Alaska Smart Splurges

This deluxe waterfront bed-and-breakfast is nestled in the rainforest on the outskirts of Juneau, making it an ideal base for hiking and biking adventures, or for fishing and boating on the adjacent pond (bikes, rowboats, and fishing rods are on loan to guests). Five lavishly appointed guest rooms provide the perfect retreat to unwind after a day in the wild, or guests can opt to soak in the waterfront Jacuzzis or indulge in an on-site massage. Customized home-cooked breakfasts in the morning feature breads freshly baked on site by the innkeepers. Two rooms have mountain views; the other three face the pond.

Nestled amid wildlife and wildflowers in the heart of Denali National Park, the eco-friendly Camp Denali & North Face Lodge offers intimate accommodations in an unparalleled wilderness setting – it’s the only park lodging that offers direct views onto snow-clad Mt. McKinley. North Face Lodge's 15 rooms, while on the small side, each boast a private bath and are adjoined to a lobby that’s used as a communal living and dining room (complete with a crackling fireplace), while sister property, Camp Denali, offers up 17 cozy, private cabins. The principally organic meals center around homegrown vegetables and jams and syrups made from the wild berries that grow on the tundra; naturalist guides lead outdoor adventures, from hiking to wildlife watching.

Visitors to Glacier Bay National Park will find the best local rooms in nearby Gustavus, at this extraordinary shore-side log cabin bordering a field of wildflowers. Of the Inn’s 14 spacious rooms, the best are located on the second floor, with vaulted ceilings and excellent views that optimize the standard room layout of two queen beds with a table and chairs, armoire, and trestle bench. The lobby’s 30-foot ceiling and walk-around fireplace makes for a cozy spot to linger. Rates include locally sourced meals and flights to and from Juneau.

Avid travelers can add a notch to their belt by crossing into the Arctic Circle. Tours are best organized from Fairbanks, including those offered by Northern Alaska Tour Company, which offers air and ground tours of sites like the Yukon River, the Arctic Ocean, native villages, and more. Day trips and three-day tours are available.

Denali often hides behind cloud cover, but “flight-seeing” tours guarantee spectacular views. K2 Aviation offers daily summer departures from Talkeetna; add a landing on Ruth Glacier for an optimal wilderness outing.

These guided coach bus tours offer extras like box lunches and insightful commentary over the standard Denali bus circuits, and include the Denali Natural History Tour (4-5 hours), the Tundra Wilderness Tour (6-8 hours), as well as the comprehensive Kantishna Experience, which takes 11 to 12 hours. The one drawback to these tours, compared to unguided park shuttles, is that travelers are confined to the bus outside of designated rest stops.

Alaska Railroad’s first-class, double-decker GoldStar cars boast open-air observation decks and priority seating under glass domes, for spectacular views on the Denali Star route between Anchorage and Fairbanks. It’s an unbeatable means of getting to Denali National Park.

Mammoth Kodiak Island is home to verdant mountains, salmon-rich streams, glacier-moraine beaches, and 2,000 Kodiak bears (some of the largest bears in the world). Floatplane tours from the Kodiak airport (like those hosted by Andrew Airways) get you to prime bear-viewing perches. Binoculars are a must since guides will keep you at a lengthy and safe distance at all times. July to mid-August is the peak viewing time, when bears congregate for the salmon runs.

The Alyeska Resort tram (just off the Seward Highway) will take you up 2,300 feet to the top of...more

Talkeetna’s sophisticated French-fusion bistro doles out mouthwatering organic dishes with international flavors, like local salmon in a soy, ginger, and garlic sauce. Expect hard-to-come-by flavorings within Alaska, including coconut curry and walnut pesto.