Alaska
Port Information
College Fjord
In the year 1898, an expedition made its way up the long narrow reach of a fjord located on the northern shore of the Prince William sound, about 20 miles east of what is now the tiny port of Whittier and 30 miles west Valdez. The expedition was searching for an "all- American" way to the Klondike gold fields, which could only be reached via an arduous passage over Chilkoot or White pass to Canada's Yukon territory. The expedition didn't find a way to the gold fields. Instead they found an enormous ice field, the mother lode of more than 16 tidewater glaciers. In a flight of fancy, the expedition leaders decided to name the glaciers after well-known American colleges, such as Yale, Williams and Vassar. Of course, the most prominent of them all is Harvard Glacier, an enormous wall of ice located right at the head of the fjord. Harvard and nearby Columbia Glaciers used to battle for leadership of the Ivy League of Ice - but 400 square mile Columbia Glacier is receding so rapidly it may soon be of the running. Although this odd bit of history might explain how the glacial alumni of college fjord were named, it can't convey what it is like to be in the presence of these truly awe -inspiring tidewater giants and behold the vistas, which unfold before your eyes.
Haines
Eagles, Eagles and more eagles. When the rest of Alaska's salmon fishing grounds are locked in ice, bald eagles gather here by the thousands to fish in the Chilkat River. That's because Haines' climate is considerable drier than most of southeast Alaska - and warmer. The "big baldie" convention occurs during the winter, but even in summer Haines has 200-year -round raptor residents which are readily spotted on any of the fascinating wildlife tours available form Haines. You can see the eagles on foot, by bus, kayak, river raft or mountain bike. Haines was founded in 1879 by a missionary who was accompanied - in a rather unlikely pairing, by naturalist John Muir. Today, the missionaries are no more and Haines has become on of Alaska's premier native cultural and arts communities. At Fort William Sweand, where former army barracks now house museums, inns and art galleries, watch Chilkat Indians perform evocative dances telling of ancient clan legends. The distinctive fringed blankets they wear are priceless examples of the Chilkat weavers' art, made of finely - spun yarn from the hair of mountain goats.
Hubbard Glacier
They call the place where gigantic Hubbard Glacier empties into the sea Disenchantment Bay. Perhaps because it is virtually impossible to venture any further. A full six miles of ice block your way. and this giant ice cube is on the move. In fact, Hubbard moves faster than almost any other glacier on the continent. Beginning its journey 76 miles away on Mt. Logan, Canada's highest mountain, Hubbard has been known to advance so fast that it dammed Russell Fjord and created a lake behind it. Trapping many marine species. A dozen years after this phenomenon, the dam no longer exists, and Hubbard is no longer exists, and Hubbard is no longer the galloping glacier it once was. But the continent's greatest tidewater river of ice still flows at a fast trot, regularly disgorging enormous calves into the waiting arms of the sea. As the navigator sails along its looming mass, you'll notice that Hubbard's pock - marked face is punctuated by deep ice caves that glow with the lovely flue light that distinguishes active glacial ice.
Inside Passage
It must have been astonishing and frustrating for James Cooks and George Vancouver and other 18th century explorers who first encountered the bewildering maze of islands and channels that make up what is today called the Inside Passage. Imagine being confronted with a myriad of mysterious channels leading who knew where? All posing the promise of being the magical Northwest Passage. Following each fjord to the interior, the intrepid navigators would encounter massive mountain ranges, towering cliffs, tumbling waterfalls, virginal forests of two-hundred foot tall spruce, while whales, bears, seals, salmon, eagles and other wildlife appeared in such variety and profusion as to be uncountable! But always in the end, they were stopped by an inevitable face of ice - glaciers pushing inexorable downward to meet the sea. What must have been a mapmaker's nightmare is today cherished as the continent's nightmare is today cherished as the continent's last great untouched wilderness, harboring the world's largest temperate rain forest. An Eden of the North, that captivates every modern -day explorer. The sting of islands that form the Inside Passage creates a protective barrier to the open sea running form the Washington State/Canadian border. The bottom of Vancouver Island all the way up to the top of Chichagof Island, where the Gulf of Alaska begins its curve westward, offering a supremely serene cruising environment in some of the most dramatic surroundings on earth.
