A slight drizzle is falling through the forest canopy as our guide stops us and points out the first

A slight drizzle is falling through the forest canopy as our guide stops us and points out the first massive totem peaking through the trees.  I'm in Kasaan, Alaska, a remote Haida village of about 60 people. Our guide, Fred Olson, is the Cultural Resources Coordinator for the village and has made this trip possible for guests of Alaskan Dream Cruises.  Our small group crosses a moss-covered bridge spanning a bubbling creek that appears to be straight travel package bargain out of "The Lord of the Rings." We pass a number of towering totems as our guide explains the various types including story poles, memorial poles, debt poles, etc.  The group enters the huge Haida clan house and a hush comes over us; we have entered a sacred place.  This is authentic travel package bargain Alaska.
It's only day 2 of my cruise, and in addition to Fred I've already met Joe Wilson, the former mayor of Saxman; Ryan, a former commercial fisherman and son of a cannery worker; a carver named Stormy who gave my kids an adze and let them whack away at his cedar canoe; and a grandmother travel package bargain named Phyllis who is the last native Haida speaker in her village.  When most travelers ponder travel package bargain a small ship cruise in Alaska's Inside Passage they imagine breaching whales, calving glaciers, roaming bears, and soaring eagles.  With their shallow draft and flexible itineraries, small ships are designed to explore nature and wildlife up close.  For Alaskan Dream Cruises, this region's incredible wildlife and scenery is only the beginning.   This cruise explores Alaska through the lens of authentic Alaskans.  By meeting and spending time with real Alaskans, where they work and where they play, I have experienced Alaska in a whole new way.  It is through the beauty of her people that Alaska reveals her true magic.  Alaska's culture is alive and well aboard the Alaskan Dream.
My wife and I, along with our two young sons embarked travel package bargain on the 8-day Inside Passage Sojourn travel package bargain cruise in Ketchikan and ended in Sitka (although the itinerary can also operate in reverse from Sitka to Ketchikan).  Most of our fellow travelers arrived in Ketchikan one day early (which is recommended), but our two-hour flight from Seattle arrived bright and early at 8:00am (Alaska is one hour behind Pacific travel package bargain Time) on the day of embarkation.  Upon arrival we were greeted by Joanna who guided us to the first of 7 small boats we would use to explore Alaska.  This small ferry (Boat 1) shuttles travelers from the Ketchikan Airport on Gravina Island to town and is where the original "bridge to nowhere" would have been built.  A quick narrated transfer introduces us to the charms of Ketchikan.  We arrive at Salmon Landing and are guided to an airy reception lounge overlooking the Alaskan Dream where our luggage travel package bargain will be securely kept before being transferred to our cabin on the ship.
Towering over our small ship is the 2,100-passenger Carnival Spirit with a huge line of hundreds of people waiting to board providing a stark contrast of the journey we are about to embark upon.    Joanna points us to the attractions in town, all within easy walking distance, and offers travel package bargain to book a lumberjack show for us.  We were not so sure about the show so we head out on our own toward the historic Creek Street.
Ketchikan is the perfect travel package bargain town to introduce travelers to Alaskan culture. Like most towns in Southeast Alaska, travel package bargain Ketchikan is located on an island and is only accessibly by boat or plane.  This town of 14,000 is also known as Alaska's First City, the Salmon Capitol of Alaska, and Alaska's Rain City. It's home to the vibrant travel package bargain Tlingit village of Saxman, and its diverse economy is supported by fishing, logging, maritime services, and tourism.  Creek Street travel package bargain is a historic remake of the town's original red light district, "where the fish and fishermen went upstream to spawn."  Creek Street is now home to a number of gift shops, travel package bargain bright candy stores, and terrific views of spawning salmon.  The Tongass Welcome Center travel package bargain has a large museum travel package bargain with a terrific 30-minute movie that is a great introduction to Southeast Alaska.  If time allows visit Totem Bight Historical Park or take a tour of Saxman Village, both of which are outside the downtown area and require a taxi or tour.  Joanna can help.  In fact after taking Joanna's suggestion we finally ended up at the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show.  It was clearly geared for the large cruise ship audience, but it was fun, entertaining, and provided a good way to stay dry prior to embarking our small ship journey.
Arriving back at Salmon travel package bargain Landing we gather with all other cruise passengers and are greeted by Joe Wilson.  Joe is the former mayor of Saxman, and a Tlingit elder.  Joe welcomes us to his Alaskan home and launches travel package bargain into weaving personal stories and anthropology for an entertaining and educational introduction to his Tlingit culture, past and present.  After Joe's introduction Joanna leads our group downstairs and to the dock.  We walk right past our ship, the Alaskan Dream, and aboard the 150-guest day tour catamaran St John (Boat 2).  Joanna explains that we will board the St John to visit a historic cannery, watch for wildlife, and then rendezvous with the Alaskan Dream later this afternoon, at sea.  Underway, we are served lunch and soon we are watching for whales while eagles soar the grey skies above us.
