5 Reasons Why Alaska Should Be On Your 2018 Travel List

From amazing wildlife and magnificent glaciers to pristine wilderness and historic sites, the wonders of America's Last Frontier are extraordinary. Reserve your suite aboard the newly refurbished Seven Seas Mariner® and experience an unforgettable Alaskan adventure in all-inclusive luxury. Plus, enjoy FREE Roundtrip Air* and Free Unlimited Shore Excursions.

Here are five reasons Alaska should be on your 2018 bucket list and if you have visited this wonderland, another reason why you need to experience it again.

Number One: The Wildlife
Nothing tugs at the heartstrings more like the sight of a mother Kodiak Brown Bear and her cub, a bald eagle in flight or a massive moose taking a stroll across a highway. It’s been noted that 98% of the bear population lives in Alaska (that translates into 100,000), chasing food in salmon-filled streams, slumbering in the forests and showing up when one least expects it.

Moose are said to be the most prevalent creatures in Alaska, and like deer, making brazen appearances in the more urban cities like Anchorage or waiting for an Instagram moment in Kincaid Park. The sighting of a humpback whale is a true “wow” moment and if lucky, you might catch an Orca or two on a boat tour of Kenai Fjords National Park. Caribou (900,000 and counting), wolves, sea otters, walrus, bison, mountain goats and Dall sheep are just a few of the animals who call Alaska home.

Number Two: The Wilderness
Simply put, the adjectives vast, massive and unspoiled used to describe the nation’s largest wilderness do not do Alaska justice. Serving as a scenic backdrop for wildlife, migratory birds, rivers and human activities, Alaska is twice the size of Texas with almost 80 percent of the land untouched and be warned, untamed. Denali National Park is the nation’s third largest and one of the best places to take in the grandeur via rafting, canoeing, a breathtaking “flightseeing, tour” hiking, bicycling or by four wheels.

Number Three: The Mountains
Alaska is synonymous with majestic mountain peaks (the aforementioned Denali/Mt. McKinley being the highest in the U.S.) and home to 17 of the largest 20. This translates into not-for-the-faint-of heart activities such as mountain climbing, hiking or viewing through the window of a helicopter, tram or on the deck of Seven Seas Mariner®. In terms of experiences, nothing can top the exhilaration of that first scenic glimpse and breathing in the mountain air after climbing up a trail.

Number Four: The Glaciers
A sight unseen by even the most seasoned travelers is the most classic of the Alaskan experience known as glaciers. Photo opportunities await as the state’s 100,000 glaciers can be appreciated by ice climbing, hiking, rafting or kayaking. If you’d like to see glaciers in one place, Glacier Bay National Park and Reserve houses some fifty wonders of nature on the part of a 25-million acre World Heritage Site.

Number Five: The Unique Experience
Alaska is a true adventurer’s paradise with activities unlike anywhere else in the world. See the wilderness through the eyes of a team of huskies and learn what the lure of dog sledding is all about. The Alaskan tradition is celebrated in the Iditarod Sled Dog Race every March where champion dogs race from Anchorage to Nome.