Whatever type of holiday you’re looking for, Acapulco is a great destination to check out.

Whether you’re in search of a location for your wedding or honeymoon, you’re planning an activity holiday or you just fancy lying on a beach for the duration of your holiday, you don’t have to look any further than Acapulco.

Acapulco is the perfect destination to wed and for honeymoons too. Its beautiful scenery and weather make it an ideal romantic setting for a wedding or honeymoon.

But if you’re not planning on tying the knot, Acapulco has so much more to offer other holidaymakers. Sports lovers should take the opportunity to enjoy the variety of sporting activities and facilities available in here. You can play golf or tennis or take part in various watersports, such as waterskiing, swimming, scuba diving, surfing, fishing, yachting and parasailing.

If you’re looking for a more relaxed holiday, there is no shortage of beaches on which you can unwind and escape the hustle and bustle. You will be spoilt for choice by the number of beaches here too. However, be aware of the currents and waves when you are on the beach and make sure that you keep an eye on your children at all times. Some of the beaches you might like to check out include Caleta Beach, Icacos Beach, Condesa Beach, Puerto Marques and Revolcadero Beach.

Acapulco has some great visitor attractions which are worth a visit during your holiday. One must-see sight is the Cliff Divers at La Quebrada. Here you can watch the divers jump off the 45-metre cliff into the sea below! It has been taking place for years and years - since the 1940s, in fact!

If you want to get the most out of your visit to Acapulco, there are various tours that you can join. For example, there’s the Acapulco City Tour, which gives you the chance to see the sights of the city!

If you’ve got kids in your party, then you should head to CICI Water Park. It’s a great fun attraction for all the family and has pools and slides etc. What’s more, there’s the opportunity to swim and play with the dolphins while you’re there!

After a busy day sightseeing around the city (or just lying on the beach!), you can continue to make the most of your stay in Acapulco by enjoying the abundance of nightlife that the city offers. If you want to party big time, then you won’t be disappointed here. You really can dance the night away! And there are plenty of discos, nightclubs and bars to get you into the mood.

While you’re in Acapulco, you will also want to sample some of the delicious cuisine here in the city. Why not try some traditional Mexican food such as tacos during your visit? There are numerous restaurants to choose from, depending on your taste and budget.

There is certainly no shortage of sun, sea, sand and fun in the Mexican city of Acapulco.

Karen Waller is a destination rep for Self Property Rental, offering a wide selection of holiday rentals in Mexico!

No matter what you want from this beautiful county, you are guaranteed to find contemporary self catering accommodation in Devon that will match your desires. For example, Dartmouth is beautiful town on the banks of the river Dart at the heart of the South Hams, which is a convenient location to explore the rest of Devon and the perfect place to enjoy some time in a self catering apartment or holiday home overlooking the stunning river view.

Of course, this wonderfully diverse county is surrounded on both sides (to the south and the north) by sea and miles of spectacular coastline. So if you love the beach and are looking for contemporary self catering accommodation in Devon then how about enjoying a stunning town house or apartment in Torquay? Torquay is a popular holiday destination in South Devon and the largest town in Torbay sharing the bay with Brixham and Paignton. There many self catering apartments and townhouses in Torquay that overlook the stunning Torbay and are a stones throw away from some of the best family friendly beaches in Devon including Meadfoot, Torre Abbey Sands and Corbyn Sands.

Using a professional company that specialize in luxurious, contemporary self catering accommodation in Devon is the best way to ensure that you get all the features you and your party require in a quality let. With most of the professional companies you can draw up a list of requirements that you and your party have so that the property you get is the property you want, not just what is available. Also, choosing self catering accommodation through a professional company means you can expect to get good quality and well-maintained facilities and romantic and serene settings if you so desire. Many of these companies can be found on the internet and it is even possible to arrange your holiday from the comfort of your own home.

About the Author
Visit Bluechip Vacations for self catering holidays Devon. Permission granted to re-distribute this article granted as long as a link to our website remains.

Seville is the southernmost city in the Andalusian province. Known as Sevilla by the locals, the city is infused with all that is typically Spanish one of the biggest attractions being the Flamenco Festival being the largest in the world. Although Seville has a dynamic nightlife, the best way to experience the nightlife is to visit some of the flamenco clubs because this is something you cannot repeat anywhere in the world. One such club would be Casa Anselma.

