Seven Seas Explorer - September 18, 2024

This metropolis is Canada's fastest growing city. Visit Gastown, a restored turn-of-the-century district where Vancouver's first saloon still stands. See trumpeter swans at Lost Lake, contemplate the ducks at Beaver Lagoon, or watch exotic aquatic creatures at the Stanley Park Aquarium. Climb the Lookout for a 360-degree view of the city.

Alaska's Inside Passage is awash with pristine water mountain views. A cruise among the fjords and islands takes you into prime habitat for bald eagles, sea lions, and whales. The Inside Passage is home to the totem poles of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian Indians, and Russian setters, as well as prospectors, lumberjacks, and fishermen. All have added to the tapestry of this area's history.

The first cruise ship appeared in Ketchikan 114 years ago, and it has been a favorite port ever since. You can tour the area by boat, bus, horse-drawn trolley, or even a restored 1955 Chevy. The most famous part of town is Creek Street. The homes once comprising the red light district are now filled with arts, crafts and gift shops. Totem poles are everywhere, with 24 at Saxman Native Totem Park.

Seward, Alaska is a port city and an alpine resort town. Imagine a sparkling body of water, Resurrection Bay, with towering mountains lining its shores. Mt. Marathon, where the famous Fourth of July race is held, lies in front of the Harding Icefield which extends down the coast. Marine life abounds, eagles and seabirds fill the air, and mountain goats, bear and moose, all inhabit the surrounding forest.

Kodiak, Alaska is famous for huge Kodiak brown bears, world-class sport fishing and the magnificent green that the island turns during the summer, which is why Kodiak is called Alaska's Emerald Isle. The Kodiak Island Archipelago and the Katmai Coast are rich in sea, land and bird life, and Kodiak's vast wilderness serves as the ideal backdrop for everything from sport fishing to a leisurely hike.

Opened to U.S. ships in 1854 and then in 1857 to general foreign trade, Hokodate was the chief port of Hokkaido until recently replaced by Sapporo. It is linked with Aomori on Honshu by the Seikan Tunnel. A commercial and industrial center, the city's main industries are fishing, shipbuilding, and food processing. Of interest is the Goryokaku, the fort where the Tokugawa shogun made his last stand.

Huge department stores brim with shoppers, neon flashes from dusk to dawn, and the entire world pays heed to the slightest fluctuation on the Nikkei Index. From the Imperial Palace and Meiji Shrine to the fabled Ginza district, 21st-century Tokyo is an intriguing composite of East and West. Japanese houses of wood and paper stand in the shadow of towering steel and mortar. Not far away, one of the world's most impressive sights soars 12,388 feet to its snow-clad peak: Mount Fuji, the majestic symbol of Japan.

Huge department stores brim with shoppers, neon flashes from dusk to dawn, and the entire world pays heed to the slightest fluctuation on the Nikkei Index. From the Imperial Palace and Meiji Shrine to the fabled Ginza district, 21st-century Tokyo is an intriguing composite of East and West. Japanese houses of wood and paper stand in the shadow of towering steel and mortar. Not far away, one of the world's most impressive sights soars 12,388 feet to its snow-clad peak: Mount Fuji, the majestic symbol of Japan.