Juneau
When a drifter named Joe Juneau picked up the first Alaska gold nugget out of Gold Creek in 1880, he could hardly imagine that his name would be affixed to a state capital. But you'll discover even stranger facts about Juneau. It's the only state capital with no roads connecting it to other communities - everything comes in by air or ship. It's also the only capital with a glacier in its back yard! (Mendenhall Glacier). Juneau is by far the largest state capital, at 3,100 square miles, and the city limits stretch all the way to the Canadian border. Along with all these oddities, Juneau is also in a most capital setting. Fronting on the blue waters of the Gastineau Channel and surrounded by stunning backdrop of Mt Juneau, Mt Roberts and the Tongass National Forest wilderness, its visual drama never to stir visitors. And although many attempts have been made to move the legislative center of Alaska to a more central sit, Juneau had prevailed as the state's capital since 1906. While in Juneau, be sure to take the tramway to the top of Mt. Roberts for a spectacular panorama of the capital. And to get a salmon's eye-view of what it's like to climb a fish ladder, visit the Gasineau Salmon Hatchery, where pink humpback and chum salmon spawn in July and August. The more adventurous can fly to a remote fishing lodge for a salmon bake. Flight see over the immense Mendenhall ice field, or mush with a dogsled team of huskies on a mile-high glacier (ice boots and parkas supplied) Or board a raft at the foot of the glacier and float down the gentle rapids of the Mendenhall River.
Ketchikan
The bawdy houses along rickety Creek Street no longer entertain prospectors and loggers in from the wild, but the memorabilia in Dolly Arthur's house of ill repute will provoke some ribald laughs. And if you've arrived in Ketchikan during the summer salmon spawning season, there's an even better show from the boardwalk outside, where you can watch thousands of pink kin salmon, locally known as "humpies," crowd their way upstream. The smart ones climb the fish ladders conveniently provided by the U.S. Wildlife Service. Ketchikan's other famous sights are its totem poles, perhaps the largest and most elaborate collection of wood carvings in the world. Each pole tells a story you can see striking examples of totem poles (many have names) and watch in fascination as curls of aromatic cedar shavings fall to the earth and clan legends emerge under the skilled hands of Tlingit artists. Other activities in Ketchikan include kayaking on Ketchikan Creek, flight seeing over Misty Fjords National Wilderness, a fly-in fly fishing expedition to a remote trout stream and guided Eco - tours to spot the plentiful local wildlife.
