Alaska (sneak peak)

Denali. Photo credit: Bryson Beaver on Unsplash.

Dear Travelers,

I am currently working on my article/traveling tips on my recent trip to Alaska. It was a long trip so I’m tinkering with how to keep it engaging and include all the stuff to do and see. It’s a lot!

Here is the beginning of it for you to check out. If there is anything specific you want to know or you think I should include, please send me a comment and I will get back to you. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Meanwhile, enjoy the start of my Alaska article, be sure to check out the entire version when I publish it on Medium, and have a relaxing weekend. Stay cool out there.

Peace,

Kit

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Alaska

5 towns and 6 tours in 16 days: Anchorage, Denali, Seward, Homer, Girdwood.

Here, sign this waiver releasing us from any responsibility if you die.

That is pretty much how every tour in Alaska starts out. Most of the activities you sign up for are inherently risky. Listen to the instructions, keep your head on straight, stay sober, and you’ll be fine (probably). 

I was a little scared to jump into some of these adventures but whatever, you know? I could just as easily die in a car accident so…let’s do this.

Alaska feels inherently dangerous. Because, well, bears — and a lot of open lands. Alaska is bigger than Texas, California, and Montana combined. Even with all that land, Alaska has fewer roads than Delaware. So, for a novice — if you don’t die from an animal attack, you may die at the hands of the raw wilderness. With all that said, sign up for tours. You will be with experts that know how to navigate Alaska and you will also learn some really cool stuff along the way. 

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Anchorage

You will most likely fly into Anchorage. I recommend that you do. Stay at least one night here. You will need to recharge after that long flight. I live on the west coast and it was still a full day of travel for me. 

Give yourself a day in Anchorage if you can. Roam around, sit at a brewery, take an easy walk. We went to the museum there — Anchorage Museum — and it was very cool. If you are down with museums, definitely check it out.

Anchorage, as a city, will not take you long to get through. You won’t need more than two days here if you are planning on roaming around the town. Most of what you do will be excursions: fishing, hiking, boating. You could make Anchorage your home base and do stuff out of there but we chose to travel throughout the state. Do that if you have the time to devote to it.

Trains

The trains in Alaska are great! The train depots are all centrally located and easy to get transport from. We took many trains while we were there and it worked out really well. 

We used the trains on 4 different days to get to different cities. It is a fun way to see the state. You can sit back, stare out the window, see some remarkable forests, and you will also cross some amazing bridges. 

If you are heading anywhere north of Anchorage, look into taking the Wilderness Express. It’s a luxury rail car with a curved glass dome so you get to see way more than you would from a regular train seat. They have hosts that narrate your trip, some pretty tasty food, and a full bar. If that’s not your thing, the regular trains are perfectly good and I would recommend those too. You still get a great trip, you’ll just have to get your own drinks.