Perched on the Arctic Circle, high above the ‘lower 48’ - the spectacular 49th state of the United States of America hogs all the top ten highest mountains in the union and is one to watch in 2014 as more and more travellers seek crowd-free, wilderness destinations. Not only is Alaska the largest US state – making up an area the the size of California, Texas and Montana combined – but it is also the least densely populated and boasts the largest area of national parklands.
 

Yet Alaska is very accessible and easy to travel around. It appeals to a wide range of demographics, whether adventurous or laid back and new for 2014, the Southeast Alaska Independent Living (SAIL) is providing information and services to visitors with limited mobility or physical, visual, or hearing impairments in the Juneau area. sailinc.org. Visitor numbers to Alaska in summer 2013 grew by 7 per cent (1,693,800) compared to summer 2012.
 

Please find below the other top Alaska travel stories for January 2014.

Alaska by sea

A total of 30 large cruise ships are scheduled to call into Alaska in 2014, while there will be an increase in itineraries for small-ship cruise lines.

Icy Straight Point

Celebrity Cruises and Norwegian Cruises will add Icy Strait Point, a small-ship cruise port located 30 miles west of Juneau, as a port of call for two ships, the Celebrity Solstice and Norwegian Pearl.
ncl.co.uk/ships/norwegian-pearl/ and celebritycruises.co.uk/

Whale of a time

 

Wrangell’s Alaska Charters & Adventures is now offering full-day whale watching tours on the calm, pristine waters of the Inside Passage. A custom-built 35-foot aluminum cabin-style boat, enough to fit six passengers, provides wildlife viewing potential from both the inside seats and the deck areas. www.alaskaupclose.com 

 

Wildlife luxury

Alaska Sea Adventures is offering visitors the unique experience of viewing wildlife in Alaska during spring herring trips in the 2014 season. The small luxury cruise operator will point out views of bald eagles, whales, seals, sea lions and various seabirds. yachtalaska.com

Stunning views by catamaran

In 2014, Kenai Fjords Tours will add a new 150-passenger catamaran to its 12-vessel fleet, offering more visitors the chance to travel through Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park to view wildlife and glaciers. www.kenaifjords.com

New flights

 

Air North connects Dawson City and Fairbanks
Travellers to Alaska in summer 2014 will now have access to flights between Fairbanks and Dawson City in Yukon, Canada with nine flights per week scheduled on Air North. The flights will be utilised by Holland America Line for its Land + Sea Journeys to reduce travel time between Dawson City and Fairbanks from two days by bus to a short, one-hour flight. Guests can now spend more time in Fairbanks. This new route positions Fairbanks International Airport as a hub for international travel to the Interior of Alaska.
explorefairbanks.com and flyairnorth.com

 

Anchorage and Petropavlovsk

Yakutia Airlines and AirRussia.US announced the return of seasonal flights between Anchorage and Petropavlovsk, scheduled to operate for 10 weeks on Saturdays, running from 12 July – 13 Sept. yakutia.aero/en/ and airrussia.us

Delta Airlines

Delta Airlines has announced seasonal flights between Seattle and Juneau beginning 29 May, and has added an additional flight to its seasonal Seattle to Anchorage route.delta.com.

Remote drop-off by air taxi

Talkeetna Air Taxi is partnering with Alaska Nature Guides is to provide a remote drop-off in the Talkeetna Mountains. Guests will be dropped off with a guide to embark on an Alaska wilderness adventure catered to their hiking skills. Talkeetna Air Taxi also provides scenic tours and charter services. talkeetnaair.com

Sunset helicopter tour

Tanalian Aviation has introduced its “City of Lights” sunset helicopter tour, circling Anchorage and the surrounding bowl, for a scenic viewing of the Chugach Mountains, Cook Inlet coastline and the metropolitan skyline. tanalianaviation.net

Get Active

 

High-flying fun by zip wire

Denali Zipline Tours out of Talkeetna is expanding operations to Seward at an 80-acre park that will serve as the new grounds for high-flying fun and sightseeing amongst the beautiful backdrop of Alaska forests. denaliziplinetours.com

