Picture this: a cool breeze brushes your cheeks 🌬️, and you take in the freshest air you've ever breathed 🍃. You catch the scent of spruce trees 🌲, glacial rivers 🏔️, and salty coastline 🌊, and every worry you walked in with floats right out on the exhale 💨. What's left behind is pure, deep-down relaxation. 🧘♀️
Y'all, welcome to Alaska! 🏔️✨
This wild, untouched corner of the world has been pulling in travelers for years, and right now it's hotter than ever! 🔥 Anchorage just set a new passenger record this summer! 🎉 Visit Anchorage reported that more than 14,500 passengers moved through security at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport on August 1, 2026 ✈️, making it the busiest day the airport has ever seen.
And here's the good news: Alaska is so big and so wide open that you'll still feel like you've got the place all to yourself! 🌌
Yes, Alaska is the ultimate place to unwind 💆♀️. But it also brings the adrenaline rush 🧗♂️, the "wait, what's over there?" curiosity 🧐, and that humbling feeling you can only get standing beneath enormous mountains ⛰️. It's a place to relax, to explore, and to try something brand new for the very first time! 🆕 Travelers go to disconnect from everyday life 📱❌ and reconnect with nature 🏞️, with the people they love 💗, and with themselves 🧘.
There are about a million ways to soak it all in, but here are 5 experiences I think every traveler should consider: 👇
1. 🛩️ Flightseeing in Talkeetna
You'll almost certainly spot eagles soaring overhead during an Alaska trip 🦅, and it's pretty awe-inspiring! But how about seeing the rugged landscape from their point of view? 🦅✨ A flightseeing tour with K2 Aviation in Talkeetna does exactly that! 🏔️ They've been flying over Denali National Park & Preserve for more than 50 years. 🛩️
There are several tour options, and some even include a glacier landing! 🧊✈️ The planes are small (10 passengers max), so every guest gets a window seat 🪟, and everyone wears a two-way headset to chat with the pilot and each other 🎧.
For many visitors, this is a once-in-a-lifetime moment ✨. Between the bright white snow ❄️, the turquoise pools of water 💧, and the sheer height of the peaks 🏔️, most folks can't look away. It's the kind of memory that never fades! 📸💖
2. 🚣♀️ Sea Kayaking in Resurrection Bay
Short of swimming 🏊♂️, a kayak is about as close to the water as you can get, which makes it a fantastic way to experience Alaska up close! 🌊 Sunny Cove Kayaking offers a variety of tours, from kayak-only outings to trips that combine paddling with hiking 🥾 or a cruise 🚢.
Their half-day tour in Resurrection Bay (in Seward) is perfect for families and first-timers 👨👩👧👦, yet still fun for experienced paddlers 🛶. You'll glide beneath towering mountains while watching for birds 🦅, otters 🦦, and—if you go in May or June—maybe even a whale! 🐋✨
Every tour includes:
- 👨✈️ Professional guide
- 🛶 Stable two-person kayak
- 🪮 Life jacket & spray skirt
- 🧤 Neoprene mitts & waterproof boots 🥾
- 🎒 Dry bag & a light snack 🍿
3. 🧊 Viewing Glaciers at Kenai Fjords National Park
Some sights just don't translate to a photo 📸, and a glacier up close is one of them! You have to see it in person 👀. Kenai Fjords Tours, operated by Pursuit, makes it easy to check this bucket-list item off ✅.
Choose a half-day or full-day cruise 🚢 and get ready for a lot of WOW! 😮 Depending on the tour, you can float up to glaciers like Holgate and Aialik 🧊 and spot wildlife ranging from whales 🐋 and otters 🦦 to puffins 🐧 and eagles 🦅. Many tours serve a hot lunch onboard 🍲, and you can pick up extra snacks and drinks along the way ☕. Between swapping stories with fellow adventurers 🗣️ and hearing the faraway crackle of the ice 💥, it's an unforgettable day on the water! 🌊✨
4. 🐶 Meeting the Pack at Seavey Kennel
Wagging tails 🐾, big doggy smiles 😃, and husky puppies? 🐶 Say no more! Animal lovers, I know you're already in 💖.
Seavey's IdidaRide Tours in Seward gives visitors a peek into daily kennel life 🐕. You can fly to a glacier and mush across the snow ❄️, or ride a wheeled sled around the kennel grounds 🛷!
The Real Alaska Day Tour is a great mix of kennel time and local exploring 🏔️. It includes:
- 🐾 A kennel tour & dog sled ride 🛷
- 🍽️ Lunch at a local restaurant
- 🧊 A visit to Exit Glacier
- 🚌 A Seward city tour
You might even catch salmon spawning along the way 🐟, and your local guide will keep the stories coming 🗣️!
💡 Pro tip: Come with your Iditarod questions ready! Guests can often chat with someone who has actually finished that grueling 1,000-mile sled dog race! 🏆🐕
5. 🚂 Riding the Alaska Railroad
The Alaska Railroad connects a lot of these excursions, and it's an experience all by itself! 🚆 Instead of white-knuckling it behind the wheel of a rental car 🚗, you get to kick back 🥂 and watch the scenery roll by through big glass windows 🪟. Moose 🫎, bald eagles 🦅, mountain goats 🐐, and maybe even a bear 🐻 aren't unusual sights! Onboard guides share local history and landmark details, helping point out wildlife as you go 🔍.
You can choose:
- 🎟️ Adventure Class: The best rate for budget-smart travelers!
- ⭐ GoldStar Service: Includes glass-dome ceilings 🌌, outdoor viewing platforms 📸, and delicious meals 🍽️!
🎁 Bonus: The Moments You Can't Put on the Itinerary
Like anywhere you travel, Alaska isn't only about what's on the schedule 📅. Sometimes the moments that stick with you forever are the ones nobody planned! ❤️
- 🍷 Ducking into a cozy local wine bar in Seward while you wait for the next train 🚆.
- 🌲 Sitting in total silence, taking in the woods from a balcony at Windsong Lodge 🏡.
- 🦦 Watching a raft of otters floating on their backs without a care in the world.
- 📖 Hearing a wonderful story from a local guide.
- 🏔️ Catching a glimpse of North America's tallest mountain while checking in at Talkeetna Alaska Lodge on a picture-perfect day! Total pinch-me moment! ✨
You can't schedule those, but they're often the ones that become your best travel stories 📖. Alaska has a way of making room for them 💙. That's why I love building itineraries full of wow-worthy experiences with a little breathing room left over for Alaska to do its thing! 🌿 The tours will stay with you, but it may be one unexpected moment that has you dreaming about a return trip to The Last Frontier 🌌.
💭 Ready to start dreaming about Alaska?
Whether you want the glaciers by sea 🌊, the rails and lodges by land 🚂, or a little bit of both 🏔️, I'd love to help you build the perfect trip!
🚢 Upcoming Group Cruise & Tour: I'm putting together a group cruise and cruise tour on Princess Cruises' Island Princess: Alaska Glacier Tour for May 28–June 7, 2028, starting in Anchorage and ending in Vancouver! 🛳️✨
📧 Email me at hello@tripsbyteri.com and let's get your Alaska adventure started! 🎒🗺️
Travel Happy,
Teri
#tripsbyteri #alaska #alaskatravel #alaskacruise #travelhappy