We just got back from a lovely Caribbean cruise. Our last stop before we got back to New Orleans was Key West. DH and I just wandered around the shops dockside and it wasn't until I got back home that I was looking at some of the attractions there and discovered they have some beautiful museums and gardensbut you will need to find a tour or rent a car. Try "googling" Key West and you'll see for yourself. Key West was just gorgeous. The weather was balmy, the water so blue and so was the sky. You'll just love it.

April We did a road trip for ten days in August 2004 when our son was 17 and daughter 14. Flew in and out of Anchorage. We drove up through Denali but were disappointed we could not drive farther in but stayed further north and did a horse back trip For a full day. Wonderful! We were ALONE except for guide. We ride and have our own horses so this may not be for a novice. But you cant see that scenery otherwise. We drove via Denali Highway to Paxon. Gravel road only open in summer. Nothing there but scenery. Then south to Copper Center where we hired a small plane (landing strip was on the bank of the Copper River where the salmon wheels were running. so cool) to McCarthy and Kennecott. This was the Wrangell St Elias Park area and WOW! Far surpassed Denali. This area is just breathtaking and off the beaten path for most because you have to fly in. Cant drive rental cars. Road is too bad you would have to change tires. This is where the old copper mine is and glacier hiking - that was cut short by the bears... On South to Valdez and the ferry to Whittier (great WW2 history) Fabulous scenery of wildlife from the ferry. Then further south to Seward and back to Anchorage. The kids still talk about the great trip. This was ten years ago. Get your ferry tickets booked well in advance for the vehicles. And be aware that the potential to overdose on the bigness of it all its a big state lots of wilderness. I grew up out west upper plains states and am used to this type of car trip but some folks get a little antsy if they don't see a house for a few hours...

We have cruised Alaska twice, once an inside passage cruiuse out of Vancouver and last September did a 15 day cruisetour, a week inland and inside passage cruise from Seward to Vancouver. I loved the train portion of the trip. If time allows I would also suggest staying a day or two in Seattle. We fly into Seattle a day or two early and love Pike's Fish Market and the farmers market. Also across from Pike's is a wonderful place to have lunch, Matt's in the Market. Here are some of the things we did and enjoyed, Denali Park-The Tundra Wilderness tour, it is all day but so beautiful and we saw so much wildlife, brown bears, moose, sheep and eagles. Talkeetna-Booked Talkeetna Air Taxi to fly around Mt. McKinley. Lunch at the Wildflower Cafe was delicious, the best salmon I have ever had. Our guide said the chef was at one time a chef at the White House. Anchorage-Went to the mint and stopped at the Wildlife Conservation Center on our way to Girdwood. Seward-Resurrection Bay cruise was wonderful, lots of sea life and beautiful scenery. Juneau-Red Dog Saloon, a must see. Skagway-Took the ferry to Haines and toured the Big Nugget Mine at Porcupine Creek, it was a wonderful day. Last time we took a helicopter and landed on a glacier, it was a great excursion. Don't miss going in the Red Onion Saloon, it's a must see also. Icy Strait Point-First time we went whale watching and halibut fishing. This last time we took the bus to Hoonah and went to the Tribal House Carving Project. Ketchican-Deadliest catch excursion, we loved it. We also like to stay an additional day or two in Vancouver, a beautiful city. I also suggest getting on cruise critic, a wonderful forum for information. Enjoy your time in Alaska it is a beautiful, almost magical place!

It was a busy day at work trying to tie up everything before abandoning ship for two weeks so I couldn't write much earlier. So now I'll address individual suggestions... Glenda I'm not sure we'll be doing the lumberjack show, I already feel like I've met them all through you and it's quite evident they have been spoken for. ;-) No Talkeetna so I'm sad to say, no moose poop :-) Talkeetna is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod so I'm sad we're not going there. Nanny You and others have suggested Mendenhall and White Pass et. al, so they are a definite consideration. The idea of seeing the suburbs really appeals to me too. I agree, museums in AK are quite well done. Interesting, one of the most impressive museum-like exhibits I've seen was at the Alaska Native Medical Center. Happyladi I like the idea of renting a car in Skagway and taking that drive to Emerald Lake unless the train goes that way as well. I love trains. I subscribed to cruisecritic.com about a month ago to learn more about different cruise lines. I've been so busy at work that I barely had time to read it. I'll go back there tonight and take a look. And I'm all bummed out ... because of my busy schedule, I wasn't able to dedicate much time looking for my new frames/lenses until just this last week. I finally found frames I loved. After the eye exam at a place that doesn't honor VSP, it was determined even with short lenses, my script would not fit. I found another pair at another optometrist that does accept VSP. I go for another exam tomorrow morning and will see if they can fit my new choice. Why am I sad? Because of course I've sat on this project too long and now I will go on vacation with old glasses which no longer work for distances. Hmmm, maybe I'll pay for the $100+ exam for contact lenses and just wear my sexy new frames without any lenses at all, I hear it's all the rage in Asia. :-) Carol I sure wish DH and I liked salmon because people rave about the barbecues. I do love just wandering around places I visit. Sitka was my favorite stop last time because my travel friend booked a tour and I did not. I just wandered the shops, streets and neighborhoods. The glacial silt soap sound interesting. I'm a real sucker for unusual soaps. Cherbo Have not been to Denali yet, but one day. Kat Fortunately I have family in Seattle to ease the pain of not meeting you. :-) Socks We rented a Netflix documentary last night that talked about Haines so I jotted down the name. While walking around Sitka, I found the Sheldon Jackson Museum but didn't go in. Can't remember if it was closed or I just decided not to go in. The school next door was all boarded up and made the area feel kind of ghost-town-like. The Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary sounds just up my alley! The ship we're sailing is the Celebrity Mercury. I was born in Seattle so family is meeting us down at Pike's Place. Where we're going from there, I'm not sure. We might drive down to Gig Harbor to see a friend of mine and my sister who probably won't be going to Pike's Place. Jodi-