Bura9

Went on one of those 12 day cruises on Princess Cruise lines. Yeah, it was touristy..but it was easy enought slipping away from the crowds, especailly if you didn’t contract with the services offered on board (whose prices were jacked up) and tried to contract with the natives on your own. I’d gladly do it all over again. A lot of sights to see and take in. Went fly-fishing with the family over in British Colombia when we stopped in at Skagway (one of those off-the-ship contracts I’d mentioned). Lots of white-water rafting and horsback riding in Denali National Park (though I would not have dragged the family to that last thing if I’d known that a horse and rider were attacked the previous day by a female grizzly protecting her cubs).
There is no place Alaska and , yeah the cruise line method is a bit extreme, but it’s well worth the money and time.
Next time around, I’d like to go via the smaller ships (50 or so folks) so that you can sail up smaller inlets and rivers..

Go there in July/August. Less folks, cheaper prices, friendlier natives, much slower pace. You want to mimimze sleep time to maximize relaxation time. Rent a moped or Vespa. It’s a fun place to drive around, although those mopeds’ noise level gets to be a bit of a pain. I’ve never been at a place where you can so easily relax. Rockefeller had it right when he tried to buy the whole island.

What other National Park offers:
1) Tent camping 100 feet from a gorgeous beach
2) Braying wild donkeys to wake you up in the morning
3) Tarantulas right by your tent eliminating all flys and biting bugs
4) Mongooses standing sentry by your tent, waiting for some freee handouts
5) Cheap rum by the liter at the campground store.
6) Access to one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, right next to one of the most exclusive hotels (whose beaches, while stunning, can’t compare to your freebie beach)

Simply a gorgeous place.