Kaktovik, AK There are two major Polar Bear viewing destination options in North America: Churchill, Canada and Kaktovik, Alaska. Kaktovik is an Eskimo village located on the Beaufort Sea (Arctic Ocean), near the Canadian border. It is the cheaper, less touristy option but is not otherwise a tourist destination. There is not much else to do here for a tourist and the accommodations are geared towards oil worker/man-camp needs. See the many postings on Tripadvisor for more information and reviews of lodging. The village is a typical North Slope community, is dry (no alcohol) and a bit impoverished. There are […]

Katmai National Park & Preserve, Alaska Accessible only by sea plane, Katmai National Park is located on the Alaska Peninsula and is the location depicted in the Warner Herzog film, Grizzly Man, about the death of bear activist, Timothy Treadwell.  Having a fair amount of respect for Brown Bears/Grizzly bears (read “fear of”), I originally cringed at the site of Timothy Treadwell meandering amongst these bears and never did I imagine I would ever willingly find myself in a similar environment. However, having traveled there with an experienced, local guide, I now understand what he was able to do. The short of it is that, […]