Misty Fjords
To quote travel authority Arthur Frommer's '99 Alaska Cruises and Ports of Call, "Only passengers on small ships will see Misty Fjords close up, as its waterway is too narrow for big ships. Unfortunately this means they will miss one of the least spoiled of all wilderness areas." At 3,600 square miles, this Connecticut sized chunk of national wilderness is the largest of all preserves. And for those lucky enough to see the inner reaches of Misty Fjords aboard a small ship such as the Seven Seas navigator, it is one of the most awe inspiring experiences of an Alaska cruise. Beginning near the British Columbia border, the Behm Canal winds around the eastern side of Revillagigedo Island, becoming increasingly narrower as it heads northward, finally taking a left turn back into the Inside Passage near Ketchikan. Along its 900 - foot deep chasm, 3,200 -foot tall cliffs soar heavenward, appearing and disappearing into the swirling mists like phantom giants of stone. The dramatic spire of new Eddystone rock is repeated in the spiky tops of spruce and fir trees which cast stalactite reflections in waters broken only by the ship's wake and the splashes of breaching humpback whales. Bears fish for salmon in the rainbow mists where waterfalls kiss the surface of the fjords, and pacific loons yodel their mournful ballads of longing and love. In this mystical, supernatural place the world as we know it is no longer with us…
Seward
Seward sits at the head of Resurrection Bay, a long narrow fjord that cuts into the heart of Kenai Peninsula. And that location might have been the city's undoing. For on good Friday, 1964, when a huge earthquake hit south Central Alaska, it created a 100-foot tidal bore that barreled up Resurrection Bay and completely wiped out the waterfront of Seward. Luckily, most of the residents escaped. Today Resurrection Bay has lived up to its name and experienced a rebirth, for rebirth, for it is one of the best wildlife viewing areas in Alaska, now protected by Kenai Fjords National Park. A cruise of Resurrection Bay will often reward visitors with sightings of Humpback and Orca whales, Dall's porpoises, sea otters, harbor seals, and Steller's sea lions, which in breeding season hang out by the thousand in rookeries along the shoreline. Bald eagles, fishing-eating eagles and kittiwakes soar in the skies and comical puffins with their fat yellow and red striped beaks nest on the cliff faces. At the Alaska Sea life Center, you and staff of resident biologists can peer through underwater windows to watch the life of marine animals. Just inland from Seward lies one of the largest icefields in South Central Alaska, where guest can actually walk right up to the 150-foot high blue ice face of Exit Glacier, on of the 20 glaciers spawned by the Harding icefields. A most illuminating way to experience the life of an Alaska pioneer family is to visit the nearby Van Deusen homestead. It's a log cabin home nestled in the spruce forest. While friendly husky puppies tumble over each other in play, you stir your coffee and leaf through old family photos evoking a simpler time.
Sitka
In the nave of Sitka's St. Michael's Cathedral, the gilded icons, bejeweled crowns and richly embroidered vestments are emblazoned with the double-headed eagle of the Romanov czars. In 1799, when soldier/merchant Alexander Baronov established the fortress of St. Michael, to 1867, when Prince Maksutov ordered that the Russian flag be lowered to be replaced by the stars and Stripes, little Sitka was the capital of Russian Alaska. In those days it was called new Archangel, and for a frontier for trading outpost, it was quite a cosmopolitan place. Boasting a cathedral, fine houses for the rich fur traders, a library, museum, meteorological station, and as noted a resident prince and princess. After the transfer to the U.S. Sitka became the capital of the new American territory until the decline of fur trading and the promise of gold convinced the powers -that-be to move the capital to Juneau. Sitka is still the headquarters of Alaska's Russian Orthodox Church. At Castle Hill, guests may see where Alexander Baronov defeated the Tlingit in the fiercely fought Battle of Alaska in 1804. Sitka's Russian heritage comes alive with the colorful performers of the new Archangel folk dancers. After immersing in tales and trappings of the era of the Czars, visitors can encounter eagles of the uncrowned variety at the Alaska Raptor Rehabilitation Center, or embark on any number of fascinating wildlife viewing adventures by floatplane, mountain bike, kayak, jetboat or hiking boots.
Skagway
Gold is the story of Skagway. This city with false front buildings, honky -tonk saloons and Gabby Hayes look-alike roaming the streets has the look of a Wild West movie set. But the real story is more riveting than any Western, tale of bonanzas and broken dreams. And it is told most dramatically in those unforgettable photos of beleaguered 1898 gold Rush 'Stampeders,' the newly arrived prospectors from the lower 48, climbing single file up the incredibly steep, icy path of the Chilkoot Trail to gold fields of the Klondike. The Chilkoot Pass was one of two routes from Skagway, the nearest port to Yukon goldfields. When exhausted Stampeders finally reached the Canadian border, those that hadn't brought enough supplies to last a year were usually turned back by Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The lucky ones (or unlucky ones, depending on you viewpoint), had to build boats at Lake Bennett and navigate down treacherous Yukon River to reach their goal. Today, visitors discover the Klondike in complete comfort aboard the famous White Pass and Yukon Railroad. From downtown Skagway, the narrow gauge train, which celebrated its centennial year of service in 1998, climbs through ruggedly beautiful terrain, passing waterfalls and steep ravines such as the infamous Dead horse Gulch. Where the bleached bones of thousands of pack - horses that died of exhaustion are grim reminders of the hardships of gold Rush days. At a one-time gold camp called Liarsville, learn how to pan or gold (finders keepers!) and hear a local 'sourdough' relate the tall tales of Canadian Gold Rush poet Robert Service.
