Book Review: Inside Passage Activity Guide by Nancy Thalia Reynolds

I am so excited about this book that I just picked up!  For those who don't know, I am taking an 11 night Alaskan Cruise in September for my birthday.  I have always wanted to go to Alaska and plan on making several trips there to see all of the National Parks and Monuments.  Since cruising is reasonably affordable and there are several National Parks and Monuments along the Inside Passage, we decided our first trip would be this cruise.

I do not plan to use the overpriced cruise tours for visiting the Ports of Call and have been doing some research on what exactly we want to squeeze in at each stop and how best to do it.  Of course we will visit all of the National Parks, but I want to see other things, too!  I was visiting B&N the other day and discovered Inside Passage Activity Guide - Exploring Major Ports of Call in Southeast Alaska, published in November 1995 by Nancy Thalia Reynolds.  I had pulled out about five different books on the Inside Passage and Alaska in general to look over and settled on purchasing this one and a DK Publishing's Eyewitness Guide to Alaska (I love the DK Publishing Books).  After reading through the Inside Passage Activity Guide, I have discovered that this is a fantastic book. Each Port of Call is listed and then suggestions are made for different lengths of time that you might be there.  As an example, for Ketchikan, the reader gets a slice of the local history and facts (climate, etc) with a map of the town. Next, recommendations of things to do in four hours or less are listed. This includes a suggested walking tour of the city, if you just want to be sure to hit all of the main sites within walking distance of the ship.  The walking tours usually include optional side trips that are a bit further away.

Both the sights and tours are discussed, including listing several tour companies that provide different options for travelers (again, using Ketchikan, details are provided on companies that have regular or unique tours by bus, classic car, or horse drawn carriages). The sights and activities are described succinctly, but well enough so that one knows if it is something they might be interested in seeing or doing. The Activity Guide then moves on to the next section which gives recommendations for travelers who will be in the city for a full day and, additionally, there is a section on visiting for two or more days.

Be warned that this is not a picture book. While there are a few pictures, you will find much more details than pictures. This book is designed to help the cruiser plan what sights they want to visit and provides excellent detail of the different sights, tours and shows that are available. Since I haven't actually gone on the trip yet, I can't vouch for the accuracy of all of the information, but I have been able to finde the tour companies listed in the book on the Internet once I knew what to look for.  I feel like the Inside Passage Activity Guide gives me a great overview of my options in a concise manner and I highly recommend it for anyone who will be taking an Alaskan Cruise or even visiting the Inside Passage area on any other type of vacation.