Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Alaska

The Best Places to See Reindeer Around the World

From Norway to Alaska, here's where to see members of Santa's herd in person

Your Guide to Seeing the Northern Lights in Alaska

Iditarod racer Debbie Moderow enjoys a moment with Crouton, one of 28 Alaskan husky sled dogs she currently trains at the Salty Dog Kennels.

How a Two-Time Iditarod Racer Fell in Love With Dogsledding

Lesson one in mushing class: Don’t let go!

Life Aboard a Renovated World War II Tugboat

With help from friends, a transplanted Philadelphian embarks on a voyage of discovery through Alaska's waters

Inside the Church of Saint Nicholas, Father Nikolai Yakunin blesses parishioners during Pascha (Russian Easter), which begins at midnight and ends at dawn. The smoke of the incense is said to lift prayers to heaven.

In a Remote Alaskan Town, a Centuries-Old Russian Faith Thrives

Residents of Nikolaevsk remain true to the traditions of their ancestors, who fled religious persecution in the 17th-century

Charlie Chaplin eats his shoe in The Gold Rush (1925).

Charlie Chaplin's Gold Rush

Two decades after the Klondike Gold Rush, Chaplin recast the hardships of prospectors as comedy

Indigenous cultures of Alaska have enjoyed the frozen treat known as akutuq for many centuries. An Inupiaq word meaning “to stir,” akutuq traditionally consists of animal fat mixed with seal oil, whipped together with handfuls of berries and freshly fallen snow to make a frothy, frozen concoction.

What Is Eskimo Ice Cream?

Answer: Not your typical summer dessert

Inupiaq culture has traveled from fur-clad hunters with stone-tipped harpoons to kids carrying iPhones—in just 200 years.

The Essence of Alaska Lies Somewhere Between Myth and Reality

An Alaska native grapples with the meaning of his home state

The Hurricane Turn pulls out of the station at Talkeetna.

For a Truly Authentic Alaskan Experience, Hop Aboard America's Last Flag-Stop Train

Reaching off-the-grid homesteads and cabins, the Hurricane Turn train stops for anyone who flags it down

None

Eskimo Yo-Yos, Muskox Knitting Yarn and Other Unique Gifts to Buy in Alaska

Inspiration comes not only from nature but also from the instinct to use what’s close at hand

A brown bear hunts for salmon in Silver Salmon Creek.

Where and How to (Safely) Bear Watch in Alaska

Attacks à la <i>Revenant</i> are a statistical blip. An Alaska expert outlines the dos and don'ts of sharing wilderness with the state's 133,000 bears

Sunday services let out at the Congregational Christian Church of American Samoa.

The Most Diverse Neighborhood in the U.S. May Surprise You

Abundant housing and job opportunities have brought people from all over the world to Mountain View, Alaska

Russian Orthodox crosses in the time-and-weather-worn cemetery of Ninilchik’s Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord Chapel are a testament to the heritage of the village.

Tracing Alaska's Russian Heritage

From onion domes to tsarist-era Russian dialects, evidence of the Russian colonialism remains

Secretary Sally Jewell

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell Explains Why Preserving Alaska's Wildness Is Essential

A former petroleum engineer, Jewell recognizes that balance is key to preserving Alaska for future generations

John McPhee

Pulitzer-Prize Winning Author John McPhee Recalls Alaska Before Cell Phones, GPS and Most of Its National Parks

McPhee's trips to Alaska in the 1970s inspired his seminal outdoors narrative "Coming Into the Country" and helped launch his career

George Schaller

Longtime Conservationist George Schaller Is Still Fighting to Preserve the Last Frontier

Now is the time to protect Alaska's coastal plain, he urges

National Geographic Veteran Chris Johns on the Importance of National Parks and Documenting Climate Change in Alaska

Wild places heal both individuals and nations, he says

Page 1 of 1