ALASKA
THE LAST FRONTIER
The 49th state is known as “The Last Frontier”
due to its untamed wilderness and sheer scale.
The largest of these United States by far, it is a beautiful but often unforgiving land.
Our journey started in Anchorage, then to Seward, Denali, and ended in Fairbanks.
Along the way, we encountered many friendly locals and seasonal residents, majestic vistas, fauna and flora galore, and 23 hours of continuous sunlight.
NOTE | The pictures below are reduced in size and quality and are just a sample of the many pictures I took during our time.
Click through the links at the end of each section to view more pictures from each location in their original size and quality.
ANCHORAGE
After exploring Anchorage, we visited the Native Heritage Museum. The following day, we took a bus tour up the coast following the Alaska Railroad. Our first stop was the Aleyska Resort - home to the world’s longest Double Black Diamond ski slope. We then had a few local crafts brews at Girdwood Brewing Co., before ending our tour at the Wildlife Rescue.
SEWARD
Named after former United States Secretary of State William H. Seward - the man who orchestrated the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867.
The purchase of Alaska would be ridiculed as '“Seward’s Folly”, as many thought the purchase of “useless land” to be ill-advised at the time.
After taking the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Seward, we hopped a bus to the Seavey Family IdidaRide - home of 3-time Iditarod winner and speed record holder Mitch Seavey’s sled team - for a kennel tour and sled ride.
The following day, we toured the Kenai Fjords and Resurrection Bay, where we saw seals, humpback whales, glaciers, and even had
cocktails made with glacial ice!
DENALI
By bus, we made our way from Seward to Denali. During our tour of Denali National Park, we were lucky enough to see the big three: Caribou, Moose, and Grizzly Bears! Our tour guide said he hadn’t seen all three in one tour in several weeks, so luck was certainly
on our side that day!
Fun fact: Caribou and Reindeer are the same animal, the difference being Caribou are wild and Reindeer are Caribou that have been domesticated.
FAIRBANKS
Our last stop was Fairbanks, where we took a riverboat tour .
The final stop along the river was Chena Village, a replica of a native Alaskan village and home of the statue of the famous Iditarod sled dog, Granite. On our final day, we took a tour of the Goldstream Dredge No. 8 an even got to pan for gold…I made $12!
Other Pictures
Below is an assortment of other photos taken throughout the trip on my iPhone
