THE THOMS SUNDAY TRAVEL SECTION
See Alaska
We all kind of know where it is on a map, but what do we know about it?
- It is full of Eskimos and Polar Bears..
- We bought it from Russia, and it is under feet of snow
- It is the largest state in the United States.
Yes, no, sort of, that’s partially right.
Yes, it is the largest state.
As you can see, Alaska is more extensive than Texas. At 663,268 square miles, it is over twice the size. It is even more significant than Texas, California, and Montana combined. The population in 2019 is around 736,000. That means approximately 1.1 persons per square mile.
In comparison, New York City has over 10,000 per square mile and Miami over 7,500. San Fransico has over 6,200 and Chicago more than 4,500.
That is reason enough to see Alaska or move there.
Where to Start?
There are no official regions of Alaska, but let’s look at it as the Alaska Department of Fish and Game does. They divide it into five areas.
South Central
This area is the most populous region of Alaska and contains Anchorage, which is not the capital. It also includes the Kenai Peninsula. If you want to see Alaska, make sure part of your trip visits South Central.
Southeast
Also referred to as the Panhandle or Inside Passage, it saw the first outsiders. Why? Because it is the closest to the lower 48. Americans came by boat from Seattle and San Francisco. Before that, Russians came by boat to Novo-Archangelsk, now Sitka. It was the capital of Russia-Amerika.
The southeast is home to Juneau, the capital, Sitka, and Ketchikan. These are all accessible by boat or airplane. Haines, Hyder, and Skagway have connections by road, but not directly from anywhere else. Therefore, if you choose to see Alaska from a cruise ship, most of what you see will be Southeast.
Interior
Central and Southwest
Southwest Alaska is a region with most of its sparse population living along the coast. Kodiak and the Aleutian Islands are part of this region. The Aleutians are a string of more than 300 small volcanic islands. They stretch more than 1200 miles. Unfortunately, of your must-see Alaska sites in Central Southwest, outside of Kodiak and Katmai, there is not much here easily accessible.
Northwest / North Slope
The Northwest region is most of the western coast along the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas. The land is mostly tundra with small villages here and there. Many of these are only accessible by boat or plane, weather permitting.
The claim to fame of this region is the massive reserves of crude oil.
Cities include Nome, below the Arctic Circle, and The city of Utqiagvik (formerly known as Barrow) within the circle. This town is the northernmost in the United States.
It is only within the Arctic Circle where you will see polar bears or Eskimos. The term Eskimo applies to the indigenous peoples who inhabit the Arctic region. For example, in Alaska, both the Yupik and Iñupiat people are Eskimos.
Most live in wooden houses. They sometimes use Igloos for hunting and fishing expeditions in place of tents.
The National Park State
I used to call Alaska the National Park state in my tour talks. Why? Because seven of the largest U.S. national parks are in Alaska.
- The Wrangell-St. Elias National Park – has more than 13 million acres. That is bigger than Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Switzerland put together. It is east of Anchorage and reaches the Yukon.
- Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve – has more than eight million acres and no roads or paths. You have to fly or hike in with a great map. The park is 250+ miles northwest of Fairbanks.
- Denali National Park and Preserve – comes in around six million acres and has a road, one. They do not allow cars on this road from mid-May to September. You can hike or take a very long trip by school bus type transportation.
Mount Denali
(A.k.a. Mt McKinley between 1917 – 2015) It is the largest mountain in North America and the third-largest in the world at 20,310 feet. I have been on numerous trips to Denali, by car, plane,, and even overnighting in the backcountry. I have yet to see the entire mountain at one time. The bottom from a car or bus and the top from a plane, but never simultaneously.
- Katmai National Park and Preserve – has more than four million acres and is southwest of Anchorage on the mainland adjacent to Kodiak Island. It is home to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes (active volcanoes) and its brown bears. The Brooks River’s brown bears are perhaps the most photographed in Alaska.
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Lake Clark National Park,, and Preserve are also larger than Yellowstone. Kobuk Valley National Park is smaller than Yellowstone but still one of the United States’ ten largest National parks.
Kenai Fjords National Park – is the eighth National Park in Alaska. It includes the Harding Icefield almost 714 square miles of ice and glaciers. You can hike in, but I prefer the glacier and wildlife cruises out of Seward. The visitor center is in Seward’s small boat harbor and is open daily from June – August. In the winter, it is a snow activity center, with cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.
Other Parks.
There are also 120 state parks and four national monuments, including Misty Fjords near Ketchikan.
Add two National Forests, Chugach with just under seven million acres and Tongass with more than seventeen million acres. That is not a typo.
Why all the talk about parks and mountains and glaciers? Because that’s what you go to see, Alaska the beautiful.
