Travel Stories: Wildlife and Scenary in Alaska

 

Alaska is beautiful! Regardless of what time of year you visit you will see awe inspiring scenary, amazing wildlife, heavenly sunsets, and meet some of the friendliest people in the country. This session will include a display of pictures from Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Glacier Bay, Denali National Park, Ketchikan, Nome, and Barrow. Stories and some history of each location will also be included.

 

Travel during the summer season gives you the flexibility to travel to the remote northern regions of the state including Barrow and Nome.  You will hear stories of hunting for whales in Barrow and can visit the summer sled dog trails in Nome. Denali National Park will also be open to overnight guests and tours around the park.  Be sure to take your camera to capture the beauty of the flowers, wonders of the wildlife, and the magnificence of Mt. McKinley.  A train ride to the park from either Anchorage or Fairbanks will give you the opportunity to meet the locals in some of the smaller towns.  During the late summer you may also have an opportunity to see the salmon run.  Summer days are long.  You may find yourself eating dinner outside in Fairbanks at 10 pm with the sun high in the sky before you attend a street festival at midnight on the longest day of the year.  A day trip south of Anchorage could combine a trip on the Alaska Railroad with a boat ride to visit the glaciers.

 

Travel during the late fall and early winter will not be disappointing.  It may be a little too late in the year to visit Denali National Park or to fly up to Barrow, but you can still take the train to several destinations. You may also get the opportunity to go whale watching in Glacier Bay. Definitely expect snow and cold temperatures.  You're likely to see snowmobiles on the roads instead of cars, and yes, they really do plug cars into electrical outlets when it's cold enough.  If you are interested in riding with a team of sled dogs do your research to find a team before you arrive. Depending on exactly when you visit you are likely to get less than six hours of sunlight but you will still see some amazing sunsets!