History and Trivia

Browsing Stories from Alaska

Tasty Treats: Enjoy Traditional Alaska Native Foods

Centuries before planes, freighters and friends brought favorite American foods north to Alaska, Alaska’s Native people led lifestyles of subsistence and survival. Traditional patterns of hunting, harvesting, fishing and foraging followed the waxing and waning Alaska sun and changing seasons. Despite the emergence of easy-to-eat and prepare, convenience-oriented fast food in Alaska, traditional Native Alaskan foods are still part of Alaska’s... Read More

06 May, 2020

Alaska Packing Tips: Weather Confessions and a Lesson in Layers

In Alaska, the hottest fashion trend is warmth. Saying that Alaska’s weather is wild is the most accurate meteorological forecast ever. In fact, Alaska is a land of extreme weather that can change fast and swing unpredictably. T-shirts and sunburn in March? It’s a thing! Ask any happy Alaskan skier. Facing a real-life "snow globe" moment while hiking Flattop near Anchorage... Read More

01 April, 2020

Not A Typical Train Trip: Experience Alaska Railroad Special Events

For nearly 100 years, the Alaska Railroad has taken passengers to classic Alaska destinations and adventures aboard an iconic form of American transportation - travel by rail. One bonus to traveling by rail is that the Alaska Railroad treats its passengers to some rather unique "good times" with an array of annual special events that you can only experience by... Read More

10 March, 2020

The Majestic Mountains of Alaska – Denali to St Elias to Redoubt

Alaska, the Land of the Midnight Sun is also the Land of the Majestic Mountains. When people think of Alaska mountains, their minds instantly go to Denali, formerly Mt. McKinley. And for good reason: Denali is North America’s tallest peak and easily Alaska’s most popular. The mountain is magnetic to climbers, sightseers and Alaskans, who visit its namesake park by the... Read More

01 February, 2020

Fun Facts About Alaskan Traditions

There are good, old-fashioned, tried-and-true America traditions, and then there are the good, old-fashioned, quaint, quirky and uniquely Alaskan traditions. Here are a few of the most interesting traditions inspired by Alaska life in the "Last Frontier". "Sunsational" Alaska Solstice Celebrations Around most of the country, the Summer and Winter Solstices come and go like any other days, much like the sun... Read More

20 January, 2020

Happy New Year: Looking Forward to Alaska Adventures in 2020

Happy New Year! If your big 2020 New Year's resolution is visiting Alaska, we're thrilled! To get you excited about your upcoming adventure, here are 10 Alaska-inspired ideas for your travels to the 49th state in 2020 (or beyond). And don't worry, you don't have to do all of these in just one trip north! Exercise more … by taking one... Read More

15 December, 2019

Our “Top 10” Best Alaska Highlights for 2019

In Alaska, every year brings opportunities for visitors to tackle unique adventures, find new favorite outdoor activities, and discover, explore and experience more of this gigantic state and its spectacular landscapes and lifestyles. Here are our top 10 Alaska highlights from a 2019 that was filled with some amazing adventures: #1: Alaska's 60th Birthday The most important 2019 milestone in Alaska happened... Read More

09 December, 2019

The Top 10 Things Alaskans Are Most Grateful For

Alaskans have so much to be grateful for, beginning with the fact that they live in Alaska – one of the most beautiful and exciting places in the world! It takes a special breed to live here, and those who thrive in AK take great pleasure in enjoying some of the state’s truly unique features. Here are the top 10 things... Read More

18 November, 2019

A Truly Unique Destination: North Pole in Alaska

Christmas in Alaska might only arrive in late December, but the holiday season and spirit are celebrated year-round in the quaint and quirky town of North Pole. No, this isn’t the North Pole set deep in the icy Arctic at the top of the world. This North Pole is a welcoming commuter community about a 15-minute sleigh ride …(or even... Read More

16 October, 2019

The Aurora Cycle: When and Where to Witness the Northern Lights

While there’s a certain mystical quality behind Alaska’s awe-inspiring Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights form great bands of incredible illumination that actually have much more to do with magnetism than with magic. And believe it or not, their activity is even (perhaps surprisingly) fairly predictable. First, you need to understand the science behind lights themselves. The Northern Lights phenomenon is created... Read More

18 September, 2019

Ten Fun and Fascinating Facts about Alaska’s Awesome Aurora Borealis

The first time you see the Northern Lights (officially known as "aurora borealis"), they will simply take your breath away. An evolving natural light show with changing shapes and colors with mesmerizing effects. Here are 10 fascinating facts and trivia about the Northern Lights and Aurora Borealis: #1: "Northern Lights" is a pretty-much perfect name for Alaska’s thrilling, sky-filling sensations. But where... Read More

11 September, 2019

“Only In Alaska” Inventions: Kayaks, Ulus, Gut-Skin Clothing

The unique Alaskan lifestyle is embodied in the inspired inventions, tools and clothing created and used by them in their every day lives. For Alaskans, survival has often depended on being strong and smart, resilient and resourceful with little room for error and no space for waste. Accordingly, everything in Alaska tends to serve multiple purposes and is used to... Read More

16 July, 2018

Why is Juneau the State Capital of Alaska?

When it comes to conversations around Alaska’s unique geography, Alaska trivia, fun facts and unusual statistics are dependably fascinating and practically infinite! For example: What’s the distance of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race? ALASKA ANSWER: The traditional route is 1,149 miles. What’s the proper name of the state’s great mountain: McKinley or Denali? ALASKA ANSWER: Alaskans and the federal government... Read More

10 January, 2018

The Northern Lights: Why Do We See This Strange But Beautiful Phenomenon?

Special Guest Blog by Dr. Melanie Windridge, author of Aurora: In Search of the Northern Lights What are the Northern Lights? The swirling arcs of the Aurora Borealis or "the Northern Lights" that we see are actually billions of oxygen and nitrogen atoms being struck by charged particles and emitting tiny flashes of light high up in the polar night sky –... Read More

19 October, 2017

This month...