If you’re a seasoned traveler, or even if you’re making the first journey of your life, Alaska must be on your destination list. Wild, mysterious Alaska. Unsoiled and beautiful.
Alaska has a lot to offer the curious tourist since it is home to incredible mountains and glaciers, grizzly bears, seals, and other natural wonders. You can try out the museums, cafes, and restaurants in Juneau and explore national parks in Denali.
Here are a few ideas of what to do on your trip to Alaska.
1. White Pass and Yukon Route Railway
This route is a Canadian and American narrow gauge railroad linking Skagway, Alaska, to Whitehorse, Yukon. It was constructed in the early 1900s, during the Klondike Gold Rush, to help miners reach the goldfields.
It was operational until 1982; in 1988, it was resurrected as a heritage railway. This railway line allows passengers to travel back in time, riding past glacial rivers, waterfalls, gorges, and dense forest cover. The train goes as high as 3000 feet, with passengers in cars with observational points and huge windows to allow them to take in as much as they can.
The scenery along this route is breathtaking, and the train passes by wonders of nature that live you inspired and refreshed. When planning your trip to Alaska, ensure you book a room in a lodge or vacation resort from where you can easily find your way to this incredible scene.
2. The Sealaska Heritage Institute
This is a non-profit establishment located in downtown Juneau, founded originally in 1980. It was primarily established to protect and preserve the region’s Haida and Tlingit Tsimshian indigenous cultures. The institute is now permanently located at the Walter Soboleff Building and strives to provide a place where both native and non-native Alaskans can learn about their culture and heritage.
This building has many permanent exhibits and hosts several special events throughout the year. The museum’s exhibit boasts of artistic works done by prominent native creatives. Find a tourist lodge in Juneau to ensure you get to visit this cultural institute.
3. The Running Reindeer Ranch
About half an hour away from downtown Fairbanks spawns the Running Reindeer Ranch, where you can observe these animals about their life and get to learn about them. The owner and ranch manager, Jane, spent most of her life living in Alaska and will take you on a walk around the ranch, explaining various aspects of Alaskan wildlife, vegetation, and climate.
When you visit this ranch, you get to watch the reindeer running free and wild in their forest home, unpredictable and unencumbered. The Running Reindeer Ranch also has an assortment of lodge room options.
4. The Morris Thompson Cultural andamp; Visitors’ Center
This center is a regional visitor center for Fairbanks and Interior Alaska. It’s established on the banks of the Chena River in Fairbanks.
The center is home to a 9000-square-foot exhibit hall with displays and dioramas, depicting rural Alaska’s landscapes and seasons. There’s an information center on the ground, where brochures, walking and driving tour schedules, and vacancy listings can be found.
This center has a theatre in which three films on Alaskan natural and cultural history are shown. Be sure to look for available lodge options in Fairbanks so you can find your way to the Cultural Center without much inconvenience.
5. The Alaska Raptor Center
Even in a place as remote and sparsely populated as Alaska, wild animals bear the brunt of human encroachment into their habitats and increasingly get injured or killed. This center was started on the backyard of two Sitkans, who decided they had to do something to curb this problem.
Alaska, Everyone’s Destination Choice
You may have been thinking about going on an Alaska fishing trip, or Alaska vacations. Yield to these temptations. It’s incredibly easy to find a suitable vacation spot from all the prime locations that Alaska has to offer.
If you’ve just gotten engaged, Alaska destination weddings should be on your mind. Is there a better place to commit to your loved one than in the beautiful expanse of Alaska?
