When the nearly 600,000-square-mile territory known as Alaska became the 49th state of the United States in 1959, it brought with it about 6,600 miles of spectacular coastline to explore. Icebergs, glaciers, and fjords that climb thousands of feet toward the sky combine to create a landscape that is among the most breathtaking in the world, all just two and a half hours by plane from Seattle, Washington. If you like the idea of adventurous sightseeing but would rather head south to a warmer locale, consider the Panama Canal or Costa Rica. There, instead of icebergs, you'll find towering rainforests full of monkeys and sloths.