Alaskan Inside Passage

Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful spots on earth, it’s no wonder that Vancouver is a popular spot for tourists looking to enjoy some fresh air and vibrant Canadian culture.

This narrow, 26-mile-long fjord is another of Alaska's most dramatic glacier settings. The lush rain forest recedes to reveal a stunning canyon of bare rock. The panorama of 7,000-foot mountain peaks and nearly vertical rock cliffs is astounding. Waterfalls appear at every turn. Icebergs make their way to the sea in all sorts of wondrous shapes. And tucked away at the end of this remarkable waterway are two very active reminders of the Ice Age - the twin Sawyer Glaciers, calving icebergs into the jade-colored inland sea. Kittiwakes, mountain goats and seals are a common sight. Whales and bears may even make an appearance in this magical place.

Migrating whales, rivers of ice and super fresh seafood capture the hearts of its visitors, although Alaska’s capital city also has a strong mining history. Once the sacred territory of the Auke and Taku tribes, Juneau was named after the gold prospector Joe Juneau.

The sidewalks are all but rolled up in Skagway come winter, so you can only imagine the frightful conditions endured by the gold prospectors who passed through en route to the Yukon, with a mandatory ton of supplies to be hauled with them over the steep and treacherous Trail of '98. Today, summertime visits to Skagway require nothing of the sort, but you can still ride the antique White Pass & Yukon narrow-gauge railway up through silvery-purple rock faces, past Deadhorse Gulch, to see what it was like back then. Take your time and poke into every little store from the Trail Bench to Lynch & Kennedy's Dry Goods. The Red Onion Saloon, with its honky tonk piano and costumed barmaids, is a treasure trove of memorabilia featuring pictures of Klondike Kate, Peahull Annie and other vintage characters. To complete the picture of those rip-roaring days, visit the nostalgic Trail of '98 Museum. The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park boasts restored buildings and wooden boardwalks that invite you to take a stroll into the past.

Super-scenic Ketchikan sits on the edge of Revillagigedo Island, surrounded by the verdant Tongass National Forest. Its waters are rich with Pacific salmon, a fact which drew native Tlingit and industrial fishermen here, not to mention an abundance of wildlife. Black bears can often be seen catching fish from passing streams, while birds of prey soar over glacial mountains.

Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful spots on earth, it’s no wonder that Vancouver is a popular spot for tourists looking to enjoy some fresh air and vibrant Canadian culture.