No Alaska adventure is more perfect than dog sledding. Locals have worked with four-legged friends for centuries, but dog sledding itself became an official sport in 1972. On our trip, we visited a musher’s camp to learn more about how mushers and veterinarians care for these energetic, lovable creatures. The best part was when we got to hang out with some very adorable puppies! After we learned all about this unique sport, we got to join a dog sledding ride for ourselves. Yes, in the summer!

We were looking forward to visiting Alaska and learning more about the culture and heritage that has thrived here for centuries, so we spent time at the incredible Sealaska Heritage. Sealaska focuses on the Southeast Alaska Native people, who have a history going back 10,000 years. One of the coolest things to see is the replica of a Shuká Hut, which gives you an idea of what these clan houses would have looked like in the 1700s. Though if you ask my kids, they’ll tell you it was the workshop where they went to partake in creating one of the Tlingits’ shinier traditions.

Nothing like a fresh salmon bake when in Alaska. It’s the state’s signature dish, after all. Wild salmon is cooked over an open alder wood fire, and the chef there can make up to 500 a day. Enjoy your meal with all sorts of delicious sides, and right near the creek these salmon swim in. The best part? It’s all you can eat!

Easily one of the most jaw-dropping sights in Alaska’s Inside Passage, Glacier Bay National Park will make you feel like you’ve been transported back to the Ice Ages. Believe it or not, this 3.3-million-acre park was under ice not even 250 years ago! Today, it’s one of the largest protected wilderness areas on the planet. A particular highlight was the 21-mile-long Margerie Glacier, one of the few glaciers advancing. We can’t tell you more than that because our lesson was interrupted by a truly amazing moment!

Another must while in Alaska? Whale watching. We took a smaller boat from Icy Strait to Point Adolphus and learned, from their onboard naturalist, all about these majestic creatures and the marine world they inhabit. During the summer, this area has become home to the largest population of humpback whales as they come here for food. They’re so plentiful, in fact, that every single tour has spotted a whale since 2004, and they guarantee a refund if you don’t see one!

Also nicknamed Totem Park, Sitka National Park preserves the site of an 1804 battle between Russian traders and the indigenous Kiks.ádi Tlingit people. Follow the mile-long Totem Trail to see 18 different Tlingit and Haida totems and see if you can make out the story each of the mortuary poles tells. The stories on these poles go back well before the battle and show how the people of this land continue to stand and live today. Be sure to also check out how a master carver begins to create a totem pole from scratch.

Located in buildings that were once part of the now-defunct Sheldon Jackson College campus, Sitka Sound Science Center aims to promote research and education for the surrounding Alaskan environment. While my kids honed their skills of observation at the Molly O. Ahlgren Aquarium and tidal flats, I learned more about the center’s salmon hatchery, the first of its kind permitted in Alaska. More importantly, I learned the important differences between hatcheries and salmon farming.

Welcome to Alaska’s very first city! Ketchikan has become famous thanks to Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch,” and to this day, seafood remains king here. We split up with the girls joining the Aleutian Ballad – the very crab fishing boat seen on the show – while the boys went fishing with Baranof Fishing Excursions to try and catch us some dinner. Aboard, we learned more about the world’s deadliest job and how the conditions these guys fish under often bring them close to death.

What better way to end a once-in-a-lifetime cruise than back aboard, all dressed up and eating the very salmon Ellis caught us? Holland America Line has some of the best, world-class chefs at their onboard restaurants and offers for some of their excursions to pick up your fish dockside and cook it for you. Even if you don’t catch your own salmon, HAL guarantees that all their Alaska seafood is certified-sustainable. They’re the only cruise line with this RFM Certification! We shared our favorite parts of the trip over delicious food. What do you think everyone said?

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