Our Alaska adventure was punctuated by the most amazing sunny weather which apparently hasn't been seen in years.  Temperatures were in the 90's in Juneau and Skagway (whew!  Natives were melting), 70's and 80's everywhere else.  This allowed exceptional access to the amazing scenery and wildlife viewing Alaska has to offer.  We had two full days of uninhibited exposure to Mt McKinley (Denali), which I am told is unprecedented.Millennium was in GREAT shape after her $10M overhaul.  We were in stateroom 2147 on deck 2 with a large round window to the outside.  This turned out to be way cool as we sailed through the Hubbard Glacier ice field as we had a close up view of some of the house-sized icebergs as they passed surprisingly close to the ship.  The room was always clean and Lazaro, our stateroom attendant seemed to anticipate our movements, so whenever we returned to the room, it was neat and supplied with fresh ice and water.  We were assigned late seating in the dining room and our waiter, Helme, and assistant Marsha were wonderful.  The food was delicious (with the possible exception of slightly tough lobster) and well presented.  Portions were exactly right, and I actually lost a pound during the trip.  We visited the buffet for breakfast and lunch most days and were rewarded with delicious treats including berries, waffles, ice cream, sushi, pasta, and salads.  I was highly interested in the naturalist, Graham Sunderland, but we were only able to catch one of his lectures, and that was truncated as he informed us it was during the best whale viewing opportunity during the cruise.  Fortunately the complete lectures were recorded and available on the stateroom television.My only minor complaint would be the large number of unused deck chairs stored on the forward decks above the Cosmos Lounge, which obstructed the view of the approaching Hubbard Glacier, and intensified competition for space with the large crowds.  This was significantly reduced when the helicopter deck (4) was opened, but this could have been done much earlier.  A couple of notes, there is no clock in the stateroom and nowhere to plug in next to the bed, so bring a cordless travel alarm clock (we didn't but fortunately Walmart was available in the first port).  Also, there is only one usable power outlet, so bring a power strip if you have several devices that require line power.Sunday Land Tour BeginsWe began our adventure flying to Anchorage Sunday and spent the night in the Days Inn downtown.  The location was relatively convenient and provided a shuttle from the airport.  There is a large lodging board with telephones in the airport baggage claim area.  The shuttle arrived outside about 15 minutes after telephone contact.  Flight arrived about 12:30, so we had the afternoon in Anchorage.  It was Sunday, so the "Saturday Market" was open and good for a quick (greasy, but tasty) lunch of reindeer (caribou) sausage.  Next we walked along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail for a couple of miles.  This is an eleven mile paved walkway from Ship Creek to Kincaid Park along the edge of the Cook Inlet  We started and ended our hike at the end of 5th Street next to the Copper Whale B&B.  This looked like an excellent place to stay in Anchorage.  It was low tide, and Alaska tides run up to 40 feet, so a large expanse of mud flats were exposed.  After our hike we walked to the Glacier Brewhouse, where I had made an online reservation for dinner.  My first local Alaskan halibut meal was delicious!  The reservation was needed as the place was packed.Our next three nights were at the Denali Backcountry Lodge at the end of the National Park Road in Kantishna 90 miles from the park entrance.  Personal vehicles are not allowed on the road, and most Denali tours go in only 54 miles, and Wonder Lake is usually the last shuttle stop.  Kantishna is an old mining community a few miles beyond Wonder Lake which was annexed into the national park in 1979.  There are two other lodging properties here in addition to DBL:  Kantishna Roadhouse, which is run by Kantishna Air Taxi; and Camp Denali / North Face Lodge.  Camp Denali is a collection of primitive cabins on a ridge with spectacular views of Mt. McKinley (Denali).  These cabins have no plumbing or electricity, but each has its own private outhouse with a view.  The primitiveness of Camp Denali appealed to us, but the arrival and departure schedule was very rigid and did not fit with our schedule.  Denali Backcountry Lodge was more flexible and less primitive:  each cabin had a private bath and electricity and heat.  Private park entrance shuttles arrived and departed daily.  The cabins are set along Moose Creek with no view, but were quite comfortable.But first we had to get there, which occupied an entire day in each direction.  Our bus (similar to those used by the cruise lines) left Anchorage Egan Center at 7:30am, and arrived at the park entrance around noon.  There were only six of us on the bus which was great for us, but probably disappointing to the tour operator.  We met Gayle and Norm from Buffalo here who would be with us on our cruise and both trains which we rode back to Anchorage and to Seward.  We spent a lot of time with them over the next 10 days and thoroughly enjoyed our time together.  Sean was our driver and he pointed out several sites along the way.  We stopped in Wasilla, the Talkeetna Denali viewpoint for some peak-a-boo views of the mountain, and at the Denali Cabins before the park entrance.After a short break just long enough to grab a quick lunch at the cafe, we transferred to a former school bus for our 90-mile ride into the park.  