Alaska
Alaska's Inside Passage Up Close
Program No. 11479RJ
The mighty glaciers and dramatic fjords of Alaska’s Inside Passage are incredible. Aboard an expedition ship, learn about this untamed land and its stunning diversity of wildlife.
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10 days
9 nights
25 meals
9B 7L 9D
2
Explore Sitka, Free Time
Northern Southeast Alaska - Inside Passage
3
Kake, Frederick Sound
Northern Southeast Alaska - Inside Passage
4
Petersburg
Northern Southeast Alaska - Inside Passage
5
Tracy Arm Fjord
Northern Southeast Alaska - Inside Passage
6
Exploring, Orca Point Lodge
Northern Southeast Alaska - Inside Passage
7
Skagway, White Pass Railway, Free Time
Northern Southeast Alaska - Inside Passage
8
Glacier Bay National Park
Northern Southeast Alaska - Inside Passage
10
Program Concludes
Juneau, AK
At a Glance
Famed for deep glacial fjords, spectacular mountains and lush temperate rainforest, Alaska’s Inside Passage and Glacier Bay National Park offer natural and scenic gifts rivaled only by the rich histories of the Indigenous Peoples who have lived here for millennia. Experience magnificent sights and sounds as our experts create opportunities to view glaciers up close. Study Alaska's history at the Alaska State Museum in Juneau, and explore secluded bays via sea kayak or watercraft, all in the company of experts who narrate your experience with in-depth analysis of this yet untamed land.
Activity Level
Easy Going
Optional walking up to 1.5 miles on trails; some uneven or wet terrain. Elevation of 3,000 feet on train. Participants must be able to climb steep, narrow, ladder-like stairs multiple times per day as there is no elevator on the ship. These stairs must be used to access your cabin, dining area, public bathroom, and Zodiak launch area. Climbing in and out of kayaks and rafts.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Traverse the waters of a narrow fjord within soaring cliffs of granite and dotted with glittering icebergs.
- Board the White Pass narrow-gauge railway for a journey back through the Gold Rush era, a time of uncertainty and adventure.
- Experience chances to see whales, puffins, otters, bears, mountain goats and sea lions — the wealth of wildlife is amazing!
General Notes
Order of ports will vary subject to Glacier Bay schedule approved by the National Park Service. This program has a maximum group size of 50 participants.
Suggested Reading List
(26 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Alaska's Inside Passage Up Close
Program Number: 11479
The Island Within
Nelson's exploration of an unnamed island in the Pacific Northwest and our relationship with nature and the ability to observe and participant in it with admiration and a sense of wonder.
Looking at Indian Art of the Northwest Coast
An introduction into the indigenous art of the Northwest Coast and it's the styles, myths and legends that shaped the motifs, and stylistic differences between the major cultural groups are defined and illustrated.
The Sea Runners
A survival story that is based on an actual incident in 1853, The Sea Runners is an uplifting tale of the human quest for freedom. Four indentured servants journey down the Pacific Northwest Coast after escaping their Russian Alaska work camp in a stolen canoe.
Guide to the Birds of Alaska
In the new 6th edition, this guide to the birds of Alaska includes more than 900 full-color photos, 22 new species, name and systematic changes made by the American Ornithological Union, updated status and distribution charts, map of Alaska's six biogeographic regions, and much more.
Nature of Southeast Alaska: A Guide to Plants, Animals, and Habitats
An in-depth guide to Southeast Alaska's flora and fauna. It provides detailed information about mammals, birds, fish, invertebrates, fungi, and plants, along with detailed maps and more than 200 black-and-white illustrations.
Alaska Trees and Shrubs
Provides information on habitat and detailed descriptions of trees and shrubs in the state of Alaska.
Coming Into The Country
Coming into the Country is an unforgettable account of Alaska and Alaskans. It is a rich tapestry of vivid characters, observed landscapes, and descriptive narrative, in three principal segments that deal, respectively, with a total wilderness, with urban Alaska, and with life in the remoteness of the bush.
Roadside Geology of Alaska
Since the first edition was published in 1988, there has been a lot of changes that have taken place in Alaska. The author discusses the latest findings from events that have taken place, such as volcanoes erupting, glaciers retreating, thawing permafrost, and geological interpretations that have changed.
