OLD FRIENDS, NEW FRONTIER; ALASKAN HISTORY AND A RAPTOR REHAB BECKON.

Byline: Eric Noland Travel Editor

Whether you're inclined to climb aboard a tour bus, boat or helicopter, or just wander aimlessly through a settlement on the edge of the American wilderness, shore excursions on Alaska cruises offer myriad possibilities for passengers itching to stretch their legs - or widen their eyes.

On a Holland America cruise last September, the ship's port calls yielded plenty of delights.

KETCHIKAN

Like many of the hardscrabble communities along Alaska's southeastern coastal stretch, Ketchikan has eked out a living with the help of a series of enterprises through history: the Juneau gold rush, salmon fishing and canning, the Klondike gold rush, timber harvest ... and the cruise-industry green rush.

A visitors information center is positioned just a few steps from the gangway, and on my visit it was manned by no fewer than a dozen guides, hawking a smorgasbord of tours: totem park, fishing, flightseeing, kayaking, trolley, city, helicopter.

Some of my ship tablemates raved about a trip to nearby Misty Fjords National Monument (it was supposed to be by float plane; poor visibility forced the tour operator to switch to a boat).

Ketchikan has plenty of attractions for foot travelers, too. Most head straight for Creek Street, once the town's notorious red-light district _ now a cluster of souvenir stores clinging to the upslope of Ketchikan Creek. It flourished from 1903 clear into the '50s, and at its peak during World War II, 33 houses of prostitution operated here.

During Prohibition, bootleggers moored their boats amid the stilts of the establishments and delivered their hootch through trap doors in the floor.

At the center of this touristy village is a red funicular _ it's free _ that climbs the steep mountain to the Westmark Cape Fox Lodge. There, you'll get a great view of the town and your cruise ship docked below, but if you want a photograph, don't shoot through the smudged windows of the lodge. Head out the front door, circle to the right and scramble down a slope to the wide gravel ledge behind the hotel.

Afterward, seek out the staircase that descends to Park Avenue, then turn right for the easy walk to the Deer Mountain Tribal Hatchery (admission $6.95). The non-profit operation, run by three area tribes, exists to enhance the natural fishery, which is under threat from such factors as pollution and overfishing by Pacific Rim nations, according to guide Aaron Burton.

The facility is also a sanctuary for bald eagles. There were two grounded birds there last fall _ a male who required a wing amputation after being shot at by a hunter and a female who couldn't fully extend a wing after flying into a power line.

A visit to Ketchikan should include a stop at the Tongass Historical Museum (629 Dock St., not far from Creek Street; admission is only $2). It is tiny and unassuming but has some real treasures in it, including a fascinating array of old black-and-white photos from the town's frontier past.

One of the pictures, from 1909, showed three cigar-smoking young men posing next to their Christmas tree in a one-room cabin. The tree was decorated with _ no exaggeration _ beer bottles, coffee cups, hardtack biscuits, kitchen utensils and fish.

JUNEAU

Imagine a state capital, the hub of government for a region of more than 656,000 square miles, that is not reachable by car. This is Juneau, an isolated community along Alaska's coast, hemmed in by ice fields and islands.

One of the best ways to achieve an overview of the city, the cruise dock and Gastineau Channel is to hop aboard the Mount Roberts Tramway _ only 4 years old _ for the steep climb to a precipitious overlook (cost is about $20 for adults, $11 for children 12 and under).

At the top are nature trails, a theater showing a film on native culture, a gift shop and dining facilities. If you're feeling ambitious, ask for directions to the trail that winds through lush forest on a descent back to town. Make plenty of noise if you choose this route, though; these woods are thick with bears.

One of the most popular nature excursions from Juneau is a helicopter ride to nearby glaciers. The crafts will land on the ice field and let you walk around (costs range from about $125 to $200 per person, depending on duration of tour). Undertake this trip advisedly, though.

Last June, a sightseeing helicopter crashed on Herbert Glacier, killing the pilot and all six cruise-ship tourists on board. In August, three tourists and a pilot walked away from a small-plane crash landing on Mendenhall Glacier. In September, just days before my visit, a sightseeing helicopter crash-landed on Herbert Glacier and two rescue helicopters were forced down by poor visibility. Five tourists, including a 72-year-old man from Irvine, had to spend a night camped on the ice.

SITKA

A journey up the Inside Passage probably wouldn't be complete without at least some glimpses of marine wildlife, and 50,000-ton cruise ships are not particularly well-suited to provide them.

In Sitka, a three-hour excursion booked with Sea Otter & Wildlife Quest yielded quite a bounty. (The tour, booked through Holland America, is a bit pricey at $104 _ about twice what counterparts charge in Hawaii.)

The tour boat, a 65-foot, double-deck catamaran, picked up cruise passengers at the ship, which moors in the harbor because Sitka's dock can only accommodate small craft.

As we putted around the many islands of Sitka Sound, we got a close-up look at about a dozen humpback whales, diving for shrimp and other delicacies in their summer visit to Alaska. We spotted harbor seals lounging on rocks _ they possess a remarkable capacity for blending in with the bird-dung stains. We saw sea otters, including one that floated on its back near the boat, prying open a Gaper clam as big as a salad plate.

There were also Steller sea lions, bald eagles _ both nesting and in full flight _ and cormorants diving deeply for fish.

A pair of binoculars was provided at every seat. The upstairs deck was partially covered for rain protection and warmth. And the open area of the upper deck was interlaced with aluminum railings, which were welcome as the boat rocked in the swells of the sound.

Alaska's tourist-dependent coastal communities don't miss a trick: Upon completion of the tour, we were dropped at Sitka's dock rather than returned to the ship. So even if you were planning on going ashore in a launch, make sure you take your land-tour items with you on the wildlife boat.

In the early 1800s, Russia established a settlement here, proceeding to battle the local Tlingits to a standoff but utterly routing the sea-otter population. Remnants of the Russian presence remain, notably the onion domes of St. Michael's Cathedral. The original Russian Orthodox church was claimed by a fire; this is a faithful copy, built in the 1960s. There are also Russian dance performances (check with your cruise line in advance to see if your port call will coincide with a show).

For exposure to the other faction in the conflict, follow Lincoln Street to Sitka National Historic Park, where the Tlingits' struggle with the Russians is documented and totems dot a wooded walking path.

Another popular stop is the Alaska Raptor Rehabilitation Center, on Sawmill Creek Road, where injured eagles, hawks, falcons and owls are cared for.

CAPTION(S):

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Photo: (1 -- 2) Creek Street, above, is popular with visitors to Ketchikan. The former red-light district, now a cluster of souvenir shops, clings to stilts above Ketchikan Creek. Below, at Sitka, the restored St. Michael's Cathedral is topped with onion domes.

Eric Noland/Travel Editor