Girdwood, AK Hotels

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GIRDWOOD

Nestled among the breathtaking Turnagain Arm and spectacular Mt. Alyeska, 36 miles south of Anchorage, Girdwood has evolved from a gold mining town into Alaska's only year-round resort community.

Travel in Alaska offers endless options, from exploring its vibrant Native culture (its art, totem carving, dancing, music or museums) to enjoying Alaska's natural wonders and wildlife – the glaciers, the whales, the bald eagles, and the northern lights among them.

Among Alaska's icons are Glacier Bay's great whales; and in the vast waters that line Alaska's coast, an encounter with a whale is likely, if not downright predictable. Alaska's whale watching opportunities are the crowning jewel of many Alaska vacations. Depending on your travel plans, numerous whale watching tours are available.

The largest known concentration of bald eagles, over 3,000, converges near Haines in Southeast Alaska from October through January.

Among Alaska attractions are The Chilkoot Gold Rush Trail, Soldier's Summit on the Alaska Highway, the North Pole, dog mushing, and the Prince William Sound glaciers.

Alaska has an estimated 100,000 glaciers – with more active glaciers in Alaska than in the rest of the inhabited world. Alaska has 15 national parks, preserves and monuments, and 3.2 million acres of State Park lands.

Alaska counts the northern lights as a major attraction. Vacationers will book an hotel for one night simply to see the aurora borealis (northern lights) and many hotels have special northern lights packages.

The modern metropolis of Anchorage may be set in the heart of the Alaska wilderness, but, as Alaska's largest city, Anchorage offers a number of historical attractions including the Alaska Museum of Natural History and the Independence Mine State Historical Park, celebrating the importance of gold in the history of Alaska.

The capital of Alaska, Juneau, has some of the most spectacular wildlife viewing in the world. The viewing of whales, brown bear and eagles is just minutes away from Juneau. A variety of wildlife tours take visitors up close to black bear, Dall porpoise, sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters, mountain goats and Sitka black tail deer. Located just 13 miles from downtown, the Mendenhall Glacier is one of Juneau's most popular attractions. The world’s largest concentration of brown bear lives on Admiralty Island, located just 10 minutes from Juneau.

As for the weather, there is a myth that summers in Alaska are always cool. In fact the interior region of Alaska enjoys warm summers, some cities occasionally getting up into the 90s.