The first time I went to Alaska, I kept hearing people talk about the last frontier and I would think to myself, why are they saying that. When I got to Alaska I quickly realized why.
The Wildlife in Alaska is like nothing else. You should expect to experience incredible landscapes and nature’s beauty.
Alaska is America’s last frontier with so much undeveloped land and wilderness.
I was shocked at how much bigger so many things are in Alaska, for example, Denali. I had seen beautiful mountains in my travels but Denali blew them all away with her size and majesty. The way of life is different from the lower 48. It is very common in Alaska for locals to have a pilot’s license. I have flown with different floatplane pilots while traveling in Alaska. One of the pilots shared a story of how he learned to fly sitting in his grandpa’s lap at age 3. The Pilot’s grandpa had owned a timber company in Alaska and he would fly with him from one logging site to another in the floatplane.
You can expect some of the friendliest people.
I love local Alaskan people. One of my favorite things about traveling there is the kindness of the locals. The locals I have found normally love to talk about the state they love so much.
I would suggest being preplanned and prepared for the season you are traveling in.
If it’s winter, you want to pack the appropriate cold-weather clothing. It can get very cold in Alaska in the winter. If you are driving you want to make sure you understand the road conditions you plan to travel on.
In the summer, I carry layers. It can start out cool in the morning and then get warmer as the day goes on. Layers are the key. I also suggest bug spray in the summer when traveling inland.
You want to do your homework on Alaska or work with a travel planner who understands Alaska. So when you get to Alaska, you are prepared for your trip.
The seasons vary so much so you will want to understand the season you are traveling in. The winters have fewer daylight hours than in the summer, you have so much more daylight.
You would want to make sure you planned your activities around the lack of daylight in the winter. Then in summer, I found when visiting you have to pace yourself or you could feel really tried. The first time I visited interior Alaska in the summer, I was out walking around at 10 pm local time so like 1 am my time. By day three or four of that, I was extremely tired.
You can expect delicious food.
I feel like Alaska is a seafood lover’s dream! The dishes made with fresh berries are spectacular too. When you’re on a tour ask your local tour guide where they like to eat. I have found some great restaurants from asking locals.
You can expect when visiting local heritage museums to hear rich and vibrant stories on Alaska history. These stories are so fascinating and it’s incredible to see or hear about the Alaskan way of life.
What I hear so often is travelers say “this is a once a lifetime trip” and for some people, it is a once in a lifetime. But, I have so many guests who go to Alaska and fall in love, and go back over and over.
So what I think you can truly expect from traveling to Alaska is to fall in love. I went to Alaska and fell in love and I feel like Alaska is in my blood.
Would you like to fall in Love with Alaska?
Interested in learning more? Contact our Alaska trained specialist with the form below.