Travelers come to Alaska to see glaciers, go fishing, see bears whales, learn about Alaska Native culture, eat king crab, and catch sight of the northern lights.
Each time you visit the 49th state, you will get a new "WOW" experience, which I have learned from traveling through Alaska many times.
The book " 100 Things to Do in Alaska Before You Die" was written by me and Midgi Moore, who runs food tours out of Juneau.
When we got into our research for the book, we were shocked that we knew so little about Alaska.
I like to discover things to do in Alaska.
Each animal at the Running Reindeer Ranch has its own name and personality. It's a treat to walk through the snow and forest with them, watching them jump and stroll through the trees. Some of the reindeer are participating in yoga classes.
Reindeer calves come up to check you out as you strike a pose in a one-hour yoga class.
You have to fly in from the remote village of Kotzebue to get to the national park and sand dunes. 25 square miles of golden sand dunes will be given to explorers.
This is Alaska, and it can have temperatures as high as 125 degrees. The sand was blown into the valley 28,000 years ago when glaciers retreated. The park is home to unique wildflowers, bears wander through occasionally, and there's a herd of animals that pass by twice a year.
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The state of Alaska has a population of around 660. The town is located about 30 miles from the longest tidewater glacier in the world. One of the best surf towns in America is located in Yakutat.
There is a small town about 200 miles away from Juneau. Surfers from all over the world flock to the ocean in the summer.
The Kodiak Brown Bear Center is owned and operated by the Alutiiq tribe and gives visitors a look into the lives of the island's most famous resident. The bear-viewing experience only allows eight guests at a time.
The low impact approach to bear watching at the Kodiak Brown Bear Center is based on traditional Alutiiq values that honor and respect the land. The center's values include renewable energy and sustainable business practices, as well as locallysourced, native ingredients in its food.
In Southeast Alaska, you can put on a wetsuit or dry suit and snorkel. The cold, bracing, good-to-be-alive experience is something to brag about.
There are bright red, orange and purple starfish, large red sea urchins, and pink sea anemones in the ocean. If you go with Snorkel Alaska, you can see salmon swimming in 55 degree water.
I found myself face-to-face with an animal when I jumped off a cruise ship.
Alaska is a great place to see a bore tide, when an incoming tide crashes into an outgoing tide and causes a long wave to travel through a narrow channel.
The location for this phenomenon is south of Anchorage. There is a roar and a wall of water up to 10 feet tall moving through the water. You can get ahead of the waves on the highway if you drive slowly at low tide.
It's the best time to view from April through October. You can click on the tide chart to see predictions.
There are two places in Alaska where you can see a rocket launch.
Government, military and commercial rockets and satellites can be launched from the Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska. There is a wide open horizon over the North Pacific over the state-owned land. The pads can be seen from a distance. You can watch from the road or boat.
The largest rocket research range in the world is located at the University of Alaska. It is the only high-latitude rocket range in the United States. It's a good time to study the northern lights on clear nights during the winter.
It is difficult to see a rocket at Poker Flats as the launch window may last days or weeks, but you can follow the plans on the Geophysical Institute's website. Sometimes the facility is open to the public.
There are rock etchings on the beach in Wrangell. More than 40 creations believed to be more than 8,000 years old are found at the Petroglyph Beach State Historic site.
The Tlingit people believe that the petroglyphs were pre-dating them. Some theorize that they were a form of communication and possibly directions to a fishing site. They might have been an artistic expression. Low tide is the best time to see the glyphs.
If you're interested in learning more about the Indigenous communities that live in Alaska today, Sitka Tribal Tours can show you how these traditions live on in the community.
Visitors to the community of Sitka can take a tour that explores local culture, nature and the history of the area. The Alaska Raptor Center, which provides treatment for injured bald eagles which are then released into the wild, is one of the stops.
You wouldn't expect to find a world-class car collection there. One of the city's top attractions is the Fountainhead Antique auto Museum.
The museum is located in a warehouse at a hotel. All but three of the 95 restored or preserved cars are still in good working order. Cars can be seen at any one time.
The oldest car was manufactured in 1898. You will find such delights as a 1936 Packard 1408 series dual windshield.
The museum has a collection of world-class vintage clothes that include some of the most beautiful gowns in the world.
Saint Herman came to Alaska as a monk and missionary in the 19th century. He cared for orphans and established a school in order to protect the local population. The Orthodox Church made him a saint in 1970.
Major relics, including an iron cross he wore, can be seen at the Holy Resurrection Orthodox Cathedral.
The priests use the holy water from the lampada above the wooden reliquary to bless pilgrims who visit from around the world. The oil is believed to have healing powers.
The burial site of Saint Herman is on a small island off the coast of Alaska.
If you remember the old TV show, the kind of remote small Alaska that would spring to mind would be Haines, a place full of interesting locals. Dave Pahl collected old tools and became fascinated with their use, which led to the world's largest collection of hammers.
There are a couple of thousand hammers on display at the Hammer Museum at any one time. What is the reason for visiting? The collection begins with a rock hammer used to build the pyramid of Menkaure.
In addition to the traditional nail-banging implements, there are hammers used in medicine, battle and for tenderizing meat
Lynn Brown reports additional information.
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