Alaska

Though I’m intimidated by how intensely cold it would be, I would still love to brave the freezing weather of Alaska to see the Northern lights, observe wildlife, and view the still beauty of the frozen tundra. A place rarely referred to as beautiful, Alaska offers awe-inspiring landscapes as well as experiences you’re sure to remember due to breathtaking wildlife.

A friend of mine once knew someone who grew up in Alaska. My friend was surprised, as was I when he told me, that if you stand below the Northern lights and whistle, they’ll wave side to side in the sky. I don’t know about you, but that just sounds like something I want to experience first-hand. Pictures of Aurora Borealis seem unreal and magical, and I can’t imagine anything more peaceful than enjoying a cup of hot chocolate while watching something so awesome sway in the night sky.

At the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center, you are able to observe moose, puffins, and bears in their natural habitats. The Conservation Center also offers Alaskan Ice fishing and hiking. Cruises offered in Alaska allow tourists to observe huge brown bears, otters, eagles and Alaskan puffins in their environment. While on the ship you’re sure to see magnificent humpback or even gray whales communicating with each other and surfacing with their gigantic mouths open and plunge back into the icy water.

I couldn't leave Alaska without flightseeing. My father was a pilot, and used to love flying over mountains in Colorado and New Mexico. I've never been in a small aircraft, and I would love for my first time in one to be flying over the icy peaks of Alaskan cliffs. Flightseeing usually covers the width of the entire great state, and there's no telling how much wildlife you would get to see from a bird's eye view. On some flightseeing tours you even land on a glacier to go exploring!

When planning your next vacation, think about a land away from the hustle and bustle of tourism and the place with the most extreme wildlife and chillingly lovely views, Alaska.