Once our cruise departed, we sailed through the Inside Passage, the impressive southernmost part of Alaska, with fjords teeming with wildlife and lush island scenery. The Inside Passage is also home to the cities of Sitka, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan and as we drifted up the Alaskan coast, every turn brought into view something even more spectacular or intriguing than what preceded it, from Juneau’s prehistoric Mendenhall Glacier to Ketchikan’s small town charm.

Next, we drifted through Glacier Bay National Park, north of Juneau. Here, accompanied by a native guide who shared with us both the scientific and legendary story of the area, we witnessed the fascinating sight of glaciers calving. The mighty crackling sound of the ice defies description, and there is no better place to witness this sight, as Glacier Bay has the most actively calving glaciers in the world. Some of these glaciers are as tall as a high-rise office building, and as they crack apart and crash into the sea, huge plumes of water rocket hundreds of feet into the air as coolly unconcerned sea lions and seals look on. We also got the chance to see the spectacular Margerie Glacier, now 25 stories high and a mile wide since it was first formed in the last Ice Age.

My wife and I find it impossible to choose the most incredible highlight of our trip, but certainly ranking at the top was College Fjord. The most spectacular part of College Fjord is simply its structure—we were literally surrounded on three sides by flowing rivers of ice. The Fjord is the largest collection of tidewater glaciers in all of Alaska, each named after New England’s elite Ivy League universities. Next, we arrived at Kenai Fjords National Park, where our land tour began. As our ship approached the park, we sailed through steep-sided glacier fjords overflowing with wildlife, from bald eagles to porpoises and sea lions. The town of Seward, with a quaint, historic downtown, is the gateway to the park, an immense 650,000 acres that includes the 300-square-mile Harding ice field, which includes the glaciers that carved the fjords over the years. One of the most fascinating parts of our entire trip was the hike we took in Kenai to Exit Glacier. The experience is truly remarkable. A short hike of less than a mile led us right up to the very face of the Glacier, where we stood gaping at the hulking ice looming above us. A hot spell in 2001 cut beautiful arcs and caves into the ice, adding to the impressive sight.

From Kenai Fjords National Park, we ventured into the Alaskan interior, embarking on our favorite part of our vacation: a railroad tour into Denali National Park. The train alone was an impressive experience. With domed tops and more glass area than any railcar ever built, the train provided us with views that were always unimpeded. It was truly memorable to sit on a train and gaze at the scenery through the ceiling.

But as amazing as the train ride was, it could not prepare us for the stunning beauty of Denali itself. The park has been under constant government protection since 1917 and is in much the same pristine condition as it was centuries ago. Its beauty astonished us at every turn, whether it was the valleys blanketed with plants unique to permafrost soil, or rugged, massive Mt. McKinley, North America’s tallest peak. We also took a flightseeing tour, where we had the chance to actually hike across one of the glaciers slicing through the park and, as you’d expect, take in incredible views. Sandra could not stop snapping pictures! As we relaxed one evening in our cozy hotel near Denali, we knew that this was the trip of which we had always dreamed.

For information on Alaska Cruises and Cruisetours visit www.all-travel.com/alaska or call 800-300-4567.