Cruising Alaska Fjords at Prince William Sound

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After listening to the mountain biker across the aisle on my Alaska Air flight from Seattle to Anchorage tell me in detail each biking trail he has ever been on, liked to be on, or read or heard about, I knew the serenity of Prince William Sound on CruiseWest's Spirit of Glacier Bay was the antidote.

After a night in the imposing Sheraton Anchorage hotel overlooking the pioneer Anchorage Memorial Cemetery, Prince William Sound was better envisioned.

The same company that owns CruiseWest also owns AlaskaSightseeing, staffing a guest desk inside the Sheraton for planning complimentary dinner shuttles, tours, or the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, four blocks away.

Other Anchorage Anchorge tour options include: Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, Performing Arts Center, and the Alaska Experience Center. Bike the coastal trail around Anchorage from Downtown Bicycle Rental (279-5293) for $20 half day or $30 full day.

THE ALASKA RAILROAD ADVENTURE -

The next morning I am met by a CruiseWest tour representative and we jumped on a bus for the short ride to the rail station. The rambling, rumbling reminiscent 1920's era rail cars slip out of the station for the two-hour, 51-mile jaunt to Whittier. A naturalist on board for the duration of the tour and cruise details the natural elements we pass, including the second largest tidal bore at 40+ feet in Turn Again Bay (2nd after the Bay of Fundy tidal bores), and flats where many fishermen get trapped and drowned, sucked into the glacial silt unable to pull out before the next tide rolls in. Days before a lucky fisherman was saved from this fate by the Anchorage fire department.

Three trains depart Anchorage daily: Whittier or Seward southbound, and Fairbanks northbound. The Glacier Discovery to Whittier train didn't rate as a panoramic domed liner, but it did have an expansive dining car in the entourage, featuring Alaska gourmand choices of McKinley Breakfast, Bird Creek Chicken Sandwich, and Reindeer Sausage, Indian River Sandwiches, or Bristol Bay Grilled Pan-fried Salmon Filet.

Many passengers are taking pictures from the caboose's rear open-air smoking platform. Rail service to Whittier is from mid-May to mid-September, with the southbound leaving at 10 a.m. and arriving in Whittier at 12:30 p.m. Hand carry luggage only. The rail voucher is included in your CruiseWest trip, or call 800/544-0552. Round-trip is $51 and one-way is $26 if booked without a cruise.

The Alaska Railroad winds around Turn Again Arm Bay, named by Captain Cook on his 1779 voyage. He had to "turn again" to avoid sandbars, spits, glacial silt, low water and mud. Nothing much has changed across the barren low tide mud flats. Fishermen along the creeks casted flies amongst the salmon heading up stream to spawn. There are five types of salmon in Alaska: chum, coho, silver, pink, and king.

We tunneled out of the WWII Army Engineers blasted hole to reach Whittier. After an $80 million car access renovation, with lighting and ventilation, the train shares the tunnel with RVs, cars, buses and SUV's hauling boats to the nearest saltwater marina from Anchorage. A toll is expected in 2001; access to Whittier before was only by plane or ferry from Seward.

A quick tour of Whittier, named after the poet John Greenlief Whittier, sees all the dynamic sites within a few minutes. The local bards proclaim the fishing port: "Nothing Is Prettier Than Whittier." There are three deep-water ports in Alaska: Whittier, Anchorage, and Seward. Most adventure cruisers joined in for bison burgers at one of the local restaurants as the Spirit of Glacier Bay was outfitted for our arrival.

There are eight adventure cruise ships in the CruiseWest fleet, with the Spirit of Glacier Bay the smallest. Built in 1971, it cruises Prince William Sound in summer, moving alerts at all hours. When in your cabin before dinner is served or special events on board switch the intercom to 'B' for wildlife reports and 'A' for piped in music. This was a nice nature feature. I never missed sightings of whales, sea otters, or harbor seal colonies.

After the mandatory life jacket use and safety lesson by Tahitian Captain Patrick Marere and then crew introductions, there is a free champagne and cheese and wine party before dinner. There is no open bar on the boat, with an Alaska beer going for about US$4.50, so the US$1.50 for a root beer looked pretty good. The 5:30 p.m. daily happy hour offers free coffee, tea, and hot chocolate and snacks.

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Kriss Hammond, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com

About the Author

Kriss Hammond, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent. Join the Travel Writers Network in the logo at www.jetsettersmagazine.com Leave your email next to the logo for FREE e travel newsletter.