The Last Frontier - Alaska

One of the nicest places to visit in summer is Alaska. To date, Alaska remains one of the most beautiful places I have been to.

Alaska is different from every other destination in the world. It is a land of superlatives – its vast land size makes it the largest of all U.S. State. In fact, it is larger than all but 18 countries of the world!

The size of Alaska in comparison to the other US states!

I flew into the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and started my Alaskan adventure in Anchorage. The National Heritage center in Anchorage provides a good understanding of the Alaskan culture and its history. You can also enjoy a good meal of succulent Alaskan crab legs at a relatively reasonable price.

Succulent Alaskan Crab Legs

What I didn’t expect to see was a wild moose sashaying its way down mainstreet downtown Anchorage. It was a wildly unexpected moment for me but a common sight for the locals. Many simply shrugged and laughed. 

Next, I boarded the Alaska Rail to Denali. The best way to see Alaska is on railroad – This is Alaska RailRoad Corporation’s slogan and I wholeheartedly agree.

The Alaskan Railroad Corporation

I am a frequent train traveler but this was the only time I wished my 6 hours journey would never end. The seats were comfortable, the service was great but most importantly, the view was breathtaking. Staring out through the train’s huge glass windows at the spectacular mountain vistas, the tundra landscape and Alaska’s wildlife, I remembered thinking to myself that everyone should visit Alaska and ride the Alaskan Rail at least once in their lifetime. The guides onboard the train were knowledgeable and quick to point out interesting facts and wildlife as we passed them by.

View along the way - you can see the reflection of the train's windows

Ravines along the way

I spent the next few days in Denali National Park. Denali Park is home to North America's highest mountain, Mt. McKinley, towering over 20,300 feet tall.

First peek at Mt. McKinley

The 6 million acre National Park is one of the best opportunities to appreciate the Alaskan wildlife. During my few days at the Denali National Park, I saw black bears, moose, wolves, dall sheep, caribous, otters, bald eagles, golden eagle, beavers and many more. It was an extremely education experience for me.

Roads into Denali Park have restricted access and private vehicles are only allowed on the first fourteen miles. You will almost certainly want to travel further into the Park on a narrated bus tour or Park Service shuttle. I went on the full day Kantishna Wilderness Trails bus tour bringing me deep into Denali Park. The shuttle rides are so popular that reservations are made as far as one year in advance. There are ranger led programs everyday to help you further appreciate Denali.

I also took the time to visit Iditarod Champion’s Jeff King Husky Homestead.

The Iditarod is known as the last great race on earth. It is a race of over 1150 miles of the roughest, most beautiful terrain Mother Nature has to offer. From Anchorage, in south central Alaska, to Nome on the western Bering Sea coast, each team of 12 to 16 dogs and their musher cover over 1150 miles in 10 to 17 days. Add to that temperatures far below zero, winds that can cause a complete loss of visibility, the hazards of overflow, long hours of darkness and treacherous climbs and side hills, and you have the Iditarod.

At Jeff’s Husky Homestead, I met with champion sled dogs, saw the dogs summer training in action, took a one hour narrated kennel tour and even got to cuddle some puppies. Since I doubt that I would plan to visit Alaska to witness the Iditarod race first hand, this was my Iditarod’s experience for me.

Alaskan Husky Puppy asleep in our arms!

Next stop on my itinerary – Juneau and Glacial Bay National Park…to be continued in the next post.

Your Travel Beacon,
Cindy