8 Perfect Destinations For A Long Weekend In Alaska
Alaska is the largest US state at 665,384 square miles, larger than the three states of Texas, California, and Montana combined. Most of those massive square miles are filled with the biggest concentration of glaciers in North America and some of the most perfect destinations for a long weekend in Alaska. Between Seward’s captivating fjords to Sitka’s indigenous totem poles, these beautiful small towns in Alaska are heavenly communities out in the final frontiers. You need not feel like the days of fun and adventure are ending in Alaska, especially since it will literally be a long day on the weekends in the summer or a long night throughout winter.
Seward
For a memorable weekend vacation in Alaska, head towards the fjords of Seward, a port village in an inlet on the Kenai Peninsula. Formerly the ancestral homeland of the Alutiiq, or Sugpiaq, people who built their abodes on terrain shaped by glaciers flowing from Harding Icefield and the Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward captivates newcomers with outdoor wonders and opportunities. Whether you are learning all about Seward’s indigenous cultures and historic origins at the Seward Community Library & Museum or trudging through the humungous snow mountains like Mount Marathon that encircles Seward, you will doubtlessly be enamored by Seward’s rewarding attractions.
Charter a course through Resurrection Bay and visit a smattering of landscapes such as Sunny Cove State Marine Park, Rugged Island, Driftwood Bay State Marine Park, and Sandspit Point State Marine Park. Get a good view of Seward’s fjords from Fort McGilvray or Seward Lookout, and get to know all about the whales, porpoises, puffins, and seals that call Seward their home at the Alaska SeaLife Center. Most importantly, get warm and comfortable in resplendent lodgings like the Harbor 360 Hotel, Oz Lodge, Arctic Paradise Bed and Breakfast, or Bear Paw Lodge.
Homer
Feel at home at Homer, about a three-hours’ drive away from Seward at Kachemak Bay in the Kenai Peninsula. Buildings such as the Pratt Museum and the Center for Alaska Coastal Studies give you comprehensive details of the history, culture, ecological habitats, and popular attractions throughout Homer. The Islands & Oceans Visitor Center continues to be the largest seabird sanctuary in the world, while the Homer Spit is a long strip of land lined with two microbreweries, shops, art galleries, seafood restaurants, and beaches to satisfy anyone’s appetites for activities.
Pioneer Avenue, on the other hand, features several local artisans’ studios and even a replica of an old pioneer’s cabin for you to tour. Homer often serves as a suitable jumping point towards the mountains, fjords, inlets, and valleys that compose the Kachemak Bay State Park. One can gain an elevated vantage over Homer from atop the Viewpoint Skyline Drive, just as one can feel safe and sound in lovely domiciles like the Kenai Peninsula Suites, the Homer Inn & Spa, and Beluga Lake Lodge.
Juneau
Did you know that Juneau is the state capital of Alaska, yet with a population of around 30,000 and its lack of skyscrapers and other big city landmarks, it shines as any beautiful small town in the state? Certainly, you will not feel any of the city hassle and bustle customary to bigger metropolises in Juneau, especially when you are exploring the wilderness areas in the Gastineau Channel and the Alaskan panhandle. With Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge’s sublime biodiversity and features, the various species of whales and orcas wading through the riverways and channels near Juneau, and Mendenhall Glacier’s gargantuan breadth and depths of ice, you will be mesmerized by Juneau’s sceneries and sensations befitting a small town.
Admiralty Island, known popularly as the “Fortress of the Bears,” is home to nearly 1,600 bears as best seen in locations like the Pack Creek Bear Sanctuary. The A-J Mine, the Last Chance Mining Museum, and the historic Treadwell Mine in Douglas Island are a number of destinations that will give you a glimpse into Juneau’s gold-mining past. Glacier Bay National Park continues to dazzle observers with its nigh-immortal wall of ice. Finally, establishments like the Juneau Hotel, Alaska’s Capital Inn Bed & Breakfast, and Waterfront on Glacier are a handful of opulent lodgings that will make you feel right at home in Juneau.
Sitka
You will not be sitting around too much—or perhaps you will have the need to sit down—once you are traveling through long and winding expeditions in the small town of Sitka. Only about a five-hour boat ride from Alaska’s capital city of Juneau, Sitka is the major community on Baranof Island, which is part of Chichagof Island, one of the largest islands in the US. At the time when Sitka, which means “on the outside of Shee [Baranof Island]” by the Tlingit peoples, was once part of Russia until 1867, several buildings retained a few recognizable Russian architectural formats, such as the Saint Michael’s Orthodox Cathedral’s onion dome and the Russian Bishop’s 1842 House.
At the Sitka National Historical, travelers will come across totem poles erected by the indigenous Tlingit people who destroyed a Russian fort in the year 1802 and won a battle in 1804. Meanwhile, the Sheldon Jackson College from the year 1878 is now a museum containing the state’s oldest and one of the best collections of Russian and Native Alaskan artifacts. One of the best times to visit Alaska is in November, when the townsfolk celebrate WhaleFest when pods of humpback whales migrate through Sitka Sound. There are plenty more attractions and activities to savor in Sitka, so consider booking a room at either the Sitka Hotel, Baranof Lodge, or LongLiner.
