by Ralph Grizzle

September, and Alaska is shimmering in gold. In fact, some say September is the best time of year for a cruise to the Last Frontier. For my "up-close-and-personal" encounter with Alaska, I signed on for Cruise West's 15-day Gold Rush Inside Passage Cruisetour. What's a cruisetour? It's a combination of a cruise and a tour. And it allows you to see and experience the best of Alaska. The cruise itself sails between Seattle and Juneau, and takes in cities and towns featured on many Alaska itineraries: Ketchikan, Skagway and Juneau. As well as some towns that aren't regularly featured on Alaska cruise itineraries, such a Sitka, Haines and Petersburg. There's plenty of time for watching whales and other wildlife along the way, and on Cruise West's small ships, the captain will even stop the ship and turn it to give passengers an up close and personal encounter with the splendor of Alaska. The tour part of our trip took us to Anchorage, Alaska's largest city; Denali, shrouded in snow and looming majestic over the golden September foliage, and Fairbanks, where the Northern Lights had been lighting the sky shortly before our arrival. In the series of interviews that follow, join me on a special Cruise West cruisetour of the Great Land.