Alaska: Adventure Vacation Destination

Alaska is America's last frontier. It is rugged and young and known for its wilderness yet offers plenty of urban opportunities for the visitor. You can arrive on a cruise and still maintain your level of comfort or head out into the wilderness and rough it. The beauty of Alaska is that it can be whatever you want it to be. The only limit is the traveler's imagination.

Where else can you not only see but climb a glacier? Where is the only place in the United States where you can view the Northern Lights? It is Alaska, of course.

Fishing for king salmon is a favorite pastime of visitors to Alaska. Visit the land of the midnight sun and hire a professional guide to take you to the Kenai River for the ultimate fishing adventure. Maybe you will be the one who tops the world record catch of 97.4 pounds.

For the more adventurous pioneer there is still gold in them thar hills and you might as well be the one who finds it. You can do it on your own or you can hire a guide, either way you don't need much skill or much equipment just a desire to be in the great outdoors and a little greed for long buried gold isn't a bad thing.

If you are more of a shopper than sportsmen don't despair, Alaska has plenty to offer in the way of retail therapy. Of special note are the native arts, beautiful baskets, carved whalebone and ivory trinkets and jewelry. Among the most popular items are the furs, no offense PETA but this is big business and at prices that can't be matched in the lower 48.

Anchorage is Alaska's largest city and at almost 300,000 people, it has an urban vibe while still maintaining a sense of the wilderness which is never far away. Located between the Chugach Mountains and Cook Inlet, it lies in the shadow of Mount McKinley. This makes a good jumping off point for trips to Denali National Park.

Denali National Park is a must see for any visitor to Alaska. Take a guided tour and not only see but learn about the wildlife that makes their home there. You should expect to see moose, caribou, foxes, wolves, bears and Dall Sheep. This is truly a nature lover's paradise.

Fairbanks is located within 110 miles of the Arctic Circle and is in the interior. It is a former mining town that is home to over 80,000 people. This is a good place to come for fishing, panning for gold and riverboat rides. In August they are the home of the Tanana Valley State Fair.

Alaska is a land of contrasts, from its majestic mountains to its stunning glaciers. It can be 90 degrees in the summer and frigid in the winter. It doesn't matter when you visit Alaska, it will take your breath away with its beauty and offer unlimited adventure.