Alaska Attractions

Anchorage

Anchorage offers the comforts of a large US city but is only a 30-minute drive from the Alaskan wilderness. Founded in 1914 as a work camp for the Alaska Railroad, the city was devastated by the 1964 Good Friday earthquake but quickly rebounded as the industry headquarters for the Prudhoe Bay oil boom. Today almost half the state's residents live in or around the city, as Anchorage serves as the economic and political heart of Alaska. Sorry, Juneau.

Juneau

Juneau isn't the most accessible of cities: you can't reach it by road and every year 200 scheduled flights never make it into the city due to bad weather and tall mountains. Once there, though, you'll find much to like in this 'little San Francisco' with its hilly streets and winding staircases.