Under the Midnight Clouds is more accurate in my case.

On my way back from China this past summer I stopped along the way to visit my family in Alaska. (Alaska is not really on the way to Milwaukee from Hangzhou, but that’s relative.) I’ve wanted to see this part of America for years and years. It is certainly a United State, but there’s a reason Alaska is called the Last Frontier. Living in this beautiful wilderness would be challenging in many ways (read: BEARS). For us contiguous-ers, however, a summer solstice vacation is a party!

Unfortunately my midnight sun experience was mostly made up of midnight clouds. The weather did not match what I expect out of summer, even in Alaska. But no matter! The thin bands of clouds that hang delicately below the peaks are worth wearing extra layers and leaving the shades at home.

 

Seward

Luckily for me, my friends Bethany and Tim were visiting Alaska-dwelling Melissa the day I arrived. Jet lag is best treated by a boat trip around a fjord with fjriends, so we made the long trek down to Seward.

Tim had a way of greeting nearby seafaring strangers.

Resurrection BAE (will always be my pun about bays apparently.)

First glacier sighting

Unfortunately one expeditionary member took on an adventure of his own, resulting in perilous injuries.

No matter! Pre-school teachers are an underrated addition in wilderness expeditionary teams.

I obviously would’ve assisted had I not needed to survey the distance I’d traveled from the continent of Asia one day prior.

 

Wasilla

My family in Wasilla is the real reason for making this trip. With all the summer visits to Wisconsin they’ve made over the years, it’s only right that some of us make the trek to them at least once. I hope it’ll be more than once, however, because snow enthusiasts make the Alaskan winter sound like it’s worth the fierce conditions.

Alaskan Rhubarb!

 

Talkeetna

One of my favorite places to visit, Talkeetna is a small town north of Wasilla, but the warm afternoon drew a fun-loving crowd. Aunt Teri and I soaked up the sun with our Alaskan craft beers and (for me) caribou chili. Later we crossed a railroad bridge to get a closer look at the Talkeetna River.

Two things were left unseen: Denali, which hid behind clouds during my entire visit, and Stubbs, Talkeetna’s feline mayor. Stubbs was suffering from poor health in his old age and was laid to rest not a month later. He will be missed by many. Feel free to read more about Stubbs on his Wikipedia page.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stubbs_(cat)

Caribou Chili – 10/10 would devour again.

By “crossed” I really mean “had a photoshoot on” the railroad bridge.

 

Hatcher Pass

Hiking is good for ya! I’ve heard stories of the winter sports my cousin Casey participates in over the years. It was surreal to climb to the top of the highest peaks I’ve ever hiked while hearing where he and his friends perform death-defying stunts on fresh powder all winter long.

It’s always nice when a dog comes up and says hello as you sit on top of a mountain.

Hatcher Pass has an old, no longer functional mine that we also explored.

Alaska is incredible to look at. I just couldn’t get over that fact. So when my aunt took me up the road to see Matanuska Glacier, I probably stared with wide eyes and a gaping mouth for the whole drive until I’d ask if we could pull off at each scenic overlook.

Co-pilot Schmoopy

I mean WHAT is this place?!

Matanuska Glacier in all her glory

If the sun shone on one mountain I saw all day, I was glad it was this one.

 

Whittier

This was the last Alaskan destination I visited. The small harbor town is accessible from Anchorage by two methods:

By boat on the Prince William Sound

By land vehicle (i.e. car) except you must travel through a 13,300ft tunnel under a mountain

Traffic passes through the tunnel one direction at a time, and the walls are very cave-like. Don’t drive to Whittier if you fear cave-ins.

Glacier water is cold.

I started my reverse culture shock off with a bang by relocating from a city of 9 million people to a city of less than 10k for over a week. If given the opportunity, I’d do it again and again. Alaska is a remote wilderness with diverse beauty. I can’t fathom its mountain-loving citizens growing tired of its landscapes, and my family assured me they don’t.

I always give this unwarranted advice to people – beaches and 5-star resorts are relaxing, but you can also learn and adventure so immensely in new places! Give the less-popular tourist destinations a chance if you can. You won’t regret it.