I am going to assume that you want a DSLR. I do have the Canon SX50, and love it. It has a smaller sensor, but unless you want to enlarge to poster size, it shouldn't matter that much. It has full auto option or several presets, or you can go manual as you learn more. No interchangeable lenses but it can zoom from 24mm to 1600mm. If you are going to Alaska, carry a tripod. You can get suggestions by searching this site for tripod suggestions. At full extension, the image tends to bounce a lot. I bought a Dolica 68" Professional Tripod from Adaorama ($80). It is lightweight for travel and fairly stable. There is some tradeoff for weight.
I also have a Canon 3Ti with a number of lenses. I used both recently in France. Unless conditions were extreme, the quality was nearly the same, and the SX50 was much easier to get into play.
I would suggest you go to a store that will let you handle the cameras, such as Best Buy, and see how it feels. B&H or Adorama have the best prices. It normally sells for $400, but I got one for my wife for $339.