Even if you do not want to dance, you will nevertheless find your foot tapping to the music as you sit at the bar sipping a drink.

Another huge attraction in Seville and also something that is typically Spanish is bullfighting. The most popular bullfighting ring, the Maestranza, is situated just outside the main area of the city.

Whether you are for or against bullfighting, you can’t help but be caught up in the excitement and to experience something that is so local and raw. The bullfighting season runs from April till the end of October.

Holy Week (or Easter Week) in Seville lasts from Palm Sunday to Good Friday. During this time parades and festivals fill the air and wine and tapas can be found everywhere. Once a port, this is now one of the most important cultural centers of Spain. Seville is home to numerous fine arts, popular arts, contemporary art, and archaeological museums.

If you are into architecture then a stroll around the city will leave your mouth agape. Seville is home to the third largest cathedral in the world The Cathedral of Seville. This architectural wonder is also the largest in Spain. Many of the hotels you could find yourself staying in are also old buildings that have been restored. The best way to get a true picture of the surrounding area is to ask the local hotel staff. Although you will get valuable information from tourism guides, it is the locals that will have all the best places for you to visit.

It all depends on where you want to stay. If you want to be in the hub of the nightlife then you should look at staying in the older parts of Seville. If, however, you want a bit more peace and quiet then you should look at finding holiday accommodation on the outskirts of the city where you will be able to enjoy a late breakfast overlooking the city.

If you like warm weather, you should look at coming in the summer months although the weather is mild all year round.
About the Author:
Berlin Get Ready Rentals. seville rentals apartamentos en Sevilla apartamentos sevilla

While it is hard to tell if the above is true or false, there is no doubt Florence can reward the wise traveler in search for good local food, especially if he/she manages to get off the beaten track. The key is to find a place that looks as though it’s popular with locals. If you find such a place, you’re probably onto a winner, both price and taste wise.

As in most cities, the cheapest eating places can be found in the area surrounding the main railway station, with the more upmarket restaurants being located in the central area. Some excellent, moderately priced establishments are located in Oltrarno, the traditionally less respectable south side of the river.

As it is always the case in Italy, it’s preferable to order dishes that are traditional to the region, not least because this helps ensure the freshest ingredients. Tuscan cuisine, and Florentine in particular, continues to adhere to many peasant traditions, combing basic ingredients and simple cooking methods. Nevertheless, the finished result is nothing if not impressive..

The Florentine steak (’bistecca allla fiorentina’), believed to date back to the Etruscans, is a perfect example. Many in the English-speaking world would call this a Porterhouse or a T-Bone and wonder what the fuss is all about. In reality, a ‘Florentine steak’ is cut closer to the center of the steer than a North American T-bone, so it includes a full circle of the tenderloin. Apart from the cut, much of the secret is the breed of cattle: the best steaks come from the Chianina breed, which is known as the oldest breed of cattle in the world, and they are thick cut, weighting at least 800g. Cooked on the grill, served rare and, on occasion, with a wedge of lemon on the side, a Fiorentina can easily satisfy two people, but there are those brave enough who will attempt to eat one all by themselves!

The soups are well worth trying as they are derived from peasant traditions as well. The most delicious, famous Florentine soup is ‘ribollita’, made with a mixture of stale bread, beans, ‘cavolo nero’ (a black cabbage grown in Tuscany, similar to kale or Swiss Chard) and other typical Tuscan vegetables. As with many leftovers, ribollita always tastes better the day after! Other delicious soups are ‘pappa con il pomodoro’ (a tomato-based soup that’s thickened with bread) and ‘minestra di farro’ (spelt or barley soup with beans, tomatoes, celery and carrot). While some of these soups might not sound terribly appealing to your palate, they are absolutely delicious, simple and hearty.

Extra-virgin olive oil is held in pride of place in Florence, and it is never missing from the Florentine table. Olive oil is used as a dip for foods such as celery, artichokes and ‘pinzimonio’ (a selection of fresh vegetables). It is also used in cooking, and as a dressing for salads and delicious ‘bruschetta’ (grilled slices of unsalted bread topped in a variety of ways). The one made with red cabbage and beans is a local favourite and must be tasted to be believed!

