Lots of people see Alaska from a cruise ship and during shore excursions. For those who want to do a deeper dive, Adventure Life has a challenging 14-day Ultimate Alaska trip that gets deep into the backcountry. Among the highlights are four days in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, which at 13.2 million acres is the country’s largest national park. Then there’s a multiday kayaking tour in Prince William Sound that includes paddling among massive icebergs. This is a tour that can be done with as few as two people, allowing for a flexible itinerary. Early in the trip, for instance, there’s a day at Root Glacier, which can be explored by walking or ice climbing. At Wrangell-St. Elias, you can fly in by bush plane to an area that suits your hiking level, and expert guides can customize each day to your liking. On another day, there’s the opportunity to raft the Kennicott and Nizina rivers. Of the 13 nights on this trip, six are spent camping. Cost is from $5,150 per person for a group of two, with variable rates for larger parties. Internal flights are roughly $3,000 more, and airfare to Alaska is not included. Info: 800-344-6118, http://tinyurl.com/ycuv3cxv
Top spots to live
If you find yourself during your travels thinking, “I’d love to live here,” then you should take a look at the 2018 Top 100 Best Places to Live from Livability.com. This is the fifth year for the ranking, which looked at more than 2,200 towns in the U.S. and considered such things as economics, housing, amenities, education and infrastructure. College towns ranked high, with six of the top 10 being home to well-known spots for higher education. Chicago suburbs making the list and their ranking are: Evanston (20), Downers Grove (46), Wheaton (48), Elmhurst (62), Naperville (92) and Oak Park (100). The whole roster is at http://tinyurl.com/y8f9s7co.
If money is no object
Travelers for whom money and time are unlimited might be interested in the Legends of Cruising — World Cruise 2020 that’s being offered by Silversea Cruises. Starting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., this epic voyage will span 140 days, visiting 62 ports in 32 countries. In the process, the Silver Whisper will visit all seven continents, so you can scratch Antarctica off your bucket list. The cheapest suite for this marathon cruise is priced from $62,000 per person, double occupancy. That’s a far cry from the most expensive Owner’s Suites, which are $240,000. All suites include the services of a butler. Info: http://tinyurl.com/ycvrcx8t
Phil Marty is a freelance reporter.