Wild Excursions

The luxury, adventure Winterlake Lodge, located 198 trail miles northwest of Anchorage in Southcentral Alaska,  is launching three new outdoor excursions this winter. The day trip opportunity gives guests access to the lodge's on-site helicopter for backcountry cross-country skiing on nearby Wolverine Mountain, while an overnight snowmobile excursion allows travellers to explore some of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and stay in a rustic cabin. The third guided adventure is spent trekking to a new cabin – eight miles from the lodge – and guests can choose how, either by dog sled, snowmobile, cross-country skis or by snowshoes. The night is spent “glamping,” before returning to the lodge in the morning. All training and meals are provided for the trips.  withinthewild.com

Snow Fun

In mid-February, National Park Service Alaska will plow the Denali park road west of headquarters, a month or so earlier than usual. It will open up a recreational opportunity for skiers and snowshoers, as well as mountain viewers, at Mile 12, the new Mountain Vista Rest Area. nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/winter-activities.htm

Guided Twitching

Friends of Creamer’s Field will offer one-hour guided walks around the Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the winter season. creamersfield.org.

Cheers!

 

Secret Family Recipe

High Mark Distillery, a new distillery located in Sterling, uses a secret family recipe, mixed with ideas borrowed from backwoods jack makers, to create its popular Nickel Back Apple Jack, a smooth, apple-pie-flavored liqueur. highmarkdistillery.com

Ursa Major Distilling

Claiming to be the ‘farthest north legal distillery in the whole world,’ Ursa Major Distilling became the second Alaska spirit producing company to be accepted into the Alaska Grown program, which recognises Alaska businesses working together to source products locally. ursamajordistilling.com

New events and 2014 anniversaries

 

Fifth Alaska Bear Festival

In 2014, visitors to Wrangell can experience the fifth anniversary of the Alaska Bear Festival, held between 23-27July, celebrating the bears of Alaska. Activities include workshops; bear symposiums, kids’ activities, trips to Anan Wildlife Observatory and music. alaskabearfest.org.

50th Anniversary of the USA’s biggest Earthquake

The Valdez Museum’s “Remembering Old Valdez” exhibit will be open to the public for extended hours of operation beginning in March, honouring the 50-year anniversary of the Good Friday Earthquake, which was the biggest earthquake in the USA. A new exhibit “A Moving Experience: A Look Back at the Good Friday Earthquake,” will be unveiled in March with “Communities, Disaster & Change,” a traveling temporary exhibition, scheduled to launch the summer of 2014. valdezmuseum.org.

 

Kodiak will remember the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake and tsunami with special events and story- telling in the new Kodiak Public Library during the week of March 25, 2014. An earthquake simulator will also be available at the annual Crab Festival in May. kodiak.org

Cold War Commemoration

A convention commemorating the Cold War is scheduled for 4-6 September in Anchorage and will feature a reunion for Alaska Nike veterans, a variety of lectures and a site visit to the Nike Site Summit. nikesitesummit.net/about-site-summit.html

Theatre in Juneau

Juneau-based Perseverance Theatre will present Summerfest, a six-week festival of three new plays: The Blue Bear, Warriors and Vonya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience all three plays that will rotate during the summer season. perseverancetheatre.org

75 Years of the Westmark Baranof Hotel

The historic Westmark Baranof Hotel, located in downtown Juneau, is celebrating 75 years of service. westmarkhotels.com/juneau

Celebrating Alaska Native Culture

Celebration is a biennial Alaska Native cultural festivity featuring colourful processions, dance performances, authentic arts and crafts, workshops and lectures. Attendees can enjoy activities from 11-14 June at several venues in Juneau. sealaskaheritage.org/celebration

Social Media Spotlight

 

Interested in learning Tlingit? There’s an app for that.

 

No trip to Alaska would be complete without learning a little bit of Native language! Alaska has a strong Native American heritage, with many different tribes. The Tlingit’s territory is in the South East of the country, bordering British Colombia, and so learning a smattering of Tlingit before you venture to the Inside Passage could prove to be very useful – if not impressive! Click here to download the free ‘Southern Tlingit 1’ app for iPhone or here to download for Android. 

 

-Ends-

Editorial notes

For further information please contact Lotus UK on 020 7953 7470 or email frances@lotus-uk.co.uk, kate@lotus-uk.co.uk or Alaska@lotus-uk.co.uk. Further information on Alaska can also be found at travelalaska.com.