SEATTLE - It's never too early to start thinking about next year's vacation and viewing the gorgeous scenery in Alaska can certainly make for a fantastic summer trip.

As one who is not a big fan of hot weather, and has a family is in the same boat, we've found Alaska a gorgeous place to get away in the summer without all the sweat -- and you don't even have to step on a plane!

Over the past several years, we've taken a couple of cruises to Alaska and it's quickly becoming a favorite getaway. There is a large variety of itineraries and ships that leave from Seattle and Vancouver, and it's a vacation that can become much more affordable when you don't have to worry about airfare.

And trust me, when you're packing for a week or longer, it is incredibly convenient not to have to slug all that luggage through the airports and worry about cramped flights that may or may not get you there on time. Plus, we've found cruising to be a great way to get away -- the food and entertainment is all taken care of, and no cries of "are we there, yet?"

I've got a few tips for those kicking around visiting the great white north that likely don't show up on the main tourism sites. Note that these are just personal experiences, and that's certainly not to say something I didn't mention here is not worthwhile.

Itinerary

Whether you're doing a round-trip cruise from Seattle to Seattle, or a one-way cruise from the Anchorage suburbs to Seattle or Vancouver, almost all of the cruises hit "the big 3" ports -- Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway -- and then some sort of glacier viewing.

But deciding where to leave and where to return could have an effect on how much time you get in each port.

Leaving and returning from Seattle is a huge convenience factor. But there is one disadvantage: The Jones Act. It's a law enacted in 1920 that requires non-U.S. flagged vessels to touch a foreign port between successive U.S. ports. It was a way to keep foreign merchants from just running up and down the coastline selling their wares.

But for the cruise industry, it means that any non-U.S. ship (which is just about all of them, save for a few) leaving from and returning to a U.S. port must touch a foreign port sometime during the sailing. For cruises to Alaska, this means a required stop in Canada.

Some Seattle round trip cruises just make a two hour token stop in Victoria, while others make a longer stop in Prince Rupert. But this required detour means less time roaming around Alaska.

In that sense, taking a cruise that leaves from Vancouver might be an interesting trade-off for the extra three-hour drive before and after. Since the cruise is starting in Canada, the Jones Act doesn't apply, and thus the ships have more time to spend in Alaska ports or viewing glaciers without having to make an extra Canadian port stop.

For example, a 7-day Vancouver-originating cruise I was on was able to spend a full day in each of the "big three" cities and also a full day cruising Glacier Bay, and then two days at sea at the start and end of the cruise. Also, with a Vancouver cruise, you're also more likely to cruise the narrow inside passage between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia (very scenic) than cruising out in the Pacific off the western coast of Vancouver Island (not as scenic.)

On the other hand, our Seattle cruise to Sawyer Glacier had to squeeze in only a half day in Juneau (not much time to do anything there) with the evening scheduled for glacier viewing. And on our particular sailing in late September with the much shorter days, it was too foggy and we ran out of daylight before we could get to the glacier. (So if you're going on a late-season cruise, I would definitely try for an itinerary that dedicates a morning or at least several hours to glacier viewing.)

The crammed two-for-one Juneau/glacier day was needed so we could spend a half day in Prince Rupert, B.C., to fulfill the Jones Act requirement.

Ketchikan

A quaint small town that is among the wettest in the United States. You can do just about everything via foot. We've found this is the best port for jewelry shopping -- Alaska is the Caribbean of the north when it comes to jewelry, and you'll likely find a lot of stuff you won't find in the jewelry stores down here, and prices are much more competitive.

You'll find dozens of shops there, and you could easily spend the entire day running to all of them. Just a few words of note: The listed price is never the final price, and haggling is a time-honored tradition. There is shopping in the other two ports as well, but Ketchikan has the most shops.

Also beware of the ones that try to lure you in with a "check your cabin number inside to see if you've won a prize" -- we found them to be among the higher pressure sales people. And going way early in the cruise season might mean a smaller selection, while going later in September when they get toward the end of the season can net some good deals.

Definitely walk over to Creek Street, which is old town Ketchikan.

If you are there in September, you will be treated to the salmon runs, which is an amazing sight of literally thousands of salmon going up the river.

When I was there last time, there were two seals in this tiny little creek feasting on what has to be the world's best salmon buffet. This video below shows what happens when the thousands of salmon all going one way, all of a sudden try to reverse course and go the other way.

This is akin to trying to turn around and go south on I-5 north -- it doesn't work well. Watch as the salmon get all antsy with the wrong-way traffic. Those black lines you see floating are the tops of fish.

• Welcome to Ketchikan, Alaska!