Other Florentine and Tuscan specialities to look out for are ‘crostini’ (a smaller variety of bruschetta topped with pate’ or diced tomatoes), ‘panzanella’ (a cold mixed summer salad with breadcrumbs), ‘pappardelle sulla lepre’ (ribbon pasta with hare), ‘pappardelle al cinghiale’ (pappardelle with wild boar sauce) and ‘fagioli all’uccelletto’ (beans in tomato sauce usually served as a side dish).

If you have a sweet tooth, try to get your hands on a slice of ’schiacciata alla fiorentina’. It is an orange-flavored sponge cake, covered with confectioner’s sugar and filled with pastry or whipped cream. Although typically served around Carnival, it can be found at Florence’s pastry shops year round. ‘Cantuccini di Prato’ are dry almond biscuits that are dipped in ‘Vin Santo’, a sweet, aromatic dessert wine.

Tuscany produces some of the finest wines in Italy, the most famous of which is probably Chianti. ‘Chianto Classico’ is produced in the area to the south of Florence - one of several production zones for Chianti. ‘Vernaccia di San Gimignano’, a white wine which was a favourite of Lorenzo de’ Medici, is another good local wine to try. If you are serious about your wines, pay a visit to an enoteca, where you can taste, enjoy and buy a range of quality wines.

Finally, if a quick snack is what you are looking for, head to a ‘friggitoria’, to have some ‘polenta fritta’ or ‘crocchette’ - or to one of the tripe stands which can be found all around the city. These traditional Florentine stands usually serve sandwiches filled with ‘lampredotto’ (stuffed cow’s stomach). They may not sound too appealing to your taste, but to paraphrase an old adage ‘When in Florence…’

–

This article is part of a series covering the most important italian travel destinations and regional cuisines. You can find similar articles about eating out in Rome, Naples, Milan and Venice.
About the Author:
Born in New York City, but now happily ensconced in the Tuscan Archipelago, Bob McCormack is a freelance writer with a very special passion for food and wine. His
Tuscany travel
articles and
Tuscany hotel
and restaurants reviews have appeared in numerous national and international publications.

Finally, in July, a solution was found and officially published in the State Gazette: the building was cut in two. The north wing, it was decided, would house a SPA centre, and it was given in a 20-year concession. The centre would take up to 5600 sq m, while the remaining 7000 sq m were conceded to the exponents of the Sofia city museum, Storitelstvo gradut reported.

One of the main responsibilities of the future concessionaire will be to fully renovate and reconstruct the north wing and to carry out repairs of the big and small indoor pools.

In addition to the SPA procedures and hydrotherapy, the concessionaire would be allowed to open a fitness club, hairdresser’s salon and a beauty parlour. The total investment for the renovation should not be less than seven million leva, while the minimum yearly concessionary payment will come to 375 000 euro.

Through a parallel administrative procedure, the city hall was hoping to select a construction company that would renovate the west wing where the museum should find home. The plan envisions eight exhibition halls, a repository, informational centre and a coffee shop.

The city council has voted to allot nine million leva for the reconstruction, and set a deadline set for the completion of the project of December 1 2009. Next year, Sofia will mark its 130th anniversary as the capital of Bulgaria. However, Stroitelstvo gradut expressed doubts that the museum would open on time for the festivities.

Chief architect entrusted with the re-design of the building’s interior is Stanislav Konstantinov.

A year ago, Dnevnik daily reported that the museum collection featured more than 100 exponents, which have been gathered since 1928 when the museum first opened to the wide public. Some of the artefacts date back to the Neolithic Era (or the new Stone Age that began 10 000 BCE).

In 1943, however, the building suffered from the bombings of Sofia. Since then the exponents have been distributed around various repositories. Some still remain at the bath’s building, among which is the desk of Bulgarian revolutionary and statesman Stefan Stambolov (1854 – 1895), which was a special gift from German politician Otto von Bismarck.

The collection also features a grandfather clock given as a wedding present to Bulgarian prince Ferdinand by Queen Victoria in 1893.

Architect Petar Momchilov designed the original building in 1913 and in recent years, film directors and artists have found it appealing for realisation of their artistic visions.