Berry was our driver and tour guide and provided an entertaining narrative while we rode along.  We stopped several times for bio breaks at visitor centers along the way, and for a variety of wildlife, including dall sheep, grizzly bear, gyrfalcon, caribou, moose, ptarmigan, and more, all viewed from a significant distance.  The day was cool and overcast, so no views of the mountain this time.  This bus was slightly more full and we met Paula and Amanda from Maryland here who were also on our cruise.  We arrived at the lodge about 8pm where a late dinner was waiting.  We finally settled into our cabin after dinner and crashed after a very long and interesting day.Next two days were spent hiking with guides provided by the lodge.  Both guided hikes were great.  The first was a two mile up and back along Moose Creek where we saw lotsa flowers and some peak-a-boo views of the mountain.  The second hike three miles up and back to McKinley Bar was absolutely spectacular.  The mountain was out in all its glory the entire hike.  McKinley Bar is on the McKinley River about 18 miles from the base of Denali.  I cannot begin to describe how awesome were the views.  We also went on shorter walks at Wonder Lake and to Fanny Quigley's Cabin.Thursday morning arrived way too soon and we departed DBL at 6am for the park entrance and the train to Anchorage.  Denali was out again and we were privileged to snap photos at the famous Reflection Pond with the mountain in full direct and reflected display.  We had a different driver / guide this time, Mark, a high school teacher in Healy, who provided a different and still interesting perspective.As I mentioned earlier, Norm and Gayle were on the same train with us, however they booked direct with Alaska Railroad and we booked through DBL with Grayline, which apparently is owned by Holland America Cruise Line.  I didn't know there was a difference, but apparently the respective cars are completely separate.  The railroad has separate dining and coach cars, but the HAL car was fully self contained with assigned dome seating on the top level and a restaurant / galley below.  Our car was mostly populated with HAL cruise tour passengers nearing the end of their land tour which started in Skagway several days prior.  The train is much slower than the road and follows much the same route, but there are many areas with differing views and the guide had yet another perspective to share.  Because the mountain was still mostly out, we were privileged to see it from three angles:  the North Face inside the park, from the east and the Wickersham Wall as we were driving out on the park road, and then the south face from the train.  We arrived at the Anchorage train station right across the street from the Ship Creek Comfort Inn where we were booked that night between 8 and 9 pm.  I knew laundry would be needed, and the Millennium has no self service laundry, so we took advantage of the facilities in the hotel.  The hotel staff were very friendly and accommodating, even with change for the laundry machines.  Another very long but fruitful day, and only a short time to rest.Friday Kenai Fjords and BoardingBright and early Friday morning we arose and headed down to breakfast.  We did all the packing / rearranging before retiring and the breakfast room opened early at 5am which was convenient as the train departs for Seward at 6:45.  The hotel provided vans for the short trip to the train station which was swarming with people when we arrived.  Celebrity porters were collecting baggage for transport to the ship on a separate truck.  We handed them our bags and they magically appeared outside our stateroom on the ship when we arrived much later.  Considering the swarm, getting aboard the train went quite smoothly.  The ride to Seward was very scenic, and the train had high school students providing commentary over the PA.  I booked this train myself directly with the railroad, so we were able to experience both car types.  I definitely would prefer the HAL car.The train stopped in Seward just in time for us to catch a short shuttle to the small boat harbor and our cruise into Kenai Fjords National Park.  I recruited Norm and Gayle, and Paula and Amanda to join us.  Conditions were cool and overcast as we departed, but quickly cleared as we sailed Resurrection Bay.  We encountered sea otters, dall porpoise, and 3 humpback whales on our way to Aialik Bay.  We sailed by Bear Glacier and our destination was the Holgate Glacier, as the Aialik Glacier was apparently not navigable.  The boat moved very close to the glacier and we heard it crack and watched large chunks of glacier fall into the bay (calving).  All around us were chunks of ice popping and crackling like Rice Krispies.  On the return to Seward, we stopped at the Chiswell Islands and saw many birds including puffins, eagles, cormorants, plus harbor seals and sea lions.  The national park ranger and captain cooperated to provide colorful narration and photography tips.  The burst mode on my Panasonic camera was invaluable for capturing unpredictable wildlife.  While difficult to compete with our almost perfect visit to Denali, this tour was awesome and a definite highlight of the trip so far.  Our new Denali friends were glad they were persuaded to participate.Upon our return to Seward it was time to board "the beautiful Millennium" as she was referred by the captain in his daily announcements.  