South West Alaska

Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway (annual precipitation 54.38 inches)

South West-Alaska

The panorama of Southwest Alaska ranges from the windy grasslands of the Aleutian Islands, the longest archipelago in the world sweeping 1,000 miles westward into the Pacific Ocean, to the surreal volcanic landscape of the Katmai National Park to the emerald green island of Kodiak to the unsurpassed bird populations of the Pribilof Islands. Southwest is rich with culture, history and wildlife.

Both Yupik Eskimo and Aleut traditions blanket Southwest communities. Visual displays of the Russian era can be found as well as World War II historical landmarks. Southwest Alaska boasts wildlife opportunities for the true naturalist. The Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea are home to 230 species of birds. Kodiak Island is home to a healthy population of Kodiak brown bears, the world’s largest carnivorous land mammals. On the mainland, thousands of brown and black bears congregate at McNeil River and Brooks River falls to gorge on summer salmon.

Bethel, Alaska

Bethel is the transportation center for dozens of Native villages in the Yukon/Kuskokwim Delta and home to the Kuskokwim campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Surrounding the town is the 20-million-acre Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. It is one of the largest waterfowl breeding areas in North America.

To learn about the area and its inhabitants, visit Bethel’s visitor center and the Fish and Wildlife Service’s visitor center. Other activities include bird watching, river trips, walking tours, winter dog sledding and shopping for Native arts and crafts.

Dillingham, Alaska

Dillingham on Alaska’s Bristol Bay is the Gateway to the Wood River and Tikchik River Systems. This area is great for sport fishing, exploring, photography, camping, and did we mention the fishing? Reds (Sockeye Salmon) peak from June 25th to July 10th; Kings (Chinook Salmon) peak from June 20th to July 15th; Silvers (Coho Salmon) peak from July 25th to August 15th. A variety of trout and other fish can also be caught in these waters.

The beautiful windswept Aleutian Islands sweep 1500 miles toward Asia. Numerous national wildlife refuges dot the isles where a 19-day battle between Japanese and American troops raged in May 1943 (the only enemy engagement fought on U.S. soil during World War II. The Aleutian Islands make a memorable addition to your Alaska vacation itinerary. Scheduled jet flights will take you to Dutch Harbor/Unalaska, a major fishing port with comfortable hotels. Or, take a summer ferry sailing from Kodiak.

Alaskan Bird Watching

Whenever you’re near water, you can bet that bald eagles are nearby. They’re most commonly seen perched in the tops of spruce trees near shore, scanning the area for their next meal. Look for their prominent white heads-they often look like golf balls stuck in the green treetops.

One of Alaska’s most noteworthy wildlife spectacles is the annual autumn convergence of thousands of eagles on the Chilkat River flats near Haines. From October through December, with nearly 3,000 eagles having been seen at a given time, this is the greatest concentration of eagles in the world. They gather to feed on a late salmon run, and the chance to see eagles in these numbers is not to be missed.

For a truly “far out” birding and wildlife experience, you can visit St. Paul Island in the Pribilof Islands. Visitors can view northern fur seals at their rookeries, and some truly exotic bird species. Observation blinds are constructed so visitors can watch without disturbing the animals. Local Aleut naturalists lead guided tours, and travel and accommodation packages for multi-day trips are available.

Unalaska, Alaska

Unalaska is the transportation center for dozens of Native villages in the Yukon/Kuskokwim Delta and home to the Kuskokwim campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Surrounding the town is the 20-million-acre Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. It is one of the largest waterfowl breeding areas in North America.

To learn about the area and its inhabitants, visit Unalaska’s visitor center and the Fish and Wildlife Service’s visitor center. Other activities include bird watching, river trips, walking tours, winter dog sledding and shopping for Native arts and crafts.

Alaska is a big state and weather can vary greatly by region and season. The table below shows average temperatures and hours of daylight across the state. Alaska does not have a ‘rainy season’. Southeast Alaska typically receives the most rainfall, while warmer sunny weather is typical of interior Alaska summers.

When packing for Alaska travel your best bet is to dress in layers regardless of which regions you plan to visit. Weather changes quickly in Alaska so be prepared. Alaska is also very causal. Bring along jeans, slacks, sweaters, sweatshirts, t-shirts (short and long sleeve), a rain jacket and comfortable walking shoes.

