We spent 10 days of our Honeymoon up there with [url=THESE GUYS.]http://www.yachtalaska.com/pages/galleries/kayaking/source/9.html[/url] (that's my wife on the left).

We stayed at a bed and breakfast for two nights outside the Anchorage city limits before departing on our boat. They are DEFINATELY the way to go. Find a local travel agent and have him/her run one down for you.

There's a ton of fur shops up there in Anchorage. NOT the "coat" kind, but trader shops that deal with fur traders and the like. I'd pay you if you could bring home a Beaver pelt... Of course, that probably offends your "love for animals" sensibilities. Alaska is not a place that harbours too many sympathies for animal rights activists. I wouldn't be too overly demonstrative if you want any help or respect from the locals. In fact, the local fisherman there say God gave bald eagles white heads so they'd be easier to shoot.

Nature up there is pretty raw. We watched a bald eagle swoop down and steal a new-born seal pup. She ripped it to shreds on a rock while its mother cried from her ice floe. The majesty and might of Alaska's wilderness is an awesome thing, but it sure as hell isn't "Disney" if you understand what I'm saying.

If you go beach-combing, look for some of those glass balls that the Japanese use on their fishing nets. They wash up from time to time and are fairly highly valued in addition to being very pretty. You can also find whale bones, walrus tusks, and other really exceptional stuff.