Ever wonder what it’s like to vacation in Alaska? Follow me for the next two weeks as I visit Alaska by land and sea. Princess Cruises is graciously hosting me on a media trip, where I’ll spend the first week exploring Fairbanks and Denali National Park, and the second week cruising through Glacier Bay and touring Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan. This seems to be an especially popular vacation choice for extended families. I’ve met several multigenerational groups, including one with 4 generations, ranging in age from 6 years old to a 96-year-old great grandma. It’s a great way for big families to reconnect, while exploring Alaska’s vast wilderness. And adding a land tour portion onto your cruise allows you to see the interior parts of the state, before or after your ship sets sail.

We did our land portion before the cruise. As long as the Wi-fi gods cooperate, I’ll be reporting from each place I visit. First up: Fairbanks.

There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills! Fairbanks has an interesting gold mining and prospecting past. On the El Dorado Goldmine Tour, we learned all about the Klondike Gold Rush and then got to pan for some gold nuggets ourselves.

First we got a bag of rocks laced with gold dust.

Then we rinsed and swooshed, so the gold falls to the bottom and the gravel washes away.

Looks like we hit pay dirt!

It gets weighed and we find out how much we’re worth.

Whoo hoo! $9 each! We’re rich!

READ MORE ABOUT MY ALASKA CRUISE! HERE ARE MY RECENT BLOG POSTS ON:

Fairbanks

Denali National Park

Meet Our Tour Guide

Glacier Bay

Skagway’s Chilkoot Trail

Dogsledding in Skagway

Juneau’s Whales & Trails

Ketchikan

Alaska Cruise Planning Tips