What a great time we had up in Alaska. If you are currently stressed and in need of some serious unwinding then Alaska might be the place for you. Below I've listed pros and cons of the state to help anyone out there decide if it's the place to travel next.
Pros:
1. Nature: Yes, you've seen loads of photos of the place but they don't do justice. You can't even understand a fraction of it until you've actually seen it. Alaska has everything a nature lover would want. I saw glaciers, moose, reindeer, gigantic ice capped mountains, turquoise lakes, black sand beaches and waterfalls. The moment you enter this place you will feel at ease and all those little worries you have will take a back seat.
2. Adventure: Whitewater rafting, skiing/snowboarding, hiking, atv's, horseback riding, dog sledding, kayaking...pretty much think of it and it's there.
3. Beer: Alaskans know their beer. Alaska is a beer drinking state. I was in heaven with the Alaskan Amber.
4. Food: You like seafood? Good, because this place is the home of salmon, halibut and snow crabs just to name a few. Try going to a restaurant in downtown Anchorage called Humpys. The blackened halibut was the BEST halibut I've ever had.
5. No tax: Not much else to explain with this one. No tax rules!
6. Coffee: Anchorage is saturated with all these little drive-thru coffee shacks. I love it. Everywhere you turn you will see a 6 by 6 shack with a sign that says "Expresso."
7. Summer: The sun sets at 11:45 pm and rises 4 hours later. It never gets completely dark either. Besides the coolness factor of that, it also gives you a lot more time to do outdoor activities. One day we decided to go on a 3 hour hike up a mountain. We started around 7 pm!
Cons:
1. Outdoor Activities: Maybe it was because I was there in tourist season but every activity was very expensive. There was a 4 hour boat ride where you get an opportunity to see whales. The price was $160. I'm sorry but I don't have that kind of money. There was a 4 hour kayak adventure that was easily over $100. Whitewater rafting ranges from $70-$200, which isn't that all bad. Forget about airplane tours being cheap.
2. Distance: DO NOT go to Alaska unless you have a car or some kind of reliable transportation. We were there for 9 days and we put 1200 miles on our rental car. Everything is far away. We went with Budget rental car and got a Nissan Sentra for $370 for a week. Make sure that you get unlimited miles on your car rental or you are screwed. Also note that gas is considerably more expensive there...like maybe a dollar more than what you are probably paying now. Odd since they seem to have a lot of the oil up there.
3. Food: Unless you are going to be eating McDonalds everyday, expect to spend more on food. The food is good but it became pretty common for a single meal to cost $25. There might not be tax but the expensiveness makes up for it.
4. Winter: The lack of daylight really can get depressing. The northern lights might be the only positive to going in the winter.
The pros outweigh the cons by far but at least now you might have a better understanding on what to expect. Thanks for reading and I hope you check Alaska out!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
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