Welcome to Alaska, the last frontier! Home glaciers, tons of bears, and some of the best seafood you can find. On today’s adventure, I thought I’d tell you about this great state. Alaska is home to some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world with its lush, green forests and snowcapped mountains. The rigid mountains were carved over centuries from the glaciers, creating some truly breathtaking scenery. Whether you wish to see the Salmon run, the pods of whales, the Northern Lights, or maybe you wish to participate in a dog sled race, Alaska has something to satisfy every Traveler’s soul.

Now, the easiest way to see a lot of Alaska is by cruise ship. You could do a road trip, and don’t get me wrong, it would probably be the best road trip you’d ever do, but you’d miss out on cities like Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan. You could always ferry your car around the Southeast islands, but that would just make an expensive trip even more expensive. Although, I do see people do it from time to time.

However, on a cruise, you get to experience many different places all in one trip without the worry of trying to find a hotel and all of those other stressors. One of the places you will get to visit is Hoonah Alaska, or more commonly referred to as Icy Strait Point. Now to be fair, there isn’t much that separates this port from any other port in Alaska. You get your usual stuff like whale watching, optional hikes, ATV tours, bear tours, and the usual stuff like that. The biggest thing this port offers that separates it though, is its zip line.

With a total length of over 5,000 feet and a drop distance of over 1,000, this isn’t your usual zipline. You will go from the top of the mountain back down to the port while reaching speeds of 65 mph! Built back in 2007 it was the longest, uninterrupted zipline at the time. If you’re up for this adventure though, it will cost you about $200 per person. But who knows, maybe your cruise will have a cheaper package.

From Hoonah, let’s run back over to Juneau Alaska. This port doesn’t have anything nearly as adventurous as the Ziprider, and it still has the usual tourist options. But here, you can experience the Mendenhall Glacier and some of the finest crab you can ever find.

I will tell you right now, I am an incredibly picky eater so food options are not something I’ll generally recommend, especially seafood. But you cannot find a better crab than this place. I started working here not long ago and tried the King Crab while on shift, and the hype this place receives is real. All day long, the restaurant is packed with customers and I have never seen a single one leave disappointed. This place is expensive to eat at, and despite spending over $200 on a bucket of crab, I have seen people still get back in line for seconds. When you’re in Juneau, this place is a must-visit. Unless you’re allergic to crab then probably avoid it.

Offseason

Maybe the height of tourist season isn’t for you and you’d prefer to come in the winter months when it’s less crowded. You’ll miss out on Icy Strait Point, Tracy’s Crab Shack, and most of all the other tourist stuff, but if you’re willing to deal with the cold you’ll get to experience the Northern Lights. Now these have been talked about to death. They’re on everyone’s bucket list and mentioned in just about any travel article you can find about Alaska. But this Newsletter would not be complete without them.

Now, keep in my the further north you travel the better the Northern Lights become. I’m in Southeast Alaska and here the lights are rare, and quite frankly kind of disappointing. By that I mean they look better in the picture than they did in person. Here in Juneau, we don’t get the pinks and bright vibrant colors, and most of the pictures you see of the northern lights are edited. The one above isn’t, because I don’t know how to do that. And I don’t say this to discourage you from trying to see them, I’m merely sharing my experience with them. I’m still in awe every time they come out, they’re truly breathtaking. Just don’t come to Juneau expecting them to look like they do in a Disney movie. For a full Northern Lights experience go further north to cities like Fairbanks.

In conclusion

Alaska is a truly great place for adventure. There are countless things to see and countless things to do. There are plenty of tourist options, and plenty of things for the more adventurous soul. Just be careful, the Alaskan wilderness is an incredibly unforgiving place (I know because I twisted my ankle playing frisbee golf in it) many people get lost and go missing every single year. Don’t hike alone, and don’t mess with the bears. They may look cute but they’re still bears.