In our exciting new Founders Footprints series, read exclusive travelogues from the founders of Tours4Fun! Co-founder Allen Wang has visited every continent in the world and over 40 countries. Also, he’s been to almost every national and state park in North America! Allen is very excited to share his adventures and travel tips with you, including this piece about his most recent vacation.

There’s nothing like the joy and excitement of traveling. Each encounter is a different experience and every vacation is full of benefits. I enjoy the opportunity travel brings to get in touch with nature, learn about people from all over the world, extend world views and change myself in meaningful ways.

This summer, I embarked on an unforgettable 15-day caravan trip through Alaska. Traveling with my family and friends, we drove from south to north, taking time to experience all that Alaska offers. Known as North America’s “Last Frontier,” it’s a state full of unspoiled wilderness, interesting communities and natural wonders.

I had been to Alaska before in winter to see the breathtaking Northern Lights. It was an amazing tour that included glacial hiking, ice fishing and dog sledding in the Arctic Circle. I was excited to return to this magical land to experience Alaska during its most popular season. Our journey was full of the unexpected and was the type of travel I like to call “adventure life.”

Here are some of the highlights from my recent trip. These are just some of the unforgettable experiences you can have in Alaska during summer.

Bear Watching at Katmai National Park

We took a one-and-a-half hour seaplane ride from Anchorage to Katmai. Located in southern Alaska, this pristine national park is a popular destination for camping and for viewing bears. It’s also home to Novarupta volcano and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes–both of which were formed in 1912 during the world’s largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.

Katmai’s most famous attraction, however, is Brooks Falls. Located on the Brooks River, this waterfall creates a natural barrier for sockeye salmon to cross upstream to spawn. As a result, the stream attracts numerous brown bears looking to catch their next meal.

Although it’s dangerous for the salmon to cross here, they always return to where they were hatched so that they may lay eggs. The brown bears wait and prey on salmon each year during the salmon run. The best time to see this event is late June and July but you can often still glimpse bears at Brooks Falls through August and September.

Bear watching is done at a safe distance from atop a viewing platform. When our seaplane landed at Brooks Campsite, the park ranger gave us a 40-minute presentation about safety to ensure we had the safest trip possible. While the area can get crowded during peak season, this was one of the most amazing stops during our vacation.

Camping at Denali National Park

Located about 240 miles north of Anchorage and 120 miles south of Fairbanks, Denali National Park is the perfect place to stop on a road trip through Alaska. But even if you aren’t driving, there are bus tours that will conveniently take you here to see some of the park’s amazing nature and wildlife.

There’s no better way to get close to nature than camping. So rather than stay at a hotel or lodge, we decided to enjoy four nights at a campsite in this breathtaking park. Our children had a wonderful time helping us to cook and set up the tents.

Every night, we would sit around the campfire chatting under the starry sky. There is very little light pollution, so you’re able to enjoy unprecedented stargazing during your stay.

While camping sounded great, it also came with its challenges. The campsite is short of public facilities, so we had to sleep without a bath for four days. (But it was worth it!) It was difficult at times but with each other’s encouragement, we didn’t give up.

Each day, nature would give us unexpected surprises too. On our last day at 5 am, a caribou came close to our tent. At just 30 feet (10 meters) away, it was dangerous. Several minutes later, he rushed towards us suddenly before wandering away. This was definitely an unforgettable moment on our trip.

Roughing it in a Cabin in Fairbanks

Continuing northward, we spent two nights in a cabin in the woods outside Fairbanks. As our car drove into the forest at dusk, we were attacked by a huge swarm of locust-sized mosquitoes (I’ve never seen so many mosquitoes in my whole life!). What was worse, when we arrived at the destination, I found that the cabin was so shabby that even the lights didn’t work. There were only a few bunk beds made up of several large planks.

Since we were traveling with kids and hadn’t packed enough anti-mosquito masks and anti-mosquito medicine, my thought at that time was to turn around and leave! But then we remembered that on an adventure vacation, we shouldn’t give up too fast and to just stick out the moment.

After we fully armed ourselves, we worked together to cut firewood, make fire, cook dinner, and make our beds in the dark. That night, I tossed and turned in bed. But looking back on the troubles we met, I appreciated how these moments can be unique and memorable experiences in our lives.

Our cabin was near Chena Hot Springs, an unforgettable natural attraction that was another highlight on our trip. You can soak in its therapeutic water during any season. Also, they have a magical ice museum which is open year-round!

Arctic Villages – Coldfoot and Wiseman

After Fairbanks, we crossed the Arctic Circle and finally arrived at Coldfoot. For many travelers, Coldfoot is an Instagram-worthy spot where they only spend about two hours. But we decided to stay here for two nights because we wanted to know more about the stories of people who live here.

I had a quick glimpse of Coldfoot five years ago when I came to view the Northern Lights. The scenery in winter is even more spectacular than in summer. At that time, I was very curious what the charm is that can attract so many people. Residents live happily here even though Coldfoot is a place where resources are extremely scarce.

Serving mainly as a supply station for truck drivers to refuel and have a rest, Coldfoot is home to only 10 residents. Without the cover of heavy snow, it looks remarkably like a Western movie. It also attracts many experienced motorcyclists each year who want to ride the very challenging Dalton Highway.

After our two-day stay, we drove 30 minutes north to Wiseman. In this last small border village, we met a real “Wild Hunter.” He showed us his many wares—raw furs of brown bears, coats made of animal skins as well as the antiquated hunting tools…and he also told us the stories behind them.

Here, the polar night lasts for almost eight months in a year and the temperature drops below -30 degrees Fahrenheit. The residents must prepare enough food by hunting or they may not last the long winter. (How strong their will is!) It’s hard to imagine how to survive in such an environment.

In the village’s only café, we talked with learned park keepers and well-read waiters. Living in this remote area so close to nature, they shared their calm, simple and self-sufficient happiness with us.

What we got from this Alaskan journey is not only the scenery of the destination but the scenery of humanity.

For more travel ideas and suggestions for an Alaskan vacation, click here.

Discover the World
by Allen Wang

The journey is full of curiosity and exploration.
Only when you go out
Will you discover that there are really so many different people in the world.
They live in different ways,
And they make the world complicated but interesting.

Go out of your comfort zone,
Go out to discover the unknown,
Go out and stick to your own way to explore new journeys,
Only in this way can you find the meaning of life.

Always believe that your journey has begun
At the moment you left home.
Where to go, how far to go, it doesn’t matter
But, who to go with
Because you will open a new journey for yourself or for someone at any time.

Tours4fun will continue to create more meaningful travel plans.
We sincerely invite you to continue to go out with Tours4fun.
Discover the world.