Bordering Canada’s Yukon Territory along its eastern edge, with its 1,000-mile Aleutian Islands archipelago stretching west toward Asia, the 49th state is a vast treasure trove of wonder and discovery. There are the pristine, seafood-rich waters lapping Alaska’s astounding 34,000 miles of coastline, a staggering 3 million lakes and too many glaciers to name.
The allure of the “Last Frontier” goes with its gold-mining past, uncharted wilderness, soaring peaks, and larger-than-life people.
Yet Alaska is within easy reach, roughly 10 hours by air from Miami, two to three hours from Seattle, and between five and seven hours from just about every other U.S city. The reward of the journey, no matter the distance, is a destination genuinely different from anywhere else on Earth. From glacier-top gatherings to remote fly-in retreats, Alaska shines to a different light, illuminated by the summer’s midnight sun, the winter meteor showers and the hypnotic brilliance of the Aurora Borealis.
And contrary to popular belief, it’s not perpetually cold and dark. Yes, winters in Alaska’s Far North can be frigid, but with differing temperate zones in each of the state’s five regions, you will find pleasant climes in the optimal May to September travel season.
Anchorage
Online travel provider Orbitz recently ranked Anchorage ninth on its Insider Index of the most popular U.S. and international city destinations. Surrounded by six mountain ranges in Alaska’s Southcentral region, the state’s largest city is also poised to ascend to the modern, international meetings stage with the ongoing construction of the new 215,000-square-foot Dena’ina Center.
“We are on target for completion in 2008,” says Laura Tanis of the Anchorage CVB, “and when we open our doors, our convention capacity will increase by 300 percent, with room for up to 5,000 people.”
The Dena’ina Center will be marketed as part of a larger convention district, composed of the William A. Egan Civic and Convention Center and the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. As Tanis reports, this will allow Anchorage to accommodate several midsize groups simultaneously. Four large conventions have already booked meetings out to 2011, with one group bringing 3,200 attendees, the city’s largest out-of-state delegation to date.
The group-friendly Anchorage Museum of History and Art, showcasing 10,000 years of Alaskan history, is also expanding, with 70,000 square feet of new space debuting in 2010.
With more than 7,700 rooms, Anchorage’s meetings-capable hotels include the Hilton Anchorage, the Hotel Captain Cook, the Anchorage Marriott Downtown, and the Sheraton Anchorage.
Forty miles outside of the city, the 307-room Alyeska Prince Hotel has just been reflagged as the Hotel Alyeska. Offering more than 15,000 square feet of meeting space, this year-round resort and convention hotel is home to the award-winning Seven Glaciers Restaurant.
Warm summers and 183 miles of local trails have also earned Anchorage top rankings as an urban running and walking destination.
Meanwhile, glaciers abound, moose sightings are a near-guarantee, the local skiing is world-class, you can fish for salmon in downtown’s Ship Creek, and the dining scene includes hot newcomer The Kincaid Grill.
Fairbanks
Counting around 3,200 guest rooms among its hotel and bed-and-breakfast properties, Alaska’s second-largest city is also growing.
“Last year, we hosted the annual convention of the Alaska Federation of Natives, the first time they had ever met outside of their home base of Anchorage,” says Karen Lundquist of the Fairbanks CVB. “They are returning in 2007, and we expect even greater numbers than before.”
A former gold rush town that became a small metropolis, Fairbanks is known as the “Golden Heart” city, alluding to both the discovery of gold in 1912 and the city’s friendly approach. This welcoming attitude is evident during annual events like the Midnight Sun Festival and the wintertime World Ice Art Championships, where teams from around the globe sculpt natural blocks of ice known as “Arctic Diamonds.”
Fairbanks is ideal for enjoying the midnight sun, which shines virtually nonstop during the summer, and the majestic Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, which in Latin means “Dawn of the North,” visible some 243 days out of the year.
A major trade and transportation center, Fairbanks is the gateway to Alaska’s vast Interior and Far North regions, including the hugely popular 6 million-acre Denali National Park, home to 20,320-foot Mount McKinley, North America’s highest peak, and Wrangell-St. Elias Park and Preserve, the largest national park in the U.S. and home to nine of the continent’s 16 tallest peaks.
Fairbanks’ principal gathering venue is the Carlson Center, a modern entertainment, sports and convention facility with 15,440 square feet of meeting space distributed among four meeting rooms.
Following a $34 million expansion, the Westmark Hotel and Conference Center now has 400 rooms and new meeting space, and A Taste of Alaska Lodge, situated on 280 natural wooded acres near the city, offers spectacular views of the Alaska Range mountains and Mount McKinley to go with dog-mushing tours and gold panning.
Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge and Pike’s Waterfront Lodge are other top choices for groups.
Juneau
Surrounded by water and nestled at the foot of Mount Juneau, Alaska’s capital city, often called “a little San Francisco,” is only accessible by sea and air, which accentuates its getaway mystique.
“Alaska is often described as a mythic place of mountains, glaciers and wilderness,” says Lorene Palmer, president and CEO of the Juneau CVB. “Juneau has all these elements right on its doorstep. From our 600 or so resident whales exuberantly breaching in the spring—what we call the ‘25-ton pirouette’—to our many glaciers, including the nearby drive-up Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau is home to many authentic Alaskan experiences and adventures.”
Local adventuring can take the form of steering inflatable kayaks through melt ponds, trekking through translucent blue ice caves, taking breathtaking rides up the Mount Roberts Tramway, or zip-lining over a 150-foot-deep mining hole.
