FIVE Reasons to Go to Alaska NOW
Hanna and I are back from eight days in Alaska, and our biggest regret is that we didn’t stay longer. It was my third trip to the last frontier and her first, and we are already planning a return. If you like the outdoors, it’s a no-brainer to go there. In fact, if you have the disposable income and you still have unallocated vacation time to go somewhere this summer, it makes sense to get on the ol’ interweb and book a trip now.
Here are our top five reasons you should make Alaska the site of your late-blooming 2020 vacation:
Because it’s Alaska, dude. Seriously, there are enough places to go there that if you took three distinct Alaskan vacations every year for the rest of your life you’d never run out of options. The state is several times as big as Texas, and far bigger than many countries. On top of that, you can have an epic adventure at a wide range of budgets, from DIY road-camping on up to absolute luxury.
It’s in the USA. That’s not some sort of jingoistic sloganeering, just a practical reality. Many of my friends who’d planned trips to Canadian fishing lodges this summer had them canceled due to border closings. That’s not an issue because even though it’s far away Alaska doesn’t require a passport.
They’re taking the virus seriously. Until recently, out-of-state travelers had to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in Alaska. They’ve loosened that slightly – but we still had to get a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of our departure to be able to effectuate our plans to travel around. That’s not a guarantee, but it makes us feel better.
Atypical openings. Normally, the best lodges, campsites and experiences are long since booked by this time of year, but due to the uncertainty we’ve experienced since March, there are still lots of options. Yes, some outfitters have canceled their season, but others are bending over backwards to accommodate guests safely.
No snakes!
Here are three places we recommend:
Bear Trail Lodge – This was my second trip to BTL, and while I never could have forecast it, it was better than the first. Really a first class lodge with incredible scenery, food, fishing and people. Bristol Bay is a national treasure.
Outer Coast Adventures – We were disappointed that our self-imposed anti-virus strategy prevented us from fishing with Captain Chris this summer. Hanna was sad because I’d had such a good trip with him last year, and also because our freezer is getting unreasonably low.
Alpine Air Alaska – A helicopter ride up to a snowy glacier (in mid-July!) to ride with a championship sled dog team? We splurged on this one this time and it was worth every penny.
Stay tuned for more blogs on these topics and more in the coming weeks.
