Glaciers, Mountains, and Midnight Skies: Our Alaska Journey

Few places match the sheer scale and raw beauty of Alaska. From deep glacier-carved fjords to towering alpine peaks, our trip across the Last Frontier was a fast-paced blend of road trips, wildlife encounters, and unforgettable landscapes.

Our adventure began in Anchorage, setting the stage for an epic loop through Southcentral and Interior Alaska. Leaving the city behind, we took the Seward Highway, a route carved between dramatic mountain cliffs and tidal turnagains, widely considered one of the most scenic drives in the country. Along the way, we pulled into the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center near Girdwood. Exploring this 200-acre sanctuary gave us an up-close look at native Alaskan wildlife, from orphaned brown and black bears to massive moose, wood bison, and muskoxen roaming expansive natural habitats.

Continuing south toward the coastal fjords, we boarded the high-speed Phillips 26 Glacier Cruise out of Whittier into Prince William Sound. Navigating narrow waterways, we came face-to-face with towering tidewater glaciers, listening to the thunderous crack of ice calving into the sea and catching views of sea otters and marine life bobbing in the icy waters.

After returning through Anchorage, we turned north toward the interior and Denali National Park. We took a deliberate detour through the historic, quirky mountain town of Talkeetna, a hub for bush pilots and mountaineers. Here, we boarded a flightseeing plane that soared above the wilderness, granting us a breathtaking bird’s-eye view of Denali before making an incredible landing directly onto the snow-covered surface of a glacier. Standing on thousands of feet of ice surrounded by the towering peaks of the Alaska Range was an absolute highlight of the trip.

Driven by the hope of catching the Northern Lights, we pushed further north toward Denali. Our first night was quiet under dark skies, but Alaska’s magic rewarded our patience the following night. As we parked near the Denali Visitor Center and eventually began our late-night drive back toward Anchorage, the sky came alive. We pulled off the road to watch green ribbons of the Aurora Borealis dance across the dark horizon, capturing photos of a bucket-list moment we’ll never forget.

Before heading home, we spent our final hours back in Anchorage exploring Ship Creek. Watching the incredible salmon rush as thousands of fish fought their way upstream past the local dam was a mesmerizing reminder of Alaska’s rugged, untamed natural cycles, a fitting final memory before boarding our flight back to Los Angeles.