BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture Alaska ALASKA - Where would you go first?

So many people have a trip to Alaska on their life-long "bucket list", but it's such a HUGE state! What would be your absolute #1 Alaskan destination to visit if you came to Alaska? And WHY?

On a side note; did you know that, no matter which region of Alaska you choose for your summer visit, you can make it to the Great Alaskan State Fair?! Yes, you can! If you time your visit for pretty much any time from late July through August, you will be able to visit one of FOUR Alaska State Fairs. Our state is just SO big, it was impossible to have just one State Fair, so we have one for each of the four main geographic regions - check out my article on the State Fairs of Alaska and you may just decide to include one of them in your vacation plans!
Alaska State Fairs

Hi Deb
I'm sure there are hundreds of great options for visiting Alaska and I'm sure seeing Mt. Denali must be something life-changing. But the people I housesit for in Mexico make a yearly trek to Alaska and they showed me pictures of Behm Canal and Misty Fjords National Park. Talk about stunning, tranquil, breathtaking nature at its finest. I just need to get a boat.

I have to admit, I've only been down to the far south-east Alaska area a couple of times - both times on the Alaska Marine Ferry System, with a few overnight stopovers for sightseeing. Misty Fjords National Park is stunning, but the scenery only gets more spectacular as you move further north.

I often tell folks who come up through the Inland Passage and then fly straight home - wonderful though the trip is (and it really IS wonderful!), they really haven't seen Alaska! And honestly, it's true - they've only seen the coastline. :) They need to get off the cruise ship and spend a week or two inland. They'll be amazed!

We only spent a few extra days there but Alaska is beautiful. I'd go back in a heartbeat.