WANDERLUST
UP NORTH: Escape to Alaska Plan a special summer getaway with snow, forests and waterfalls.
WHILE WE FLORIDIANS love our surf, sand, sea and sunny weather, we all need a change of scene from time to time. Once the summer heat ramps up, one destination starts to have a special attraction: Alaska. Double the size of Texas, it has no less than eight national parks, 29 volcanos, 3 million lakes and thousands of glaciers—a nature lover’s paradise. Post-pandemic, Alaska tourism has surged to record levels, recording over 3 million visitors at last count. A good number of those —1.7 million to be exact — arrived on cruise ships in 2024. That’s how I got there, the only state I had never visited, traveling on Silversea’s ship Silver Nova. From April to October, some 13 cruise lines call on Alaskan ports, the busiest time
being mid-June to mid-July. It’s a great way to not only sample what Alaska has to offer but also immerse yourself in the culture and lore of the region. Here are a few highlights from my seven days in the nation’s 49th state. JUNEAU The capital of Alaska since 1906, and named after a gold prospector, it hosts a population of just over 32,000. During cruise season, that swells by an additional 20,000 people daily. If you arrive by cruise ship, you’ll likely dock in the heart of the downtown historic district, where you’ll find charming storefronts, a profusion of flowers and the world-famous Red Dog Saloon.
Enter in Red Dog’s swinging doors and you’ll think you’ve stepped back in time to the Old West, where waitresses in frilly skirts serve up Alaskan amber beer against a backdrop of tunes from an old-fashioned piano player. Once a tent on the beach during the Gold Rush heyday, today it serves up history and food in equal portions. Just down the street you can hop on the Goldbelt Tram and get a bird’s eye view of the city and surrounding area as it takes you to the top of Mt. Roberts. Love Nature? Some 12 miles outside town you can view Mendenhall Glacier, formed around 3,000 years ago during the Little Ice Age. Over 13 miles in length, it has been receding since the mid-1700s. But you don’t have to rush to take that selfie.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY GERRY BARKER
BY GERRY BARKER
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