Summer is quickly creeping up on us and as it does, many families sit back and try to find the perfect vacation, something that may be out of the ordinary and a wondrous experience for everyone in the entire family. How about Alaska?
Alaska is home to 3.5 million lakes of 20 acres or larger and has numerous islands that contains nearly 34,000 miles of tidal shoreline. The weather is always something to consider when considering visiting the vast 49th state. There are five different weather summaries that offer an extremely wide variety of weather conditions because of the global positioning of Alaska. The most Northern Arctic Zone of Alaska usually remain below the freezing point on average of 110 days per year however during late July or early August the Arctic Ocean usually become ice free and is the warmest months of the year. Central Alaska however experience blizzard like conditions, rainfall, and fog. Western and Southern sections are more maritime than continental in character and that modifies the daily temperature extremes. Annual snowfalls can be up to 90 inches. So whichever part of Alaska that you choose to visit, you must be prepared to keep warm!
Now that we know how to dress, what is there to do in Alaska that will make it worth while to visit?
First lets think of the kids and those that are a kid at heart. In Anchorage, Alaska there is an Indoor Water park called H2Oasis that has something for everyone. A Lazy River ride is over 575 feel long and encircles the park, a Wave Pool that generates four foot waves, a water coaster called Master Blaster that is 43 feet high and 505 feet long, a lagoon for the kids with slides and a Body Slide that is 23 feet high and 150 feet long that is enclosed and exits into a 3 foot deep splash pool! For a one day pass for adults it is only $22 and children are $17. If you are a visitor for more than one day, you can sign up for swimming lessons for your children at $60 per child for one swim session. A session includes six- 40 minute swim lessons that meet twice a week. For parents, you can even take part in Kayaking lessons! If you like to exercise, you need to try out the Riverwalk. The Riverwalk is a fun way to exercise because you walk in a mild current of the slow river and then relax in a whirlpool spa.
Sightseeing is another famous pastime for tourists and Alaska is full of things to see. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is one of them. Proclaimed as a U.S. National Monument in 1925, this park descends from high snow capped mountains into a bay that create one of the world’s most spectacular displays of ice and iceberg formation. The park averages about 380,000 visitors per year despite the fact that there are no roads that lead to the park and must be reached by ferries or by air travel. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve includes 16 tidewater glaciers. Tidewater glaciers are defined as valley glaciers that end in a sea, lake or river water. Normally as the ice enters the water, it begins to float and this causes pieces to break off and float away.
Glacier Bay National Park stretches northward from Alaska’s inside passage to the Alsek River and encircles a magnificent saltwater bay. The park is over 3.3 million acres, which makes it the largest internationally protected area on earth.
Marine waters make up nearly one fifth of the park and with no point of land more than thirty miles from the coast, the terrestrial and marine environments are closely intertwined. Over two hundred species of fish swim in the parks waters, including all five species of Pacific salmon. Dungeness, king and tanner crabs as well as clams, scallops, shrimp, barnacles, mussels, sea stars, urchins, sea cucumbers, sea anemones, and a variety of crabs, worms, snails, chi tons, and seaweeds have been harvested by the region for centuries.
Whatever you do at Glacier Bay, wildlife watching will be part of your experience. Each summer 1520 humpback whales regularly feed in park waters, concentrating in the lower part of the bay. The impact of the sight of a humpback breaching clear out of the water only ratchets upward when you trade cruise ship for small tour boat, or tour boat for one-man kayak. The park is roamed by at least 40 species of mammals such as grizzlies, moose, wolves and more than 220 known species of birds; a trip up the bay will offer plenty of sightings along the shorelines.
After receiving your Kayaking lessons at H2Oasis, you could put them to use by kayaking at the National Park or even hiking from Gustavus and Bartlett Cove to deeper recesses in the park. Kayakers and hikers are dropped off by charter boats and the park concessionaire’s boat, which runs daily between Bartlett Cove and Muir Inlet.
Guided day and overnight kayak trips are available, or kayakers may explore on their own. Rental kayaks are available from several outlets; a reservation far in advance is recommended. Adventurers may fly to Gustavus with a foldable kayak or have a hardshell kayak delivered. (The Federal Aviation Administration won’t let pilots carry passengers and a strapped-on boat at the same time.) If you are going to be taking the hiking portion of the route, camping is allowed in the backcountry, but a free bear-safety lesson and bear-resistant food canister are required. The Bartlett Cove campground is free with a 14-day limit, but a permit is required from the visitors center. Hiking is good on the beaches, alpine meadows and in valleys where glaciers retreated, but there are no backcountry trails.
No matter where you decide to go in Glacial Bay, its probably going to rain, the weather will be cool with midsummer highs in the low 60’s. On the longest day, the summer solstice, the sun will be shining for you for 18 hours and 18 minutes. If your not looking to kayak or hike, you can always catch a ride on one of the many cruise ships The cost of cruises one to five days ranges from $2,000 to $6,000 depending on which tours you choose to take.
If your visiting Alaska, you can’t forget about the island chain west of the southern tip of the Alaskan Peninsula, the Aleutian Islands. Here you are able to view Mount Shishaldin, a moderately active volcano that is on the Unimak Island in the Aleutian Islands chain. Since its’ 1999 eruption, every one or two minutes you can see puffs of smoke and low quantities of ash being emitted.
So now that we have found a lot of things to do in Anchorage and the Aleutian Islands, where can we kick back and relax after a day of adventure?
If you want the best, I would suggest the Anchorage Grand Hotel, located in downtown Anchorage. This grand hotel is adjacent to coastal trail and within walking distance of all that their downtown has to offer such as the Performing Arts Center, Convention Center and the Museum of History and Art. Their rooms are fully equip with phone lines, voicemail, high speed internet, full size kitchen, separate living and bedroom areas, and also a business center available. For all of this you’re looking at $180 per night/per room.
Okay, so I know a lot of people do not have $180 per night after kayaking and hiking and everything that there is to do in Alaska… so, there is also America’s Best Inn & Suites located in Anchorage about four miles from downtown. Individually the rooms are decorated to include wireless internet, microwaves, and refrigerators at $65 per night.
So what are you waiting for!?
