At the height of summer, the average high is around 65°in Anchorage. That’s likely where you’ll land no matter where your Alaska journey takes you, and while you’re there, it’s worth visiting the recently expanded
Anchorage Museum. Works like John Grade’s Murmur: Arctic Realities sculpture will get you in a polar mood. If that’s not cool enough, consider the Sheldon Chalet (
from $4,600/double occupancy), a stunning 5-bedroom cabin in Denali National Park and Preserve that opened in February. This is definitely the kind of place to celebrate a once-in-a-lifetime milestone worthy of a budget blowout. Arrive by helicopter, then hike to the nearest glacier or relax on a hammock with chef-prepared halibut ceviche beneath Denali. And for backcountry fans, there’s REI Adventures’ 8-day trip (
$5,199) in Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve. Few get to see this wild beauty, which is almost six times the size of Yellowstone. But because guides pick you up from Anchorage and supply the technical gear, all you have to do is show up.