Just 60 miles west of the city is the 3.3 million-acre Glacier Bay, the world’s largest protected marine sanctuary, with local accommodations at the Glacier Bay Lodge.
Juneau is only two hours by plane from Seattle, with regular service offered by Alaska Airlines and several smaller commuter carriers. By sea, Juneau is also served by the state-owned Alaska Marine Highway ferry system.
Juneau is especially well suited for conventions of up to 600 people, retreats and regional conferences. The versatile 20,000-square-foot Centennial Hall Convention Center in downtown Juneau is located next to the historic town center, where modern architecture mixes with quaint Victorian homes.
The recently remodeled Westmark Baranof is a historic downtown meetings hotel, and among the area’s unique gathering and retreat venues are Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure and the Orca Point Lodge.
Matanuska–Susitna
Located 40 miles north of Anchorage, the 23,000-square-mile Mat-Su Valley, traversed by three major state highways, is adventure central. Flightseeing tours of Mount McKinley, road-accessible glaciers, world-class sportfishing and jet boat river safaris are among the offerings that make the area especially popular with board retreats, according to Bonnie Quill, executive director of the Mat-Su CVB.
“Mat-Su is also where Alaskans go to play,” she says.
With the southern part of the hugely popular Denali (“Great One”) National Park and all of the less-crowded Denali State Park within its boundaries, Mat-Su is Alaska’s top land destination, especially with cruise-to-land travelers. The town of Wasilla is home to the headquarters of the famed Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, Independence Mine State Historical Park has self-guided tours of abandoned gold mines, and Hatcher Pass offers hundreds of miles of hiking, skiing and snowmobiling trails.
The quaint town of Talkeetna is the staging area for Mount McKinley climbers and home to the luxury Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, with views of Mount McKinley from every room, and the Mount McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, which increased its total room count to 460 in 2006.
Valdez
Dramatically backed by the towering Chugach Mountains and fronting the sweeping arc of Prince William Sound, Valdez, with a population of around 4,100, is a premier year-round outdoor destination, cleverly acknowledged by the Valdez CVB’s slogan, “Even Mother Nature Has Favorites!”
The town’s heritage is quintessentially Alaskan: fur trading, salmon canning, and gold and copper mining. During the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-98, prospectors came through the area, believing it to be the entry to the interior gold fields. Today, the treasures are all-natural, making Valdez an ideal retreat and incentive choice.
The Chugach peaks receive 600 inches of fresh powder each year, the waters of the sound teem with fish, and there is a wonderland of waterfalls and canyons weaving through five local glaciers, with hundreds more in the Chugach hinterland.
Business-wise, the Valdez Convention Civic Center offers 18,000 square feet of flexible space, including a ballroom with seating for 500 people, while the Valdez Museum features a comfortable and intimate setting for receptions and events.
Valdez is also the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and educational tours are available.
Ketchikan
This multi-island community, surrounded by mountains and water, is Alaska’s southernmost port of call on the Inside Passage, the entry point to Alaskan coastal waters from Seattle and points south. According to Leslie Chapel, tourism marketing coordinator for the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau, the local economic benefit of the cruise line industry—which accounts for the vast majority of Alaska tourism—is worth around $152 million a year.
This former cannery town, once known as the “Salmon Capital of the World,” celebrates a work hard, play hard ethic.
The highlight of any visit is a walking tour of the historic downtown along Ketchikan Creek, an integral part of the community’s history and cited today as one of “America’s Best Boardwalks.”
Home to the world’s largest totem pole collection, Ketchikan is also one of America’s highly regarded small arts communities.
Unique attractions and activities in the destination include mountain excursions, snorkeling tours and archeological explorations of El Capitan Cave.
Meeting facilities include the Ted Ferry Civic Center, with a capacity for 500 people, and the area’s 400-plus guest rooms are situated in meetings-ready hotels such as Salmon Falls Lodge and the WestCoast Cape Fox Lodge.
Sitka
Located about 95 miles southwest of Juneau, historic Sitka, population 8,800, is one of the most scenic of southeast Alaska’s towns. Situated on Baranof Island, Sitka is nestled between forested mountains and the Pacific Ocean, on the outer waters of the Inside Passage.
While once called the “Paris of the Pacific,” Sitka was actually the capital of Russian Alaska from 1808 to 1867. This legacy lives on in the architecture, including St. Michael’s Cathedral, topped by an onion dome and gold cross and rebuilt from original plans after a 1966 fire. Among the many other sights in town are Castle Hill, where Russia turned Alaska over to the U.S. in 1867; the Sheldon Jackson Museum, with a fine collection of Native Alaskan art; and the Sitka National Historical Park.
Meetings-ready venues include the waterfront Harrigan Centennial Hall; the 100-room Westmark Sitka, with space for 175 attendees; and the Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi Community House, a stunning cultural treasure and truly unique venue.
For More Info
Alaska Travel Industry Association 800.862.5275
www.travelalaska.com
Anchorage CVB 907.276.4118
www.anchorage.net
Fairbanks CVB 907.457.3282
www.explorefairbanks.com
Juneau CVB 907.586.1737
www.traveljuneau.com
Ketchikan Visitors Bureau 907.225.6166
www.visit-ketchikan.com
Matanuska–Susitna CVB 907.746.5000
www.alaskavisit.com
Sitka CVB 907.747.5940
www.sitka.org
Valdez CVB 907.835.2984
www.valdezalaska.org
