America Through My Eyes – Alaska — Part 1

America Through My Eyes

Alaska — Part 1

Telugu Original : Dr K.Geeta 

English Translation: V.Vijaya Kumar

In America, traveling to Alaska is on practically everyone’s bucket list, the roster of dreams one hopes to fulfill in this lifetime. For us, too, it had long been near the very top of must-visit destinations, yet somehow it kept getting postponed.

A primary reason for the delay is Alaska’s sheer geography: though it is an American state, it sits separated from the mainland, past Canada. Look closely at the map, however, and you realize that from where we live in California, Alaska is actually closer than traveling all the way across to New York on the East Coast.

There are three main routes to reach it: by air, aboard giant cruise liners, or overland by road.

Flying gets you there in the shortest time. Yet because so many of Alaska’s defining marvels—particularly its massive glaciers—line the rugged coastline of this vast state, many travelers opt for cruises. The trade-off is that a cruise demands at least ten days, and you miss out on experiencing the scenic wonders hidden along the inland roadways. The third choice, driving overland across Canada, requires Canadian transit visas for non-US citizens like us, not to mention navigating distances far too formidable to simply road-trip on a whim. That ruled out driving entirely.

With only a single week of vacation at our disposal, we mapped out an itinerary designed to balance coastal spectacles with mainland wonders. Our plan took shape: fly directly into Anchorage, set out by road from there to explore the interior highlights, ride scenic touring trains, and take localized cruises and day boats to witness the coastal waters and glaciers up close.

Because much of Alaska lies blanketed in deep snow throughout the winter, summer is the optimal season to visit. Knowing that affordable airfares require advance planning, we locked in our flight reservations four to five months ahead.

Once the round-trip flights were secured, sitting down to finalize hotels and sight-seeing checklists made one thing abundantly clear: booking an organized Alaska tourism package was the smartest way to go. From Denali National Park in the state’s interior southward lies the stretch best suited for family sightseeing with children; the great glaciers themselves are clustered along the southern coast. Further north toward the Arctic Circle, the vast landscape turns largely uninhabited.

Beyond its pristine wilderness and dramatic landscapes, there was one more wonder pulling us north: the chance to witness with our own eyes the breathtaking phenomenon of the midnight sun glowing across a summer sky.

*****

(to be continued)