Visiting Alaska, Our Last Frontier

I've been fortunate enough to have been here twice and I'm hoping to go again next fall. Both of my trips have been on cruise ships but I was able to extend them with land trips also.

Alaska can provide you with a quiet family vacation or an adventuresome getaway. It's up to you and how you plan your trip. Teenagers especially seem to enjoy this state. My cousin Brady who was not quite a teenager when we went three or four years ago said it was his favorite trip. Not bad, considering he's been to England a few times, Europe at least once and Thailand and Cambodia last summer.

Although the trip he accompanied me on, what a cruise, we did a lot of extra activities. We whale watched, went gold panning, hiking, kayaking, horseback riding (in Skagway), took the bus tour (better in my opinion than the train) into Canada and experienced many more things.

On my second trip, I got to see Mt. McKinley which is no small feat considered it's obscured by clouds most of the time. I'll never forget sitting on my hotel balcony sipping wine and enjoying the view. Because it stays light so late, we also enjoyed dinner at the hotel restaurant, still enjoying the very same view. A couple of fellows we had met during the cruise part of our trip, had booked a flight for Mt. McKinley the day before, and were cancelled out due to the weather. They never even got a glimpse of the spectacular mountain.

If you are a history buff, you'll want to include stops at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, the Aleutian World War II National Historic Site plus other museums. July, 1897 saw the beginning of the Alaskan Gold Rush in the Klondike. The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park is in Skagway. It's open daily during the Alaskan cruise season. Here you can take a 45-minute tour with a Ranger or go exploring on your own. Either way, you'll find it very interesting.

Located in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, the Aleutian World War II National Historic Site and Visitor Center commemorates the first invasion of American soil since the war of 1812. This area became one of the most fiercely contested battles of the Pacific Theatre. Fort Schwatka on Mt. Ballyhoo has been preserved and tells the compelling stores of this time. Many of the buildings are gone but some of the original lookout sites and gun mounts are still there.

Get an experienced tour guide and visit the Artic National Wildlife Refuge. Unless you and your group are very experienced wilderness campers, please put yourself in the hands of a tour guide; there are risks out in the Alaska wilderness. You'll see and learn about many species of wildlife from bears to caribou to dolly sheep and migratory birds. You'll also see some wonderful scenery while you fish, hike and/or hunt. Here are a couple to sites to get you started - www.abecalaska.com and alaskaadvenures.com.

Also, think about visiting the Inupiat Heritage Center where you'll learn about the history, culture and crafts of the Inupiat Eskimo people. Located in Sitka, this serves as a reminder of the Native Alaskan People's part in the whaling industry that was so critical to this state in the 18 and 1900's. The center is open year round during the week and Saturdays they offer a craft show and other activities. Visit them at www.nps.gov/inup/planyourvist/hours.htm for more information.

Do some research before you go and you'll be pleased with what a great journey you will have in this very picturesque state of Alaska.

Then grab your poncho, your camera and go.
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