So what is there in Alaska?

[MyMotivation]

Maybe it is because I am from WI and going to a cold climate doesn't exactly light my board, but I am willing to listen with an open mind.

 

So what is the draw of Alaska, Convince me, please. I don't want to miss out on something awesome that I don't know about.

[jer_l]

Maybe it is because I am from WI and going to a cold climate doesn't exactly light my board, but I am willing to listen with an open mind.

 

So what is the draw of Alaska, Convince me, please. I don't want to miss out on something awesome that I don't know about.

I lived in North Dakota for two years followed by two years in WI. Believe me, you would love Alaska, The scenery is spectacular and the wildlife is abundant. While it is a cooler climate, you would be there in the summer when the weather is quite nice and when it will be hot (or at least warm) and humid in WI.

[hunter2004]

scenery and fresh air... very clean air...endless scenery, and wilds... something we don't experience in GA

[Chenega]

I moved here from Southern California way back in 1972. So what was the lure?

1. Job opportunity in a newly emerging educational system.

2. A sense of adventure and willingness to experience what was known as America's last frontier.

So why I have stayed here 35 years?

1. Met my wife here (a native Vermonter) and chose to buy a house not far from Anchorage. We have a view of the Alaska Range and Mt. McKinley (the tallest peak in North America) from our front window - it is nearly 180 miles away.

2. Love the vast expanses and variety of the place. Tonight my wife and I commented on the way back from dinner at a local restaurant that the volcanic mountains in the distance were particularly beautiful against an orange and red sky and we could see the waters of Cook Inlet, the northernmost extension of the Pacific Ocean in North America.

3. Lots and lots of wildlife of both land, sea, and air variety. In 35 years I've seen bear, moose, whales, wolves, puffins, bald eagles (the list is endless) in their natural environment. Last week we had a mamma moose and her two young ones eating our rose and lilac bushes in our front year.

4. The Northern Lights - too bad they're virtually invisible during the summer but you can see an excellent exhibit on them at the University of Alaska Museum in Fairbanks.

5. Our history - so many cultures have made Alaska what it is and their history and influence is everywhere to be seen.

6. Great people from all walks of life and all parts of the world call Alaska home. Lots of friendly people up here.

7. Good food - nothing beats fresh salmon from the Copper River basin.

8. The glaciers - over 10,000 glaciers up here (many are unnamed too). If you want to see something spectacular, watch the Hubbard Glacier calve from the deck of a cruise ship. It's six miles wide at the face and runs over 90 miles from its origins in the Wrangell-St. Elias mountains. The face is 300 feet high with an equal amount below the water. Locals call the cracking sound "white thunder".

9. Alaska gives you an appreciation for the wilderness and all things wild that stays with you for the rest of your life.

As an educator, I've travelled many places in the world but am always proud to say I live in Alaska. There's no other place like it.

[msmoger]

VERY well said!!! :)

[qiangf2]

The wilderness and national parks have special appeal to me. Alaska offers both. Although when you cruise to Alaska, there are signs of tourism every where, you will still be amazed how prestine this part of land and water is.

[jmk22574]

Please click the link below to view a handful of pictures from our cruise to Alaska last September. I'm from Michigan originally, so I understand your question (however, I'm a bit different in that I LOVE the cold weather). We loved Alaska so much that we're heading back again this year. :)

 

Jill

[derf5585]

One better get to Alaska in the next couple of years because of global warming. All the snow and ice will be gone and Alaska will become the breadbasket of the world.

[MyMotivation]

Ok, what about wildlife? On the boat I mean. Did you see alot? whales, birds, bears ?

[countrygal52]

Where in Wisconsin are you from, MYMOTIVATION? I live in Oshkosh.

DH and I went to Alaska last Aug. on a 13 day cruise tour for our 25th wedding Anniversary. LOVED EVERY BIT OF IT!!!

We rented a car in Fairbanks and did our own sightseeing the first day. As part of our tour we did the Tundra Wilderness tour - saw moose, grizzlies, caribou and Dall sheep. On our own, we toured Jeff King's Goose Lake Kennels (he won the Iditarod in '06). And also Cabin Night dinner theater. On the train to Seward we saw moose also. In Glacier Bay, we saw AWESOME glaciers calving and sea lions and even bears on shore. In Icy Strait Point we booked a private whale watch with F.I.S.H.E.S. (Floyd Peterson). Saw Humpback whales and heard the singing and barking. Took in a native Indian Dance also; had fresh caught crab for lunch. On the ship, we saw Humpback and Orca whales, Dall porpoises, sea lions.

 

The scenery itself is gorgeous!! From our balcony at the hotel in Denali, we had a great mountain view and watched people in canoes and kayaks paddling down the river. We slept with our window open to hear the river.

 

If you are a fan of Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" - we sailed on "The Aleutian Ballad" crab excursion for 3 hours out of Ketchikan. Touched and/or held live crabs, prawns, dogsharks, and even an octopus.

 

There are plenty of beautiful spots in Wisconsin, but I hope I get a chance to get back to Alaska again someday to drive around and see MORE! :D :D

[whale-watcher]

Ok, what about wildlife? On the boat I mean. Did you see alot? whales, birds, bears ?

yes, yes, and a few...but I spent a lot of time scanning and watching for wildlife and broght along good binoculars and warm clothing.

 

I live in chilly northern MN, but Alaska is something else entirely. The wildlife, the scenery, and the feel of Alaska are entirely different than the north woods of the lower 48.

[Onessa]

From about 4.5 miles North and West of the "frozen tundra" here in GB, WI. We've toured AK both by cruiseline (3x's) and by land (mostly by air actually!).

 

First off -- in the summer AK is not COLD. At worst it is like a good spring or autumn day, very often (winter, spring, summer or fall) it is warmer in the communities in AK's inside passage than it is here.

 

While WI is still the most beautiful state in the US, AK is right up there! On an AK cruise, you can sit out on deck and actually SEE something (not just water).

 

When on-shore there are real-live fun things to do -- great hiking, dog sledding, brewery tours (you ARE from WI aren't you?), historic sites, national parks.

 

I've always said "you've seen one sandy beach, you've seen them all" My in-laws live on Lake Superior and during the summer the beaches in Cornie are better than any in the Caribbean (as long as you don't try to swim in the liquid ice! :D ) But every mountain, every waterfall, every bear I've ever seen still fills me with awe! But hey, that's just me

[allentownahoy]

I hate the cold but we just cancelled a Caribbean cruise for later this year to save money so we can go back to Alaska for 2 weeks in 2009. The scenery and wildlife is beyond compare and even the sea days are filled with beauty and wildlife, not just open seas. I still get such a high when I view my pictures. I have never experienced anything like Alaska.

 

Ruth

[CowPrincess]

"So what is there in Alaska?"

 

What appeals to me is the serenity, the majesty, and the "undiscovered frontier" aspect. I'm in a cold place in Canada, and I'm going to Alaska again :)

 

We live in a "touristy" area ourselves, and there's a HUGE difference in behaviour of the people who visit this area vs. the ones I've met going to Alaska.

 

There's an attitude on the Alaska cruises of reverence and civility, I think -- a respect for the land and for the people with whom you are sharing this amazing experience.

 

In my experience, being in Alaska, or alongside Alaska, brings out the philosopher in people with that tendency. Alaska touches your soul, and affirms that we are all part of something greater (regardless of your religion or spirituality or belief system).

[melodyina]

I'm now an Anchorage local, though I was born in Superior Wisconsin. I will state their is a Sports Bar that is the official home for Green Bay football fans living in Anchorage. Its called the Peanut Farm. The MN Vikings official bar is the Sea Galley. :) .