Surviving Alaska
If
someone was going to invite you to go to Alaska, what would you think? Would you be concerned that you may have to sleep
in an igloo? Do you envision yourself
running away from a wild polar bear?
Surviving Alaska is much easier than you may think, and can be a lot of
fun. By following my three tips, when to
go, where to go, and what to do, you too can survive the Great Frontier!
The
first tip in surviving Alaska is knowing what time of year would be best for
you to go. If you prefer longer days and
warmer weather, the summer would suit you best. During the summer months the
sun stays up for about eighteen hours a day.
This extra daylight allows for activities that you would otherwise miss
out on if you were in one of the lower forty-eight states. If you enjoy colder weather and witnessing
some of the most beautiful sunsets you have ever seen, the winter months may
suit you best. Be warned, however,
temperatures can drop down to as low as negative thirty degrees at times. Another factor that may be hard for some
people during the winter is the lack of light.
The winter months offer nearly eighteen hours of darkness per day. There can be advantages to this lack of light
however, which I will later discuss.
The
second tip to follow to survive Alaska is to know where you may want to
go. Alaska offers mountains, plains,
city life, as well as rural living. If
you prefer the city life, you may want to check out places such as Fairbanks,
Anchorage, or Juneau. Fairbanks is the
second largest city in Alaska and in my opinion offers the widest variety of
experiences. Another perk of visiting
Fairbanks is the city closely mirrors other cities with its attractions, but
with a better view. Anchorage is the
largest city in Alaska and offers visitors a surrounding view of the mountains
from the heart of the city. By visiting the south-eastern part of Alaska, you
will have greater access to glaciers. If
you prefer more of a rural experience of Alaska some great locations would
include Barrow, Seldovia, and Mountain Village.
Barrow and Seldovia both offer a smaller town but easy access to
visitors, whereas Mountain Village is only accessible by boat. Barrow is a great place to go if you would
like to rub shoulders with real Eskimos.
Barrow is a great place to go if you really want to feel that you have
survived Alaska because of the extreme changes of day and night. During the summer months there are times the
sun never goes down, whereas during the winter months the sun never comes up
for months at a time. Seldovia offers
more of a touristy feel but without the lights and sounds of the city.
Now
that you have decided when and where to go, the final tip in surviving Alaska
is knowing what to do when you get there.
The most family friendly location of Fairbanks offers attractions such
as tours, trails, museums, and the State Fair that comes in June. Fairbanks offers a great view of the Northern
Lights during the winter months. You can
catch a good view while enjoying some of the freshest salmon and halibut
available at one of the local restaurants.
Another activity to think about would be midnight fishing. With the days being longer and the sun
staying up well past midnight, fishing at this time would be a special treat. If you wanted to take in the view of Alaska
as a whole, you could take a train or ship ride during the summer between
Anchorage and Fairbanks. In the more
rural parts of Alaska you will be able to see some rare wild life such as Caribou,
Polar Bears, Elk, and even the Bald Eagle.
Skiing, snowboarding, and ice fishing are also great activities. Alaska offers over 200 Alaskan Native culture
groups. You could get more into the
culture by visiting some of the gifts shops or art museums. As mentioned before, you could also go to the
State Fair which offers most of the culture in one place. You could see the totems, try the different
food, watch a dance show, and meet some of the local natives.
As
you can see, there are many ways that you can survive Alaska and have fun doing
it. It depends on you. Where would you like to go? When would you like to go? What would you like to do once you get
there? By following some of my tips
above, this may help you decision making easier. Although the weather may be extreme, Alaska
has a lot to offer anyone who feels adventurous enough to leave behind the
lower forty-eight states. No matter
when, where, and what you decide to do, you just may find out that Alaska does not need to be survived at all.
