3 Reasons to Consider a Visit to Some of the More out of the Way Parts of the Northern Hemisphere-Alaska & Iceland

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Hello babes! I’m having serious wanderlust lately. Many people write off the more out-of-the-way parts of the Northern Hemisphere altogether when considering places to spend their precious vacation days and their hard-earned cash. Part of the reason for this is probably that these locations — icy and rugged as they so often are — don’t really match the idea of “luxury” and “easy-living” that so often form the backbone of what people consider to be “holiday friendly destinations”.

Hawaii, Fiji, the Bahamas, places that are hot, with sandy beaches, and ocean breezes, tend to get most of the respect here.

But for all that, here are a few reasons why you might want to consider a trip to some of the more out of the way holiday destinations of the Northern Hemisphere, anyway.

You can see what it’s like to be somewhere truly wild

There aren’t very many parts of the developed world where you can go and experience true wilderness. But there are some.

If you were to book yourself a hotel in Anchorage, Alaska, for example, you would be in a place where untamed wilderness makes up the vast majority of the entire state, and where bears still roam around freely. Like literally. You might go for a run down the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and chances are, you might bump into a bear. You may be driving on the road and then a moose is just roaming the neighborhood (or your backyard, trust me, I’ve been there). 

If you were in the mood for adventure travel, attaching yourself to a group led by an experienced guide, and disappearing into the Alaskan mountains, would seem to send you back in time by a number of centuries if not millennia.

Visiting Mt. Mckinley or Denali as the locals call it, is a must. You can travel further north and visit Fairbanks, Talkeetna, Wasilla, and Palmer. Or you can go south to Homer, or take a day cruise at Seward. I’d say visiting  Glacier Bay National Park and Sitka are a must! (All this should totally make Sandra Bullock and that very special scene from ‘The Proposal’  pop into your mind, lol). During the Summer, you can go see Grizzly bears catching salmon.  And then, upon returning to Anchorage, you’d be greeted by the familiar conveniences of modern America and yet find hiking trails and wildlife pretty much on every corner.

Anchorage is where city life meets supreme wildlife.

Here’s a list of some of  the must-do things in Anchorage:

1. Have Pizza at Moose’s Tooth
2. Eat King Crab at Club Paris
3. Visit the chocolate fountain at Alaska’s Wild Berry Products and pet some reindeer (and feed them)
4. Visit the renovated Anchorage Museum
5. Go walking/running/biking at the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail

If combat fishing is your thing, go to the Russian River, where you’ll find turquoise waters where to fish.

You can have the surreal experience of being in a place with a very small population

Alaska itself is very sparsely populated as these things go. It’s the largest state in the U.S.A., being more than twice the size of Texas, and had a population of only 739,795, as of 2017.

And if you thought that was a small population, consider the fact that Iceland has a total population of only around 338,000, of which around 122,000 live in the capital city, Reykjavik. Not only that, but the vast majority of the Icelandic population can trace direct descent back to the Vikings who originally settled the island a thousand years ago.

Here’s a couple of must-do things in Iceland:

1. Blue Lagoon! You can’t miss that!
2. Visit the waterfalls at Vatnajokull National Park
3. Do the Golden Circle
4. Watch the Northern Lights
5. Take a helicopter tour of the Thrihnukagigur volcano (or go inside dormant Þríhnúkagígur volcano)

The pace and vibe of social life are completely different in sparsely populated places such as these, and experiencing that can be well worthwhile.

You can get a more refined experience of the contrasts of life, and may come back appreciating the luxuries of everyday life all the more

These out-of-the-way destinations of the Northern Hemisphere are typically icy cold for large parts of the year, are mountainous and rocky, and so on.

One thing this means is that a visit is likely to underscore the contrasts of life for you — from the luxuries of modern technology to the ruggedness of nature.

This, in turn, is likely to give you a newfound sense of appreciation not only for the power of nature but also for the comforts you enjoy back home.

The Northern Lights

Both Iceland and Alaska are wonderful places to witness the Northern Lights. Just remember this happens during cold season so you need to be brave with below zero temperatures 🙂

Now tell me, would you like to visit these places? What would be your #1 thing to do on your list?

Cheers, Y’all! 🙂