For Goodness Sake, Don’t Take A Cruise to ALASKA and Other things You Need To Know About The 49th State.

What you didn’t know about Alaska, but should.

Blogpost originally written by our friend and colleague Tara Short of Green Edventures)
 
Every time you turn on the TV, there is another reality show in Alaska. As of now, there are over 20 reality shows being filmed there. Despite this, there are a lot of misconceptions about Alaska. Here are some things you should know if you are ever considering going to the Great Land (Alaska is Athabaskan for “The Great Land” – you learned something already).

1. It is not dark all year long. Due to the tilt of the Earth, certain parts of Alaska are dark nearly 24 hours only during the winter solstice. The opposite is true for the summer solstice when certain parts of Alaska are LIGHT for 24 hours. This extra light starts in April and goes until about October. Average day light between May and August is 19 hours in the Anchorage region. That is why Alaska has ginormous sized produce.

The photo to the right is the sun setting over Katchemak Bay at midnight on a summer day.

2. There are no penguins in Alaska. Penguins and polar bears could never live together because Polar Bears would eat all of the penguins who naturally have no land predators. Instead, in Alaska there are puffins where are the northern counterpart to Penguins. These birds are black and white and can dive underwater like penguins, but they can fly too. Not to mention, they are super cute. ​Here is a link to what Puffins look like.

3. Alaska is not covered in ice all year long. As a matter of fact, their winters are more mild than the Midwest. Average summer temperatures are 75-80 degrees. It is actually getting warmer each year, this is why the glaciers are melting. See my next point.

4. Alaska may be the last place in North America where you can see Glaciers (but not for long). Glaciers are rivers of ice that flow from the mountain tops and terminate in valleys or the ocean. These icy rivers are remnants of the ice age 10,000 years ago. Due to the elevation of the mountain ranges, and a warm water current that passes by the coast, a perfect blend of topography, precipitation and Father Time, has allowed south central Alaska to be one of the most glaciated regions in North America. Photo to the right shows a bright sunny day with Exit Glacier in the distance. 100 years ago, the glacier would have been where this photo was taken and the person taking the picture would have been under 600 feet of ice. Notice the U-shape this valley has? That was carved out by Exit Glacier. I could go on and on about this ONE photo and the information the landscape reveals (see below)

5. A cruise is the worst way to see Alaska! Get a map, rent a car, find a lodge and GO! This is the Last Frontier, you don’t want to see the an icon of wilderness on a floating city with 2000 people or to be shuffled around on a tour bus. No. No. No. Keep the experience small, intimate, and off-the-beaten path. If you don’t want to put a trip together (it’s hard, I know) then you contact someone like Greener Travel. We work with local guides and lodges, and will treat you like family as well as teach you about the place you visit, not just tour you around. You will feel like a local, not a tourist.

If you are considering a trip to Alaska, then I encourage you to check out our July 2017 Jewish Alaska Adventure, a camping and lodge multi-sport adventure offered by Greener Travel. 
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