Bucket List: Alaska

 

People travel to Alaska for four main reasons....Wilderness, Wildlife, Mountains, and Glaciers. Alaska is known as the last frontier for many reasons - but let's explore those four reasons people love to visit Alaska and have it on their ultimate travel bucket list!

Wilderness

Alaska's Wilderness accounts for 30% of the nation's wilderness.  Alaska has more than 57 million acres of designated wilderness which includes watersheds, mountain ranges, glaciers, coastlines, volcanoes, wetlands, tundra, forests and rivers.  Most of the National Park Service land in Alaska is protected and people love to visit and experience the wonders it offers.  

photo credit: Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

Wildlife

From the wildlife on land to the marine wildlife, Alaska offers an abundance of species to witness in their natural habitats.  The big five wildlife in Alaska are the Bear, Moose, Caribou, Wolf and Dall Sheep.  Fun Fact: The city of Anchorage is the most populous city in the state, and the number of moose in that city still outnumbers the number of people!  From Whale Watching in Juneau to watching Brown Bears at Brooks Falls, you will experience a different side of wildlife than you've ever encountered.   

photo credit: Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

Mountains

The majestic mountains of Alaska are overpowering in their beauty and sheer size.  Denali (also known as Mount McKinley, which was it's former official name) is the highest peak in Alaska and all of North America.  Denali sits in the Denali National Park and Preserve.  Denali is located north of Anchorage.  One way to visit Denali is to take a one way cruise either a northbound or southbound cruise and experience Denali through a Cruise tour either before embarking or after you've disembarked.  Railcars or Motorcoaches can take you to the heart of Denali to experience this wonder.  

Glaciers

When you think of Alaska, Glaciers may be the first thing you think of.  Seeing these glaciers is a quintessential Alaskan experience.  Glacier Bay National Park is very popular because it is boat accessible and has more than 50 named glaciers.  Not all cruise lines are able to sail into Glacier Bay national park, so this means you must choose your cruise lines wisely.  This is also not typically on a one way cruise itinerary.  Hubbard Glacier is the largest advancing glacier - it's more than six miles wide where it meets the ocean.  

 

So we've talked about the four main reasons people want to travel to Alaska, but how can you get there to see it and experience it?

photo credit: Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

By Cruise Ship

One of the most popular ways to experience all four of these is through a Cruise.  You can do a roundtrip cruise, or opt to do a one way cruise and add a cruise tour on the end or beginning.  Adding a cruise tour onto your cruise gets you in the heart of the Alaska Wilderness to really experience it from the moment you wake up until you close your eyes for the evening.  This allows you to see another side of Alaska, deep within the Alaskan wilderness. Taking a Cruise into Alaska allows you to experience different ports along the Alaskan Coast along with stops in either Vancouver or Victoria, British Columbia.  Another benefit to taking an Alaskan cruise is you can take advantage of immersing yourself in Alaska through the many various port excursions you can do while in port.  

 

photo credit: Railway Gazatte

 

By Rail 

There are railway experiences that can take you on a scenic ride through the Alaskan wilderness.  The Yukon/White Pass Rail will take you through the history and gorgeous scenery of Alaska.  This Rail runs from the Port of Skagway to Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon.  Riding this rail will take you on a trip through time to learn about the Gold Rush.  Amtrak also has rail packages available from many US Cities that take you into the heart of Alaska to experience what it has.  

By Air

You can also fly into Alaska to start your journey.  Much of Alaska's coast line is made up of tiny islands and for those locations, often the only was to access them is by float plane.  These float planes also make excellent ways to experience and view parts of Alaska that you can't see from your cruise ship room or traincar window.  Getting up high in the air to look down upon the natural beauty that is Alaska gives you a birdseye view, and something not everyone gets to experience.  Even if you sail up to Alaska for the first time, consider a port excursion that takes you up in a float plane to see another side of this beautiful part of our world.