Rolling tundra, gorgeous coastlines, massive mountains, vast glaciers, and remarkable wildlife. You can find all this and more in Alaska. Be ready for the unexpected, the unusual, and the exciting.

Itineraries

Eat & Drink

229 Parks Restaurant and Tavern

Wow! A restaurant this good essentially in the middle of nowhere (OK not that far from Denali) this place can give any eatery in any city a run for it’s money.

The Saltry Restaurant

This is generally considered one of those can’t-miss-dining experiences in the world. Located across Kachemak Bay in the settlement of Halibut Cove, you’ll jump aboard the Danny J (a restored antique fishing boat) and take the short cruise over. The seating is all outdoors on a big deck (no matter what the weather, dress accordingly). […]

Devil’s Club Brewing Company

Our favorite brewery in Alaska is located in downtown beer. They brew a wide selection of tasty beers, including an impressive variety of different styles. They also serve up tasty pub snacks.

Heen Kahidi Dining Room

Big windows offer great views of the town and the ocean, and the restaurant serves up tasty food at reasonable prices, as well as several local draft beers and a good wine list.

Skagway Brewing Company

One of the best places to eat in Skagway, the Skagway brewing company offers excellent food, as well as a selection of locally made craft beer.

The Island Pub

This local hangout across the channel from Juneau serves up the best pizza in town, along with a good selection of draft beers and tasty cocktails.

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108 Tap House & Burger Bar

Located in downtown Ketchikan, the 108 Tap House & Burger Bar serves up delicious and creating burgers, as well as a great selection of local draft beers.

Glacier Brewhouse

The Glacier Brewhouse serves tasty food, including some delicious seafood options, as well as a selection of house-brewed beers.

Asylum Bar

A dive bar with a local vibe, Asylum is a great place to stop for drinks during your visit to Ketchikan. It has an extensive list of (mostly local) draft beers, all of which are $3.50 all day.

Bawden Street Brewing Company

Truly a local establishment, the Bawden Street Brewing Company serves up tasty and interesting craft beers in a cozy tasting room.

Forbidden Peak Brewery

Nice brewpub near lovely Auke Bay (just east of Juneau). Near the airport so a good place to go if you have time between flights. Limited but good food selection.

Salty Dawg Saloon

This popular place on the Spit has been a Homer institution before Alaska was a state

See

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

On the way to Seward from Anchorage this is a good stop as they have a variety of animals in a level location. They are dedicated to wildlife rehab

Mendenhall Glacier

One of the most accessible glaciers in Alaska this is just a short drive from town and an impressive sight (though rapidly retreating). Take the relatively short Nugget falls trail for great views or with more time consider the West Glacier trail In bear season the steep creek trail takes you to salmon spawning and […]

Exit Glacier Trailhead

This is a fascinating area near Seward. Nice flat walk to view of the Exit Glacier (off of massive ice filed above). The years of where the glacier was in the past are marked so you can really appreciate the rapid retraction

Totems of Ketchikan

You should not visit Ketchikan without seeing the historic and beautiful totems from the Tlingit culture. There are 3 places to see totems in Ketchikan: Totem Bight State Park, Totem Heritage Center, and Saxman Totem Park. Totem Bight State Park, located north of town, is set on a lovely peninsula with a long house and […]

Anchorage Museum

Located in downtown Anchorage, this museum has a variety of exhibits on Alaskan art and history.

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Red Onion Saloon

This saloon offers a short tour of the former bordello in Skagway and is a good place to eat. If you are there when a lot of people (a cruise ship day) you may want to stop in and reserve in advance.

