GRISWOLDDAD
Parenting, Entertainment, and Travel Tips
Things to Do in Alaska
*To see Alaska's top annual events, click here.
In my quest to see all 50 states and 7 continents, this is one of the few states I have yet to make it to, but the plan would be to do the following things:
Denali is the view usually associated with Alaska. Denali, more widely known as Mount McKinnley, is the highest mountain peak in North America. I've been told the visibility isn't always that great, so it's so tall that you may not get pictures of the whole thing. If you do or have, consider yourself lucky!
While in Denali National Park, you can go "flightseeing" and land on a glacier to get out and explore. Companies that offer this service: Talkeetna, Fly Denali, K2 Aviation and Denali Air, though I'm sure there are others.
Other activities while in Denali include mountaineering, hiking, cycling, camping, and viewing wildlife like moose, caribou, dall sheep, wolves and grizzly bears...aka The Big Five.
Homer
This town is known for its bear watching. You can use places like Bald Mountain Air Service to fly and see the bears...some of the pictures look awfully UP CLOSE... just don't be the slowest runner!
Homer has a lot of cabins that look like a lot of fun and are all beautiful, but Volcano View Cabin specifically caught my eye while planning this trip. Some of the bear watching companies: Bald Mountain Air, Emerald Air Service and K Bay Air.
Seward
Take a boat ride out to see the glaciers, where you can also expect to see whales, seals, otters, bald eagles, puffins and other wildlife. You can also hike to "Exit Glacier", kayak Bear Lake, and hike on part of the Iditarod trail! If you stay at Bear Lake Lodgings, they provide free kayaks for the lake.
Of course, Alaska is also known for the iconic 1,150 mile dogsledding race, the Iditarod. If you stay at the Rainy Pass Lodge, you'll be on the "race track" trail at one of the racers' pit stops. You can hike or ride horses on the trail.
Another thing Alaska is known for is its historic railroads, and so the Denali Star is another great way to maneuver through Alaska. It takes you from Anchorage north to Fairbanks. Along the way, you get to do the following:
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Really explore the Alaskan interior.
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Experience Talkeetna, a true frontier town, for jet boating, rafting, and dog mushing.
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Flightsee around Mt. McKinley (weather-permitting).
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Visit famed Denali National Park for river rafting, wildlife viewing, backcountry Jeep Safari, and dinner theater.
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Explore a gold mine and do a salmon bake in Fairbanks.
