Beat the summer rush and make a springtime visit to southeast Alaska, when mornings are crisp, daylight hours are lengthening, and flora and fauna are awakening after long winter naps.
It's a season many locals prefer to any other time of year, according to Alaskan Dream Cruises, which is organizing five departures from mid-March through mid-April aboard the 10-passenger Misty Fjord.
The expeditions, called Alaska's Spring Wilderness & Wildlife Safari, offer wildlife viewing and photography opportunities in Sitka Sound. The five-night expeditions take various routes, often seeing humpback whales, sea otters, Steller sea lions, eagles and the annual herring migration.
Activities include kayaking, paddleboarding and hiking.
Dates: March 17, 24 and 31; April 7 and 14.
Price: From $3,290 per person, double occupancy. Includes stateroom, meals, excursions, a pre-cruise tour of Sitka and airport transfers. Airfare not included.
Info: Alaskan Dream Cruises, (855) 747-8100
Twitter: @latimestravel
