My wife and I have a backhanded brag we like to trot out from time to time, about our home: For most people, Alaska is a once- or twice-in-a-lifetime vacation. We live here.
However, yes, Alaska's economy relies heavily on tourism. We make jokes about tourist season, but most of us appreciate the economic activity the visitors generate, and I always enjoy the chance to gas with people from all over the world in our favorite local lodge, which draws a lot of visitor traffic.
Our winters, as I frequently point out, are not to be taken lightly. I say that advisedly, after the week we've just had with overnight temps breaking -20; this morning, -5 feels balmy by comparison. Because of that, most of our tourism is (understandably) in summer - but not all of it. As it happens, Denali National Park, home of North America's tallest mountain, has some neat Christmas possibilities, if it's a unique holiday you're after.
Denali National Park & Preserve is offering travelers a unique way to celebrate the holiday season at the base of North America’s tallest peak.
“It’s a great place to come if you’re into snow and being cold,” said Amber Smigiel, Public Affairs Officer for Denali National Park and Preserve.
“If you come at night, you probably have a chance to see the auroras, and it is really beautiful here during the winter.”
Pretty much all of Alaska outside of Anchorage is really beautiful in the winter. In the city, well, it's a lot like any major city that sees winter snow, where the snow quickly turns gray, even black, from auto exhaust and all the other gunk one finds in cities. But out here? The snow, except what the plows push off the highway, stays a beautiful, flawless white until spring. And, yes, the auroras can be amazing.
You can see wildlife all year, too, and Denali National Park is a great place to do that, even in winter.
While Denali’s iconic bears are mid-hibernation, Smigiel said animal lovers still have a chance to catch a glimpse of the local wildlife.
“The kennels are open from one to four on Saturday and Sunday, so you can come see the dogs and the puppies during the winter,” she said.
“There are still moose and caribou and wolves. The moose sometimes come closer to the front of the park because they like to use the road just as much as people do.”
People should be cautioned to treat wildlife with the respect it deserves. Yes, the bears are denned up, but moose are bigger, just as fast, and can be bad-tempered. Keep a respectful distance.
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There are a lot of things to do at Christmastime in the Great Land. There is the Chena Hot Springs near Fairbanks. There are, I'm told, ski resorts near Anchorage, at Girdwood, and near Fairbanks; I'm not a skier, as I value my long bones and wish to keep them intact. There are lots of little bed & breakfast places scattered across the breadth of the Great Land, and a lot to do; snowshoeing, dogsled tours, and snow machine tours (snow machines are the same things people Outside call "snowmobiles.")
It's an interesting destination for a unique Christmas.
And yes, I'm a pretty strong advocate for Alaska in general. Not everyone can live here; as noted above, our winters are not to be taken lightly. Our summers are mild and beautiful, but short and often buggy. But we love it here. You couldn't drag my wife and me out of Alaska with a tractor.
Merry Christmas to all of you readers, from the Susitna Valley, the Mat-Su, and Alaska.
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