Lifestyle

Check out 12 unique things you can do in Alaska


Visitors come to Alaska to see glaciers; go fishing; see bears, whales and other wildlife; learn about Alaska Native culture and gold mining history; eat king crab; and, in winter, gaze at the Northern Lights – and that list doesn’t even scratch the surface of the things to do there.

The vast 49th state offers a new “wow” experience every time you visit, something I have learned from traveling through Alaska regularly since the mid-1990s.

My own experience led me to team up with Midgi Moore, who runs food tours out Juneauto write the book “100 Things To Do In Alaska Before You Die”.

We both thought we knew Alaska very well but found ourselves smitten when we embarked on in-depth research for the book.

Here are some of my favorite discoveries of things to do in Alaska.

Practicing yoga with reindeer

Running Reindeer Ranch organizes yoga classes with reindeer. RUN REINDEER / FACEBOOK

Run reindeer farm In Fairbanks there is a herd of reindeer, and each has its own name and personality. In winter, it’s wonderful to walk with them through the snow and woods, watch them walk, dance and stroll through the trees and do yourself a favor. In the summer, some reindeer take yoga classes with humans.

When you do poses in an hour-long Hatha or Vinyasa-style session ($20) with a certified instructor, reindeer weave between the mats and sometimes come right in to check. check you.

Climb the sand dunes

Kobuk Valley and Great Kobuk Dunes National Park is 35 miles from the Arctic Circle and is not easy to get to – you have to take a taxi from the remote village of Kotzebue about 80 kilometers away. However, adventurers will be rewarded with 25 square miles of shifting golden dunes up to 150 feet high.

This is Alaska that looks like the Sahara – and it sometimes has 125 degrees to match. Sand dunes is the product of the Ice Age, about 28,000 years ago, when sand was worn down by the receding glaciers and blown into the valley. The park is home to unique species of wildflowers and wildlife, bears roam occasionally, and a herd of reindeer passes by twice a year.

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Glide across the northern Pacific Ocean

Alaska has its own “Surf City”, Yakutat, with a population of about 660 people. With a stunning location, about 30 miles from Hubbard Glacier – the longest glacier in the world – the town was once the cover of Surfer magazine. Outside magazine calls Yakutat “one of the five best surf towns in America.”

Yakutat is about 200 miles west of Juneau. The cold 25-foot waves – plus a backdrop of rainforest and snow-capped mountains – attract surfers from around the world in the summer.

Bear Watching at Kodiak Brown Bear Center

Owned and operated by the Alutiiq tribe of the Kodiak Islands, Kodiak . Brown Bear Hostel & Center gives visitors a glimpse into the life of the island’s most famous resident – the bear Kodiak Brown. Only eight guests are allowed at a time in this bear-watching experience, which runs from late July to September. Visitors stay in comfortable, private cabins and go on daily excursions to see bears and other local wildlife.

Bear viewing at the Kodiak Brown Bear Center is particularly unique because of Alutiiq’s low-impact approach to bear tracking, based on traditional values ​​of Alutiiq that honors and respects the land and its inhabitants. These values ​​are evident in everything the center does, from renewable energy and sustainable business practices to indigenous, locally sourced ingredients in food – and of course, Minimally invasive approach to wildlife viewing.

Snorkeling cold water

Alaska’s frigid waters are teeming with colorful marine life. TRY SURPRISE / FACEBOOK

One of my personal favorite Alaskan experiences is wearing a wetsuit or dry suit and snorkeling in Southeast Alaska. The cold, stressful, good experience to survive comes with bragging rights.

It’s amazing how colorful sea life is in the raw climate – scarlet, orange and purple starfish, large red sea urchins and pink anemones. If you go with Scuba diving Alaskalocated in Ketchikan, you can see salmon swimming by (the water there is usually 55 degrees Celsius or more).

Jump out of a small UnCruise Adventures On a cruise ship, I once found myself coming face to face with an octopus.

Watch the tide recede

Alaska is one of the best places in the world to watch low tide – when the incoming tide hits the outgoing tide and pulls a long wave through a narrow channel.

The Turnagain Arm, just south of Anchorage, is Alaska’s site for this phenomenon. First, the water is very still; then, there was a roar, and a wall of water up to 10 feet high moved through. The waves come at low tide in Anchorage and move slowly enough that you can drive past them on the Seward Highway.

