts relating to the Tlingits, including totem poles as a chronicle of early life on this fertile ground. Alaska Raptor Rehabilitation Center cares for as many as a dozen bald eagles and other birds at a time. The facility caters to rare wildlife recovering from injuries incurred in the wild. Among the more popular trails is Indian River Trail, which parallels a salmon stream, and the three-mile-long Gaven Hill Trail.

10-night Gold Rush Inside Passage Cruise Alaska Cheap Cruise aboard the Cruise West Spirit of Discovery

Frederick Sound

9/3/2009

9/3/2009

The deep, cold waters of Frederick Sound abound in krill, the favored food of humpback whales - and visitors are likely to see whole pods of the gentle giants, their spume visible for miles against the forested backdrop of Admiralty Island. Learn all about breaching, diving, bubble feeding and fliper-flapping, often through up-close observation.

10-night Gold Rush Inside Passage Cruise Alaska Cheap Cruise aboard the Cruise West Spirit of Discovery

Tracy Arm

9/3/2009

9/3/2009

Located about 45 miles south of Juneau, Tracy Arm, a classic fjord, stands out as a "must see" for any Alaska vacation. The icebergs are framed by sheer mountain peaks reaching to 7,000 feet. Waterfalls flow from ice covered mountains to the jade colored inland sea. Tracy Arm is the summer home for pigeon guillemots, kittiwakes and arctic terns. Usually mountain goats are seen on the rocky slopes near Sawyer Glacier. They have been known to come down near the water. The best bear viewing is along the shores of Stephens Pass or Holkham Bay, and there are whales and seals.

10-night Gold Rush Inside Passage Cruise Alaska Cheap Cruise aboard the Cruise West Spirit of Discovery

Petersburg

9/4/2009

9/4/2009

Petersburg owes just about everything to the fishing industry. From its Tlingit origins as a fish camp, Petersburg has grown into one of the busiest Alaska seafood centers. It got its modern start when Peter Buschmann, a Norwegian immigrant, arrived in the 1890s and founded the Icy Strait Packing Co. cannery, a sawmill and a dock by 1900. He shipped halibut and salmon and ice from the handy LeConte Glacier -- the continent's southernmost tidewater glacier. Shrimping is also important to the Mitkof Island town of 3,200. The state's first shrimp processor was founded in 1916 as Alaska Glacier Seafoods and now is known as Petersburg Fisheries, a part of Icicle Seafoods. More than a thousand people are employed by the processing industry. To keep the salmon engine running, the state runs the Crystal Lake Hatchery. Scandinavian heritage is celebrated each May during Little Norway Festival. Petersburg is a town so picturesque it was used as the prototypical fishing town in the movie "Ice Palace".

10-night Gold Rush Inside Passage Cruise Alaska Cheap Cruise aboard the Cruise West Spirit of Discovery

Ketchikan

9/5/2009

9/5/2009

Ketchikan is known as "Alaska's First City" because it's the first major community travelers come to as they travel north. The city is built on steep hillsides and is billed as salmon capital of the world. A quaint village, the town is three miles long and three blocks wide. With fishing boats sailing in and float planes ascending from the water, this seaside town is bustling with activity. With the world's largest collection of totem poles, Totem Bight State Historical Park offers insight into various native cultures of the Pacific Northwest. These wood-carved creations tell colorful, intricate tales – often showing a family history or depicting a local legend. Ketchikan has many options for adventure of relaxation, including mountain bike tours, sea kayaking, seaplane riding, or strolling down the boardwalk of Creek Street, Ketchikan's most famous section with a historic cable car and quaint boutiques. Blessed with an abundance of hiking trails, Ketchikan offers many breathtaking vistas, including the panoramic, 360-degree view from the top of Deer Mountain.

10-night Gold Rush Inside Passage Cruise Alaska Cheap Cruise aboard the Cruise West Spirit of Discovery

At Sea

9/6/2009

9/6/2009

Every day at sea is packed with activities...from deck games to entertainment. Indulge yourself in a relaxing massage. Exercise. Shop at onboard boutiques. Take a dip in the pool. The day is yours. Indulge!

10-night Gold Rush Inside Passage Cruise Alaska Cheap Cruise aboard the Cruise West Spirit of Discovery

At Sea

9/7/2009

9/7/2009

Every day at sea is packed with activities...from deck games to entertainment. Indulge yourself in a relaxing massage. Exercise. Shop at onboard boutiques. Take a dip in the pool. The day is yours. Indulge!

10-night Gold Rush Inside Passage Cruise Alaska Cheap Cruise aboard the Cruise West Spirit of Discovery

San Juan Islands

9/8/2009

9/8/2009

A collection of beautiful, scenic islands off the Washington coast. Explore quaint Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, or venture to Orcas island and explore!

10-night Gold Rush Inside Passage Cruise Alaska Cheap Cruise aboard the Cruise West Spirit of Discovery

Seattle

9/9/2009

9/9/2009

Seattle is situated on Puget Sound, surrounded by the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges. The city skyline is impressive with shimmering glass high-rises and 100-year-old buildings standing side by side. This beautiful port city came into its own after gold was discovered in the Klondike and 100,000 people passed through the Northwest in 1897 and 1898 on their quest for wealth in Alaska Visit the Klondike Gold Rush Museum or the Space Needle by day and enjoy a vibrant jazz nightlife in turn-of-the-century Pioneer Square where the city first took root.

10-night Gold Rush Inside Passage Cruise Alaska Cheap Cruise aboard the Cruise West Spirit of Discovery