A quick word about boarding:  apparently there is a requirement that all passengers participate in a "muster drill" before sailing, which was scheduled for late afternoon.  Passengers were advised in cruise documents to board before 2pm even though the ship did not sail until 9, and I suspect many missed out on the wonderful activities available in Seward in order not to miss the muster drill.  We chose to ignore the instructions, and it turns out a substitute safety meeting was prepared for the majority of passengers like us.  We didn't actually board until 7 and the crowd was substantially reduced.We were warned on our Kenai cruise by a passenger who had just arrived in Seward that day there was a norovirus alert from a couple of prior cruises and to expect some strange behavior in the buffet and the main dining room.  Sure enough, they were dispensing mandatory hand sanitizer at the gang plank.  We found our room and luggage, met Lazaro our cabin steward.  He was great.  He cleaned out the fridge so we could store our smuggled soda and kept ice and water in the room.  He was so discreet we seldom saw him.  I thought he might be watching us in the room until I noticed some small bits of paper fall from the door jam as I was leaving.  Apparently he must have learned from Ian Fleming or Robert Ludlum!  Lazaro also informed us we were expected in the main dining room for our late seating appointment which was a bit of a surprise, as I expected to do casual dining on sailing day.  So we reported as ordered at 8:30, met our waiter, Helme, assistant waiter, Marsha, and table mates Jason and Michele from Berkeley and Taiwan, and Elizabeth and David from Chicago.  We had a wonderful meal and watched the ship depart Seward through the huge aft facing windows.  Unfortunately Jason and Michelle were only joining us that night as they missed their early dining appointment.Saturday - Hubbard Glacier.This day was mostly at sea in the Gulf of Alaska, and the morning was cool and misty, but as we approached Yakutat Bay the sky began to clear and it turned into a nice day.  The glacier was visible during the approach, but it appeared to be blocked by a huge ice field, but the ship continued to approach.  Large ice chunks became more and more frequent but we kept getting closer.  It seemed we were right in front of the glacier wall, but probably 1/4 mile away.  We hung around long enough to see a few large chunks fall off, and Graham Sunderland talked about the fjord behind the glacier that was blocked by a surge in the past.  It was so awesome I didn't bother to try to capture the glacier calving on camera, just took in the view.  After we started back out into the bay, we went down to our 2nd floor stateroom to get a close look at the ice passing by the boat which was way cool.  As we continued further out to sea, we went back on deck and were able to see the path the ship took through the ice field.  With the great experiences in Denali and Kenai Fjords, we were prepared for a serious let down on the ship, but somehow it just keeps getting better and better.  Tonite was one of the two formal nights so we had plenty of time to prepare for dinner.Sunday - JuneauAwoke early to catch the Icy Strait transit.  On deck about 6am.  Missed Icy Strait, but saw a humpback popping his head up making the turn into the Gastineau Channel for the run to Juneau.  We docked early: about 7:30.  We left the ship and walked through town.  Plan was to do Mendenhall Glacier, but none of the shuttles were running yet, so we decided to walk two miles to the Last Chance Mine.  It was a lovely walk:  the first mile was kinda steep on city streets, but the next mile was more gentile and on a dirt road.  This is apparently one of the areas the locals go to recreate.  We saw joggers and families out for a picnic.  We arrived at the mine just as the museum was opening.  Had a nice talk with the curator and looked around.  They have a map of the mine plotted on panes of glass set in layers in a large box:  one layer for each level of tunnels in the mine.  You can look down through all the layers at once.  It is very cool ancient technology.Returning to Juneau, we walked a different route, down the "flume trail."  This is a boardwalk set atop a wooden flume that carries water down into town.  The slope is very gentle and it is another beautiful trail.  We walked by the governor's mansion on the way back to the dock.  By the time we arrived it was lunch time, so we stopped at the Twisted Fish next to the tram terminal for a halibut sandwich delicious!  By this time, two more cruise ships had arrived and the town was swarming.  We decided to catch the city bus to Walmart, which was quite a cultural experience.  Our waiter pointed out the bus stop which was quite a ways back toward town.  We got a lovely tour of Juneau for $3.  We decided we were too tired for another hike at Mendenhall, and it was such a lovely day, so we hopped on the Mt. Roberts tram and wandered around at the top.Monday - SkagwayArrived early again.  It was going to be another hot day, so we went into town and took the National Park Service walking tour early.  Learned all about Soapy Smith and the lawlessness of the Klondike Gold Rush.  Grabbed lunch at Glacier Smoothie, then went back to the dock for our only tour booked through the cruise line:  Klondike train and bike tour.  We piled into vans for the short ride back to the train station, then boarded the train.  As it turns out, we could have met the tour at the train station and saved a few steps.  