Page 40 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Alaska

38  INTRODUCING ALASK A

Cruising the Inside Passage

First time and repeat passengers fill cruise ships every
year to sail the Inside Passage and experience some of
the most breathtaking vistas this sliver of Alaska can offer.
The Inside Passage is usually remote, remarkable, and
ultimately rewarding in rain or shine. Majestic tidewater
glaciers, gouged-out valleys, and impenetrable forests
compete for views of whales, bears, and eagles. Along
with bustling ports of call, cruising here makes perfect Tracy Arm twists into the
mainland from Stephens Passage
sense. Cruise ships call on quaint fishing outposts, hidden and rewards with a blanket of
coves, and small cities that dot the coastline – many in icebergs, created by the calving
places inaccessible except by boat or floatplane. Sawyer Glaciers.

Skagway, a slice of Gold Skagway
Rush mining history,
nestles at the end of Haines
narrow Taiya Inlet.
ALASKA
CANADA
The Haines sits in a gorgeous
Gulf Route location on the Chilkat
see pp40–41
Peninsula, below the Juneau
The Inside Fairweather Range.
Passage
Gustavus
Locator
Area of main map
To the Gulf Route
(see pp40–41)

Hoonah is a quietly fascinating
Tlingit settlement along Icy Sitka
Strait where humpback whales
are frequently sighted.
Juneau, the nation’s small est
state capital, boasts a vibrant
tourist economy that caters
Glacier Bay (see pp146–7) is to cruise ship passengers.
almost entirely water-access
only. Cruise ships easily bring
their passengers within camera
range of some of the park’s 12
spectacular tidewater glaciers.

PORTS OF CALL
1 Ketchikan see pp128–9
2 Wrangell see pp136–7
3 Petersburg see p138
4 Sitka see pp140–41
5 Juneau see pp142–5
6 Haines see pp148–9 Sitka’s mix of Russian and Tlingit culture makes it a fascinating port
7 Skagway see pp150–51 of call and its protected location within a verdant valley is stunning.
Most sights are within walking distance of the docks.

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