Source Sofiaecho

The Temple of Heaven is comprised of several buildings in the southeast section of Beijing, in the Xuanwu District. In addition, the buildings are based on Taoist beliefs which refers to a set of philosophical and religious traditions that have existed in Asia for more than two thousand years. It’s such an impressive and important structure that it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998.

History of the Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven site was built in the early 1400s while the Yongle Emperor ruled the land. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, emperors visited the complex for prayer ceremonies. The ceremonies, which took place each year, were meant to bring a good harvest. The Yongle Emperor also built the Forbidden City in Beijing, which is another site that should certainly be added to your list of places to visit.

Change of Name

The temple complex was originally named the Temple of Heaven and Earth, but was renamed the Temple of Heaven during the 16th century while China was under the reign of the Jiajing Emperor between 1522 and 1567.

The temple was renovated during the 18th century and, in 2005, the complex underwent a $6 million renovation to prepare for the upcoming Olympic games and the visitors due to arrive in the city. The project was completed in 2006.

There are three main parts to the complex, including the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Circular Mound Altar.

The Temple of Heaven’s Hall of Prayer

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is a triple-gabled building that was constructed on layers of marble. This is where emperors prayed during the annual ceremonies. It is a wooden building and was rebuilt in 1889 after a fire. Amazingly, the building was constructed without using a nail. Inside the Hall of Prayer, there are 28 pillars, each of which was carved from single tree trunks.

The Temple of Heaven’s Imperial Vault

The Imperial Vault of Heaven is a single-gabled building built on marble situated in the center of the complex. In previous years, it held memorial tablets of ancestors to the emperors. It is smaller than the Hall of Prayer and is surrounded by a wall, called the Echo Wall. The wall, just four meters high but with a 193-meter circumference, has amazing acoustical properties. If one person whispers a sentence from one end of the wall, a second person will clearly hear the sentence from the other end of the wall.

Also, there are Triple Echo Stones in the courtyard. Each produces its own number of echoes from a word spoken by a person facing the Imperial Vault. A 360-meter long walkway, which is raised, connects the Hall of Prayer to the Imperial Vault. The walkway is called the Vermillion Steps Bridge.

The Temple of Heaven’s Circular Altar

The Circular Mound Altar is a round platform built on marble and is where the praying occurred. It was significant for the emperor to be seen in prayer, which mostly occurred to gain good harvests. The emperor, in ancient times, was viewed as the Son of Heaven. So, it was vital that he be seen showing respect and making sacrifices. This is why the ceremonies at the Temple of Heaven were important. The ceremony took place twice a year.

The Symbolism of the Temple of Heaven

Symbolically, the temple demonstrates connections between heaven and earth - earth by a square and heaven a circle. The temple is surrounded by walls. Most elements of the temple’s design have meaning, either symbolically or through numerology. For example, the stones in the tiers of the Altar of Heaven are either in threes or nines, which is a primary numerological theme. The number nine, which holds the highest value, symbolized the emperor. Ancient Chinese religious beliefs viewed heaven as round and earth as square.

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discount hotels Beijing

The internationally-known Corcovado National Park is famous among ecologists for its biodiversity and is home to an abundance of wildlife. Students experience the park with horseback riding, expeditions to the Guayami Indigenous Reserve, and bird watching. Boat tours provide views of marine birds and dolphins. Corcovado is the last remaining large tract of lowland rain forest o the Pacific coast of Central America. Howler and spider monkeys, tapirs, anteaters, crocodiles, bull sharks, and exotic birds are just a few of the park’s inhabitants, along with a huge variety of tropical plant life.

Home to 320 species of birds, Tortuguero National Park is mostly recognized for its annual nesting of endangered green turtles and is considered the most important nesting site for this species. The park is also home to spider, howler, and white-throated Capuchin monkeys, the three-toed sloth, and the endangered manatee. The best way to see most of the park is from a boat. Evening guided tours enable students to visit the beachfront and see the Green Sea turtles nesting under the moon. During the tours, students can watch as the turtles struggle up the beach, dig their nests, and lay their eggs.