The train took us over the White Pass summit into Frasier, BC where we had a very short visit from Canadian Customs before we left the train.  The same vans which we rode to the station in Skagway were waiting for us, but this time some had trailers attached full of bicycles.  The vans drove us back to the top of the summit on the road, which is on the opposite side of the canyon from the train tracks.  We chose our mounts (and helmets) for the downhill ride back to Skagway and, after a safety briefing, started down the hill.  The guides were at the front and back of the pack and communicated by radio.  When cars approached from the rear, we bunched together so they could pass us more easily.  We stopped at waterfalls, to view the train across the canyon, for US Customs, and to repair a flat.  BTW, I checked their brake replacement schedule (about once per week) before departing.When we returned to Skagway, it was really hot and we were parched, so back to Glacier Smoothie, but I guess everyone else in town had the same idea.  They were virtually sold out of everything!  Oh well, we made something up outta the leftovers and it was pretty good and very cold.Tuesday - Icy Strait Point (Hoonah)I overslept today and the boat was parked before I was up.  No tours planned for today, so we just took it easy.  We eventually found a tender and headed to port while a single humpback was bubble net feeding right in the harbor.  We wandered off the tender through the tourist area, then walked the 1.5 miles into beautiful downtown Hoonah.  The town is very humble, and it was great to escape the kitsch of the port areas.  There was a dock clearly used by local fisherman who discarded recently cleaned salmon heads on the beach where a group of juvenile bald eagles and ravens had gathered to feast.  The adult eagles were perched on the trees all around and would periodically swoop down and snatch a salmon head while everyone on the ground gave way.  We headed back to the port and walked the nature trail through the forest and along the beach before heading back to the ship.  In hindsight, it would have been better to have a shore excursion planned for this port, as there is much less to do here with free time than in the other ports, and we could have used more free time in Ketchikan.We departed fairly early in the afternoon and even though we sailed in the opposite direction of Pt. Adolphus, we saw a small pod of orcas and a humpback in the distance from the ship.  This was the second formal night and we met our Denali friends in the Cova where the string quartet (sorta) was playing.  It was very nice.Wednesday - KetchikanWe scheduled a tour with SE Sea Kayaks for 10:00 and had a short time to wander the shops along the dock.   We bought some trinkets for the kids and Cara found another quilt shop.  We boarded a van for a short ride to office / dock, then another 15-minute small boat to a cove where a larger boat was anchored with kayaks.  Paddled through tide pools and to islands, one with an eagle nest.  After returning to town, we found the famed "Eagle Totem" where we caught another city bus to Totem Bight State Park.  The bus stops here once per hour, so we spent our hour wandering by the poles, most of which were carved in the 1930's.  The is also a cedar long house with more carvings inside.  By the time we returned on the bus, it was almost time to board the ship with a slight detour down Creek Street as the shops were closing.  It would have been nice to have more time here, as the town of Ketchikan has much to offer.Thursday - Inside PassageWe took it easy today and relaxed.  I kinda wanted to see ship sailing through Seymour Narrows which conflicted with our late dinner seating, so we opted for casual dining.  This turned out to be a great choice as we had a table by a window with a great view of the Inside Passage.Friday - Vancouver, DisembarkingI awoke early again to watch the sunrise as the ship sailed into port.  Thursday night before retiring, we set our luggage out, properly tagged the "beige 8" tags left in our room.  We reported as ordered to the Rendezvous Lounge at 8:00.  The disembarking process was delayed and we sat around for quite a while, but eventually "beige 8" was called,  We proceeded off the ship and after claiming our confiscated trinkets, into another line where we waited again this time standing instead of sitting.  Immigration was trivial and we then proceeded to claim our luggage, which was supposed to be arranged in a very large warehouse by the color of the tags.  Our bags were not in the designated area, so we had to wander around with agents trying to find them, only for them to turn up in their designated area 20 minutes later.  I guess final disembarkation is seldom pleasant.We had reserved a car with Avis, and the agent was waiting just before exiting the building.  We separated from our bags once again for the short ride to the Avis office downtown.  We found our car and bags without incident then proceeded across the Lionsgate Bridge to Capilano Park where we wandered across the swinging suspension bridge and similar walkways between trees in the forest canopy.  Then we spent some time walking the trail in Stanley Park.  After driving somewhat aimlessly around Vancouver, we found the airport, returned the car and proceeded through US Customs and Immigration.  Unfortunately, airline security rules in Canada are slightly different than those in the US, so we lost a small pair of scissors DW carried on in Portland without incident.