Far North Alaska - Barrow, Kotzebue, Nome, Prudhoe Bay (annual precipitation 4.8 inches)

Far North-Alaska

Above the Yukon River, beyond the vast Brooks Range, the summer tundra unrolls a carpet of delicate wildflowers to meet the Arctic coast. This is the home of the Inupiat Eskimos, the land of Northern Lights and the Midnight Sun. Traditional Eskimo lifestyle, modern oil field technology and immense herds of wild caribou coexist in an environment that is spectacular wilderness. Migratory birds and marine mammals abound and some of America’s finest wilderness parklands are found in this area.

Alaska’s two largest Eskimo communities, Kotzebue and Barrow, and gold rush historic Nome, are the major towns in this region. The only road access into the Far North is the Dalton Highway, a gravel service road that links the North Slope oil facilities to the state’s public highway systems. Access to the rest of the area is via commercial or charter air service.

Barrow, Alaska

Barrow is the focal point of a large Eskimo settlement, the 88,000-square mile North Slope Borough. It’s located near the northernmost point in Alaska-and North America-on the shores of the Arctic Ocean.

Whales are a large part of the Barrow way of life. Bowhead, gray, killer and beluga whales migrate near Barrow every summer. Continuing an ancient Inupiat tradition, an annual bowhead whale hunt and festival is held every spring.

Nome, Alaska

Nome is located on the southern coast of the Seward Peninsula, approximately 540 air miles northwest of Anchorage. There are no roads connecting Nome to any major city. Jet service is available daily from Anchorage with a flight time of 80 minutes. Half of the 4,000 population are Native Alaskan Eskimos.

Nome has a unique combination of traditional Eskimo culture and a gold rush past. Rent a vehicle and tour the 300-plus miles of road system surrounding Nome. Drive to the Eskimo village of Teller, see the many remnants of Nome’s gold rush past, and look for wildlife such as moose, bear, reindeer, or musk oxen. Visitors can have a picnic at Salmon Lake Campground, go on a walking tour of the town and visit the museum, shop for Native arts and crafts, or visit with the friendly residents.

Interior Alaska

Fairbanks, Denali National Park (annual precipitation 10.8 inches)

Interior - Alaska

In the heartland of Alaska, you’ll find some of the state’s most impressive natural wonders and a wealth of culture and history. The Yukon River courses nearly 2,000 miles across Interior Alaska. Mt. McKinley, the highest mountain in North America, is surrounded by Denali National Park and Preserve. This area boasts spectacular mountain vistas, berry-laden tundra and an abundance of wildlife including caribou, moose, Dall sheep and grizzly bear.

In the heart of the region is Fairbanks, Alaska’s second largest city. Born out of the gold rush era, historical opportunities transport you back to a rustic Alaska filled with colorful facts and fiction. The Athabascan Indian culture of Interior Alaska is rich with tradition as seen in their music, dance and beautiful beadwork. Summer brings up to 20 hours of daylight and winter one of the best locations on earth for viewing the Northern Lights.

Fairbanks, Alaska

A product of the Gold Rush, Fairbanks has grown into a bustling trade and transportation center for Interior and Far North Alaska. Alaska’s second largest city (population 32,156) is home to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Fairbanks enjoys more than 20 hours of daylight from mid-May through July.

Popular regional activities include cruising the Chena and Tanana rivers on an authentic sternwheeler, canoe, or raft; observing musk oxen, caribou, and reindeer at the university’s Large Animal Research Station; and visiting Alaskaland, a frontier theme park.

You can also drive to bubbling mineral waters at Manley, Circle, and Chena Hot Springs; view a portion of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline; and visit the community of North Pole, where the U.S. Post Office traditionally sends Santa’s mail to be answered by his elves.

A fly-in excursion to Fort Yukon on the Arctic Circle gives you a sampling of life on the Yukon River, in Alaska’s largest Athabascan village.

Nenana, Alaska

Nenana is a welcome sight for motorists traveling the Alaska Highway. This friendly community greets travelers with fresh enthusiasm, information and entertainment. Dog sled racing is a popular winter activity along Nenana’s world-class mushing trails.

The Taylor Highway starts just 15 miles east of Nenana and leads to the famous “Forty Mile” and “Klondike” gold fields, the historic communities of Chicken and Eagle, and ultimately to the Yukon River. It crosses the Canadian boarder at Boundary, and continues on to the gold rush town of Dawson City, Yukon Territory.

