independent, intentional travel
Guess what? Today is my 25th birthday! It feels a little weird to think I’m officially a quarter-of-a-century old, but I wanted to write something a little special to celebrate. I’ve had an awesome year full of travel, so I thought it would be fun to look back on my top 25 travel experiences from the past year. [Read more…]
When I was 24, I finally took my much-anticipated trip to Alaska. My friend Megan and I flew into Anchorage, rented a car, and spent the next 9 days driving through America’s largest state. Because Alaska is so huge, planning a road trip can be daunting. As someone who didn’t really know much about Alaska, it was difficult deciding where to go.
Luckily, we made good choices — it was only after arriving that I learned how inaccessible many parts of Alaska are when traveling by car. Here are my recommendations on places to go when planning your Alaska road trip itinerary. [Read more…]
Alaska packing list essentials
If you’re planning a trip to Alaska this summer, you probably have one major question: What should go on your Alaska packing list? I had the same question — but every time I Googled it, I got packing lists for cruises. I’ve never been on a cruise, and I might try one someday, but it’s not really my preferred method of travel. During this trip to Alaska, I was flying up and renting a car with one of my best friends for a week. And we didn’t know what to pack.
So I decided to put together my own Alaska packing list (summer) for your land-based Alaska trip. Here are five things you absolutely need. [Read more…]
Riding the park shuttle/transit bus is one of the best things to do in Denali National Park
Denali National Park is big. Like, huge. In fact, it’s the third-largest National Park in the United States — it sits only behind Wrangell-St. Elias NP and Gates of the Arctic NP, both of which are also in Alaska but are much less accessible than Denali.
So, when you have 7,408 square miles of National Park to work with, how in the world do you even decide where to start?
Fear not, my fellow traveler friend. I’ve got a list of the three best things to do in Denali National Park. [Read more…]
Renting a car in Alaska is an amazing experience, but make sure you’re prepared.
We’re all independent travelers here, right? So when we tell our friends and family we’re going to Alaska, and they inevitably ask, “Oh! Are you going on a cruise?” we’re going to answer: NOPE! Not to say there’s anything wrong with cruises, but it isn’t our preferred method of travel.
We like to travel by our own rules, on our own timeline. And if you don’t have 6+ days to drive your own personal car up to Alaska, it means hopping on a flight there and renting a car.
I recently did this, and I would absolutely do it again, but I must admit that I was blissfully ignorant of what I was signing up for. Here are the top 3 things you need to know before renting a car in Alaska. [Read more…]