He and his wife went to Alaska in May. They said this and the other Lonely Planet book (Backpacking in Alaska) were the most useful of several Alaska books and were the ones they took with them. They were hiking and kayaking - it might be different on cruise. When they went into a bar mentioned on page 139 they showed the owner the book. She didn't know her bar was in it and was very pleased and gave them their drinks for free. I can't guarantee that will work every time. Five bars are mentioned so you might have to shop around.

Along with Frommer's Alaska 2004, this is tied for first place among the Alaska travel guides. Especially for the outdoors stuff they include. There are 70+ maps inside, showing trails, waterways, etc., for the adventurer. And there is an entire section devoted to the top ten of hiking in Alaska. For an adventuring trip to Alaska, this book is great.

But I believe it's also the best of the "big 3" (Fodor's, Frommer's, Lonely Planet) as far as how much it encompasses overall. It is quite comprehensive for the tourist, pointing out all of the things a tourist may want to see, and it balances this with the same amount of equally useful information for people going to Alaska to kayak, hike, bike, and explore.

While I still enjoy the Frommer's Alaska more than any of the Alaska guides, this book has things that Frommer's doesn't when it comes to tourist-oriented sightseeing. Fodor's Alaska 2004, on the other hand, is almost entirely tourist-oriented, with little useful information for anyone going to Alaska to adventure. But this book is a solid guide, and I've taken it to Alaska with me on my adventuring trips. Worth the money, and my time to recommend this book!

I'm going to take a cruise to Alaska this summer. And when I saw this book in the bookshop, I bought it immediately. It didn't say much about cruise and any helpful tips for the visitors. Also, it didn't describe the places with much details. If you are going to Alaska by YOURSELF (not tour guides) and you would like to do some investigation, then this book is for you.

With honest, forthright, outspoken, and candid opinions, this is the best of the few Alaska travel guides there are.

I am a traveller/adventurer from the extreme parts of Northern California along the Pacific. I am not a tourist. That said, I am not writing this review from a tourist's point of view. I AM writing this review from the point of view of an ADVENTURER, and so my opinion of this book is based on the usefulness an adventurer can get from it.

Some things I like about this book are:

1) The author's honesty. If he thinks there is something you ought to see that other guides tell you isn't worth your time, he'll let you know. If he thinks something is a waste of time, or if something is overpriced or overhyped, he'll let you know that, too. He's not afraid to tell it like it is, which has saved me time and money.

2) He's lived in Alaska since day one, so he knows the subject. He's also an adventurer that has explored much of Alaska and knows where you can do or what you can do to get the most for your money. He is especially knowledgable about Southeast Alaska, and the kayaking and other types of adventuring you can do there.

3) The author lists URLs for everything/every place that has a URL. This is handy for updates, more information, and photos. A very nice touch.

All in all, I have found this guide to be superior to Fodor's when it comes to outdoors adventuring (hiking, kayaking, flightseeing, skiing, etc.); and while it is better also than Lonely Planet for the same reason, Lonely Planet does have some useful and valuable information for the traveller/adventurer as well. But unlike Fodor's, the lists of hotels and restaurants is not as comprehensive. However, for the adventurer/traveller, this book is the best one out there, hands down. It lists numerous outdoor equipment rental companies, large and small; it lists most of the companies that offer expeditions into the Alaskan wilderness; and it has exact prices at the time of publishing, with URLs to visit to get updates.

Again, I recommend this book over Fodor's if you are going to Alaska for adventure. If you are going as a tourist (cruise ship tourist or just short-on-available-time tourist), this book is also useful, but isn't as thorough when it comes to touristy stuff. I do recommend Lonely Planet for outdoor adventuring as well.