Northern Exposure

Alaska's far north has much to observe and experience, including panning for gold

Alaska residents tend to divide the state into two sections, usually referring to them as "Southeast," the narrow panhandle, and "Central," that great, seemingly mysterious land mass in the far north. It is also often respectfully referred to as "the Interior."

Cruising in Alaska » Princess is located at 248 Ave. Rockefeller, Santa Clarita, Calif. 91355, and at 800 5th Ave., Suite 2600, Seattle, Wash 98104. Call (800) PRINCES. Several land-cruise Alaska programs are offered each summer. Escorted tours start at about $1,400 per person (double occupancy). Web site: www.princess.com » Holland America Line also traditionally offers combination land-tours in Alaska. Write 300 Elliott Ave. West, Seattle, Wash. 98119. Call (800) 426-0327 or visit www.hollandamerica.com.

There is no practical land connection between the two regions of the state, and the economics of the business keep many cruise ships from making the long trip to ports in the larger portion. Most have kept their itineraries to the reliable Inside Passage.

My wife and I have been exploring Alaska since the 1980s, and we agree that cruises limited to Southeast do give plenty of rewards. Besides the magnificent glaciers, mountains and other wonderful scenery, there are the Tlingit and other Indian cultural experiences in Ketchikan, the historical sights of Sitka and Skagway, the pioneer-flavored state capital of Juneau and, on occasion, even some wildlife sightings. These can include bald eagles, whales and perhaps a grizzly bear or two lumbering along the shoreline.

But the Alaska experience can be more than that. A few companies have set up special cruise-tour packages combining land and sea elements into a one comprehensive itinerary -- one that encompasses premier experiences such as history-rich Fairbanks, and the attractions of Denali National Park.

But two companies have long specialized in launching combination land-and-sea tours. Holland America Lines and Princess Cruises have competed to set up massive infrastructures providing support for the land tour elements. Both operate their own hotels, lodges, restaurants and other facilities in Alaska, tailored to serve their cruise passengers.

In 1992 we enjoyed a Holland-America land-and-sea experience. And last summer we signed on to one of the escorted cruise-tour programs offered by Princess and found it also a winner. Similar offerings will be repeated this year.

When choosing between taking the cruise portion first or the land-tour first, we would opt again for the latter. In the land excursion, you tend to more closely mix with your fellow passengers, especially on escorted tours. New friendships made on the buses and trains could be cemented by the time you board the ship for the second part of the experience.

Our own experience last summer began with a flight to Fairbanks to begin Princess' four-day land tour before the seven-day cruise. We'd take at least one change of summer clothing, by the way. Fairbanks, known for 50-below-zero winters, can be 90 or above during midsummer, at least while the sun is up. (One July we had our own car in Fairbanks, and we used the air conditioner during the day and the heater at night!)

There's plenty to do in a town that still reflects its 19th-century gold rush heritage. Check out the massive Gold Dredge No. 8 and the stern-wheeler day cruise on the Chena and Tenana rivers. The latter will also take you on a stop where you can learn about Athabascan Indians, fur tanning and dog mushing.

From Fairbanks we continued on the special Princess Cruises glass-domed cars attached to the Alaska Railroad to reach Denali National Park. Denali is the native word for Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America. Wildlife day tours often offer close-up views of brown bears, moose, deer, wolves and other animals. We stayed at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, and then a bus ride the following day took us to the Mount McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge. Both were comfortable and featured plenty of Far North atmosphere.

Several optional day tours are offered from both these lodges. You can pan for gold, for example, or travel on a jet boat along a shallow river. We generally choose wildlife tours, and this trip we were rewarded with sightings of eagles, bears, moose and other creatures. On another occasion we took an air tour at Denali to get dramatic views of the massive mountain.

The next day, after a visit to the funky village of Talkeetna, we again enjoyed the Princess railroad cars, taking in the sights pointed out to us en route. The terminus is the coastline village of Whittier, just south of Anchorage, where we boarded our ship, the Coral Princess. After a day when the ship explored glaciers and other sights of nearby College Fiord, we set sail for Southeast Alaska.

The Coral Princess had about everything we want in a cruise ship: good food, plenty of passenger activities, professional entertainment and even enrichment classes in a variety of subjects. Our stateroom sported a balcony, all the better to enjoy sightings of glaciers, whales, sea otters and other sights. We would sometimes enjoy these things while still in our pajamas.

Regardless of all the shipboard hoopla, the prime rewards of an Alaska cruise are the attractions on the port calls. One of the best is Skagway. If the gold rush prospectors of 1898 would return to Skagway of 2008, they would find their way around town with no trouble. Much of the town is maintained as a living museum by the National Park Service. One popular choice is the White Pass & Yukon Railroad trip into the mountains of British Columbia and back. This time, however, we took a ferryboat from Skagway across the Lynn Canal to Haines, for a day of eagle and bear watching.

Farther down the coast, the Coral Princess nudged through floating ice in Glacier Bay to view some of Alaska's most famous frozen rivers and even watch while they "calved" -- the dramatic effect when large sections of the icy cliffs fall noisily into the water.

Next there was Juneau, the rustic-looking center of state government since 1906. Some of Juneau's streets are not exactly drivable. They are wooden staircases on steep hills. Optional helicopter tours land on the Mendenhall Glacier, just outside town.

Other air trips travel to scenic spots where "bear sightings are not guaranteed." We are never put off by statements like that. When it comes to wildlife viewing, you're not likely to find anything unless you take a chance. In fact, we generally choose the tour described with that kind of disclaimer, and we are seldom disappointed.

Some cruises also take in Sitka, the old Russian capital of Alaska, and it was a disappointment that ours did not. However, the Coral Princess made its last Alaskan port call at Ketchikan, known as the City of Totems. Most passengers chose tours that featured the culture of the Tlingit Indians who still carve the totem poles of their ancestors. Another popular stop in Ketchikan is Creek Street, where houses and shops seem to teeter along an elevated boardwalk above a small salmon stream.

Like most southbound Alaska cruises, passengers from the Coral Princess disembarked at the Canadian city of Vancouver, capital of British Columbia. We've visited Vancouver many times and always look forward to seeing it again. Some ships begin their cruises by sailing north from Vancouver.

That's also a viable port from which to begin a great Alaska cruise, especially one like ours, one that also includes the greater portion of the Great Land.