We start this roundtrip cruise by traversing the breathtaking Seymour Narrows, getting our first taste of the epic wilderness that awaits. Klawock is the gateway to the aptly named Misty Fjords National Park, while Sitka, Alaska’s original capital, fascinates with its Russian heritage. Icy Strait Point is next, a former salmon cannery dedicated to the thrills and spills of outdoor activities, including the world’s largest ziprider. There’s a chance to learn about Gold Rush history in Skagway before we head north to the impressive Tracy Arm fjord and the Sawyer Glacier, looking out for whales. In Wrangell, home to the Tlingit people, see 8,000-year-old rock paintings, and in the fishing harbor of Ketchikan, admire the houses built on stilts over the water and the 19th-century totem poles. A day at sea brings some welcome time to relax before we soak up the buzz in Victoria and then return to Vancouver.