Many surveys confirm that nearly all American workers want to take vacations, and a lot of these trips are domestic tourist expeditions across the nation. Today’s American domestic tourism industry is a big one, and often, Americans on vacation travel more than 50 miles from where they live to see new and exotic places. A person may consider the sunny beaches of Florida, Hawaii, and California as “typical” tourism spots, and indeed, these beaches are popular. But for outdoors lovers, there’s another option that’s often underestimated: Alaska. This massive, northern state can make for a wonderful tourism spot, especially if a guest there enjoys the outdoors. Helicopter tours can show off Alaska’s stunning panoramas from up high, and tours by dogsled are an authentic and rustic way to explore the wilds. Even if a tourist doesn’t want to take tours by dogsled, they can go fishing, hiking, big game hunting, kayaking, and more. And for creative brides and grooms looking for a destination wedding, an Alaska glacier wedding may be just the thing for them.
Touring the State
Alaska is not just a frozen wasteland. It is home to many species of plants and animals unique to the region, and it has mountains and glaciers, lakes, fields of flowers, forests, and more. In surveys and studies, many tourists returning home from Alaska report being greatly satisfied with their trip, and some of them are pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable that trip was. Even a tourist who likes to stay urban can visit the museums and unique restaurants of Anchorage and Juneau, among other cities.
But the expansive wilderness is where a tourist may get the most out of an Alaska trip, as this huge state is very thinly populated. For example, why not take tours by dogsled? With tours by dogsled, a person can take part in time-honored Alaskan tradition, and these sleds can glide right over snowy terrain, pulled by teams of dogs. Besides that, outdoors lovers can view wildlife, such as bird watching, or sketch and photograph anything they find out there. Kayaking on Alaska’s streams and small rivers can be great fun, not to mention hiking and rock climbing.
With the right permits and paperwork, a hunter or fisher can look for game that they won’t find in their own home state. Often, hunters and fishers may rent a log cabin out in the wilds, so that they’re closer to the good hunting spots. Besides, hunters and fishers are there not to be pampered in a large hotel, but get close to nature. Alaska is a great place to go ice fishing, and hunters may hunt big game such as bears, elk, moose, and more.
In the Air
Dogsled tours are a fun way to get around, but some tourists may opt for helicopter tours up in the air. This industry is also popular in Hawaii, and the basic idea is the same. A small group of tourists will board a civilian helicopter with an expert pilot and tour guide, and explore Alaska from a high altitude while taking in the terrain from up high. Everyone on board will wear headsets so that they can hear the tour guide and each other over the helicopter’s noise, and the doors and windows will be kept closed for safety’s sake.
These helicopter tours may get booked fast, so an interested tourist is encouraged to look up available helicopter tour slots online weeks or even months before their trip. A tourist may look for a time slot that fits the schedule of their Alaska trip, or if it’s more convenient, find a helicopter tour slot first, then plan the rest of their trip around it.
Destination Weddings
Alaska can also make for a fine backdrop. Many brides and grooms today are interested in destination weddings, typically beaches. But if the wedding party can handle the logistics, then a spring or summer outdoor wedding in Alaska can provide an incredible backdrop of glaciers and mountains, lakes and pine forests, and more. Travel arrangements for guests may include booking plane flights to Alaska and booking hotel rooms en masse, and arranging local transport, such as taxis or buses, to the ceremony site. Reserving the ceremony site itself may be necessary, this often being done months in advance.
