Inside Passage

Southeast Alaska (also known as the Panhandle, or simply "Southeast") encompasses the Inside Passage—more than a century ago the traditional route to the Klondike goldfields and today the centerpiece for Alaska cruises. The weather is more Pacific Northwest-like than what most people think of as Alaskan. Be prepared for rain, and if it's sunny consider yourself fortunate. Juneau, the state's water-locked capital, is here, and ever since the population center of the state has shifted to South Central, local politicians and other public gadflies have been trying to "correct" the historical accident that placed the capital in its present remote location. An onion-dome cathedral accents Sitka, the onetime capital of Russian America, and fishing villages such as Petersburg and Ketchikan are popular cruise ship and ferry stops. Each fall up to 4,000 eagles gather outside Haines to feast on salmon at the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. Glacier Bay National Park is one of the few places in the world where you can inspect massive tidewater glaciers from a short distance.

The towns of Southeast Alaska are linked by air and the Alaska Marine Highway (the state ferry system); only Haines and Skagway have road links to "the Outside." If you're not a cruise-ship passenger, visiting towns serviced by the cruise ships can be disconcerting, as the ships disgorge thousands of tourists into these small communities. However, the scenery outside the towns is phenomenal: long fjords snake between the mountains, timbered slopes plunge to the rocky shores, and marine life abounds—from tiny seabirds to multi-ton whales.

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