Apr 9th, 2012 at 2:00PM:
Summer months in North America open up a whole realm of possibilities for travel into higher latitudes. As the deep frost starts to fade and the rivers pick up speed, Alaska turns into a beautiful respite from the sultry weather in the contiguous 48 states.
Pick any reason to make the journey. The Pacific Northwest air that blankets all of southern Alaska is crisp and clean, a noticeable ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Anchorage posts
Summer Hotspot: Anchorage, Alaska
Apr 9th, 2012 at 2:00PM:
Summer months in North America open up a whole realm of possibilities for travel into higher latitudes. As the deep frost starts to fade and the rivers pick up speed, Alaska turns into a beautiful respite from the sultry weather in the contiguous 48 states.
Pick any reason to make the journey. The Pacific Northwest air that blankets all of southern Alaska is crisp and clean, a noticeable ...The 2012 Iditarod sled dog race begins today!
Mar 3rd, 2012 at 8:00AM: The 2012 Iditarod sled dog race gets underway this morning with the ceremonial start taking place on the streets of Anchorage, Alaska. The annual event, dubbed the "Last Great Race," pits some of the best mushers in the world against one another on a course that stretches for nearly a thousand miles across remote wilderness before eventually ending in Nome.
This morning the 66 men and women who ...Alaska's ports of entry undergo major facelifts
Jun 7th, 2011 at 5:30PM:
Visitors returning to Alaska will notice some major changes at several airports across the state. Terminals in Juneau, Anchorage and Fairbanks have undergone some dramatic changes recently that should make traveling through the major ports of entry go more smoothly.
The Juneau International Airport in the state capital has a newly renovated terminal with higher ceilings, more windows, ...Alaskan woman kicked by moose while trying to pet it
Mar 15th, 2011 at 8:00AM: An Alaskan woman was given a harsh lesson last week when she was kicked by a moose after attempting to pet it. The moose was spotted in downtown Anchorage, where it was busy feeding on trees, when it reportedly wandered past the unidentified woman, who decided that it might be a good idea to reach out and pet the animal. The moose thought otherwise.
According to witnesses, the creature didn't ...Five outstandingly delicious places to eat in Alaska
Mar 5th, 2011 at 4:00PM: In the spirit of journeying during periods less traveled, I've embarked to Alaska this winter. Follow the adventures here, and prepare to have your preconceived notions destroyed along the way.
Particularly in the winter, it's pretty crucial that you stay warm and well fed while in Alaska. We can't make any promises about the ease of the former, but we've got the latter completely under ...2011 Iditarod begins today
Mar 5th, 2011 at 8:00AM: The 2011 edition of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race gets underway today in Anchorage, Alaska, where 62 mushers, and their teams of dogs, will set out on an 1131 mile journey to Nome. The event, which is billed as "The Last Great Race," is an annual test of stamina and skill for both the dogs and their drivers.
The Iditarod was first run back in 1973 and over the years has easily become the ...Winter in Alaska: Fur Rondy 2011 highlights, from snowshoe softball to dog weight pulling (video)
Mar 2nd, 2011 at 12:00PM: In the spirit of journeying during periods less traveled, I've embarked to Alaska this winter. Follow the adventures here, and prepare to have your preconceived notions destroyed along the way.
A glimpse at the variety of events that make up Alaska's Fur Rondy
Alaska's Fur Rendezvous Festival is a real treat. The 2011 version is the 76th annual running of the event, and particularly ...
Bert the Conqueror joins the Outhouse Races in Alaska's Fur Rondy (video)
Feb 28th, 2011 at 4:00PM: In the spirit of journeying during periods less traveled, I've embarked to Alaska this winter. Follow the adventures here, and prepare to have your preconceived notions destroyed along the way.
Bert the Conqueror joins the madness in the 2011 Fur Rondy Outhouse Races
I need only say the name to pique your interest. Outhouse Races. "Is this event what I think it is?" That's the question ...
Winter in Alaska: Yukigassen brings team snowball fighting competition to Fur Rondy (video)
Feb 28th, 2011 at 12:00PM: In the spirit of journeying during periods less traveled, I've embarked to Alaska this winter. Follow the adventures here, and prepare to have your preconceived notions destroyed along the way.
A vicious, vicious Yukigassen match at the 2011 Fur Rondy Festival
It's late February in Alaska, and that can only mean one thing: Fur Rendezvous. 2011 marks the 76th year that this extravaganza ...
