Tag: alaska

  • Spot the Alaskan Big Five in Denali National Park

    Spot the Alaskan Big Five in Denali National Park

    Denali moose

    Published on August 15, 2014 on MapQuest || “If you see a bear, stay calm and get behind me. If you see a moose, run.”

    A few people in my hiking group chuckled nervously when Jeffrey, our twentysomething Patagonia-clad guide, delivered this warning. My mom, Margaret, who stood a few feet up the trail, shot me a “what the hell did you get me into” stare.

    I grinned back, bouncing with giddy excitement. Moose! Bears! This was exactly why I came to Alaska.

    For many nature-loving travelers, an African safari is the ultimate bucket list trip. The search for Africa’s “Big Five”—lions, elephants, cape buffalo, leopards and rhinos—is a wildlife watcher’s rite of passage. But most people don’t realize that you can get an epic safari experience here in the United States. Alaska has its own Big Five, and you can see them all in Denali National Park. Read more…

    The Denali Safari is part of MapQuest’s summer travel series: 99 Summer Travel Quests

    Click here for more Alaska photos.

  • Be the Last Person in the United States to Watch the Sun Set

    Be the Last Person in the United States to Watch the Sun Set

    Anchorage sunset

    Published July 15, 2014 on MapQuest || Watching the sun set from the westernmost point in the United States means you’ll be the last person in the country to end the day. The problem is, Alaska’s Attu Island is not your typical sunset spot. In order to actually be the last person to see the day, you’ll have to overcome a few hurdles. Read more…