What you need to pack for Alaska depends heavily on the season and the specific trip, but a few basics apply whether you’re on a summer cruise or a winter aurora trip. Layers Are the Foundation Alaska weather changes quickly, and temperatures can swing 20 degrees or more between morning and afternoon even in summer. […]
Alaska is home to both brown (grizzly) bears and black bears, and seeing one, even from a distance, is a real possibility on many hikes and in several popular parks. A few basic precautions make these encounters far less risky for both visitors and the bears themselves. Know What You’re Dealing With Alaska has an
Sitka is a Southeast Alaska town of about 8,400 people on the outer coast of Baranof Island, facing the open Pacific rather than the more sheltered Inside Passage most Southeast towns sit along. It has a distinct history as the former capital of Russian Alaska. Getting There No road connects Sitka to the rest of
Homer sits at the end of the Sterling Highway on the southern Kenai Peninsula, about 220 miles from Anchorage, on the shore of Kachemak Bay. It’s often called the “End of the Road” and is best known for halibut fishing and its arts community. Getting There The drive from Anchorage takes roughly 4.5 to 5
Ketchikan is a Southeast Alaska port town of about 8,000 people on Revillagigedo Island, often the first (or last) stop for cruise ships traveling the Inside Passage. It’s also the main gateway to Misty Fiords National Monument. Getting There No road connects Ketchikan to the rest of Alaska or the Lower 48. Most visitors arrive
