Alaska is a land of superlatives, where encountering the biggest, the most unique and the most impressive is perfectly normal. Understanding where America’s 49th state belongs in the wider world puts this great land in perspective, while gaining an appreciation for why it has become an ever-increasing magnet for tourists during the past 25 years.

Alaska is the largest state in the U.S. with more miles of coastline than all other states combined. It also borders two oceans, and is wider (including its chain of Aleutian Islands) than the entire continental United States. While having only 750,000 residents, Alaska’s land surface is more than twice the size of Texas. If New York City had the same population density as Alaska, there would be less than 100 people living in the Big Apple!

Well, I’ve just convinced myself that the whole state is far too large to cover in one article, so let’s focus on the narrow strip of Southeast Alaska called the Alaska Panhandle including its island-dotted Inside Passage. Over 800,000 visitors yearly arrive here on large cruise ships from Vancouver, British Columbia and Pacific Coast ports in the U.S. For those looking for a small-ship expedition, a more flexible schedule and daily Zodiac excursions, guests usually fly into a local town to begin their cruise from 7 to 21 days long.AdventureSmith Explorations (www.adventuresmithexplorations. com/alaska) is the ultimate authority on Alaska’s small-ship cruises, matching clients to their interests and abilities.

Large or small ship guests can expect to see vast tracts of raw wilderness, abundant marine life, bears, glaciers hundreds of feet high, and a handful of picturesque towns such as Juneau (the state capital), Ketchikan, Skagway and Sitka. Most have no road access to the rest of the state so travel by plane or boat is the only option for these Panhandlers, including travel to or from the capital.

Glaciers cover about 5% of Alaska, 128 times more than in the rest of the U.S. The state boasts an estimated 100,000 glaciers, including valley glaciers, hanging glaciers and the famous tidewater glaciers of Southeast Alaska. They are guaranteed to put on memorable shows for cruise visitors as these ice rivers dramatically reach the end of their 200-year journey spitting icebergs as large as houses into a vivid turquoise sea.

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is the world’s largest protected marine sanctuary and home to 16 tidewater glaciers. While anchoring there for a day, park rangers come aboard each ship, large or small, to brief guests about the wildlife and wonders of nature they are observing at such close quarters.

Unique among Alaska’s fine collection is an urban glacier, the 12-mile-long Mendenhall with its front end inside Juneau’s city limits. You may drive to this one, though don’t wait too long as its ice face is presently retreating 200 feet a year! Highly recommended is a helicopter trekking experience with NorthStar Trekking, which first flies guests the length of the Mendenhall and then puts them down fully geared at mid-glacier for an awesome guided hike in the white wilderness.

Almost all major cruise lines focus their town visits on Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway, sometimes with five ships and 15,000 visitors in town in a single day. That probably explains why I am so fond of Sitka though I am the first to say that every Alaska Panhandle town is charming and bursting with attractions. Sitka’s location, just outside the north/south Inside Passage cruise route, has discouraged all but one major cruise line from scheduling summer season visits.

Continuing our quest for Alaska’s unique distinctions, Sitka, population 9,000, is the largest incorporated city in the United States with a total area of 4,811 square miles. And here’s the clincher...in 2013 the prestigious Smithsonian Institution named this tiny gem, far off-the-beaten-path, as the ninth most culturally-rich small town in the United States of America.

Hailing from Siberia, the Tlingit people settled Baranof Island 10,000 years ago, where Sitka is located today. Their native culture remains vibrant not only in dance, language, fabulous totems and other art, but also in successful local businesses and management such as hotels, ship construction and Alaska Dream Cruises - a small-ship cruise operator offering day cruises and cruises from eight to 13 days in length.

In the mid-1800s, Russia chose Sitka to become the wealthy, sophisticated capital of Russia’s North Pacific colonies, nicknamed “Paris of the Pacific.” The Russian legacy is an important element of the town today with its historic Russian Orthodox Church, restored Russian houses of museum quality, and the New Archangel Dancers acclaimed worldwide for their repertoire of Russian folk dances.

Nature experiences are also well represented as I discovered on a Sitka Sound Tour with salmon leaping from the water all around our boat, a dozen 45-foot humpback whales breaching and diving, and sea lions cruising the fishing grounds looking for an easy feast. Endearingly wrapped in seaweed, we spotted over fifty sea otters whose fur was once the source of huge Russian riches. Top off these natural encounters with the sun setting on 3,102- foot Mt. Edgecumbe, Sitka’s perfectlycircular extinct volcano, and you have the ultimate “wish you were here” moment.

Seeing grizzly bears is a much taller order than viewing sea life. A rewarding alternative is to visit Sitka’s Fortress of the Bear, a rescue center to learn about the challenges these animals face today. Still on the rescue theme, the Alaska Raptor Center has been on the front lines of eagle rehabilitation and education for decades.It is one of the premier raptor hospitals in North America, attracting 36,000 visitors from May through September as well as volunteers from the world over.

Sitka is a small town with far more than its share of visitor activities, attractions and services. You can walk everywhere or drive there in five minutes; after all, there are only 14 miles of roads on Baranof Island.Accommodations range from full service hotels to intimate Bed & Breakfasts, like Ocean View B&B, welcoming guests for 22 years. Restaurants and cafés abound, ranging from fine dining to yummy soup-and-sandwich fare. Sitka Tourism (sitka.org) is ready to offer suggestions and expert planning direction.