Never Have I Ever … until I went North to Alaska.

I recently spent 8 action packed nights in Alaska and found myself doing things I have never done before.  While cruises offer many activities, a land vacation gives you a chance for more immersive experiences.

My trip started in Fairbanks which offers the very best Aurora viewing.  On a clear winter night you can see the Northern Lights swirl and dance across the sky - it is spectacular.  There are other locations where you can see the lights, but your best chance of seeing them is in Fairbanks and the magnitude is much larger.  I was fortunate enough to be in Fairbanks during the World Ice Art Championships and even watched some of the artists as they carved their pieces.  Do you like fresh fish?  My ice fishing adventure was in a wooden shed where my host cooked our catch for lunch - it doesn’t get any fresher than that.  On a trip to the hot springs I visited their Ice Sculpture Museum, then went on a dog sled ride. Those dogs love to run!  Fairbanks is also home to the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum with cars from 1898 through the 1920s. The displays are accented with vintage clothing that match the time period of the cars and can keep you engaged for hours.

From Fairbanks I flew down to Anchorage. From my window seat I had a clear view of Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America.

Anchorage was hosting the annual Snow Sculpture Competition which was very different than the Ice Art Event.  We went glacier and wildlife flightseeing around Anchorage in a 7 passenger Beaver airplane.  We ventured out of Anchorage to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and the Alaska Zoo.  We also drove to Whittier, passing through the Anton-Anderson Memorial Tunnel (the longest in North America) to enjoy a Blackstone Glacier Cruise on Prince William Sound. That evening we had a delicious dinner in an igloo.  My final day started with a snowshoe trek, then we went to a reindeer farm where I kissed a moose!  We ended the day with a surprise helicopter ride over several glaciers which included a landing overlooking the largest glacier.

 

While I did and saw so much on this trip there is plenty more I am still anticipating.  I am returning this August to watch black and brown bears catch salmon and go whale watching in addition to having more time at some of the sites I visited on this trip.  In March 2022, I plan to venture up to the Arctic Circle to view polar bears, experience the start of the Iditarod and attend native cultural events.  While I was in Anchorage for the start of the Iditarod, we were not allowed to view it due to COVID-19.  Also, on this trip, native events were canceled because they are a high covid-19 risk population.  If Alaska isn’t on your future trip list, it should be.