A walk through a Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve reveals a lush green garden of mosses, ferns, and flowers growing thickly on every tree. Clouds drift and settle among the slopes, providing moisture for the amazing plant growth. Wildlife includes the jaguar, three-wattled bellbird, and the famous and elusive Resplendent Quetzal. Of the 1,400 types of Costa Rica Orchids, 500 of them are found at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.

Students may enjoy a canopy tour of a cloud forest’s protected area, or explore the area by suspension bridges. Aerial tram tours travel through the treetops, where an incredible diversity of plants and animals can be seen. For a more rustic mode of travel, students may strap on mountain climbing harnesses and pull themselves along suspended cables to a series of wooden platforms built in the trees.

Highlights at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve include butterfly gardens, reptile and amphibian exhibitions, hummingbird gardens, and a visit to an orchid garden. Night tours feature beautiful sunsets and a naturalist guide who explains the many unique elements of the forest and its inhabitants.

In addition to rain forests, Costa Rica is a land of volcanoes, waterfalls, and rivers. One of the most popular ways to explore its waterways is snorkeling. Here, students get in touch with the colorful underwater world where eels, lobsters, schools of fish, and the spectacular whale shark make their home. This is also a great time to try out the new sport of “Canyoning,” the exciting adventure of repelling down waterfalls. If that’s too adventurous, students can take a relaxing dip in volcano-heated waters after a hike on the active Arenal Volcano.

The capital city of San Jose is an open gateway to the country’s many interesting destinations. Costa Rica’s National Museum, located in the ancient Bellavista Fort, is the guardian of the country’s precious treasures and cultural heritage. The Jade Museum presents a number of important archaeological pieces, in addition to jade pieces and pottery. Presenting the rich culture of Costa Rica, Central Market is the city’s colorful marketplace. Within the cozy warren of alleyways, students discover flowers, baskets, spices, fresh goods, and souvenirs. At the nearby Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, visitors view more than 2,000 glittering pre-Colombian gold artifacts.

About the Author
travel adventures Travel Adventures is a student tour provider staffed by educators who understand the needs of teachers. It has served over one half million students since 1987 and its mission is to “empower teachers to create change by expanding the classroom to the world.”

Its spectacular West End productions, historic buildings, grand palaces, spellbinding museums and pioneering art galleries ensure London offers something to appeal to everyone.

And whether your budget is lavish or shoestring, you’ll be spoilt for choice with places to stay, from fashionable boutique hotels to ancient converted buildings and modern masterpieces.

Piccadilly makes a perfect base for theatre breaker’s and shopping fanatics alike. It’s ideally placed for bustling Oxford Street, home to Selfridges and a myriad of fabulous shops and department stores, while the hip hangouts of Soho and Covent Garden are also nearby.

In the evening, you’ll find the bright lights of London’s famous West End are just a short stroll away. Here you can catch a show, see a musical, visit the opera or laugh the night away with the country’s top comedians.

And if you’re in need of a little refreshment, head for Leicester Square to sample delicious international cuisine or innovative cocktails at one of the area’s many restaurants and bars.

If you’d rather explore London’s historic buildings, look for hotels around Westminster. From here you can visit Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament and nearby Buckingham Palace, then cross the bridge over the Thames to the London Eye and take in the city’s majestic landscape.

Some of London’s best museums are located in South Kensington, just south of Knightsbridge and Hyde Park. Here you’ll find the Science Museum, the Earth Galleries Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum and Brompton Oratory.

Art buffs should stay near Southwark on the banks of the River Thames - the iconic Tate Modern is just off the nearby Millennium Bridge. Visitors can take a short ferry ride between the Tate Modern and the Tate Britain galleries, while to the east of Southwark lies the Tower of London, one of the most compelling and historic buildings in the city.

If you’re after pure luxury, seek out hotels around the upmarket neighbourhoods bordering Hyde Park. Most have stunning scenic views and its proximity to nearby green areas like St James’s, Park, Green Park and Kensington Gardens make it a perfect base for relaxing strolls and picnics.

North of Hyde Park, the leafy Regents Park makes an excellent base for visiting the the must-see Madame Tussauds waxworks museum. Tussauds also offers some great time-saving packages combining the museum with other attractions like the London Eye and and the London Dungeon - not for those of a nervous disposition!

