Why Should You Try Alaska
Alaska. Just say the name and it evokes pictures of raw beauty, amazing wildlife and hardy people, doesn’t it?
Here are my top ten reasons to see Alaska, by cruise or by land.
Glaciers. Especially when viewed from a cruise ship glaciers provide a spectacular performance during the summer months when they are calving. Glacier Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the most famous, but College Fjord, Hubbard Glacier, Endicott Arm and Dawes Glaciers will also be worthy of your time. Did you know the Tlingit people call the sound of calving glaciers “white thunder”?
Wildlife. Animal lovers of all kinds will enjoy a wide variety of both land and sea creatures. The big five are all there: moose, bear, dall sheep, caribou and wolves, along with hump back whales, orca’s, otters, and sea lions.
Mountains. The word “Denali” means “Great One”, but there are stunning mountain ranges in several areas of Alaska. In fact, Alaska is home to 16 of the highest peaks in the U.S. Wrangell-St. Elias range or Chugach Mountains east of Anchorage are worth the extra effort.
The Inside Passage. Imagine a cruise where you always have an amazing view, not just miles of open water. Alaska is the one destination where we truly push customers to book a balcony, simply because there are 20 hours a day of incredible scenes playing out just outside your sliding glass door. Forested shores, jagged cliffs, incredible wildlife, waterfalls, and more. Cruising includes meals, comfortable accommodations and those nonstop views.
Culture. Alaskan culture is fascinating as its’ history. There are several ways to connect with the land and its’ native people. Totem Bight State Park and Saxman Native Village are good choices, as is panning for gold on the Gold Rush tour. You can attend lumberjack shows, meet mushers and their dogs up close and in person, and even spend a day with an Alaskan homesteader.
Seafood. Famed for its’ seafood, especially salmon, Alaska is a seafood lover’s dream destination. King crab, halibut, cod and many more freshly caught delicacies are waiting for you in Alaska. You can even try your hand at Salmon fishing in the Salmon Capital of the World, Ketchikan.
Step back in time. Frontier cities such as Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan will give you a wonderful glimpse into a by-gone era. Take a ride on the White Pass scenic railway and learn about the Gold Rush days. Visit the Greek Orthodox church in Sitka, established when Alaska belonged to Russia. Raise a glass and toast the good old days in the Red Dog Saloon in Juneau.
Train trips. There’s nothing like a glass-domed train car to really give you an incredible view of places you can’t reach by roadway. Rolling along past rivers, ranges, forests and wildlife, an Alaskan train trip can’t be beaten.
National Parks. Alaska is home to some of the greatest parks in the world. Denali National Park and Glacier Bay National Park are the top two attractions in the state. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (13 million acres, or six times the size of Yellowstone), the Kenai Fjords National Park (where there are 40 glaciers flowing from the Harding Icefield), and other parks and forests such as Tongass National Forest (16 million acres, the largest national forest in the U.S.), make Alaska a place where the opportunity for amazement abounds.
Variety. Even after considering all of the aforementioned opportunities in Alaska, believe it or not we haven’t even scratched the surface. River rafting, horseback riding, camping, ATV’s, dog sledding, fishing, jet boating, I can go on and on. The incredible variety of adventures available in Alaska make it a destination you can return to year after year after year.
Summer is the only time to go to Alaska. The frigid, life-threatening winters there make travel ill-advised 7 months of the year. We offer both land and sea packages for your Alaskan vacations, all at affordable price points with easy payment options.
Now is the time to see Alaska, and trust the agents at The Joy of Travel to plan a trip for you that exceeds all of your imaginings.