Alaska Tour & Travel has received over 550 photos for its 2010 Photo Contest, a record!  We may not have had our best weather this past summer season, but you would never have known it based on the beautiful photos sent to us over the summer.  We were especially glad to have received many photos and stories from visitors who we helped plan their trip to Alaska. Over the next several weeks we will be selecting the top photos received and will ultimately select the photo who’s owner will receive the Alaskan Gold Medallion. In doing so, we are involving all of our staff and have asked several top Alaskan tourism industry managers to assist us.  We hope to announce the winner of the gold medallion on or before November 24th so that one lucky photographer will have something extra to be thankful for on Thanksgiving!

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One of the most enjoyable aspects of our work at Alaska Tour & Travel is receiving many letters from clients who have traveled to Alaska and later send us letters about their experiences.   We’re also receiving more and more photos from clients  as well, some of which they submit to our Alaska Travel Photo Contest.   These photo’s really highlight the diversity of the experiences that visitors and residents have while traveling in Alaska.  Alaska Cruises are a popular way to travel to Alaska, and Richard Bell sent us a photo he took this June while on board Holland America’s Ryndam.  Richard said that the guide books said “get up early, and don’t miss College Fjord” and they were right!  The photo of one of many glaciers in College Fjord is beautiful and reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend of mine who just came off a cruise from Vancouver, BC to Seward, Alaska and he told me that he was surprised to find that he enjoyed College Fjord even more than the day cruising Glacier Bay National Park. (more…)

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My family and I were fortunate enough to sneak in a quick camping trip over the recent Fourth of July weekend. By way of disclaimer, or perhaps confession, I should elaborate on my family’s idea of “camping”. First we load up the RV with roughly half of the contents of our Anchorage home and head south on the Seward Highway towards our favorite “camping spot” in Cooper Landing. Even with holiday traffic, and the obligatory stop at the Girdwood “Y” bakery for apple fritters, we made the trip in right around two hours. Okay, another confession, this “camping spot” I am talking about is really in the driveway of my brother-in-law’s house who manages and lives next door to the Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge. (more…)

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This summer, the Alaska Native Heritage Center is hosting some unique artists for a very rare project funded by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. In the next few months, the creation of four carved house posts as part of the Southeast village site completion, are to be installed on the existing posts inside the house. Traditionally in Southeast Alaska, carved house posts were inside many houses to tell stories of the clan. In recognizing that the Southeast house represents many clans throughout Southeast Alaska, each of the four cultural groups (Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian) will have one post to carve a story that best defines the culture though a central theme.  Interns, students, visitors and the general public can witness the entire process of traditional Alaska Native carving that will give each of the four cultural groups equal representation inside the house. Each carved house post will tell its own story through traditional Southeast artistry. Each post will exhibit a different aspect of Respect, the core Alaska Native value this exhibit will express. The separate posts will reflect Respect for the Environment, Respect for the Culture, Respect for Family and Respect for Self as were chosen by each group. (more…)

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We’re giving away Gold this summer! Alaska Tour & Travel is celebrating this summer’s travel season by giving away an 1-Ounce, 24k Gold Official State of Alaska Medallion to the photographer who submits the winning photo to photos@alaskatravel.com depicting Alaska’s spectacular wildlife, scenery, people or adventure.  The 24K Gold Medallion, currently valued at over $1500, is made in Anchorage, Alaska at the Alaska Mint, owned by life-long Alaskan Michael Robuck and his family.  The Alaska Mint is located at 429 W. 4th Avenue, just a block away from the Egan Convention Center and the Anchorage Visitor Center Log Cabin, is worth a visit.   The northern most Mint in the world, The Alaska Mint produces its own art work and hand makes the medallions in their Anchorage shop.   The Alaska Mint is open every day, but if you visit the shop Monday through Friday, you can observe the craftsmen as they work on the Alaska State Medallions as well as other collectable items.  The Alaska Mint also has unique historical mining displays for viewing.

Last year, we celebrated Alaska’s 50th Anniversary of Statehood by giving away Sydney Laurence’s print “Legacy of Alaska” depicting Alaska’s Mt. McKinley.  In selecting the Gold Medallion as this year’s  photo contest award, we’re satisfied that we’ve chosen a high quality, unique, Alaskan made item that is symbolic of Alaska, The Last Frontier.  Last year’s winning photographer was Jim Allen from Dover, Florida for his photo entitled “The Fisherman”, an incredible photo of an Alaska Brown Bear.  For complete details and rules, as well as to view many of last year’s photos, rules visit www.alaskatravel.com/photo-contest.

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You may not think a visit to a museum would normally be on your list of must see places to visit in Alaska, but a visit to the Anchorage Museum earlier this week gave me reason to believe otherwise.  I am really excited about visiting the Anchorage Museum this summer as it has been under renovation and expansion for the last three years. The Grand Opening occurs on May 22nd for the new Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center, the Imaginarium Discover Center, and the Thomas Planetarium among other new features of the museum. (more…)

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Anchorage borders Chugach State Park, America’s third largest state park, and has over 225 greenbelts, local parks, other natural creek corridors within the Anchorage area which allow seasonal movement of animals throughout the area.  As a result, living among us within the Anchorage area are several thousand moose and sheep, a couple hundred bears, and many other animals.  Most residents of Anchorage have moose regularly visit their back yards and some residents see bear, coyote, fox and an occasional wolf in their neighborhoods, on the golf courses, or while biking along a local trail.  It may be a little more difficult for visitors to observe our abundant wildlife, but it is possible given the time and opportunity.   (more…)

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Since I was a little girl I’ve enjoyed the sport of dog mushing as both a competitive musher and a spectator.  Every year one of the biggest dog mushing events in the world is held in Anchorage, Alaska. The ceremonial start of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race begins on Fourth Avenue in downtown Anchorage on the first Saturday each March. The Iditarod Trail stretches over 1149 miles of Alaska’s vast wilderness. The true race begins a day after, on Sunday from Willow, Alaska. This is where you see the mushers dressed in their cold weather gear and their sleds fully packed with food and equipment for themselves, but mostly for the dogs. From my experience as a musher your number one priority on the trail is your dogs. Each dog is treated with great care to assure they are performing at their very best. Imagine what it’s like to care for not just one Olympic athlete but a team of 16. (more…)

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