Tracy Arm
For sheer drama, Tracy Arm is simply unrivaled. From Holkom Bay on Stephens Passage, the twin fjords of Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm stretch like two long snow crab claws to embrace the broad massif of Mt. Sumdum. Tracy Arm is the steeper of the two glacier-craved canyons, with smooth rock walls shooting straight up out of the water to 2,000-foot heights. The trip up the narrow fjord is unforgettable. As granite walls loom ever higher around you and waterfalls spill from hanging glaciers to tumble thousands of feet down the cliffs, you almost expect to see a raven-powered Haida war canoe materialize out of the spectral mists. It wouldn't be unusual to have humpback whales accompany the Sea Navigator on part of the journey, and you'll likely see fur seals and sea lions draped over icebergs while mountain goats and dall sheep nonchalantly munch grass and lichen tidbits on the steep cliff sides. At the head of the fjord, the massive bulk of Sawyer Glacier chokes the canyon with its enormous ice wall. With thundering
cannonades, huge sheets of ice collapse into the water, creating icebergs so large that they can block the narrow passage.
Valdez
Valdez enjoys one of the most photogenic locations in the world. It's often called Little Switzerland, though the towering sawtooth peaks of the surrounding Chugach range could hardly be called little. This northernmost ice-free harbor in the U.S. had its beginnings in the Klondike Gold Rush, when rumors of an alternate route to the gold fields sent almost 5,000 would-be prospectors in a futile and tragic quest up Keystone Canyon to cross the forbidding Valdez Glacier. Only 300 people ever made it across. In 1898, Captain William Abercrombie broke off his exploration of Prince William Sound to rescue the stranded miners and was a horrified witness to the dreadful toll extracted by the harsh conditions of the glacier. Today, Valdez is much gentler place, and Keystone Canyon is best known for its breathtaking vies of Bridal Veil and Horsetail Falls cascading over moss-covered cliffs into the Lowe River. But the lush greenery is deceiving. At Thompson Pass, snowplow guide markers fifteen feet above the ground remind summer visitors of winter's wrath. Easily the most thrilling way to see the incredible scenery around Valdez is on a heli-hike, where a helicopter lifts you up over the Chugach Mountains to a remote trailhead where you can hike to the face of a glacier. You can also watch enthralled as thousands of spawning salmon make their mad dash upstream at Crooked Creek. And no visit to Valdez is complete without a look at the famous (or infamous) Pipeline, the most expensive private construction project ever undertaken - and the reason why little Valdez is the wealthiest town in all of Alaska.
Vancouver
Captain George Vancouver first explored Burrard Inlet in 1792, and for his effort, he would later have Canada's third largest city named for him. But for almost 100 hears, the only civilization in this area was a ramshackle saloon run by one Gassy Jack Deighton, who was to give his nickname to a small logging outpost called Gastown. It was a dot on the map until 1887, when the Canadian Pacific Railroad completed the first railroad across Canada. Gastown, now more decorously renamed Vancouver became the railroad's western terminus. With its location on the eastern edge of the Pacific Rim, Vancouver has drawn a tremendous amount of business investment from Asia. Today's Vancouver is a multi-ethnic rainbow of cultures, with the second largest Chinatown in North American. Of course, the fact that the U.s. dollar is worth almost 50% more than the Canadian 'Loonie' has a lot of attraction for American visitors, who throng to Robinson Square's tres chic shops. Other prime attractions in the Vancouver area include the serenely beautiful enclave of Stanley park, an oasis of green right on the water in downtown Vancouver, complete with totem poles, an aquarium and a beaver pond. And there's the spectacular gondola ride up to the 4,000-foot summit of Grouse Mountain, where a panoramic view of the city greets you. Down below you can see Canada Place, the sail shaped cruise ship terminal where the navigator docks, lying at the edge of the inner harbor. And for a thrill even more elevating, walk across the swaying Capilano Suspension Bridge, the highest and longest footbridge in the world.
