Make your gift stand out this Christmas and give your family or loved one a vacation! Instead of another pair of socks or the must-have tech item, we recommend giving a trip to Alaska this holiday. Alaska is the perfect place for anyone on your Christmas list—a foodie, hiker, fisherman, or someone who just loves to relax in beautiful places. 

Of all the animals in Alaska (moose, wolves, caribou, and more), bears still tend to be the most sought after by wildlife enthusiasts hoping to catch a glimpse of one in their natural habitat. Here are some facts about bear viewing in Alaska that can help you plan your dream vacation.

Fat Bear Week just came to an end in Alaska. It's an annual celebration of the fattest brown bears in Katmai National Park and Preserve, a gloriously remote swath of mountains and salmon-filled rivers where there are more bears than people. Each summer, brown bears crowd into the region's frothy streams to claw salmon out of the eddies and waterfalls in order to pack on the pounds to sustain themselves for a long winter of hibernation. Many gather at the famed Brooks River falls where they compete for fishing spots while sockeye salmon leap through rushing water to upstream spawning grounds.