An entertaining visit to the George Inlet historic cannery is highlighted by our guide Ryan, whose enthusiasm and personal travel package bargain anecdotes travel package bargain bring the history of this place to life.  After the tour they serve snacks; the smoked travel package bargain salmon is superb.  Back on board the St John we cruise toward Misty Fjords National Monument spotting seals, porpoise, and a bald eagle nest with eagles inside. Soon the St John is approached by the Alaskan Dream (Boat 3) and we embark our cruise already surrounded by Alaskan wilderness.
travel package bargain The next three days we are exploring small, authentic Alaskan villages travel package bargain and towns that are so far off the radar most travelers have never heard of them.  The night before each port of call, our on-board Expedition Leaders (Emily-Scientific EL and Larisa-Cultural EL) help us better understand the people and places we are exploring.  Presentations on Tlingit and Haida art prepared us to walk among totems and talk to carvers.  A history of the Tongass National Forest provided the background to experience Thorne Bay and Wrangell.  In addition to the on board EL's, we had locals who would come on board for an introduction, then take us on an informal guided travel package bargain walk through their town.  The local guides would frequently be in the middle of their tour when they inevitably ran into friends and acquaintances that provided insights unavailable on conventional tours. The Alaskan Dream is the first cruise ship to visit many of these towns, and people genuinely waved, stopped to say hi, and welcomed us into their small communities.
We visit the whale house in Kasaan and learn of Fred's efforts to finance a restoration.  We meet a woman who lives on a houseboat that she and her husband travel package bargain have converted into a "Floatel."  A local carver quickly converts a hunk of spruce into a cute bear in Thorne Bay, the former logging camp turned travel package bargain town.  A father-son jet boat (Boat 4) crew leads our group up the Stikine River all the way to the Canadian travel package bargain Border past deserted dairy farms, defunct mining claims, and floating backcountry huts.  In Petersburg we mingle among fishermen and Norwegian dancers.  In between travel package bargain each port we cruise through spectacular wilderness areas including Misty Fjords National Monument, Wrangell Narrows, and Frederick Sound.  Along the way we view deer, bears, moose, humpback whales, dall porpoise, and more bald eagles than we can count.  We feel like we are experiencing Alaska travel package bargain with a long-lost relative who is introducing us to her friends and family and home.
The Alaskan Dream is a 42-guest catamaran acquired by Allen Marine Cruises in 2010.  Read a full review and ship description of the Alaskan Dream here .  Allen Marine, the parent company of Alaskan Dream Cruises, pioneered aluminum high-speed passenger vessels with water jet propulsion systems.  The company was started 1967 by Bob and Betty Allen with deep Alaskan roots running through exploration, industry, and the Tlingit Kaagwaantaan Clan.  The company's operation travel package bargain of 27 day boats also provides an important infrastructure for the success of Alaskan Dream Cruises.
I had cruised aboard this small ship many years before when she was named the Executive Explorer and operated by Glacier Bay Tours Cruises.  Now the Alaskan travel package bargain Dream is a completely new ship with refurbished interior, new engines and generators, and an updated galley.  The new bright finishes complement her dark wood and make the most of her spectacular view windows. One of my favorite aspects of the cruise was waking up each morning and lying in bed, enjoying the soft linens, watching spectacular Alaskan scenery pass by my cabin.
With a maximum capacity of 42 and a crew of 19 the Alaskan has a very good crew-to-guest ratio.  Led by Captain Eric Morrow, the crew is a fun mix of small ship cruise veterans and enthusiastic new recruits.  Most have extensive experience in Alaska, and hearing their personal stories of home enhances our feeling that we are experiencing Alaska through its people.  The service aboard Alaskan Dream was excellent with every crew member greeting every guest with a smile and a "how can I help you" attitude. A couple of nights they set up a "movie and dinner" for our kids in the lounge, allowing us to have an adult dinner.  At Hobart Bay they put chairs and tables on deck so we could have an outdoor picnic in the sunshine.
m is delicious. Chef Briana has arranged a menu highlighting local seafood including salmon, halibut and crab.  My favorite dinners included Southeastern travel package bargain Alaskan Dungeness Crab, Blackened Halibut and the Shrimp and Grits.  I also enjoyed seafood on most lunches including an Alaskan travel package bargain Crab BLT, Halibut travel package bargain Tacos and a Northwest travel package bargain Seafood pot pie.  Breakfasts were heart or healthy dependi