Tok, Alaska

Tok is a welcome sight for motorists traveling the Alaska Highway. This friendly community greets travelers with fresh enthusiasm, information and entertainment. Dog sled racing is a popular winter activity along Tok’s world-class mushing trails.

The Taylor Highway starts just 15 miles east of Tok and leads to the famous “Forty Mile” and “Klondike” gold fields, the historic communities of Chicken and Eagle, and ultimately to the Yukon River. It crosses the Canadian boarder at Boundary, and continues on to the gold rush town of Dawson City, Yukon Territory.

Insider Passage - Alaska

Carved by glaciers and blanketed with majestic hemlock and spruce, Alaska’s Inside Passage is a region of pristine water, snow capped mountains, deep fjords and forested islands. With its mild, maritime climate, this area is prime habitat for bald eagles, sea lions, porpoise and whales. Much of the southern panhandle is part of the Tongass National Forest, a 16.8 million acre rainforest. Glacier Bay National park has 16 active tidewater glaciers and Misty Fiords National Monument near Ketchikan has 3,000-foot cliffs rising directly from pristine ocean channels.

The picturesque coastal communities are rich in history. Russian influence is well preserved in churches and other historical structures. The Gold Rush era comes to life throughout the Inside Passage and offers fascinating opportunities to learn and explore the past. The Native cultures of Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian Indians dominate this area. Ancient totem poles are abundant in many communities and the art of totem carving is preserved along with traditional dance and music.

Gustavus, Alaska

The unincorporated town of Gustavus remains an undiscovered treasure for visitors, or a least it succeeds in making itself feel that way. Sandy beaches offer an inspiring contrast to snow covered peaks of the Fairweather Range to the West and Chilkat range to the East.

Glacier Bay and Gustavus are work in progress, the Bay that John Muir discovered in 1979 in a canoe, didn’t exist a century earlier. Eighteenth Century explorers had found instead a wall of ice a mile thick where the entrance to the branching 65 mile long bay opens to the sea. In 1914 settlers homesteaded this alluvial fan now known as Gustavus. Today there are approximately 450 year round residents who call it home.

Besides being the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park, Gustavus offers so much more. We have some of the world’s largest viewing of humpback whales just minutes from the dock. The intermittent viewing of the transiet Orca. There is world class fishing for five species of salmon and the giant pacific halibut. Gustavus and Glacier Bay also offer some of the best backcountry hiking, guided and unguided kayaking, and beach combing any where in the world. Not to be over looked is the Mt. Fairweather golf course that was recently featured in Golf Journal. Combine this vast scenery with sightings of eagles, bears, moose, seals, otters, and other wildlife, and it becomes a photographer’s paradise as well as yours and mine!

Gustavus has several lodges, inns and Bed and Breakfasts, to please all tastes and price ranges. To make your Alaska vacation the trip of a lifetime, we offer charter fishing boats, sail boat charters, Whale Watching charters, Glacier Bay Tours, guided and unguided kayak rentals, flight seeing tours, stores, shops and other amenities. Gustavus is accessible by Alaskan bush planes, the Auk-Nu Ferry and Alaskan Airlines.

Haines/Skagway, Alaska

Haines is renowned for its scenery, which includes Lynn Canal (North America’s longest and deepest fjord), adjacent mountain ranges, and numerous rivers, lakes and glaciers. Outdoor recreation is a principal attraction, as Haines shares a boundary with the world’s largest protected wilderness, including Glacier Bay National Park. Each October through December, the nearby Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve hosts the world’s largest gathering of Bald Eagles, when up to 4,000 of them congregate to feast on spawning salmon.

The highway loop connecting Haines and Skagway with Haines Junction and Whitehorse in the Yukon is one of the most spectacular drives in North America.

Outdoor recreation includes limitless opportunities for independent recreation and exploration, as well as a wide variety of organized excursions: guided wilderness expeditions (hiking, kayaking, rafting, canoeing), flightseeing, jetboating, and bird watching and wildlife viewing. Other sightseeing and touring options include van or bus tours of the city and area, horse- and llama-drawn carriages, walking tours, and cultural tours.

Juneau

Built on a relatively narrow shelf between towering Mt. Juneau and the deep waters of Gastineau Channel, Juneau is the Inside Passage’s largest city, Alaska’s state capital and a rewarding destination for glacier viewing.

