Page 21 - AAA Now! – AAA Central Penn – September/October 2021

TRAVEL
Alaska, By Land,
the mountain. The native people revered this tranquil land and its snowcapped mountains, calling the peak that dominated all others “Denali” or “the tall one.” Formerly known as Mount McKinley, Denali at 20,310 feet is considered the third tallest mountain in the world. And few if any sights compare.
Built during the Klondike Gold Rush, the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, a favorite sightseeing excursion available in Skagway, offers magnificent scenery including a panorama of mountains, glaciers, gorges, waterfalls, and tunnels. The railroad is also an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, an honor it shares with iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Panama Canal, and the Statue of Liberty.
The 100-foot-long fishing vessel the Aleutian Ballad, made famous during the TV show “Deadliest Catch,” serves today as a crab fishing tour boat. The three-hour Bearing Sea Crab Fisherman’s tour, which operates in the calm waters just outside the port of Ketchikan, is always a guest favorite, and a sightseeing excursion we recommend.
Glacier Bay National Park and preserve affords the opportunity to see some of the planet’s most powerful forces at work. Seven glaciers within the park are considered to be active tidewater glaciers – those that break off icebergs into the sea. This glacial “calving” as it is called is a sight to be seen and heard.
Alaska, a top destination to visit by land or by sea, is best done with the experts. With our nearly 65 years of experience in Alaska travel, we are the local experts, and we invite you to discover more about Alaska and the upcoming AAA travel opportunities at an On Stage Alaska presentation detailed on page 8 of this magazine.
By Sea, By Experts A Top Vacation Destination
Alaska’s a top destination for Pennsylvania travelers, and with good reason. This unique, vast wilderness is steeped in history and dotted with rustic outposts. It’s an incredible place to be sure, a true bucket list destination offering a wide array of vacation options and an opportunity to experience nature at its very best.
Whether your desire is to visit shimmering glaciers, renew your spirit while hiking at the foot of the awe-inspiring Denali, or to get up close and personal with the wildlife, a vacation to Alaska can deliver it all, and then some. That’s exactly why many vacationers return to Alaska time and time again.
AAA Central Penn has been assisting members with their travel to the “Great Land” for nearly 65 years, and during that time, we’ve developed a few favorite places, sights, and great reasons to just pack a bag, and go. Here are a few of our favorites:
Alaska offers incredible wildlife sightseeing opportunities.
Alaska’s great size and varying climatic regions provide for an abundant mix of wildlife, and while many vacationers will have success in spotting Alaska’s Big 5 – grizzly bears, caribou, Alaskan moose, Dall sheep, and the more elusive gray wolves, we recommend you don’t limit your wildlife focus to just those, or even to the land, for that matter. Alaska’s waters are also teeming with creatures great and small. In the waters of the Inside Passage of Alaska, you can also see these five common species – humpback whales, Dall’s porpoises, Steller sea lions, orcas (killer whales), and sea otters. By land or sea, Alaska has the wildlife you long to see.
An Alaska vacation would hardly be worth taking without a stop at Denali National Park. The park, with its six million acres of protected land, has a solitude and peaceful environment, rarely found in the lower 48 states. Then of course, there is
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