How to See Whales, Bears, Eagles and More Incredible Wildlife in Alaska
No trip to Alaska is complete without seeing one of these majestic animals.
By Brad Japhe
Alaska exists on a wholly different scale than the rest of the US. It is the biggest state in the union — nearly 2.5 times the size of Texas. The final frontier is home to Denali, highpoint of the North American continent. It holds 34,000 miles of coastline, more than half of all the other states combined. You’ll also find the country’s highest volcano, its largest glacier, as well as the four largest national parks. Throughout this grandeur resides an animal population as diverse and abundant as anywhere on the planet. It attracts another sort of beast, altogether. Wildlife viewing is a primary draw for the 2 million tourists that make their way to Alaska in a normal year.
This is not a normal year, of course. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start mapping out your next Alaskan adventure now. In fact, with 663,000 square miles to cover, you can’t start soon enough. If it’s wildlife you’re after, this place will deliver like no other. The only question is, what do you want to see? Depending on your answer, here’s a list of where exactly to go. And even though it might be a while before you’re actually on your way, many of these destinations maintain webcams so you can enjoy a virtual sneak peak in the interim.
Passionate. That's the word we use to describe our friend and Homer, Alaska local, Susan Houlihan, founder and mastermind behind the locally made Alpenglow Skincare products found throughout our facilities at Stillpoint. If you've already visited our boutique resort lodge, you already know... because you've delighted in washing and rewashing your hands with Susan's Arctic Sun liquid gold hand and body wash, you've taken time for yourself in our self-spa to sample all of her exquisite, highly-concentrated lotions and sumptuous face creams (the rose germanium face cream is our favorite), utilized her Alaska's best insect repellant bug spray out on the trail with our guides, washed body and hair in our warm and luxurious showers with Susan's unforgettable Midnight Sun liquid shampoo... and maybe you even purchased a mini cottonwood balm or bar of local goat milk soap to take home with you.
But it's not just the irresistible scents and attractive labels of Alpenglow Skincare that drew us to feature Susan's products at Stillpoint Lodge... we love that they are all natural, locally made, and hypoallergenic for even the most sensitive guest.... and Susan's personal passion for sustainability makes Alpenglow a perfect match for our guest amenities program. Alpenglow's mission: To create 100% natural, entirely handmade from scratch, superior quality skin and hair care products using organic, wildcrafted and home-grown herbs and flowers. Sign us up!
Clearly, we’ve been a fan of Alpenglow for a while, and we continue to expand our support and utilization of their entire product line. Susan is an expert at growing and harvesting beneficial plants such as Alaskan Rose petals, yarrow flowers, horsetail, nettles, fireweed, and cottonwood buds for their scents and therapeutic properties. She's also a lifelong learner in sourcing cutting edge, earth-friendly and safe packaging.
We've asked Susan Houlihan of Alpenglow Skincare to be a guest on our blog... so let’s all sit back and learn something from this wise woman. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!
It's a good idea to be prepared for any vacation, but especially a luxury Alaska vacation filled with daily excursions into nature. Alaska is a state filled with awe-inspiring wilderness and adventure that you'll want to be dressed and prepared for so you won't miss a minute.
That being said, you'll want to bring some of the following essential items before you head off to one of America's most extreme, but extremely wonderful, climates.
Alaskans are passionate about all things 'wild Alaska salmon'. And we hold a special place in our hearts for wild Alaska salmon skin. We dream about it. We feature it in our art, fashion and food. We use it out of utility. We write songs about it.
So why does the average person not love salmon skin? Also, what can we do to prevent our sacred, wild Alaska salmon skin from ending up in the landfill?
This is our favorite salmon cake recipe with a twist!
Instead of canned salmon, start with a whole filet of raw, wild Alaska sockeye salmon. Plus... use the skin of the salmon in the mix for added binding power, moisture and delicious flavor! Enjoy.
Join Mark Edward Harris and special guest Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Nick Ut for the ultimate Alaska photography workshop hosted by Midnight Son Tours and Stillpoint Lodge.
This Destination Alaska workshop explores how to create fine art travel photography – images that go far beyond the “I was here” photograph. Photographers will learn how to create beautiful landscape and wildlife images, as well as powerful environmental portraits and photo essays – pictures that tell a story – in America’s 49th state.
Kachemak Bay is home to many amazing, energetic and ambitious people, and the multi-talented Michael and Maddie O'Laire are no exception. Michael has helped build Stillpoint and is a commercial salmon fisherman in the summer. Maddie's delicious salmon blog has captured attention all over the world as she distributes Mike's wild-caught, healthy, sustainable salmon from Alaska.
It’s a pleasure to have Maddie guest posting on our blog. Be sure to check out Maddie's recipe for Spicy Wild Alaska Salmon Poke
Special thanks to our friends, Mike and Maddie, at Smart Source Seafood for sharing this recipe!
Smart Source Seafood's sockeye salmon is flash frozen at very low temperatures, and shipped in freezer boxes all the way to your door, making it perfectly safe to enjoy raw.
Pokē is raw fish salad served as an appetizer in Hawaiian cuisine. Pokē is commonly made with yellowfin tuna (Ahi Pokē) and it works well with Wild Alaska Salmon.
