There is nothing like the breathtaking views of a summer vacation on an Alaskan cruise. Mammoth glaciers, undisturbed pine forests, snow capped mountains and don’t forget there is plenty of wildlife on land and in the sea. Towns and small villages filled with history along with the people of Alaska will make this trip to “The Last Frontier” one not soon forgotten.

Due to unkind winter circumstances, the best time to go on an Alaskan cruise is in the summer months (May through September). The usual start points for these cruises are Seattle, Washington or Vancouver, British Columbia. The 7 day cruise is the popular choice for most and will take travelers up the coast and port in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Sitka and then back again.

Ketchikan is home to the vast Tongass National Forest. This national park, as much as 8 times bigger than Yellowstone, will allow travelers the chance to get up close to some of Alaska’s interesting wildlife; the American eagle, brown bears, and salmon coming home to spawn just to name a few. The more adventurous traveler can also dog sled across a glacier, hike trails or go fishing. Before you leave Ketchikan, you would not be disappointed in visiting the Totem Heritage Center Museum. This museum, established in 1976, preserves rare 19th century totem poles retrieved from Tlingit and Haidi village sites.

Juneau, Alaska’s capitol, offers unbelievable glacier site seeing from four different viewing areas. You up to four great spots to view: Tracy Arm Fjord, Mendenhall Glacier, the Juneau Icefield and Glacier Bay National Park. The Mendenhall Glacier is probably the easiest to get to and has a visitor center. You can also go dog sledding, biking, rafting and glacier hiking. There is plenty of activities for the site seer and the outdoors men in Juneau.

You can’t come all this way and not dig for gold? The town of Skagway will give you that opportunityto find that gold. It is here you will find the Klondite Gold Rush National Historic Park and is one of the largest warehouses of gold rush exhibits. You can also get organized tours of Skagway including stops at the Gold Rush Cemetery and Trail of ‘98 Museum. There is also a tour to the top of the mountain to view Skagway from a lookout point.

Once finished with panning for gold, how about looking for whales out in the ocean. The Whale Park has viewing areas with binoculars for you to scan the sea for humpback whales or the numerous sea lions. Looking at one of these gigantic creatures will be a memory that will last forever.

An Alaskan cruise is full of fun and adventure for all ages. If you want a vacation that is different and will give you an opportunity to see intriguing wild life and breathtaking views, then I would recommend a US Travel trip to what is truly, The Last Frontier.