Alaska is an incredible place to visit, unlike anywhere else in the United States. If you’re planning a trip to Alaska, here are a few things you want to make sure you take time to appreciate.
Scale
Alaska is the largest state in the union by several orders of magnitude. It is hard to fully understand just how huge it is. Denali Mountain is so tall that it creates its own weather patterns. Many of the glaciers and wilderness areas are so large that they can best be appreciated from the air. Flightseeing Ketchikan AK and other areas can help you to get a sense of the scale of this incredible place, and make you realize just how small you are.
Wildlife
A trip to Alaska that doesn’t involve wildlife is hardly worth it. Moose, bears, and whales are only the beginning of what Alaska has to offer. There are more bald eagles in Chugach National Forest than the other 49 states combined. If you travel to Alaska at the right time, you can see incredible wildlife events, like caribou migrations and salmon runs. The coastal regions have otters, rare seabirds, fish and even, in certain areas, beluga whales. At the Large Animal Research Station, you can see caribou and musk ox up close without risking your life.
Spirit
The thing that is hardest to capture about Alaska is the spirit of the place. It is perhaps best understood in Denali National Park, where the philosophy states that it is the visitors who need to be managed, not the bears and the moose and the wilderness. Alaska belongs to the wildlife first and to humans second. When you visit Alaska, you are a careful trespasser in a dangerous but beautiful land.
An Alaska trip is one you will never forget. The scale, the wildlife and the spirit of the place are completely unique and unforgettable.