We got the following DVDs from our local library:
Discover Alaskas true treasures along its magnificent marine highway, the Inside Passage. Navigate 1,000 miles of pristine coastline, with unforgettable stops that capture the regions rich history, fascinating wildlife, and timeless traditions. Observe coastal Indians carve totem poles in the gateway city of Ketchikan. Explore Sitkas Russian roots. Visit Petersburg, "Alaskas Little Norway" and quaint Wrangell, and recapture the pioneer era in the capital city of Juneau. Drive to Americas most accessible glacierthe Mendenhall, and fly over the frozen wilderness of the Juneau Icefield. From Glacier Bay National Park to the historic gold rush town of Skagway, this award-winning program is a mesmerizing portrait of this special place in the vastness of Alaska.
Roam the dramatic and beautiful wilderness, climb the remote and rugged mountains and glaciers, and get close to rare and wonderful wildlife. Your itinerary includes densely forested Ketchikan, with its colorful, mysterious totem poles created by early natives; mountainous Sitka, once the capital of Russian Alaska; pristine Juneau, the only state capital unreachable by car; raucous Skagway, the jumping-off point for prospectors in the Klondike's great Gold Rush; charming Haines, home to the world's largest concentration of bald eagles; remote Seward, where stunning Kenai Fjords National Park went largely unexplored until the 1960s; complex Anchorage, a bustling metropolis surrounded by vast wilderness; untouched Denali, home to the first people to cross the Bering Strait from Siberia; indomitable Valdez, which overcame both the Exxon oil spill and the massive earthquake of 1964; fish-rich Homer, with its artist colony aptly named Pioneer Avenue; lush Kodiak, Alaska's largest island and longtime home to Eskimos; and historic Fairbanks, an adventurer's city lying just 200 miles south of the Artic Circle. Extra Features: Grandeur of the Glaciers - They move under their own power, crush or reshape everything in their path, and sometimes give birth to entire ecosystems. This extra feature takes a cold, hard look at these massive and magnificent ice forms. Top 10 Attractions - Lead a sled-dog team. Walk on glacial ice. Approach grouchy bears snacking on salmon. Can an average person really do all these things? This program suggests 10 activities to help make your Alaskan trip an experience of a lifetime.
At Denali National Park visitors come to see Mt. McKinley, the spectacular scenery and wildlife on the 60 mile drive into the Denali Backcountry Lodge. A journey to Denali by rail on the Alaska Railroad gives travelers the opportunity to relax and enjoy the passing scenery of the rugged Alaskan wilderness.Ferries on the Alaska Marine Highway System bring visitors north from Bellingham, WA to a variety of ports along the Inside Passage. Sitka is in the middle of the Tongass National Forest. Ketchikan is the Salmon Capital of the World. Whether its for salmon, halibut or many other varieties of fish, sport fishing in Alaska is huge! Visitors can experience Saxman Village to learn about Native culture, dancing & totems or take a dune buggy ride into the wilderness. Also gain insight into the Alaska Native Claims Settlement with Cape Fox CEO Bruce Borrup. Bear watching & fishing guide/pilot Butch Laughlin brings travelers to the Pack Creek Bear Preserve. The Glacier Bay Express, brings guests up close to calving glaciers and wildlife in Glacier Bay National Park. A special tour highlights breaching, rolling, and frolicking whales near Adolphus Point. In Haines, journey upriver into the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. Further north in Fairbanks, learn about the workings of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and passionate entrepreneur Bernie Karl of Chena Hot Springs explains the connection between hot springs, greenhouses, ice sculptures and energy. World-Record vegetables are the stars of the Alaska State Fair in Palmer and a glass harmonica player charms the crowd at Anchorages Farmers Market.
Even though they all cover the same basic information/locations each DVD does offer something unique. The 3rd DVD did have the best overall video quality for your HDTV.
Also be sure to watch/DVR
Extreme Alaskan Adventures on the Travel Channel. The next showing is 10/21/2009 at 11 AM.
I just prefer to be prepared and enjoy the vacation versus going in blindlessly and having a stressed out vacation. seems like every vacation i don't plan and we just wing it ends up a mess but all that have been planned out well in advance have been some great vacations.
We set up the DVR to catch "Alaska" shows and that was the first one we got.
have to see my dr too for my arm. plus i will be changing to the nite shift soon at work so i am not going to know if i am coming or going soon. 
he just likes disney as a cruise line as we have sailed one time on an oddball cruise and was crammed into the bottom deck complete bow of the ship and the room was so small we could barely move around. and we had 5 of us then two teen age boys, dh, me and my daughter was only 3 months old. but thats what ya get for a freebie cruise though.
