Shopping

No visit to Alaska would be complete without a souvenir to remember it by. From T-shirts to salmon-skin wallets, from picture books to diamond-willow walking sticks, a shopper in Alaska can come back with the goods. A bonus of shopping in Alaska is finding works produced by Native artisans in such materials as walrus ivory, baleen and fur. These are available in stores at many destinations and ports. Alaska is home to exceptional artists in a variety of media. Many gift shops downtown carry carved ivory, whale bone or moose antlers. All the artists have unique styles and often stories behind their work. 

Vancouver:

Robson Street in the City Center is home to many high-end and touristy shops.

Pacific Centre has more than 150 shops, restaurants and services if you want to walk in an underground shopping center. The shopping center begins at Sears on the north end at Robson Street, and stretches all the way to Pender Street.

Gastown is the oldest neighborhood in Vancouver but is being reborn as a fashion and modern urban design district. Historic buildings house hip restaurants, galleries, and interior design and high-fashion shops.

Yaletown is also popular for its non-mainstream fashion boutiques and high-end salons.

Commercial Drive Shopping is an adventure on Commercial Drive, especially the stretch between 3rd Avenue and Venables St. in East Van. It's great for people-watching, produce (Santa Barbara Market), magazines, cheese, sausage, etc.

East Hastings between Renfrew and Clark offers some of the best hidden delights in the city. There are many eclectic produce stores (Donald's Market). Sausage and salami producers here are some of the best in the city (Moccia's Italian Market.

Main Street, south of Broadway stretching to around 30th Avenue, has a vibrant collection of independent restaurants, cafés, boutiques and small stores.

Chinatown around Main and Pender, and westwards down Pender from Main, has some very, very neat stores to check out.