Right... we have a plan! I've completely rejigged the previous plans and have ended up doing considerably less time in the US than I had been planning but, well, the goverment set the rules. So the other countries can have my dollar!

Here's what I will be doing:

9th May - 8th June Two part tour through Canada
9th June - 14th July 4,500 miles through Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming & Montana
15th July - 22nd July Cruise the Inside Passage & visit Glacier Bay NP
23rd July - 29th July * Explore Alaska *
30th July - 19th August Footloose Alaska-Yukon Explorer Trek
20th August Fly Anchorage - Hawaii

As you'll see I have opted to do both the tours previously mentioned but I will also have an entire week beforehand to explore under my own steam.

Buck, I wrote the company you mentioned but I think they misunderstood. They wrote back a rather charming and thoroughly helpful message offering lots of help and advice and telling me how I could organise everything myself quite easily! I think I'll write back and see what they can organise for those spare seven days and what price they can offer.

I'm really excited about Alaska now, it has to be said!!