The 15 Best Alaska Souvenirs & Gifts from the Last Frontier
Planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Alaska? Lucky you! Even after growing up in Alaska (15 years) and visiting many times since then, I’m always wistful when I hear of people headed to the place I once called home. Leave room in your bags – the best Alaska souvenirs and gifts worth bringing home...
The 15 Best Hikes near Anchorage for an Alaskan Adventure
For many people, visiting Alaska is an opportunity to step outside their comfort zone. Maybe that's seeing incredible wildlife up and close, or feeling the chill of a glacial wind on their face while standing on a mountainside. A lot of people use their Alaska trip as an opportunity to get out and explore the Great Outdoors more than they do at home – and hiking is a fantastic way to do this, especially as there are so many great hikes across the state...
The 15 Best Anchorage Day Trips to Plan in Your Alaska Itinerary
As Alaska's biggest city, Anchorage is home to fantastic restaurants, fascinating museums, and incredibly close access to the rest of Alaska. While some locals might call it "Los Anchorage" because of the "big city" problems you might see here, I consider Anchorage to be an essential part of any Alaska itinerary...
The 5 Most Recommended Mosquito Repellants for Alaska
There's a joke in Alaska: do you know what the state bird is? No, it's not the ptarmigan (but good job for knowing how to spell it!) – it's the mosquito! You see, at some times of the year, the mosquitos in Alaska are almost as big as ptarmigan – and way more prevalent...
Alaska in March: A Complete Guide to Visiting in Late Winter
While March might signal the end of winter in some parts of the country, that's not the case for Alaska: March is still very much a winter month, tapering toward the "break-up" season as it comes to an end. That said, March is an incredible month to visit Alaska. Aurora season is at one of its semi-annual peaks, and there are a variety of fascinating events and things to do in bigger cities like Anchorage and Fairbanks...
A Perfect Great Basin National Park Itinerary for 2 or 3 Days Among the Pines
I could say that Great Basin National Park is my favorite national park in Nevada... but it's also the only national park in Nevada! Instead, I'll say that it's one of my favorite in the country: Great Basin is home to unusual geology and history, fantastic hiking trails and scenery, and off-the-beaten-path enough that you aren't likely to end up waiting in line to snag a parking spot like you might at more popular parks like Arches and Yosemite...
3 Days on Hawaii’s Big Island: Volcanoes, Lava & Stars, Oh My!
If you ask most people, Hawaii is paradise on earth. Each of the islands is truly unique, from the Garden Island of Kauai to popular Oahu to the otherworldly volcanic landscape of the Big Island. And while I've been fortunate to visit all of the main Hawaiian islands at least a little, Hawaii holds a special place in my heart because it is so very different than the others – it's home to epic stargazing, wild waterfalls, and beautiful beaches alongside lava flows...
End of Season Alaska Cruises: Are They Worth It?
Alaska is a primarily summer destination; over 90% of people visit Alaska during the summer season between the end of May and mid-September. And 50% of those people take an Alaska cruise. This means that cruising during the summer is a very popular – and pricey – activity, and will probably give you some sticker shock even if you find a good deal....
9 Epic Las Vegas Road Trips to Skip the Strip
When it comes to Las Vegas, people generally fall into one of two camps: they love it and plan repeat trips to soak in the lights, glitz, and potential for payouts on the Strip – or they hate it and never want to visit. It turns out there's a third camp though, and it's full of those of us who realize that Las Vegas is a fantastic destination as a base to strike out and explore this region of the Western U.S...