Sea Lions and Tigers and Bears
The second reason you see Alaska is the possibility of seeing wildlife and marine life in its natural habitat. I emphasize the word “possibility” as many guests seem to think the animals are on a schedule. Google “Country Bear Jamboree” if you are one of those people.
Now before you get your animal planet knickers in an uproar, there is good news. There is so much wildlife in Alaska your chances of seeing it are high. More than 30,000 American Bald eagles (about 40% of the world population.)
There are more than 100,000 Black Bears and 32,000 Brown (Grizzly) Bears. FYI – there are around 4700 Polar Bears, but you will only see those in the Arctic Circle.
There are Bison, Caribou, Moose, Mountain Goat, Dall Sheep, Reindeer, as well as many smaller furry creatures. Otter, Mink, etc. Sorry, no tigers in Alaska.
Joy to the Mammals in the Deep Blue Sea.
Then there are the Species not on land. Whales! Alaska waters are full of whales. Big whales, little whales, whales who play by rocks…
Humpbacks come here from Hawaii to overeat before swimming back to Hawaii to breed and give birth. But there are other whales as well. You may see Blue, Bowhead, Fin, Sei, and North Pacific Right Whales. Even Killer Whales (Orca), which are part of the dolphin family.
And there are dolphins, including the Dall’s, Harbor, and Pacific White-Sided.
You may see River, and Northern Sea Otters, and Stellar Sealion. Look for six species of seals sunning on ice flows.
See Alaska Under The Sea
Alaska King Crab, five species of salmon, Pacific Halibut, two species of char, pike, pollock, and mackerel. Three species of trout, and the list goes on.
Our Feathered Friends
Alaska has no shortage of bird species. Besides the before-mentioned American Bald eagle, there are Horned and Tufted Puffins. There are more than 50 species of ducks, geese, and waterfowl. In addition, you can see Oystercatchers, cranes, and five species of snipes. Yes, they do exist, not where your high school boyfriend was saying they would be.
If you like birds, Alaska has more than 520 species waiting for you.
See Alaska Wildlife
Before, I did say that there was no guarantee on wildlife sightings. However, there are ways to hedge your bet.
Whales are almost always visible around Sitka, Auke Bay near Juneau, Point Adolphus near Glacier Bay, and Resurrection Bay near Seward. Another great place to be on the lookout is anywhere that has “straights” in the name. These bottlenecks can bring the whales close to shore.
Hint – if you are on a cruise ship, do not sit on a cabin balcony when the boat is moving. 90% of the whale sightings will be on the other side of the vessel. Find a place where you can see both sides of the ship.
Even Better Odds
For birds of prey, Sitka has the Alaska Raptor Center. Here they take care of birds of prey, and other species, that have injuries. Their goal is to release them back into the wild. But they also breed and educate with those birds who cannot take care of themselves any longer.
This non-profit holds a place near and dear to my heart. In 1980 I was leading one of the first groups from a cruise ship to visit the center. Since then, the center has grown dramatically. To see these birds up close is awe-inspiring.
The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is also a non-profit organization taking care of Alaska’s wildlife on land. Similar to the Raptor Center, animals come here for rehabilitation, or they are orphans. Many are not able to go back into the wild, so they live at this sanctuary. You can often see these wild animals in the habitats, some more than five acres in size.
Currently, the center is working with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Department of Fish & Game to re-introduce Wood Bison into their native ranges in Alaska.
The Alaska SeaLife Center is a non-profit organization in Seward. It is a research facility with a public aquarium in the same building. These are rare. The center studies the marine ecosystems of Alaska and the species that live there. They also do rescue and rehabilitation. See sea lions, seals, puffins, and much other marine life up close.
See Alaska Summary
So why do you want to go to Alaska? Is it for history? The state undoubtedly has it. There is the Russian occupation near Sitka and the gold rush from Skagway to the Yukon. And the first occupants, the Iñupiat, Yupik, Aleut, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, and other native people.
Is it for the food? King Crab, salmon, and halibut will never taste the same after eating it in Alaska, fresh.
These are both supporting reasons to visit America’s 50th state. But, the superstars are the land itself and potential wildlife sightings.
Thank goodness, our phones and cameras take endless photos as I continually buy film in the “old days.”
Get ready for sensory overload. The beauty of the mountains reflecting in the water. The almost painful quietness of a secluded lake and the smell of Salmon over Alderwood. The taste of crab or halibut that was splashing around only hours before. The feeling that your higher power is incredible.
In a future post, I will cover some of the towns and cities of Alaska.
Would you please comment in the “Leave a Reply” section below? What was your first impression/understanding of Alaska? Does this blog change that? Now, why do you want to visit Alaska?
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