Ketchikan
For travelers and tourists going through the Inside Passage, one of the natural wonders of Alaska, you can always stop and take in the beautiful beginnings of the final frontier at the small town of Ketchikan. Situated on Revillagigedo Island, which is part of the Alexander Archipelago, Ketchikan was once a fishing settlement for the Tongass and Cape Fox Tlingit, who named the place Kitschk-hin, meaning “Thundering Wings of an Eagle.” In the late 1800s, it became a major mining site for gold and a cannery for salmon, of which you can find thousands of salmon fishes released annually at the Deer Mountain Hatchery.
One can learn all about Ketchikan’s history at the Tongass Historical Museum, whereas the destinations such as Ketchikan’s Totem Heritage Center, Saxman Totem Park, and Totem Bight State Historical Park contain totem poles—some dating back to the 19th-century—that belong to the Tlingit and Haida villages in the region. For exploration, you can sojourn through the untamed wilderness of the Misty Fjords National Monument and the Tongass National Forest. For entertainment, you can watch the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show almost every day. And for lodgings, you can look to places like Inn at Creek Street or Cape Fox Lodge for your daily and nightly needs.
Girdwood
Gird yourself for more adventures and excitement in the gracious resort town of Girdwood. Approximately 39 miles from the city of Anchorage, those who enjoy skiing and snowboarding will absolutely adore Girdwood’s snowy mountain slopes from the summit of Mount Alyeska. From a range of extreme sports to leisurely treks and trails, the Punchbowl Glacier Dogsledding area certainly accommodates a wide spectrum of activities suitable for everyone who is thrilled by snow.
Be respectful and mindful in the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center as it is home to many orphaned, sick, and wounded animals in the process of recuperation. You might also fancy riding a catamaran or any other boat through the Tumagain Arm and taking photographs from scenic points of interest, such as Bird Point. Girdwood, similar to Anchorage, happens to be a convenient gateway to the Chugach State Park, the Kenai River, and Glacier Valley. If you ever get exhausted from all the traveling, you can always recharge and refresh for a new day in Alyeska Resort, the only major resort in Alaska.
Talkeetna
At the base of Denali, the tallest peak in North America, lies the remarkable town of Talkeetna. As a two-hour getaway from Anchorage, Talkeetna promotes plentiful of attractions at the meeting point between the glacial rivers of the Chulitna, Susitna, and Talkeetna. Newcomers can discern the town’s past and its many historic buildings at the Talkeetna Historical Society Museum. Talkeetna is mainly a waystation and gateway for both the Nelchina Public Use Area and the Denali National Park and Preserve.
It is best to first visit the Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station to be better prepared for an arduous yet fulfilling journey towards Denali or to any other mountain peaks ringing Talkeetna such as Mount Foraker. In the month of March, you can participate in or observe the annual Oosik Classic Nordic Ski Race or even go dogsledding when winter is at its highest in Talkeetna. Should you wish to stay a little bit longer in Talkeetna, do not feel dismayed or remiss when booking a room in amicable establishments such as Talkeetna Inn, Susitna River Lodging, or Talkeetna Hideaway.
Skagway
Be on your way towards Skagway, an isolated borough at the end of Chilkoot Inlet. As home to the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, the site of the famous Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-98, Skagway has been deemed the “Garden City of Alaska” due to bountiful croplands and verdant Blanchard Garden that once held the record for America’s largest Dahlia.
Whether you are taking the road through the White Pass and Yukon Route Narrow Gauge Railway—designated an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark similar to the Panama Canal, the Eiffel Tower, and the Statue of Liberty—or the path of the Chilkoot Trail, “the world’s longest outdoor museum” that leads to the Yukon Goldfields, Skagway is definitely the way to go on your journey to Alaska’s most memorable and magnificent landscapes. From the glaciers to the north and the Haines State Forest to the east, Skagway is in the middle of nearly everything despite being one of the most remote towns in Alaska. So give yourself a good weekend vacation in Skagway, and do consider lodgings like At the White House or The Pack Train Inn to be suitable places to spend your weekends.
From the Aleut word "Alaxsxaq," meaning "mainland” or, more literally, "object to which the action of the sea is directed,” Alaska is an untamed and relatively unexplored land at the edge of everywhere. Right between the two powerhouse nations of Canada and Russia as separated by the de facto boundaries of the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Strait or Sea, this massive and remote state of the US is home to a number of perfect destinations suitable for a long weekend vacation. Where permafrost and glaciers have endured for thousands of years and where whales in the sea and the Northern Lights in the sky frolic about, Alaska is a winter wonderland so different from all other neighboring states in the US. So prepare your best winter gear and get a taste of salmon in the perfect destinations in Alaska suitable for a long weekend vacation.
