Adak helped protect the country during World War II. It’s part of the Aleutian Island chain and stretches more than 1,000 miles west across the Pacific from the Alaska Peninsula.
When we arrived in Adak, City Manager Breck Craig said the words that defined our trip: "Seven doors of doom." The Seven Doors of Doom used to contain nuclear weapons.
A lot of people visit Adak to see the crumbling military base, but it's the wildlife, land, and sea that are the real treat. The Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge is a habitat for marine mammals and some 40 million seabirds.
Most Alaskans know the story of Adak: it became a U.S. military base during World War II to fend off a feared Japanese invasion of Alaska. Because it’s close to Russia, it remained a strategic base and submarine surveillance center throughout the Cold War. Now, in about three hours on an Alaska Airlines 737 from Anchorage, there are epic experiences to be had here.
With only about 50 people living on Adak year-round, you're pretty limited in where you can eat. There are two restaurants and a little sundries shop with very, very limited hours.
Once you’ve arrived in Adak, there are only a few rental options to spend the night.
We booked our three-bedroom, six-bed duplex through The Adak/Aleutian Experience.
We sleepily make our way to the terminal where our flight to Adak is expected to be about three hours. Turns out there wasn't a real reason to rush; our flight has less than 20 people for a comfortable flight on an Alaska Airlines 737.
Alaska is known for its vast wilderness and iconic scenery, but to see some of the best of Alaska, you have to get off the road system. On this Roadtrippin’ adventure, Melissa Frey and photojournalist John Perry ditch the road for the rails to find a remote glacier at the Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop.
The Silversea Silver Nova is a new ship, less than a year old, and its design and the program on board are specifically in place to reduce its impact on the environment it travels through every day.
The Silversea Silver Nova leaves Vancouver and heads north through the Inside Passage. Even though the day was a bit foggy, there was plenty to do on board the ship.
After riding the rails from Anchorage to Whittier, Melissa Frey and Photojournalist John Perry continue their Roadtrippin’ adventure on a hunt for iconic glaciers and Alaskan wildlife.
The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, which connects Portage to Whittier, is designed for temperatures down to 40 below, 150 mph winds, avalanches, and fires.
The Alaska Railroad's Hurricane Turn flag stop train is the only remaining train in the country where passengers can get on or off wherever they want along the route.
The sound of the Discovery 3 Steamboat horn, blasting, on the Chena River in Fairbanks has been a symbol of the start of summer for decades, the boat cruises down a 7-mile stretch on the river during its Riverboat Discovery tour. A steamboat excursion that dates back to the 1950s.
One of the best parts of touring the open road in Alaska is the roadside pit stops; specifically, all the new food and experiences you can find at every turnoff. For our Roadtrippin’ crew, Chowder House in Fairbanks is one of those special spots.
For a sense of adventure that takes you across the open waters to explore, hopping onboard a jet ski may be the best way. One of the perfect places to dip into the water and race across the waves is in Whittier.
Covering 3,500 miles of coastline, the Alaska Marine Highway is a critical All-American route that serves Alaska and Washington, and our Roadtrippin' crew hopped onboard to make their way to Whittier.
One of the best ways to take in the views of Alaska is to take to its skies, and nobody knows the airspace over Talkeetna better than the friendly folks at K2 Aviation. Fly along with Dave Allgood and Carly Schreck as they explore the Alaska Range from an aerial level.
Roadtrippin' 2024: Nestled in a quiet wooded area that makes up Talkeetna’s Cemetary, there is a tribute to those lost trying to reach the summit of Denali known as the Mountain Climbers' Memorial.
Roadtrippin' 2024: While Alaska is a great location to see the Northern Lights, the odds of seeing 'Aurora' in the summer months are slim — unless you happen to be in Talkeetna.
