Alaska could be one of the most important once in a lifetime trip all by itself. There is no place on earth, where you can get the spectacular view of wildlife and 20 billion years old living glaciers. The recommended travel season to Alaska is in between July to September, other wise you have to be an Eskimo or polar bear to withstand the -42°F temperature. For beginner, the first city to tour would be Anchorage, Alaska.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchorage,_Alaska
During Alaska tourist season (July to September), the hotel, rental car and restaurant become the high ticket items, normally triple the price. However, I have been visiting Alaska in between May and June for staying away from crowd and substantial saving in travel cost.