Planning a trip to Alaska - places you can go to!
Yes, it is Alaskaa – Alaska! Does it ring a bell? Ever since I have watched the movie ‘Into the Wild’ I just felt some divine connection to this place. Well, I am so delighted to compile a list of to-do activities in this wonderland so here we go. It is one of the most ignored and least travelled territories among all US states, Alaska is a hidden gold mine in the adventure world. A classical Adam and Eve experience with wilderness all around and minimal technology is what defines Alaska the best. Glaciers, mountains and forests, along with wild animals ruling that kingdom, covers the major chunk of it. What’s a really exciting thing to know about Alaska is that it is largely unexplored. So there might be a great chance for you to become the first person to explore a region or to surmount a peak! This uncertainty of what Alaska may bring to you is what makes it spine-chilling. Even if you don’t have any experience about staying in the wilderness, let alone surviving, local guides are here to ensure you the best trip. It is really important to bring this place to notice of adventure-seeking enthusiasts, so Farenexus has taken the matter into his hands to enchant you with its sheer (and wild) beauty:-
Image by Noel Bauza from Pixabay
1. Kroschel Films Wildlife Center
Kroschel Films Wildlife Center is a resultant of Filmmaker Steve Kroschel’s love for wildlife and nature. He takes care of animals whose families have suffered nature’s beat and couldn’t survive or those who lost their way from them. Kroschel Films Wildlife Center is an all-natural habitat for them where they can live freely in an area under the surveillance of experts. Tourists can come here to spend time and learn the nitty-gritty about them. Located approximately 45 KM away from Haines, this wildlife centre boasts 15 species of animals with foxes, bears and reindeers among them. Steve Kroschel and the team have done a fabulous job here and such attempts must be appreciated.
2. Kodiak Fisheries Research Centre
How about seeing a humungous touch tank where resides a large variety of sea creatures? For your information, a touch tank is similar to the aquarium but here you can touch the aquatic beings. This 3500-gallon pool is home to species of fish, crabs, snails, shrimp, etc. Being a research centre, this place can stuff you with a lot of lesser-known knowledge about marine life. If you are a knowledge buff, then hiring the tour guide is worth the money. Kids especially love this place because here, their inherent curiosity and love to learn amazing new things meet the glory of actually touching and handling them. Kodiak Fisheries Research Centre is located in Kodiak Island, ready to give you an eye-popping experience.
3. Denali National Park
Denali National Park – Image by David Mark from Pixabay
Denali National Park is among the major attractions of Alaska. This wildlife reserve is spread in an area of 6 million acres and is home to North America’s highest peak, Mount McKinley a.k.a. Denali which is over 20,000 feet or 6190 meters high. With such an enormous space to its name, it is a residence to a great variety of flora and fauna. Around 450 types of flowers are found here. Terrestrial animals here include Grizzly bears, wolfs, marmots, wolverines, shrews, etc and birds of over 200 species are found here. Denali National Park also offers recreational activities like dog-sledging, skiing and snowmobiling in the wintertime while hiking, mountaineering and biking are popular activities in Summer. This beautiful reserve showers great love and thrills to its visitors, thus don’t miss it.
4. Aurora Ice Museum
Aurora Ice Museum is located in one of Alaska’s major city, Fairbanks. This delightful museum is an all-year tourist site regardless of the weather outside, winning it the designation of the world’s largest year-round ice environment. Made with a jaw-dropping 1000 tons of ice, it contains the artistic work of best-in-class ice carvers Steve Brice and Heather Brice, Northern Lights Room, ice outhouse, etc. It is constantly kept at around minus 7 Degree Celcius thus bringing warm clothes is recommended or you can also rent it out. The intricate and amazing art integrated with the captivating colors makes up for a visual spectacle.
5. Tracy Arm Fjord
In Tongass National Forest, there awaits a spectacular fjord for you called Tracy Arm Fjord. A fjord is the part of a river or sea which passes through an area surrounded by mountains or cliffs. The touch of Alaskan forest and the sight of its wildlife makes it a “once in a lifetime” kind of experience. Spotting a grizzly bear, seal or even a whale is quite common in this region. In addition to that, nature’s soothing silence reaches deep inside the soul and nourishes from inside. Most cruises in this region cover this fjord. Overall Tracy Arm Fjord is a picturesque expedition that truly offers a lot to cherish.
6. Alaska Raptor Center
Raptor means the birds of prey i.e. the ones that feed on other smaller animals, for example- eagles, vultures, etc. It would be interesting to know that the world has only 100,000 bald eagles and half of them are sheltered by Alaska. Thus this region needed a special care centre for them and other raptors. This came into the form of the Alaska Raptor Center in 1980. Since then, it has treated countless raptors all over Alaska mainly injured by accidents or gunshots. After treatment, they are sent back to into the wilderness and the ones severely damaged are taken care of forever. Alaska Raptor Center, initiated by two local ladies, is a private non-profit organization receiving around 40,000 visitors annually. Started humbly, this is now a 17-acre facility.
Aurora Borealis – Image by steveowst from Pixabay
Image by Dennis Larsen from Pixabay
7. Mendenhall Glacier
Located 12 miles away from Juneau, the sight of Mendenhall Glacier is a treat to the eyes. This 13.6 miles long glacier is one of the family members among 37 other major glaciers present in the 1500-square mile frozen plateau. But this one is leading in the race of attracting visitors because of the beautiful trails, Visitor Centre and other activities it has in place for you. Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Centre provides stunning views of the glacier and other things nearby it. Throughout the year it organizes various events and programs to expose it more to the outside world. You can also load yourself with historic anecdotes of the region here in the centre. Though Mendenhall Glacier has a lot of scenic trails, Nugget Falls Trail is the best option to pick.
8. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is spread across an area on over 13 million acres, an area larger than Switzerland. It has an annual visitor count of approximately 80,000. This park was established in 1980 and since then it has continuously attracted hikers, backpackers and mountaineers. This park boasts 9 out of top 16 highest peaks in the USA, with Mount St. Elias here being the second highest in the US and Canada. A wide variety of animals, terrestrial and aquatic, and birds are accommodated here. Some of which include Canadian lynxes, coyotes, beavers, bison, caribou, wolf, seals, sea lions, salmons, trouts, etc.
Alaska is not just a trip, it is an emersion of pure wildlife and nature into our life. It’s hard to find any other place like it, thus not getting the traction it deserves is sad to see. It receives just around 2 million visitors every year, 8.5 times less than that of Paris alone. Thus to encourage the tourism of Alaska, Farenexus is offering cheap flight tickets. But are you travel-hearted enough to make the move?
