Revel in Wild Alaskan Paradise by Land and by Sea

One vacation that is just about unbeatable in the good ole US of A is Alaska. Few people realize that Alaska is larger than Texas, California, and Montana put together. It has a longer coastline than all other states combined. And it is the least populated state. Plenty of room to roam.

The terrain is quite varied, including active volcanoes, lush valleys, three million lakes, and over 16,000 square miles of glacier. Some of the larger wildlife includes black bears, grizzlies, Polar bears and Kodiaks on Kodiak Island. There are also caribou, moose, Dall sheep, bison, and mountain goats.

If you do a Land and Sea cruise, you’ll enjoy the best of both water and land. First of all, you’re cruising the deep blue waters off Alaska in a massive ocean liner featuring beautiful accommodations, great shows, incredible food any hour of the day or night, and countless other cruise attractions.

But it’s what’s going on around you off the boat that will have you gaping on deck or gazing out your cabin window at all hours. You may catch a glimpse of orcas or humpback whales surfacing or spouting 1000 yards off the starboard bow, sea lions basking on jagged rocks, purple glaciers towering above you, and other sea life at spontaneous moments.

Then there are on-shore excursions at historic cities such as Ketchican, Sitka, and Juneau. But perhaps most thrilling of all are the trips through any of 18 national parks, two of the most famous of which are Glacier Bay and Denali. Author, George Miller, writes about one trip to Denali that had his eyes popping. The party ate lunch at Polychrome Pass, 800 feet above the Tolkat River. They looked down on hillsides carpeted in blazing shades of orange, rust, and crimson. Small groups of caribou grazed on the slopes. Then they glimpsed Denali, a 20,320-foot peak that looms over the Alaska Range, a mile higher than any surrounding mountains and higher than any mountain in the U.S. They passed Reflection Pond and Wonder Lake, glimpsing the peaks shimmering in the pure waters. A moose waded into the lake for a drink, and a 400-pound grizzly and her cubs marched across the road in front of them, delicately nibbling blueberries off a limb she held in a paw.

Let me quote Miller’s picturesque prose: “The snow-covered peaks of the Alaska Range crowd the horizon like mantled giants standing shoulder to shoulder. Glaciers hang on their shoulders, patiently waiting for the next ice age when they can once again advance and carve new landscapes.”

Don’t tell me all this doesn’t make you want to explore one of the last untamed regions of America. Get on your horse and let’s go.