Cruising the Pacific Coast to Alaska; and Jazz History on a Train in Mississippi

Uncommon Journeys is offering a cruise along the Pacific Coast from San Francisco to Vancouver to the Inside Passage of Alaska, starting April 28 for 16 days.

Guests begin their holiday in San Francisco boarding the Norwegian Wind. They will spend the night docked at Fisherman’s Wharf, which will allow passengers time in San Francisco.

The ship will make a port visit to Astoria, Ore., before continuing on to Seattle and Prince Rupert in British Columbia.

In Alaska, guests visit Skagway, with a chance to ride the White Pass & Yukon Narrow-Gauge Railway over Chilkoot Pass before sailing on to Juneau and Ketchikan. Back in Vancouver, a tour and luncheon are included. The following day guests travel by ferry to Victoria, British Columbia, for an overnight stay at the Empress Hotel. Guests then ferry to Seattle and stay at the Claremont Hotel.

Cost: from $1,995 per person, double occupancy, including cruise; overnight stays in Vancouver, Victoria and Seattle; sightseeing tours in Vancouver and Victoria; and most meals. Reservations made before Dec. 31 include free return train travel. Return air fare is extra.

Contact: Uncommon Journeys, 309 Lennon Lane, Suite 101, Walnut Creek, CA 94598; telephone (800) 323-5893.

Montana: Skiing

Bridger Bowl, north of Bozeman, Mont., is the outdoor classroom for AdventureWomen’s Jan. 31 to Feb. 6 ski clinic. Women will take daily morning lessons and guided afternoon ski runs. Instructors are women. Cost: $1,650 per person, including six nights’ lodging in Bozeman, six breakfasts and six dinners, lessons, equipment, lift tickets and ground transportation. Transportation to Montana is extra.

Contact: AdventureWomen; tel. (800) 804-8686.

Mississippi Valley: Jazz

Grammy Award-winning jazz trumpeter Al Hirt will be the featured guest on a four-day train trip through the Mississippi River Valley aboard the American Orient Express. Hirt will lecture on the history of jazz and blues.

The trip runs between New Orleans and Chicago, with stops in Clarksdale, Miss.; Memphis, Tenn.; and St. Louis, Mo. Passengers will dine aboard a Dixieland riverboat, tour the Delta Blues Museum, experience the night life on Memphis’ Beale Street and tour Scott Joplin’s home. Several tour dates are available this spring.

Cost: from $1,990 per person, double occupancy, including cabin, meals and some tours.

Contact: American Orient Express; tel. (888) 759-3944.

France: Paris Springtime

April in Paris is possible with WindSong Tours & Travel. The tour starts March 30 for seven days. Guests will stay in a four-star hotel in the Opera District, close to the Louvre and Place Vendome. Guests also will take a day trip to Giverny to the home and garden of Claude Monet.

Cost: $1,399 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare to Paris, ground transportation, hotel, entrance fees and daily breakfast.

Contact: WindSong Tours & Travel, 1500 Greenview Drive, La Habra, CA 90631; tel. (562) 691-0458.

Spain: Pilgrimage

Visit holy sites of the road from Santiago de Compostela, Spain, to Lourdes, France. The tour runs May 22 to June 7. Participants will fly to Barcelona, where the trip begins.

Cities and sites included on the itinerary are Black Madonna of Montserrat, Our Lady of Pilar Marian Shrine in Zaragoza, Grotto of Lourdes for a candlelight procession, Pamplona, Prado Museum, Toledo’s Cathedral and Monastery of St. John of the Kings, and the Royal Palace in Madrid.

Cost: $2,958 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare, hotels, ground transportation, entrance fees and two meals daily.

Contact: Larry Bishop, Knights of Columbus Pilgrimage Director; tel. (949) 581-9936.

The Times is not responsible for changes in prices, dates or itineraries. These should be confirmed with cruise lines, travel agents or tour operators.