Tagging along with an insider will leave you amazed with Southeast Alaska all over again

It's exhilarating to visit a place for the first time. Here in Alaska, we see it in the eyes of visitors. They gaze at the big mountains and gasp when a big iceberg calves off the face of a glacier.

Most of us can rattle off a few things to do for first-time visitors. But what about the second-, third- or fourth-time visitor? Each community is different and reveals its secrets in its own fashion.

Down in Ketchikan, there are a handful of activities that float to the top for first-timers: flightseeing over Misty Fjords, kayaking in the waters of George Inlet and walking the boardwalk in the historic Creek Street district downtown.

If you have the time, take the Inter-Island Ferry Authority over to Prince of Wales Island. You can roll your car onto the boat. There are many miles of roads on the islands, initially constructed by loggers. Hunters and fishermen love to visit. On my last trip there, I had lunch with a friend in Craig, Alaska. On this visit, I didn't have time for the trip, so he offered to fly over to Ketchikan and pick me up for a little air tour.

This plane was not the same as Taquan Air's Beavers. This was a Cessna 180 with fiberglass floats, skylights in the roof, binoculars and some special electronic gear. It's a "work plane," like many others around the state.

After taking off past the Ketchikan waterfront, we veered to the southwest, headed for the southern tip of Prince of Wales Island. In addition to some up-close views of sea lions, we did a flyby of the Bokan Mountain area. A Canadian company, Ucore Rare Earth Metals, wants develop a mine in the area.

We flew back and forth over the mountain, then headed up the west coast of the island past Waterfall Resort, Hydaburg and Craig. Along the way, we looked at the way tides moved in and out of narrow passages between the islands. We saw how the power company was laying cable for a hydroelectric project. We even checked on a crab pot. These are all everyday occurrences for working pilots. But for a city-dweller who still drives a car from place to place, it was a great experience. We flew low and slow along the road between Craig and Hollis, then flew back to Ketchikan.

I took a more traditional plane ride with Alaska Airlines between Ketchikan and Juneau. Our capital city hosts a robust cruise ship business in the summertime. Fun activities like the Mount Roberts Tramway and helicopter flightseeing to the Taku or Mendenhall glaciers are at the top of the list for first-timers.

Like Ketchikan, there is an active sportfishing fleet — both for the independent traveler or for cruise ship passengers who want to go out for just four hours. There also are several boats that take travelers out to see the whales north of Auke Bay.

Friends of mine invited me on a "safari" last time I was in Juneau. There were four boats, all under 25 feet, lined up in Douglas Harbor across from Juneau. The destination: the Taku River. We all took off to the south, eventually turning east upriver. I had flown over this area in a helicopter, but it seems much bigger at sea level.

First we passed by the face of the Taku Glacier. Then, the river became narrower and we had to pick our way through the variable channel to avoid grounding the boat in the sand. I say "we," but I had nothing to do with navigating the boat. I did have to get out more than once to push it off a sandbar. But that's all part of the adventure, and a big reason to wear chest waders instead of hip boots on the trip.

We finally reached an island near the Canadian border, where my friends have a special beach on the north side. It is perfect for casting a net out to catch salmon. Since they live in Juneau, they make the trip once or twice a year, and it was quite an honor to come along.

Many other adventures are available from Juneau with a quick boat ride or plane ride. Haines is a 60-mile ferry ride from Auke Bay. That's the route you take to come back to Anchorage. Or, you can drive the "Golden Circle" route through Haines Junction, Whitehorse and Skagway.

Gustavus is about the same distance away, although it's easier to reach by plane. Alaska Airlines flies 737s there during the summer. Or, you can take smaller planes, which may better suit your schedule. From Gustavus, you can take a day tour of Glacier Bay National Park or make arrangements to kayak in the park.

The takeaway message for frequent travelers to the wilds of Alaska is this: There are some great trips for first-timers in every port. But if you get the chance to travel around with friends who have boats and planes, you'll see a completely different side of Alaska — and it's worth writing home about!