Explore Alaska

Glacier Cruises
www.26glaciers.com
www.majormarine.com
Accessed from Whittier, 60 miles south of Anchorage, Prince William Sound day cruises offer abundant glacier viewing in a more protected area with generally calmer seas. Wildlife is often encountered such as sea otters, whales, sea birds and seals basking on floating icebergs.

To book with 26 Glaciers, use the discount code 10NCEE.

Kenai Fjords National Park
www.kenaifjords.com   or   www.majormarine.com
Located out of Seward, 127 miles south of Anchorage, Kenai Fjords National Park is weighted by wildlife. Glaciers are prevalent too, but it’s astounding how many animals can be encountered on one cruise, including orca, gray and humpback whales, stellar sea lions, sea otters, dall porpoises surfing the bow wave, or puffins and other sea birds.

Alaska Botanical Garden
www.alaskabg.org
Learn about flora native to Southcentral Alaska with a stroll through the 110-acre Alaska Botanical Garden. Wildflowers, perennials, annuals and herbs grow along interpretive nature trails in a natural boreal forest.

Turnagain Arm
A drive south of downtown on the Seward Highway, a National Scenic Byway, is not to be missed. Look for beluga whales, Dall sheep and the Turnagain Arm bore tide – a true tidal surge that occurs when a rising tide enters a narrow and shallow basin.

Alaska Railroad Train
www.alaskarailroad.com
Hop on board the Alaska Railroad. Trains depart north and south every day from Anchorage to Seward, Whittier, Talkeetna, Denali National Park and Fairbanks. Take the Alaska Railroad Whistle Stop to Spencer Glacier for a ranger hike, or glacier float trip on the Placer River.

Portage Glacier
The Begich, Boggs Visitor Center offers a unique opportunity to learn about the Chugach National Forest, America’s third-largest national forest. Built upon the terminal moraine left behind by Portage Glacier, the Center features award-winning exhibits, educational presentations, the film “Voices from the Ice,” interpretive services, and a bookstore.

Hatcher Pass/Independence Mine
Drive north of Palmer to Hatcher Pass for breathtaking views of the Talkeetna Mountains, gold rush history and hiking trails. Independence Mine State Historical Park (60 miles from Anchorage) features the fascinating remains of a gold mine abandoned in 1955.

Potter March Bird Watching
Potter Marsh, part of the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, is just 12 miles south of downtown. The 2,300-acre wetland serves as home or migratory stopover to more than 220 species of birds, including bald eagles, trumpeter swans, Canada geese and a broad variety of ducks.

Anchorage Museum
www.anchoragemuseum.org
The Anchorage Museum houses a trove of Alaska art, history, science and Alaska Native artifacts in the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center, Imaginarium Discovery Center and Thomas Planetarium. The Alaska Gallery’s timeline of Alaska history includes a twisted girder from the ’64 quake and a cross-section of the Trans-Alaska pipeline.

Alyeska Resort
www.alyeskaresort.com
Take a journey on the 60-passenger Alyeska Aerial Tram to 2,300 feet above sea level for breathtaking glacier, mountain and water views. Dine at the mountaintop AAA Four Diamond Award winner Seven Glaciers Restaurant, offering dinner daily in the summer.

Mount McKinley Flightseeing
www.anchorage.net/flightseeing
Experience the magnificence of Mount McKinley, North America’s tallest peak (20,320 feet), on a flightseeing tour. Scenic flights depart from Anchorage or Talkeetna, a two-hour drive north.

Alaska Zoo
www.alaskazoo.org
The Alaska Zoo is home to the largest variety of Alaska wildlife in the state including polar and brown bears, moose, wolves, snow leopards, caribou, musk ox, arctic fox and more. The Zoo is a private nonprofit providing a home for more than 130 orphaned, injured and endangered animals just 15 minutes south of downtown Anchorage.

Chugach State Park
The half-million-acre park holds some of Alaska’s most accessible camping, hiking and climbing, ATVing, boating, biking, horseback riding, fishing and rafting. Eklutna Lake, the Eagle River Nature Center, Glen Alps Trailhead, Bird Creek and the town of Girdwood all lead into the heart of Chugach State Park.

Alaska Sealife Center
www.alaskasealife.org
Alaska’s premier public aquarium in Seward. On the shores of Resurrection Bay, visitors to this world-class cold water marine research facility have close encounters with puffins, octopus, sea lions, seals and more.

Tony Knowles Coastal Trail
This scenic 11-mile, multiuse trail begins in downtown Anchorage on Second Avenue and passes several major points of interest, including Earthquake Park, before terminating at Kincaid Park Outdoor Center. The trail affords incredible views of Cook Inlet and six different mountain ranges. Bicycle rentals are available at several locations Anchorage.

Fishing Charters
www.anchorage.net/ak/fishing
The famous Kenai River is just a couple hours drive south of Anchorage. Halibut and other saltwater fishing are within a half-day’s drive. Prince William Sound (Whittier) is just over an hour away; Resurrection Bay (Seward) is 2.5 hours; and Kachemak Bay (Homer) is 5 hours south.

Westchester Lagoon Overlook
Westchester Lagoon, near downtown Anchorage, offers excellent bird watching as migrating shorebirds, waterfowl, and terrestrial species seek out the marshy ponds, coastal waters, and streams. Views of the Chugach Mountains can be spectacular, particularly at sunset.

Alaska's Great Northern Lights
www.TheAlaskaCollection.com
Experience the wonder of Alaska’s aurora borealis, or northern lights, during the summer! Dave Parkhurst’s aurora photography is paired with original music in a breathtaking show at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts.

Wildlife Conservation Center
www.alaskawildlife.org
The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is a nonprofit organization that takes in orphaned and injured animals from the wild. Drive the 1.5 mile loop, or spend your time walking through the 200 acres for an up-close look at black and brown bears, moose, wood bison, elk, lynx, caribou and musk ox.

Native Arts Gallery
www.alaskaexperiencetheatre.com/4th-avenue-market-place
Located in Ship Creek Center, the 4th Avenue Market Place features Alaska’s largest display about the 1964 Earthquake, Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race™ murals, Tlingit bear totem pole and a permanent Fred Machetanz art exhibit. Alaska Native shows, artist demonstrations and live music are available during the summer.