Travel insights from Codie Liermann, managing editor of The Compass
What do you picture when you think of Alaska — mountain peaks covered in snow, whales frolicking in the water, charming towns with friendly people, wide open spaces as far as the eye can see? All this and so much more exists in this beautiful state.
There are so many ways to travel in the Last Frontier. Many people choose to take a cruise in order to see incredible views and wildlife from both the ship and on land. Others might prefer to explore inland aboard the Alaska Railroad. Whatever method of travel is picked, the good news is, it’s impossible to see everything in one trip (or even in several trips) so you’ll just have to keep coming back for more.
While you’re dreaming up your next vacation to Alaska, enjoy these eight things you might not have known about the state.
- Alaska has more caribou than people. Yes, you read that correctly. With the lowest population density in the United States, more caribou call Alaska home than people do.
- Juneau, the state’s capital, is the only capital city in the United States that is only accessible by boat or plane.
- Summer days in Alaska can see 20 hours of sunlight. If you’re planning to visit in the summer months, you’ll get a glimpse of the Midnight Sun.
- The bar-tailed godwit has the Guinness World Record for the longest flight, which was between Alaska and New Zealand.
- At over 3 million acres, Alaska State Parks is the largest state park system in the United States.
- Located 200 miles from Fairbanks, only 2% of visitors to Alaska make the journey to the Arctic Circle.
- On January 23, 1971, the coldest day in the United States was recorded. It was minus 80 degrees in Prospect Creek, Alaska.
- Everyone knows Alaska is massive, but do we know just how large the state is? To put it into perspective, Alaska is larger than Texas, California and Montana combined.
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