Juneau

Mendenhall Glacier is among the big ticket items here, and I highly recommend going out there. And you can do this on a budget. You can bypass paying more through the cruise lines and just find one of the many shuttles that line the streets near the docks that offer bus trips to the glacier. At last visit, it was $6 per person, one way. The buses leave when they're full and they pick up at the glacier every half hour. It's about a 10-15 minute ride from the city.

If you've never seen a glacier before, and you haven't had your glacier viewing day yet on the trip, this is a great appetizer. Just be aware of their national bird -- the mosquito.

If you're adventurous, there is a huge waterfall out toward the glacier that you can hike to. There's a small trail and it's about a mile hike from the visitor's center/lookout over flat but varied terrain (such as rocks and tiny streams) but the trip is well worth it. You can literally walk right up to a huge waterfall. (More impressive later in the season when the snow is melting, but still pretty awesome in May.)

If you have some money to burn, one of the people we met on the last cruise went on a helicopter tour of the glacier and highly recommended it. They even land on the glacier and let you walk on top.

Back in town, the Red Dog Saloon is another popular hangout -- watch for the sawdust-lined floors. For the beer drinkers, we also hired a cab to take us out to the home of the Alaskan Ale Brewery (about 10 minutes outside of town). They run informal tours and tastings. We just told our cab to come back in an hour.

• Mendenhall Glacier
• Juneau attractions/visitor resources
• Alaskan Brewery Co.

Skagway

Photo courtesy: Flickr user "get directly down"

The thing to do in Skagway is to take the train up along White Pass and the Yukon Route. All cruise lines typically book several hours in Skagway so you have plenty of time to do this. It's about a 4 hour scenic train ride up the side of a mountain and back down again. There is not much else in Skagway -- the town is basically one street about 8 blocks long. There are some souvenir and jewelry shops, and the only pseudo-Starbucks you'll find on the trip*. (It's not an actual Starbucks, but a coffee shop that contracts through them, so it's close.) But this stop is clearly set up to take the train.

You can book this through the cruise or take a chance and book directly there at the train station. You run the risk of a sell out, but you might save a few $$. Just be absolutely sure if you're on your own, you get on a tour that comes back before you have to be on your ship!

We've done it twice and have this tidbit -- we've noticed it's better to sit on the left side of the train going up. The way it works is one side looks out at the vast scenery, while the other side is looking mainly at mountainside. When you get to the top, they make everyone switch sides, so everyone gets a good view either coming or going. (The train traces the same route back.) We've just found the weather tends to be better in the midday, and gets foggier toward the evening. It's not a guarantee, but if the weather looks good as your tour starts, definitely get the view side on the way up.

* - If you take a ship that stops in Prince Rupert, B.C., there is a Starbucks at the Safeway store not too far from the cruise dock.

• White Pass & Yukon Railroad
• Skagway visitor information

Glaciers

This has always been my favorite part of the trip. I've been to Glacier Bay and to Hubbard Glacier. Glacier Bay was when we left from Vancouver and had nearly all day in the bay. That was the best. Hubbard Glacier was just a few hours in the bay with maybe one hour at the glacier side. We were supposed to see Sawyer Glacier in our last cruise, but weather and darkness precluded us getting there, so no tips there, although Tracy Arm, which is what you sail through to get there, was very beautiful.

Still, I say Glacier Bay tops the list. If you go toward the earlyish part of the season, there will likely be way more snow on the hillsides, adding to the beauty.

• Alaska's Glaciers
• Glacier Bay
• More on Glacier Bay
• Hubbard Glacier
• Sawyer Glacier / Tracy Arm Fjord

Weather

Alaska summer is about on par with Seattle's spring -- highs in the summer are typically in the 60s., and then in the 50s in the early and late season. June is the driest month, with July a close second, and then the rains begin back in August and September (getting ready to make their trek south and soak the Northwest in October and November). Still, rain is more frequent there than here, so pack for some rain no matter what time of year you go.

• Alaska cruise weather information

Other Tips

If you are going with friends or a group, and if you're going to try for a balcony room (I recommend if it's doable. As scenic as Alaska is, a balcony is well worth the money if you can do it) try and make sure you cover both sides of the ship-- i.e., have someone get a room on the port side, and another on the starboard side. That way, no matter which way the ship is pointing, someone will always face the shore.

Also convenient for glacier viewing day to have a reserved spot from your room, and then you can just move to the other room when the ship turns to face the other way. (Of course, all public decks are open too, so you can just go up top at any time for viewing, you'll just have to fight the crowds)

And most of all -- have a great time!