Alaska
Alaska from airplane
By Radu Marculescu
Alaska is the largest state in the USA.
Alaska covers an area of a half million of square miles, more than twice the size of the state of Texas. The native Aleuts called it "Alyeska" or in translation "The Great Land". The nickname of Alaska is "The Last Frontier". Alaska is also known as "The Land of the Midnight Sun" since North of the Arctic Circle the sun never sets in the summer. In South-central Alaska in the month of July there are approximately 18 hours of daylight each day.
Located in an unspoiled wilderness, Alaska's cities, towns and villages are available for year round recreation and adventure that lasts a life time for many visitors. There are many ways to travel Alaska, including planes, trains, tour buses, cars, RVs and cruise ships.
Alaska is home to 17 national parks and preserves. The Mount McKinley National Park and Preserve is an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is the largest of the National Parks of Alaska and an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Glacier Bay National Park is also an UNSCO World Heritage Site. Katmai National Monument is home of the largest brown bear populations in the world and the world's largest sockeye salmon run each July.
The state is a nature lover's paradise with five distinctive regions: South-central and Southeast (Inside Passage) Alaska , Southwest Alaska, Interior Alaska and Far North Alaska. Each region has many destinations to its ragged mountains, its spectacular blue ice glaciers and its unique wildlife.
Most common travel destinations in the South-central and Southeast region of Alaska include: Anchorage, Girdwood/Alyeska, Whittier, Palmer, Wasilla, Talkeetna, Soldatna, Kenai, Homer, Seward, Valdez, Cordova, Glenallen, Kennecott/McCarthy, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg and Sitka. Southeast Alaska is famous for its Inside Passage consisting of fjords and numerous islands covered with hemlock and spruce. The Inside passage is the traditional home of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian Indians and Russian descendents.
In the Southwest region of Alaska the number of travel destinations include: Bethel, Dillingham, King Salmon, Kodiak Island, Pribilof Islands and Unalaska/Port of Dutch Harbor. The unique fauna of the Southwest region of Alaska is present in a variety of environments ranging from the volcanic terrain of Katmai National Park to the windy grasslands of the Aleutian Islands.
One of the most important travel destinations in the heartland of Alaska is Denali National Park and Preserve with its majestic Mt. McKinley (North America's highest mountain), followed by Fairbanks, Nenana (an Athabascan Native Village) and Fort Yukon that is becoming very popular as a spectacular Northern Lights viewing site.
In the Far North region of Alaska one travel destination is Barrow – the Top of the Earth. The community located beyond the Arctic Circle in an Arctic environment, near the shore of the Arctic Ocean, is one of the world's largest Eskimo settlements. The northern-most point in Alaska and the Unites States is Point Barrow. It is located approximately 10 miles north of the city of Barrow.
Anchorage is the main starting point for recreation and adventure in Alaska. Anchorage is a young modern city surrounded by wilderness. On a clear day, Mount McKinley is visible from downtown Anchorage . Only in Anchorage is possible to see moose in the morning and an Anchorage Symphony's concert in the afternoon or take a four hours flight to see a dramatic Mount McKinley's scenery, then be back for a fresh seafood dinning at a five-star restaurant.
Anchorage is the largest city in the state and considered the hub of the Great Land. It was founded in 1914. The city is home to approximately two-fifths of Alaska's population. It is located in the South-central region of Alaska, 358 miles south of Fairbanks, 60 miles north of Whittier and 127 miles north of Seward. Anchorage is served daily by many domestic and international airlines. It takes three hours to fly from Seattle, Washington to Anchorage, Alaska. Anchorage can be reached from Canada via the Alaska-Canada and George Parks highways. The Glenn and Seward highways and the Alaska Railroad connect Anchorage with Fairbanks, Whittier and Seward.
A vacation to Alaska requires a proper preparation and planning. Despite its beauty, Alaska can be a hazardous place for its visitors without knowledge and understanding of travel in Alaska. If a traveler wants an Alaska vacation to include Denali National Park and Preserve, Mt. McKinley, Columbia Glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, whitewater rafting, trek on a glacier, mountain hiking, wildlife viewing, Alaska salmon fishing, hunting or flightseeing, an Alaskan vacation planning should start with a search of Alaska's Travel web sites. Many of these web sites will advise visitors to discover Alaska with Alaskans. Experienced Alaskans are providing various travel services for everyone or for the adventurer.
See: Alaska Pictures and Top Alaska Vacation Destinations
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