Winter in Alaska: snowmobiling with Glacier City, cheating death all the while (video)
Feb 27th, 2011 at 1:00PM: In the spirit of journeying during periods less traveled, I've embarked to Alaska this winter. Follow the adventures here, and prepare to have your preconceived notions destroyed along the way.
A helmet cam view of snowmobiling in Girdwood, Alaska
When it comes to winter sports, you've got skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey -- you know, the usual. And then, there's snowmobiling. Or ...
Winter in Alaska: fine dining, finer skiing at the Alyeska Resort & Hotel
Feb 26th, 2011 at 11:00AM: In the spirit of journeying during periods less traveled, I've embarked to Alaska this winter. Follow the adventures here, and prepare to have your preconceived notions destroyed along the way.
You know you've considered it: "What if I went skiing this year... in Alaska? But then, the inevitable list of excuses rolls in: the flight's further, it's more expensive, none of my friends would ...The best places in the world to smoke a cigar
Aug 19th, 2010 at 3:35PM: Smoking a cigar the correct way demands a critical mix of solitude, contemplation, and most important, awareness of surroundings. All other things become subservient to the act of observing and evaluating. With this game plan in play, the smoker's post-ignition environs take on as much importance as the flavor, taste, and draw of the tobacco. Here is one man's list of the top ten places in the ...Only in Alaska: The tallest mountain in the world
Jun 23rd, 2010 at 11:30AM: Can you name the tallest mountain in the world? Did Mt. Everest just pop into your head? If so, you're close – but not totally correct.
Mt. Everest, at 29,029ft, is the highest mountain in the world. But Everest's base is way up on the Tibetan Plateau at 17,000 feet. So although this mountain reaches an elevation higher than any other on the planet, its base-to-summit height is actually ...2010 Iditarod begins today
Mar 7th, 2010 at 9:00AM: Following the ceremonial start in Anchorage yesterday, the 2010 Iditarod officially begins today with 71 mushers, and their dog sled teams, setting out from Willow, Alaska on a two week long odyssey through some of the most remote and rugged wilderness that North America has to offer. Over the course of the next two weeks, they'll face challenging weather conditions, endless miles of snow covered ...Adventure travel Alaska style: Glacier flying
Nov 30th, 2009 at 5:00PM: If you've ever wanted to see Alaska's beauty, but had no interest in hunting or fishing or if you think a cruise just isn't thrilling enough, maybe you should consider a little glacier flying.
Having grown up in Alaska, I've always told my visiting friends that the airplane was the only way to unlock the most spectacular sights in the state. Sure, you can drive less than fifty miles from ...Alaska national parks: choose your own adventure
Nov 9th, 2009 at 10:00AM: You've probably heard of Denali National Park, home to the tallest mountain in North America. And if you've taken an Alaskan cruise you might have also visited Glacier Bay National Park. But a rental car and a willingness to venture off the tourist track will reward you with rich and wild experiences that many folks miss on a trip to Alaska. Following are two lesser-known national parks that are ...The Alaskan roadhouse experience
Oct 26th, 2009 at 8:00AM: Last month, Up Here Magazine ran a feature on the end of the roadhouse. Even if you've never stopped at a roadhouse while driving long distances, you're likely familiar with the sight of them: generally a larger main building with a few gas pumps and a small restaurant, and several cabins fanning out on either side. These days, many of them are sagging in the weeds and boarded up. Up Here cites ...Only in Alaska: Driving the Alaska highway
Jun 4th, 2009 at 9:00AM: Driving the Alaska Highway (casually called the "Alcan") is the ultimate road trip: more than 1400 miles of road, filled with mountain ranges,spindly boreal forests, po-dunk diner-and-gas-station towns, bison herds, scenic detours and flying gravel. Constructed as a link between Alaska and the contiguous US, the highway was completed in 1943, though the regions harsh environment forces ...Ten passengers we love to hate: Day 3 - Baggage claim vultures
Jun 3rd, 2009 at 8:30AM: We already covered passengers who won't move to the right on the escalator, and those who bring hot, smelly foods on to the plane. But my personal (non)favorite is those folks who press their shins right up the baggage claim conveyor belt, in the hopes that it might help them spot/claim/get to their bags faster.
People! At the Anchorage airport, there is a bright yellow line painted all the way ...Only in Alaska: Combat fishing and the rules of engagement
May 27th, 2009 at 3:30PM: Combat fishing: if these two words bring to mind images of men dressed in camouflage, battling for giant fish, then you're not too far off from reality. Though Alaska might seem like the sort of land where scenes from A River Runs Through It play out in real life, you're actually more likely to see roadside rivers crammed with anglers tossing hooks and sinkers into the water in the hopes of ...
