Page 21 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – October/November 2020

The Gifts of Glacier Bay
If you visit Alaska by sea, you’ll want to sail through one of the most iconic locations in the Great Land — 3.3-million-acre Glacier Bay National Park. Home to more than 1,000 glaciers, the park is alive with calving ice that rumbles and echoes across the water. Listen to Margerie Glacier’s signature crack and boom rumble across the waves.
Bring binoculars and scan both the shore and the waves for wildlife like brown bears and migrating whales, while park rangers offer commentary on the park’s history and geology. With its roaring glaciers, rugged mountains and deep fjords, Glacier Bay National Park is an outdoor lover’s paradise.
Meet the many Glacier Bay National Park personalities as humpback and killer whales break the ocean’s surface. Wave hello to the sea lions basking in the Alaska sun. Watch harbor seals float atop chunks of ice and rejoice in sea otters’ playfulness as they glide across the water on their backs.
A cruise is the best way to experience Alaska’s pristine coastal regions, including the iconic Inside Passage and its miles of forested shores, chiseled cliffs and cascading waterfalls. Along the way, you’ll want to visit Southeast Alaska’s most storied ports. Princess Cruises has been cruising Alaska for more than 50 years and has award- winning offerings, including its Voyage of the Glacier
itinerary, which includes Glacier Bay, plus either the massive Hubbard Glacier or College Fjord.
Cruising with Princess also is a comfortable way to take in all these highlights, with everything included: accommodations, meals, onboard activities and entertainment. Unpack once and wake up each day to a breathtaking new horizon.
Connect with Alaskan Culture & History
Aside from an abundance of wildlife and awe- inspiring landscapes, places like Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan also let you step back in time. Learn about Gold Rush history as you climb the Yukon on the White Pass Scenic Railway or walk the turn-of-the-century boardwalk in Skagway. Ketchikan is the Salmon Capital of the world, and don’t miss a visit to Creek Street, once the 1920s-era red-light district, it’s now a collection of eclectic boutique shops. In Juneau, you can visit the state’s capital and hear tales of how prospector Joe Juneau hit the motherlode, helping spark a Gold Rush frenzy in the late 1800s.
You’ll want to connect with Alaska’s culture, history, and nature while at the port and the options are plentiful. You can learn about Native history by visiting places
like Totem Bight State Park and Saxon Native Village
on curated shore excursions. Or experience Gold Rush history on a panning tour, attend a lumberjack show or watch bears fish for salmon.
Princess also brings the adventure onboard through with the award-winning North to Alaska program. Hear about life aboard from the captain of a crab fisherman boat from Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch” or meet Libby Riddles, the first woman to win the grueling Iditarod 1,1150-mile sled-dog race.
Then there’s a North to Alaska favorite,
Puppies in the Piazza, where guests
can interact with cuddly, sled-dog
puppies as they prepare for a life
of dog mushing.
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