Frigid Embrace - Politics, Economics, and Environment in Alaska
This book explores how the desire for resource extraction has shaped Alaskan people's views of nature and their interactions with natives in the region. It provides readers with an opportunity to understand the historical context of today's environmental disputes through this concise narrative about Alaska's colonial struggle.
Cedar
The tree of life to the Northwest Coast Native people, who used all parts of the tree for making items including: canoes, totem poles, houses, masks, mats, baskets, fishing gear, and clothing.
Alaska Salmon Identification and Fishing Guide
https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/fishing/PDFs/sport/AKSalmonFishingGuide.pdf
This website provides a lot of information about salmon.
The Klondike Fever: The Life and Death of the Last Great Gold Rush
Pierre Berton spent 12 years of his life researching in Dawson City. Berton tells the full story of the Klondike Gold Rush in a thrilling and dramatic way that has never been told before.
Passage To Juneau - A Sea and Its Meanings
An account of his voyage on a 35-foot sailboat from Seattle to Juneau "a masterpiece of literature of the sea, a work that overflows with wisdom, humor, sadness, and suspense".
Alaska's History: The People, Land and Events of the North Country
This is a small, easily readable "digest" of Alaska's history. It is great for a quick overview and it is a good size for tucking into a suitcase or reading on a plane.
Going to Extremes
This book is controversial in Alaska. McGinnis traveled to Alaska during the "pipeline years" to see what Alaska was really like. He writes about the good and bad; potential exploitation, vast expanses of wilderness and the people interacting with their various environments and each other.
Tlingit Tales: Potlatch and Totem Pole
This book contains legends of the Tlingit Indians as told by Robert Zubov, Chief of the Beaver Clan of Angoon, Admiralty Island, Alaska.
An Alaska Anthology: Interpreting the Past
An account of Alaska's history with photos and entertaining essays. Topics including Native lifestyles before contact with the Europeans, John Muir's visit to Glacier Bay, the Klondike gold rush stampede, Alaska's fisheries, and more.
The Call of the Last Frontier: The True Story of a Woman's Twenty-Year Alaska Adventure
Melissa Cook went to Alaska for a job and ended up finding a twenty-year Alaskan adventure! Throughout the book, Cook also includes information about Alaska's history including, the Aleut internment camps during WWII, southeast Alaskan logging camps, and the sinking of S.S. Princess Sophia.
Coming Into the Country
Classic observations by an astute writer; 1970's, his observations are still relevant. Observations and musings about Alaskan life and the land. Readable and realistic, it shows the good and bad aspects of life in Alaska.
Blonde Indian
The story of a woman growing up in a mixed-heritage family in Juneau.
Guide to Marine Mammals of Alaska
This book covers all 29 marine mammal species of Alaska. Each whale, porpoise, dolphin, seal, sea lion, walrus, sea otter, and polar bear is described and illustrated. Color photos and surface profile drawings show all Alaska marine mammals and compare similar species, and color range maps show distribution.
Travels in Alaska
Take a trip to last century's Alaska through Muir's clean, easy-going, enthusiastic prose. He wrote the way he took pictures, with insight, attention, care and genuine feeling.
The Woman Who Married a Bear
Fiction, mystery, Sitka-based private investigator solves a complicated murder.
Fodor's Alaska (Full-cover Travel Guide)
More than 25 detailed maps, color photos, recommendations from locals, up-to-date coverage on Juneau, Glacier Bay, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Skagway, Ketchikan, Hines, and many other areas!
Where the Sea Breaks Its Back - The Epic Story of Early Naturalist Georg Steller and the Russian Exploration of Alaska
The great naturalist Georg Steller's adventures during the disastrous 1741-42 voyage of Vitus Bering. This voyage from eastern Russia across the Pacific resulted in the Russian "discovery" of Alaska. The epic journey back across the Pacific Ocean is a gripping account of survival.
Looking at Totem Poles
This book describes 110 totem poles from British Columbia through southeastern Alaska. She explains figures on the poles, the pole's purposes and provides a wealth of other information about the poles. They are illustrated with drawings and photos.
