What’s Doing in Alaska
If you’re in Juneau and in the mood for a coffee break, stop by one of the city’s Heritage cafés for some fresh roast coffee, espresso, or light lunch fare. One notable Heritage establishment is the Heritage Glacier Café, located in the Mendenhall Valley area of Juneau. The restaurant offers specialty coffees from Latin America, Africa, and Indonesia, as well as a full breakfast and lunch menu.
WHERE TO STAY
The Hotel Captain Cook, located in downtown Anchorage, is a great choice for visitors staying in the city center. The hotel has 547 guestrooms and suites, and, not surprisingly, its common spaces exhibit a nautical theme. The hotel is also home to the Crow’s Nest restaurant, as well as a traditional Alaskan pub, a bistro and wine bar, and a lobby café.
The Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge resort, located near Denali National Park, offers comfortable lodging for park visitors, and complimentary shuttle service to nearby attractions. The resort’s guestrooms are dispersed throughout the property in structures evoking wood cabins. The lodge also features several outdoor hot tubs and numerous dining venues including the Music of Denali dinner theater, an Alaskan seafood restaurant, and a pizza restaurant and pub.
GETTING THERE
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is a major hub for Alaska Airlines, which connects Anchorage to all major cities in Alaska, as well as Chicago O’Hare, Seattle, and Los Angeles. The airport also serves 16 other airlines, including Air Canada rouge, American, Delta, JetBlue, and United. It is connected to the Anchorage city center by Route 7A of the Anchorage People Mover bus system, which runs once every hour between the airport and Anchorage’s downtown Transit Center and Dimond Center Mall.
Juneau International Airport is a smaller facility that offers Alaska Airlines flights between Juneau and local destinations in Alaska. Both Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines also offer flights between Juneau and Seattle. The airport is connected to the city’s downtown area, as well as the University of Alaska campus, by the local Capital Transit bus line.
Because road infrastructure between cities and wilderness areas in Alaska is limited, train travel is a popular form of transportation within the state. The Alaska Railroad offers many scenic lines connecting the major cities of Anchorage and Fairbanks with the Denali National Park area and the nearby town of Talkeetna.
Ferry and cruise lines are also a popular way of getting around and into the state. The Alaska Marine Highway System operates a ferry service between Bellingham, Washington, and the Alaskan towns of Haines and Whittier. Various cruise lines also connect the towns of Seward and Whittier to major scenic destinations within Alaska, as well as to the cities of San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver.
BOTTOM LINE
An unforgettable tourist destination, Alaska is a rare piece of rustic wilderness in a nation known for technology and big business. A carefully preserved natural sanctuary, the state is nevertheless very accessible and welcoming to visitors. Head up north this summer to sample some Alaskan king crab and salmon, or visit the area’s majestic glaciers, or stroll through its many charming small cities, towns, and native villages. Although few prospectors who went to Alaska in the late 19th century actually found gold, they did help open the area’s many natural treasures to the rest of the country.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)
