The Last Frontier
An Alaskan cruise seems to be on everyone’s travel bucket list, but why relegate your sightseeing to only seaside adventures? There’s plenty to do inland as well—not surprising, considering Alaska is nearly two-and-a-half times as large as Texas and boasts some of the most untouched landscape in the nation. Planning an Alaskan road trip from Anchorage to Fairbanks means you’ll get to experience many of the state’s most popular attractions, including whale watching, the northern lights and Denali.
While the actual drive time between these two cities is only six hours, you certainly don’t want to do it in one fell swoop—this trip through The Last Frontier is about leisurely enjoying each leg of the journey rather than racing to reach the final destination, so plan on spending at least a week (if not 10 days) doing so.
Most people choose to visit Alaska during the high season, from May to mid-September, which means that hotels and activities require advance reservations. If you visit earlier in the season (May/June), you’ll have long days to enjoy all your sightseeing, as the two months surrounding the summer solstice offer nearly 24 hours of daylight. However, if your goal is to see the northern lights, then plan your trip for the end of the season (August/September), as you’ll need darker skies for optimal viewing. But if cold temps, long days of darkness and driving in winter conditions don’t scare you off, some say that Fairbanks is one of the destinations that are even better in winter.
Before you head out, review the ultimate American road trip guide for tips on how to budget and pack. And for more travel inspiration, check out these best state road trips, Glacier National Park road trip, three Texas road trips you should take at least once, northern Arizona road trip and the most iconic itinerary of them all: a Route 66 road trip.
The post Your Guide to an Alaskan Road Trip: Anchorage to Fairbanks appeared first on Reader's Digest.
