アラスカ その１ / Alaska Part 1 – Matanuska Glacier

I went to Alaska—a vast land of wilderness in the far north. It’s like the Hokkaido of Japan, bustling with tourists in summer (though I’d love to visit in winter, too). It was a family trip, but I had plenty of time for photography, so I’d like to share some highlights.

We visited in late June, the time of year with the longest daylight. Sunrise was around 4:30 a.m., and sunset around 11:30 p.m. I didn’t check directly, but it likely never got completely dark. The weather was cool even in summer—glaciers and the ocean felt cold, but overall it was comfortable, about the same as San Francisco. Makes you realize just how cool San Francisco is.

Starting from the major city of Anchorage, nearly all destinations require 2 to 4 hours of driving, so renting a car is essential.

Our first destination was the Matanuska Glacier. It’s the largest glacier in Alaska accessible by road and offers guided glacier walks and other tours. This time, we joined a tour offered by Nova Alaska Guides.

Continued in part 2 (Denali National Park).