HighAlaska

Alaska is home to some of the most diverse wildlife in America. Instead of squirrel problems, Anchorage residents complain about the rampant Moose and Bears that have been known to hang out inside city limits. In fact, 98% of the United States’ grizzly population resides in Alaska. These bears, technically called the Ursus arctos, can weigh anywhere from 500 to 1,400 pounds as an adult. Apart from traditional grizzly and black bears, more localized bears—the Polar bear for example—can be found among the northern region of Alaska. In addition to the bears, Alaska is also home to millions of real life Reindeer and Caribou (Reindeer are domesticated herds of Caribou). These herds of animals don’t carry Santa’s sleigh or have red noses, they simply roam the grounds as nomads, covering over 3,000 miles in a year. The coastal waters of Alaska are filled with an estimated 70,000 sea otters…more than 90% of the world’s sea otter population. These otters share the waves with a wide variety of whales and dolphins. There are Dall’s and Harbor Porpoises, Pacific Whitesided dolphins, Beaked, Beluga, Bowhead, Fin, Humpback, Gray, Minke, Sperm, and Killer Whales to name a few.
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If you like to fish, then the chilly waters of Alaska hold the key to your happiness. Between the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Ocean, hundreds of rivers, and expansive lakes, you might be pressed for time but you won’t be pressed for fish. The waters are filled with record breaking Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Arctic Char, barn door Halibut, and hundreds of other sport fish. These fish aren’t your typical puny catches either—they’re 50 pound plus trophy fish that are hard to come by anywhere else in the lower 48 states of America.

If you’re interested in visiting Alaska on a fishing trip, you’ll need to find a quality lodge or resort that offers guides and chartered fishing services. First, you’ll need to choose a region for your fishing. There are five distinct regions in Alaska—Far North, Interior, Southwest, South-central, and Southeast.  The South-central region is one of the best regions in the entire world for fishing. You can catch Halibut in the Kachemak Bay or Cook Inlet, fish the Kenai River to hook one of the worlds largest King Salmon, and charter a boat to fly-fishing only waters filled with Rainbow Trout and Grayling. Here’s a list of lodges and resorts in South-central Alaska. Though all regions of Alaska provide great fishing, the Southeast is one of the best areas to go for both Marine and freshwater fishing. Choose from a wide variety of accommodating lodges and resorts whose goals are to provide you with the best fishing experience and living experience possible.

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Don’t let the tropical name fool you. The Royal Caribbean Cruise Line offers high quality cruises to varying climates all over the world. The Alaskan Cruise is one of their most gratifying and unique cruises available today. In seven short days, you will experience almost all the Last Frontier has to offer.

While on an Alaskan cruise with Royal Caribbean, you’ll have the opportunity to race across a glacier in a dogsled race, spend time hiking and sightseeing the glacial waterfalls and rainforest outside Juneau, tour the ‘scenic railway of the world’—the White Pass and Yukon, take an exhilarating helicopter ride above the Juneau Ice Field, mountain bike through the Inside Passage of Ketchikan on a guided tour, and take a wildlife cruise on a high-speed catamaran. In addition, you can personalize your itinerary with outings suitable to your interests—go salmon fishing in an icy river, go ice climbing on a monstrous glacier, or opt to stay on the boat and enjoy the spirited bar tenders and talented entertainment programs. A truly breathtaking site is the Hubbard Glacier—one of the most active glaciers in the world measuring over 1,350 feet. As you’re gazing at the wondrous Hubbard Glacier, close your open jaws and keep your eyes out for the natural wildlife of the icy oceans—gigantic whales will spew water from their blow holes and lively seals and sea lions line the coastlines.

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Alaska is a magical state overflowing with beautiful scenery and thriving wildlife. Visiting a place with so much to offer can make it difficult to decide what attractions are worth seeing and which ones you can live without. Here is a list of the top five tourist attractions to make the decision a little bit easier:

1. The Glacier Bay National Park: Feast your eyes on one of the world’s greatest wonders. This natural assortment of 16 towering glaciers is a leisurely 60 mile cruise northwest from Juneau. Along the ride you can see fleets of enormous whales, gorgeous snow capped mountains, and sparkling blue glaciers unlike anything you’ve ever seen.
2. Alaska State Museum: This culturally rich museum in Juneau showcases Alaska’s native people, the natural history of the state, and the story of American colonization. Kids can enjoy hands on activities while you spend time interactively learning about Alaska’s impressive past.
3. The Kenai Peninsula: This popular destination of south Anchorage is known for its busy fishing port, canoeing/kayaking/rafting excursions, glacier and wildlife cruises, camping and sightseeing activities, as well as its legendary golf courses. In fact, Seward—home of the Alaska SeaLife Center and one of the peninsula’s largest cities—was recently voted the number 1 US destination for 2010 by TripAdvisor.com.
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Thanks to children’s books and inaccurate stories, most American’s are lead to believe Eskimos are tiny people who dress in fur hoods and live in igloos made of ice. Fortunately for most modern day Eskimos, this stereotype doesn’t hold true. The true definition of an Eskimo is an indigenous person who traditionally lived around the polar areas of Siberia, Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. The two main groups of Eskimos today—Yupik and Inuit—both currently reside in Alaska. The Inuit mostly live in northern Alaska, Canada, and Greenland, and the Yupik live in western Alaska, South Central Alaska, and the Russian Far East. The term ‘Eskimo’ is typically associated with negative connotations by the natives, who prefer the term Inuit. This is understandable—‘Eskimo’ roughly translates to ‘eaters of raw flesh’ whereas ‘Inuit’ means ‘the people’. Though the Inuit are widely dispersed, they only number around 60,000 in population with 25,000-35,000 of them residing in Alaska. Inuit in Alaska speak a local version of the Inuit language called Inupiaq.

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