It’s a good idea to make a list of everything you plan to do before you book a hotel in London. Taxi’s around the capital can be very expensive, and choosing the right base for your short break will help you reach most of your destinations on foot and take in some spectacular sights on the way!

A London break offers something to just about every sort of traveller these days and with so much to see it can be difficult in deciding what to include and what to skip. Then of course there is the matter of choosing where to stay. Hotelshop can offer advice on both topics, see http://www.hotelshopuk.com/

Tenerife it appears is optimistic about her tourist numbers. So optimistic in fact, that Tenerife continues to grant building permits to developers of new hotels in anticipation of future tourism Euros. One of the latest additions is the Dutch-owned Luz del Mar hotel.

Residents and business owners in the Los Silos area of Tenerife are hopeful that the small hotel will stimulate travel in the northern part of Tenerife. Historically, the southern coast of the island receives more visitors, and hence more tourism Euros than the north coast. This trend has shifted though, at least somewhat, in the last decade. More investors are recognizing the potential for growth on the north coast. Los Silos in particular, though small in resident population (6000 or less) is rich with history and lush with verdant greenery. Large parts of this region lie within officially protected areas.

Of particular interest in this northern region of Tenerife is the Parque Rural de Teno (Teno Rural Park). This park is part of the protected area of Los Silos and surrounding regions. Much of it is inaccessible due to its extraordinary mountainous terrain. Its natural beauty is breathtaking.

The park is an ecological gem, since it is home to one of the few Laurisilva forests in the world. Many of its plant and animal species are endemic to the Canaries and this area specifically. The park is also home to the famous Gigantes Cliffs, sheer rock faces that plunge straight down for 600 meters into the sea below. The ocean around the cliffs attracts divers from all over the world. Like Teno Rural Park, the sea is also rich with plant and animal life. The cliffs themselves may be seen from a panoramic viewpoint within the park. Or, tourists can charter a boat that will take them directly to the cliffs via a small ocean bay for an up-close look.

Teno Rural Park may be one of Tenerife’s most well-kept secrets. Its very vastness limits development in the north of Tenerife to a few restricted areas. Perhaps this is one reason that Los Silos and other northern municipalities have not enjoyed the same kinds of tourist numbers that the southern coast has seen.

This appears to be changing somewhat though, particularly with the arrival of new hotels, such as the Luz del Mar. Hotels and hostels on the northern coast tend to be smaller, and perhaps slightly more eclectic, than their massive counterparts in the south. This is in good keeping with local desire to benefit from Tenerife’s tourism industry without jeopardizing the ecology that drives that industry. Los Silos and the surrounding areas hope to retain some village atmosphere while still attracting holidaymakers.

By limiting development to municipal areas and leaving natural areas like Teno Rural undisturbed, Tenerife could be securing her future both as a tourist destination and a conservatory alike.

And with small and boutique hotels being built, this is likely to appeal to tourists who prefer a natural environment to mass tourism hotels.
About the Author:

Hotels in Tenerife with reviews are available with yourtenerife.net Both Tenerife airports are covered with airlines offering cheap Tenerife flights and they also have a Tenerife map

How many other highways can you drive along and see, often at the same moment, snowcapped mountain peaks, ice-age glaciers, hillsides blanketed with spruce and hemlock, tranquil fjords, beaches and streams?

Where else could you see otters feeding on kelp beds, fur seals, killer whales breaching almost within touching distance, sea birds and bald eagles perched on their nests gazing into the distance?

The Alaska Marine Highway System has ferried cars and passengers to some 32 communities in Alaska, British Columbia and the state of Washington for nigh on 50 years. The 11 ferries are a lifeline for the isolated fishing and logging communities along the south-eastern Alaskan shoreline. Other popular destinations visited by many Alaska Marine Highway travelers include Anchorage, Denali National Park, Fairbanks, and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley.

But the route is more than that. It is a cheaper alternative to the expensive cruises in these waters. The ferry service gives passengers greater freedom than they would have on a cruise ship. The Matanuska carries 499 passengers, and provides 4 four-berth, 21 three-berth, and 80 two-berth cabins. The cabins may not be as luxurious as a cruise liner’s, but it’s a lot cheaper, although meals are extra.

