If you live and work in a city, you probably can’t wait for the summer to come along so that you can leave all that hustle and bustle behind and enjoy a fun and relaxing vacation, far away from ringing phones and unanswered emails.
From mid-May to mid-September, the temperatures in Alaska are pleasant, the days are extremely long, and the summer festival season is going strong. Jackets and long pants are discarded in favor of t-shirts and bermuda shorts, and the businesses that didn’t operate during winter are back in full swing.
In other words, Alaska in the summertime is the perfect tourist destination for people who want to take a break from city life. Whether you’re looking to have an adventure, or simply relax with your loved ones, the Last Frontier has it all.
What makes the Alaskan summer so unique?
The first thing you’ll notice about Alaska is how long the days are. For example, Anchorage gets over 19 hours of daylight per day, while places like Fairbanks have days that last an astounding 22 hours!
And yet, even though the sun is out most of the time, you’ll rarely experience the unpleasantly high temperatures and humidity that are unavoidable in states like Arizona, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, and even New York City.
Daytime temperatures in summertime Alaska usually hover between 60-80 degrees fahrenheit, and may dip as low as 40-50 in the evening. This means that, instead of being cooped up in an air-conditioned hotel or sitting in deep shade, you can enjoy long hikes, biking, boating, fishing, and other outdoor activities without ever feeling uncomfortably warm.
What are the 5 best summertime activities in Alaska?
As a tourist destination, Alaska is famous for its gorgeous panoramas and its countless outdoor adventures. It doesn’t matter whether you’re visiting it with an all-adult group or in the company of your kids: you can rest assured you’ll have plenty of memorable things to do.
Here are the top 5 Alaskan summertime activities:
- Aurora borealis. The aurora season begins during late August and stays active until the end of April. This allows you to catch the truly incredible nocturnal display of the northern lights.
- Glacier walking. Alaska has more than 600 named glaciers. Some are as small as a football field, while others are many kilometers long. Sightseeing cruises and flightseeing trips are the most popular way to experience these glaciers, and if the weather is right you may even get an opportunity to walk on some of them.
- Enjoy the Alaska Railroad. Despite being more than twice the size of Texas, Alaska doesn’t actually have that many roads and mostly relies on its railroad. The routes taken by its iconic blue and yellow trains give passengers a chance to marvel at some truly amazing landscapes.
- Museums. Not every awesome activity in Alaska is an outdoor one. The state contains some of the finest museums in the US that feature top-notch cultural immersion and class interactive experiences.
- Bear watching. Alaska has lots of bears, but its most well-known species are the huge Kodiak bears. The best time to see these extraordinary animals is at the Saltery River, or at the famous Russian River Bridge on the Chiniak Highway, between the months of July and September.
The right time to plan your Alaska vacation is NOW
When it comes to choosing a summertime destination that you’ll remember for the rest of your life, no place in America comes close to the Last Frontier. Here at White Lilac, we would like to make your trip even more carefree by having Anchorage’s finest maids attend to your home cleaning while you’re away. Book your cleaning today.