Mendenhall Glacier is just 13 miles from downtown Juneau. Visitors can get close up views of its mighty face measuring 200 feet tall and 1.5 miles wide. Glacier Bay is 50 air miles to the west.

Juneau Icefield, a spectacular expanse of mountains and glaciation, is the source of all the glaciers in the area, including Mendenhall, Taku, Eagle, Herbert and 38 other glaciers within a 1,500-square-mile radius.

Eaglecrest Ski Resort is located on Douglas Island. The area offers snow at high elevations for excellent downhill and cross-country skiing, with views of Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau Icefield, Lynn Canal and Stephens Passage. Seasonal service, December - April.

St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, built in 1894, is the oldest original Russian church in Southeast Alaska. Sunday services are open to the public. (more…)

South Central Alaska

Anchorage, Seward, Talkeetna, Kenai (annual precipitation 15.9 inches)

South Central Alaska

By air, land or sea, South-central Alaska is easily accessible to all. More than half of Alaska’s residents live in this region of spectacular glaciers, fjords, roadside lakes, salmon streams and ocean beaches.

The area encompasses farmlands, fishing communities, national parklands, ski resorts and a metropolitan city. Here visitors can venture into the heart of the wilderness by day and return to luxurious accommodations that night.

Known as the ‘City of Lights’ in winter and the ‘City of Flowers’ in summer, Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage, comes with all the cultural amenities and activities one would expect from a metropolitan hub, except this one is surrounded by breathtaking wilderness. Journey south and discover the Kenai Peninsula, a scenic jewel and fishing paradise.

Visit the quaint seaside communities of Seward or Homer and experience Kenai Fjords National Park. Wrangell-St.Elias National Park to the west contains nine of the 16 highest peaks in the U.S. The Matanuska-Susitna Valley consists of fertile farmland against the majestic backdrop of the Chugach Mountains – they really do grow giant vegetables. (more…)

If you and your man share an itch for adventure, you’ll get a real high honeymooning in America’s last frontier. As far north as you can go, our 49th state is the only wild blue yonder we have left—a wonderland of windswept tundras and shimmering seas of ice.

Inside Passage cruises offer a wealth of scenic backgrounds for romance. Cruise lines can arrange shipboard ceremonies, and localities have churches and government officials who can also perform weddings.Denali National Park is another fine setting for a wedding, offering restaurants, campgrounds, some wilderness lodges and a range of hotels. Wedding parties who head for the backcountry of Denali — or any other public lands — can have nearly absolute privacy. On the Kenai Peninsula, Homer is often considered a romantic location. Cloud-shrouded mountains, a seashore and Homer’s artistic, iconoclastic community at the end of the road create a romantic setting.

Lodges along the turquoise Kenai River also draw praise for their settings. Closer to Anchorage, the Alyeska ski resort in Girdwood attracts wedding parties. Tram cars carry wedding parties up from the Alyeska Prince Hotel to the Seven Glaciers Restaurant, 2,350 feet up 3,939-foot Mount Alyeska with a grand view of Turnagain Arm. North of Anchorage, a viewing deck near the Eagle River Nature Center in Chugach State Park is scenic site that has seen its share of marriages.

Anchorage is the gateway to two of the state’s top sights. In Denali National Park, Mount McKinley soars above six million acres of outback, where you can paddle or hike to your hearts’ content without hearing a single sound. Due south lies the Kenai Peninsula, a dazzling expanse of deep fjords, granite domes and gleaming ice fields. From there it’s a short hop by plane to the state capital, Juneau, set amid snowcapped peaks with a massive glacier in its backyard.

Juneau’s the jumping-off point for the Inside Passage. Hitch a ride on a cruise ship, or do it wet-and-wild with a private guide in his-and-her kayaks. Whatever your vantage point, you’ll get a real rush at Glacier Bay National Park, where blocks of ice come roaring out of the mountains to spill into the sea.

Tying the knot in winter? Head for the slopes of Alyeska, or try your hand at heli-skiing in the Chugach Mountains. Alaska may be rugged, but there are plenty of creature comforts to keep honeymooners happy.

License: The fee for a marriage license is $35. Both the bride and groom generally must be 18.

There’s a waiting period of three business days after the notarized application is received by the Bureau of Vital Statistics offices in Anchorage, Fairbanks or Juneau. The license is good for 90 days anywhere in the state.

Who can marry: The Alaska Constitution recognizes marriage only if it joins one man and one woman.