The ferry car deck holds about 88 vehicles (these numbers vary from ferry to ferry). Drivers can plan their own itinerary and connect with other ferries to explore off the beaten track. Take your car to Skagway, Alaska, for example, and drive home via the Alaska Highway.

So come aboard the “Matanuska”, named for an Alaskan glacier, at Bellingham, Washington State, about 80 kilometers south of Vancouver, British Columbia, for the eight-day return trip along the Inside Passage, stretching 1,700 kilometers and wending its way along the coast through more than 1,000 islands.

The first voyage of discovery is the ferry itself: a cocktail lounge, a gift shop, a cafeteria, and a huge forward observation lounge.

The upper deck has a glassed solarium and a lounge with reclining seats used by travelers who don’t want to spend their money on a cabin, or by those doing a short hop. The airline-style chairs are comfortable enough for a night’s sleep. and there are showers in the washrooms. (Public showers are available on all vessels except the Lituya, Chenega and Fairweather.) In summer, campers even pitch their tents on the upper deck.

The Matanuska does not have dining room service but the self-service lineup in the cafeteria moves quickly (the M/Vs Columbia and Tustumena have full-service dining rooms). The menu is vast and reasonably priced; portions are also large (for size, try the omelettes for breakfast). There are at least three main dishes every lunch and dinner, often the freshest of locally caught salmon, halibut or red snapper, as well as fresh salads, sandwiches, soup and fast-food orders such as burgers and French fries.

We’re at sea for 36 hours before touching on the first port of call - Ketchikan, Alaska’s southernmost city. It is strung out for kilometers along a waterfront, most of it supported on pilings above Tongass Narrows. The cross streets are often simply wooden steps climbing the steep hillside.

If the ferries are running a bit late, you might not have more than an hour or two ar each stop. Keep this in mind. The ferry does not wait on slowpoke passengers.

Ketchikan tourist sights include wonderful shopping, Dolly’s house on Creek street, the home and working place of the town’s last “madam” and a museum. Along the waterfront are seaplanes and boats serving the logging camps and other settlements.

Most of Sunday is spent at sea relaxing and sightseeing - often with calls from the bridge to alert you to the occasional killer whale or other sights.

The next stop is Wrangell, the only community to have the flag of three nations flying over it. Wrangell began as a stockade built by the Russians in 1834, was leased six years later to the British Hudson’s Bay Company, and finally bought by the US in 1867. Gold miners headed from there for the Klondike and Cassiars. One stop worth making is at the beach to see the petroglyphs carved by prehistoric Indians.

Later the ferry stops at Petersburg, home of the largest halibut fleet in Alaska and proud of its Scandinavian heritage. Early next day it’s Juneau, capital of Alaska - and you can see the Mendenhall glacier as the ferry approaches the terminal.

The terminal is 22 kilometers north of Juneau, but there is a good minibus and taxi service to town, a bustling community long before gold was discovered in 1881. A walking tour will take you past many historic sites; you can stock up on gold nuggets and fossilized walrus tusk jewelry. The world’s largest concentration of brown bear lives on Admiralty Island, located just 10 minutes from Juneau.

Later in the morning the ferry heads to Haines, originally a trading post. From here, it’s only an hour to Skagway which, wonderfully preserved and restored, today still resembles the gold-rush town it was at the turn of the century - the main gateway to the Klondike, 800 kilometers to the north.

From Skagway, the ferry retraces its route to Haines and Juneau, then detours to Sitka, once the Russian capital of Alaska. Mount Edgecombe, an extinct volcano, towers in the background. The Russian influence can be seen everywhere in Sitka: Visit the onion-domed St. Michael’s Cathedral, for instance, a fine example of rural Russian church architecture.

Many of the Alaska Marine Highway’s ferries have theater areas that show films of general interest and documentaries on Alaska and the outdoors and often provide special educational and entertainment programs.

As though there isn’t enough to see and do on the way.

Eldrid and Ursula Retief are Editors-in-Chief of Travel Tidings Alaska at http://www.traveltidingsalaska.com/ - a free Alaska travel guide about Alaska tourism and Alaska vacations with travel information on everything from Alaskan cruises to cheap hotel rates, maps and weather.