What we’re looking forward to in 2018
2017 was a great year. As always, we’re excited to make the most of 2018. Here’s a 2018 bucket list of Alaska things we hope to check off this year.
Finally capturing the elusive Alaska photograph
There are some images that just embody Alaska. Talented and patient photographers are lucky enough to capture these images, and kind enough to share them with the rest of us. Here’s to hoping 2018 will be the year when the rest of us get a chance to be behind the lens for some iconic and elusive shots. A sample wish list: a blonde wolf; a Katmai bear catching a fish at the top of McNeil Falls; an orca whale breaching; thousands of migrating caribou.
Visiting new places
Alaska is a vast and varied state, and it seems like there’s always more to see. A new year is a good time to plan trips for those faraway and hard-to-reach places, which are abundant in the Last Frontier.
Drawing the Denali road lottery
Typically a drive deep into Denali National Park requires riding on a bus, but at the end of each summer season the park draws a limited number of people who are allowed to take their own vehicles all the way to Wonder Lake, weather permitting. Getting drawn makes for an unforgettable trip, at your pace.
Attending a festival
The state has a thriving arts and culture scene, and there’s never enough time to see it all, but a festival is a good opportunity to see as much as possible in one place.
Soaking in culture
Few places have as rich a cultural heritage as Alaska, and in 2018 there are plenty of opportunities to learn about and admire it. On top of the annual World Eskimo Indian Olympics, Alaska Federation of Natives Convention, and the Native Youth Olympics, the biennial Celebration, which fills the streets of Juneau with thousands of Native dancers from many clans, takes place this June.
Forgetting about work
It’s pretty hard for work to call when you don’t have cell reception. One of the benefits of Alaska’s wilderness is getting away from it all, and just completely checking out. A night around the fire at hunting camp, a day catching your limit of Copper River Reds, floating on top of silent powder snow, shedding layers when the sun emerges in the backcountry— these are the Alaska moments to live for.
