I was going 60 miles an hour on a 1300 foot vertical drop on the longest zip-line in the world, with vast, green mountains on one side of me and the deepest blue I have ever seen in the ocean below me. It was at this point when I realized that I was completely immersed in the Last Frontier.

This summer I had the opportunity to spend almost two weeks in Alaska, and it was breathtaking. I had an opportunity to see things that I never thought I would see in my life time. This trip was the single most incredible thing I have ever experienced.

My family and I arrived in Anchorage on August 7, 2010, after passing through five time zones, and as my dad said, “we’ve seen 10:00 AM three times.” The next day we boarded a bus to travel to Denali National Park, a five hour expedition.

We took the three day bus tour in the hope of seeing North America’s highest peak, Mt. McKinley. Little did we know, only 30 percent of the people who travel to Denali actually see Mt. McKinley. We were not one of the lucky ones.

Along the way to Denali we passed through Wasilla, home to the former Vice Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin. Despite popular belief, we could not see Russia from Wasilla.

While in Denali, we went white water rafting in 34 degree glacial waters. The guides put us in dry suits, a combination of a latex suit and insulation. We looked like we were from outer space, but we stayed dry, which is really all that mattered.

We then traveled back through Anchorage and continued on to the “town” of Seward, Alaska, which is mainly made up of one street and mostly cruise ship docks. That night, we boarded a ship and departed for Alaska’s capital city, Juneau.

The next day we were at sea and eventually arrived at Hubbard Glacier. On the boat, we spent the day as most Alaska cruisers would, playing Bingo.

When we eventually got to the glacier, it was freezing and raining.  Glacial temperatures will do that to you. But even through the weather, it was magnificent. After we saw Hubbard Glacier, we had our own chance to experience a Polar Bear Plunge right on the cruise ship.

The cruise ship, which cruises the Bahamas in the winter, brings in the freezing cold waters from Hubbard Glacier to cool off the tropical vacationers.  When the ship is cruising around Alaska, the less sane aboard, including my father and brother, then have the opportunity to jump in the 45 degree pool.

When we arrived in Juneau, we spent it at Mendenhall Glacier, which is actually 15 miles outside of the city of Juneau. There are no roads that lead to Juneau.  It is only accessible by boat, plane, or birth canal.

On our next adventure in Skagway, Alaska, I had the opportunity to go rock climbing and rappelling. I never thought I was afraid of heights, but when the only thing supporting you from falling straight down is a chain drilled into the rock face and rope, I found myself to be quite scared.

During the Alaska Gold Rush, Skagway was a gateway for miners to get to the gold. Because of the influx of male customers, Skagway had several brothels.  One of the remaining buildings is now a bar, and they offer brothel tours. The fares run “five dollars for 15 minutes.  Same price, different service.”

We then arrived in Hoonah, Alaska, a port owned completely by the Tlingit Nation. The visitor’s center was an old salmon cannery with shops owned by the natives, who also own the longest, highest, and fastest zip-line in the world. It took us 45 minutes to go up the mountain but only 60 seconds to zip down.

Our next stop was Ketchican, Alaska, a town that relies heavily on their export of fish. Appropriately, it was here where we went salmon fishing. We also got the opportunity to see the salmon running upstream.

Salmon instinctively spend the last year of their life bulking up to swim upstream. They then spend weeks trying to swim upstream, sometimes unsuccessfully. At the top banks of the river the salmon spawn and then die. They are ultimately swimming to their death.

After another day at sea, we ended finishing our journey in Vancouver, Canada. After nearly two weeks in Alaska, I felt I would never be the same, simply because I had seen things that gave me a new perspective.

The people of Alaska live very simple lives in that they have a strong sense of community because they live such harsh winters together. The Alaskans also welcome visitors, a sense of hospitality that I will carry with me for quite some time.

Allison Walczyk can reached for comment at [email protected]

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