I would suggest doing a bush pilot tour or even two. That's really the only way to get around in Ala

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We want to take a family trip to Alaska for the first time. What is the best recommendation for the best way to see the most? Our children are 21 and 23 so no need to entertain little ones. We definitely would like to try to see Denali, glaciers, whale watch, northern lights, salmon fishing and even try panning for gold.
Well first, seeing the northern lights in the land of the midnight sun is a bit contradictory. October - April is the time for seeing the aurora, but not for cruising, salmon fishing, visiting Denali or panning for gold (the water tends to be a bit rigid.)
How much time do you have and when would you have it? Cruising season is roughly mid-May to mid-September, and both the round trip cruises (out of Vancouver or Seattle) and the one-way cruises alaska cruise alaska tour (between Vancouver and Seward or Whittier, or v.v.) require seven days, so combining a cruise alaska cruise alaska tour with land would require (a) a one-way cruise alaska cruise alaska tour either originating or ending in Vancouver, and (b) at least an additional week (i.e. 14 days minimum.)
(To clarify, the round trip cruises from Seattle or Vancouver only travel to the Southeast Alaska "panhandle" and back. Getting to Southcentral or Interior Alaska - Anchorage, Denali, Kenai Peninsula etc. - by cruise ship requires a one-way cruise; it's too far for a 7-day round trip.)
Even with a 7-day cruise plus a week on land, you'd need to edit your aims, or else spend a lot of time driving (if you self-tour) or on a tour bus (bleh.) Distances are great, and Denali, for example, requires at least 2, and usually 3 days to visit, counting the time needed just to get to the park from elsewhere.
The cruises are very affordable on a per-person-per-day basis, and offer the ability to see Southeast Alaska and the Inside Passage with a minimum of fuss; like most of Alaska these are roadless areas, so flying or sailing is the only way to experience them.
On the other hand, even road-based touring doesn't expose you to huge parts of Alaska - the road system is limited and the state is humongous; you won't see much of "the bush" or be able to experience the arctic, or much native culture, from a car.
So it's not an easy question. More than most destinations Alaska requires a degree of research on a visitor's part, so that you make the most of your visit in your terms. Fancy a "fly-in" fishing trip where a float plane flies you to a lake or river, drops you off and then returns to pick you up? Bear watching? How about visiting an Eskimo village and sticking a toe in the Arctic Ocean?
alaska cruise alaska tour If that trip is too expensive, I also suggest a 2 week trip with a one way cruise from Vancouver to Alaska that includes a sail into Glacier Bay and then the road trip that includes Seward/Girdwood/Denali. Do plan the roadtrip on your own and not through alaska cruise alaska tour the cruiseline. It is very easy to drive around Alaska
The other option is a 2 week road trip which is what we did for our first trip to Alaska last July. It was fantastic. I would have loved to have had our children join us. Our trip report is posted on this site. Click on my name to find it.
Fly in to Anchorage. Do Denali and Kenai Fjords. We did a flyout/fishing/bearviewing on Wolverine Creek from Soldotna. This flew over Redoubt Ray/Cook alaska cruise alaska tour Inlet right to the edge of Lake Clark National Park. We were there around July 1st. This is a good time for everything but not The Northern Lights(as Gardy indicates). Think of it like Colorado-Snow alaska cruise alaska tour Skiing in the Winter-hiking and biking in the summer.
I would suggest doing a bush pilot tour or even two. That's really the only way to get around in Alaska. My parents went on a seperate trip and the highlight for them was landing on a glacier at Denali. alaska cruise alaska tour This is usually done from Talkeetna.
We've been twice and did the cruise back to Vancouver after our second land trip. You just don't get a feel for Alaska only sailing down the coast. The scenery is pretty but the ports are a bit artificial--set up for cruise passengers.