Ketchikan is nicknamed “The Gateway to Alaska” for a good reason: it’s the first city that most visitors see when coming north from Seattle or Vancouver. It is located on Revillagigedo Island in the Alexander Archipelago. Ketchikan has a population of just over 8,000 people, it has the sixth-highest number of people in the state …
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to live in rural Alaska? I mean really rural Alaska, like Prince of Wales Island or somewhere in the interior? Although I live in Juneau, the capital of Alaska, which has over 30,000 people, I have spent time in rural Alaska and I have known a lot of …
Of all the beautiful sights to see in Alaska, the Northern Lights have to be at the very top of the list. Even longtime Alaskans (also known as Sourdoughs) still go out of their way to see the Northern Lights when they come out. If you’re planning on an Alaskan cruise, you may be wondering …
Last week, I was at the Seattle airport getting ready to fly back to Alaska. As I was standing at the lottery ticket vending machine by the N gates, a man lined up behind me and waited for me to finish. Since I was buying about 20 tickets and only two had come out, I …
If you’re considering taking a cruise to Southeast Alaska, it’s important to know which ports are the best. The very concept of “the best” is subjective, of course, which I freely admit. However, I’ve lived in Southeast Alaska for my entire life. I have been to every port that will appear on this list and …
Have you ever seen a bear in person? If you haven’t, or if you want to see one again (at a safe distance!), Ketchikan, Alaska is a great place to go! In Ketchikan, you’ll mostly see black bears, although if you’re lucky, you may get a chance to see brown bears (also known as grizzlies, …
Are you planning a trip to Juneau to see the Mendenhall Glacier? Great! It’s beautiful and I’m sure you’ll have a great time. Once your cruise ship arrives in port, you’ll have to decide how you’re going to get there. It’s 12.5 miles from the cruise ship docks, so you won’t have time to walk. …
Two of the most popular tourist destinations in Alaska are the first and third-largest cities, Anchorage and Juneau (respectively). If you’ve just begun to plan a trip to Alaska, you may wonder which travel destination would be better. The largest city or the capital? I should begin by admitting that I have lived in Juneau …
The Inside Passage is one of the most beautiful and intriguing waterways in North America, with many great sights to see along the way. Since a lot of people who haven’t visited or lived in Alaska are not familiar with it, they often have a lot of questions. We’ll start with a brief history of …
When the summer season graces the majestic landscapes of Alaska, it brings not just the midnight sun but also an experience that every angler dreams of – the return of the salmon to their freshwater spawning grounds. Amid the five different salmon species found in Alaska’s icy waters, there’s one that holds a special place …