Victoria
Flowers Fountains, and High Tea at the Empress. Victoria is that last bastion of English imperial grandeur. A city wonderfully and archaically old fashioned. So well Victorian. Great Gothic piles of granite surrounded by neatly tended rose and perennial gardens house British Columbia's parliament. The streets and avenues are properly broad, befitting a provincial capital, and the ladies in white bowl on the impeccably manicured lawns of the royal Victoria Yacht club. In fact, the heart of the old city is named Bastion Square, in honor of the fort that stood there to guard the British colonists' sensibilities from foreign intrusions. Victoria was founded in 1843 as a 'factory' or fortress/trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company. When you shop in the Stores of 'The Bay' today in Victoria, you'll notice their logo carries the Hudson's Bay company coat of arms dated 1670, making it the oldest department store in the world! Victoria is famous for its flower gardens and even the smallest apartments sport flower boxes overflowing with petunias and begonias. The most elaborate plantings of all are found at Butchart Gardens, and incredible collection of topiary, tropical exotica, watergardens and flowering plants of 5,000 varieties, especially striking at night, when a light show turns the gardens into a Disneyesque fantasy. After the parliament Buildings, perhaps the most imposing monument in Victoria is Craigdarroch Castle. A Visit to this 20,000 square foot baronial at the venerable Empress Hotel overlooking the yacht filled harbor is the
quintessential taste of Victoria!
Wrangell
When naturalist John Muir built a huge bonfire atop Wrangell's Mr. Dewey on a wild stormy night in 1879, he was only trying to keep warm. He had avoided staying in Wrangell, which he described "as the most inhospitable place at first sight I have ever seen, "being full of rampaging drunks and prospectors. But the resident Tlingits were so frightened of the fire's evil spirits that they refused to have anything more to with the bearded madman. Wrangell have survived through three frenetic gold rushes in 1861, 1870 and 1898, and it's the only town in Alaska to have been ruled by the Tlingit, the Russians, the British and the U.S. Through all this commotion, the town has somehow survived, and today it's one of the friendliest ports in Southeast Alaska, with a history that may go all the way back to the Stone Age. A walk along Wrangell's Petroglyph Beach reveals stylized carvings of animals on the rocks similar to those found on the Amur River in Siberia. You'll often see students and curious visitors making rubbings of these mysterious inscriptions. Then cross the footbridge to Chief Shakes Island, and step back in history to the era of the great Shakes dynasty, who powerful chiefs ruled the Tlingit for 300 years. Wrangell's location near the mouth of the mighty Stikine River is ideal for fishermen who want to try for one of the River's record breaking salmon. And for a gasp a minute board an enclosed jetboat and ride u the fastest flowing navigable river in North America to Shakes Lake, where you weave among the icebergs and view the face of Shakes Glacier.
M/S Seven Seas Voyager
M/S Seven Seas Mariner
M/S Seven Seas Navigator
M/S Paul Gauguin
Explorer II
 |
To check availability or request a brochure with more information on Regent Seven Seas Cruises aboard the Seven Seas Mariner, drop us a note, or call.... 800-777-7739 |
© copyright 2006 All Rights Reserved.
Content provided by Online Travel Content, Inc.
The use of, access to, and correspondence with this site is subject to certain terms and conditions