The best time is from April to October. Click Access an Anchorage tide chart for size and time projections.

Watch a rocket launch

Alaska has not one but two places where you can watch a rocket launch.

The Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska on Kodiak Island performs in-orbit and sub-orbital and satellite launches of government, military and commercial rockets and satellites. The advantage of the location – on state-owned land about 44 miles from Kodiak city – is an open skyline over the North Pacific. You can see the launcher from a distance. When there is a launch, you can observe from the road or boat.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Poker Research Range is the largest surface-to-surface missile research field in the world. This is also the only high-latitude missile range in the US, located on the aurora oval. The launches take place on clear nights, mostly January through March, a good time to study the Northern Lights (aurora borealis).

It’s a bit difficult to catch a rocket at Poker Flats as launch can last days or weeks, but you can keep an eye on the plans at the Institute of Geophysics Twitter page or ordered to update. The facility is sometimes open for tours.

See ancient petroglyphs

The Petroglyph Beach State Historic Site holds a large collection of enigmatic petroglyphs. BARRY WINIKER / GET SMALL IMAGES

On a beach in the remote fishing town of Wrangell, there are mysterious rock carvings made by ancient natives. Petroglyph Beach State Historic Site has the highest density of petroglyphs in Southeast Alaska, with more than 40 works believed to be over 8,000 years old.

The exact origins of the petroglyphs are unknown, but they are thought to predate the Tlingits. Their purpose is also unknown, but some theories suggest that they were a form of communication, possibly directions to a fishing spot. Or, they may simply be a means of artistic expression. The best time to see the glyphs is during low tide.

Learn more about Native Alaska

For visitors who want to learn more about the indigenous communities living in Alaska today, Sitka . Tribe Tour provides the opportunity to learn not only about the history of the Sitka tribe but also about how these traditions exist in the community.

Residents of the Sitka community take visitors on tours that explore the local culture, nature, and history of the region and the tribe. Stops include Sitka . National Historical Parkwhere guests can get an overview of the salmon cycle and learn about the edible and medicinal plants of the area, and the Alaska Raptor Center, which offers treatments for bald eagles. The wound was then released back into the wild.

See vintage cars and vintage clothes

Since Fairbanks is quite remote, you might not expect to find a world-class car collection there. However, that’s exactly what you’ll find at Fountainhead Classic Car Museumone of the top attractions of the city.

The museum is owned by the hotel owners and is located in a warehouse at one of their properties. Inside is a collection of more than 95 restored or preserved cars, all from before the Second World War – all driveable. About 65 to 75 cars are on display at the same time.

The oldest vehicle is the Hay Motor Vehicle of 1898. As you move forward during the museum period, you’ll find interesting things like the 1936 Packard 1408 series dual-winding windshield Phaeton.

Since luxury cars and glamor go hand in hand, the museum also has an accompanying world-class vintage clothing collection, including lovely Parisian gowns.

Visit the relics of a saint

Saint Herman of Alaska was born in Russia and came to Kodiak as a monk and missionary in 1794. He was known as a protector and defender of the local Alutiiq people, including founding the founding of Alutiiq. a school and care for orphans. He was canonized by the Orthodox Church in 1970.

You can visit Saint Herman’s remains and major monuments – including an iron cross he wore – at the impressive, blue-domed historic Holy Easter Orthodox Church in Kodiak.

At the church, Orthodox priests use holy water from a lamp (oil lamp) that burns continuously above a wooden altar to anoint visiting pilgrims from around the world. The oil is said to have healing powers.

Another pilgrimage destination is the burial site of Saint Herman on Spruce Island, just off Kodiak.

Learn about hammers

Quirky Haines is a fitting setting for the strangely fascinating Hammer Museum. JOHN ELK / GET IMAGES

If you remember the old TV show “Northern Exposure,” Haines is a kind of secluded little Alaska that will come to mind – quirky, fun, and full of interesting locals. One of them, Dave Pahl, started collecting old tools and became fascinated with their use, which eventually led to the world’s largest collection of hammers.

Non-profit organization, four rooms Hammer Museum There are about 10,000 hammers in his collection, with several thousand on display at any given time. Why visit? The collection is a journey through history that begins with a stone hammer used to build the pyramid of Menkaure at Giza, Egypt.

In addition to traditional nailing tools, there are hammers used in medicine, by musicians, in combat, and to tenderize meat.

Additional reporting by Lynn Brown.

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