Creek Street

In 1903, this was Ketchikan’s red-light district but today the boardwalk street over Ketchikan Creek, propped up on wooden pilings, is filled with gift shops, museums and well-preserved homes. More than 30 “bawdy” houses, most with one or two”working girls,” lined the creek over the years. Along with Prohibition, some houses became speakeasies – rowboats […]

Do

Talkeetna Air Taxi

If you have decent weather (there is a 1 in 3 chance) a flight from Talkeetna on the way up (or back) to Denali National Park is THE way to really see th mountain. You will fly along massive glaciers and over dramatic ridges – flying completely around the mountain before landing on a glacier […]

Glacier Bay Tour Boat

This remarkable tour combines stunning landscapes and amazing opportunities to view wildlife. It’s one of the best national park tours we’ve been on. Your all-day tour will begin at the dock below the Glacier Bay Lodge and take you through the park’s coves and fjords so you can see some of the spectacular glaciers up close.

Misty Fjords Flightseeing

Misty Fjords National Monument can only be reached by air or sea. Unless you have time to spend a night in the wilderness, the best way to see it is by a flightseeing trip from Ketchikan.

White Pass & Yukon Route Railway

This railroad was completed in 1900 to take miners to the Klondike for the Yukon Gold Rush. It was truly a masterful feat of engineering. Before the railroad stampeders had to brave the arduous Chilkoot White Pass Trail (on which a disturbing number of pack animals died). Today you can ride the same trains up […]

Boat trip and sea kayaking in Aialik bay

Take an all day trip out to Aialik Bay. On the way out see beautiful scenery, tons of wildlife (orcas, humpback, whales, sea otter, seals, mountain sheep on our trip) then get into your kayak and kayak through a bay full of icebergs to the calving Aialik glacier.

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Juneau Whale Watching

A whale watching trip is a great way to spend a few days during your time in Juneau. Trips vary in length, but we recommend spending least 2.5 hours on the water. You’re virtually guaranteed to see humpback whales and bald eagles.

Denali Tundra Explorer Bus

This is long all day bus trip into the heart of the park. In Denali there are two ways to get in – there are shuttle busses between the various stops with no narration or nature spotting or this excursion where the goal is to see the park and wildlife. The bus is just a […]

Mt Roberts (Goldbelt) Tram

This tram whisks you 1800 feet above Juneau to a series of trails and a retardant at the top. Great in days with good views. You can lie up aa well.

Alaska Seaplanes

When in Alaska do as Alaskans do. Given the size and lack or roads in the state often to only practical way to get around in by air. There are more seaplanes per capita than anywhere in the world. We don’t normally include information on airplane transportation but in Southeast Alaska you may end up […]

Tlingit Tours: Ketchikan

Local Tlingit guide Lisa Edenshaw-Krieger offers tours of the town’s natural and human history. You’ll look for bears and eagles near Herring Cove, and visit the Totem Heritage Center and Totem Bight State Historical Park.

Stay

Tonglen Lake Lodge

The Tonglen Lake Lodge is a spectacularly beautiful location just a few miles down the road from the entrance to Denali National Park.

Susitna Place

Located in a convenient downtown Anchorage spot, this bed and breakfast has extremely comfy beds, a tasty and healthy breakfast, and a great view. It also offers free onsite parking, which isn’t always a given in Anchorage.

Glacier Bay Lodge

This is the only lodging in Glacier Bay National Park. There’s a series of nice rooms in the trees overlooking the water connected by boardwalks to the main lodge area.

Glacier Bay Inn

This is the only lodging in Glacier Bay Park. There’s a series of nice rooms in the trees overlooking the water connected by boardwalks to the main lodge area. The lodge itself has a good dining room – which is good because there is no other dining option nearby. The lodge has a bus that […]

Alaska’s Capital Inn Bed & Breakfast

Charming old craftsman house filled with period furniture in downtown Juneau across the street from the capital. There was quite a variation in room quality however – opt for one of the upstairs rooms or suites. Very good breakfast.

Black Bear Inn

About a ten minuted drive north of central Ketchikan, the Black Bear in is a beautiful and comfortable place to stay.

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Cape Fox Lodge

Lodge on a bluff above Ketchikan. Great views and good restuaraunt. There is a funicular down to main part of town (not running when we were there).

Box Canyon Cabins

Nice cabins very bear Seward (on the road up to exit Glacier. There are kitchens in the rooms and a nice garden with fire-pits.