Alaska Vacations
Alaska vacations are almost synonymous with adventure. Over a million-and-a-half flock to the state in just the summer months to play and sight-see, making tourism big business, from the hordes who pour out of cruise ships every summer to the intrepid visitors who take advantage of winter sports, including the world-famous Iditarod sled dog race. Alaska ranks #2 among all U.S. vacation spots.
While many people think of Alaska as a summertime destination, dog sledding, skiing, snowmachining, and even snowbiking are popular recreations - or simply modes of transportation. The Northern Lights are best viewed in winter's dark skies but can be seen in spring and fall as well. Fairbanks is a prime destination for those seeking the electric green and purple flickers of the aurora borealis.
Alaska has the largest state park system in the U.S., with the largest measuring 1.6 million acres. Sixty-five percent of the state is federally managed, including 15 national parks. All this unspoiled wilderness present innumerable opportunities for adventure. Hiking, fishing, hunting, bird-watching, and wildlife viewing accompany unique activities such as dog mushing and safari off-roading. There's even glacier trekking for those fit to the task, and glacier flight-seeing, for those who aren't.
Alaska is sparsely populated (670,053 residents in 2006) and its cities are relatively small. Southeast Alaska is home to Juneau, the only state capitol in the U.S. that is not accessible by major highway - unless you count the marine highway. Southeast is also a popular destination for sport fishing, with hundreds of charters operating out of fishing villages such as Sitka, Ketchikan, Skagway, and St. Petersburg. Anchorage is of course the largest city, and it has sprawled along the highway corridor to the north. The state has seen a loss of population in rural areas, particularly north and west of Fairbanks and in the Aleutians and southeast Alaska.