northwest alaska areas

If you've ever wanted to travel north of the Arctic Circle you should really plan a trip to Kotzebue, AK - it is absolutely beautiful! This small Alaskan village is relaxing, the views of the ocean are breathtaking and the many quick walks you take - around the spit and into the Tundra - are worth the mud you may get on your shoes. I stayed for a week to visit my daughter and wished I could stay longer. We met great people, picked berries, jumped into the Bering Sea, jumped off a bridge into the Arctic Ocean, had a bonfire at the beach, went for lots of walks, visited the museum, purchased local art, ate at the restaurants, and, thanks to the fact that Verizon has no cell/text coverage there, I was totally disconnected from the rest of civilization.

I took a flight-see by Golden Eagle in Kotzebue, and it's an amazing experience. It's the least visited National Park, and the natural and untouched beauty will take your breath away. The plane will land at the magnificent sand dunes, a real treat!

Kotzebue is a small Alaskan village of 3500, approx. 26 miles N. of the Arctic Circle, 12 ft above sea level, with 24 hours of continuous daylight under the midnight sun, abundant fishing, native arts, and very friendly & industrious Eskimo people known as Inupiaq. Road Scholar offers an educational program there at the "LoVonne Fish Camp," about 10 miles outside of town along a rocky beach. This was my 6th Elderhostel/Road Scholar trip. I would rate this program 3 out of 5 stars since the catalog description didn’t match reality, since the transportation to and from town to the camp was substandard for an Intergenerational Program, since there was a very disturbing lack of pest control (flies) standard to most camps of this type, and due to inadequate facilities consisting of 1 outhouse and 1 shower for 15 campers plus staff. Daily programs turned out to be interesting, informative, and appropriate for the age group, often taught by local people from the village who were very patient with 9-11 yr. olds and gave a good hands on experience. Food was excellent and above standard for most domestic Road Scholar Intergenerational trips.General problematic management: no general schedule provided in advance, no reading recommendations provided by Road Scholar Organization, so common with Elderhostel Educational programs of the past, so attendees often were confused what things would be happening, what to wear each day, or what to bring to sessions that often lasted until 10 PM each night. Road Scholar sent a confusing letter of apology the day before program started; but made no attempt to redirect their short comings.If you choose this program, bring Deet and a good sleep mask. Call the Alaska Fish & Game to secure excellent literature produced by the State and sent in advance of the program for around $10. They have terrific customer service in support of tourism. Arrange travel through a professional due to uncertain weather ranging from 55 to low 80s in summer.

Kotzebue is a small village that is serviced by Alaska Air and Bush Pilots, it is surrounded on three sides by water and is 33 miles north of the Artic Circle. Amazing culture!

From Kotzebue, we chartered a flight that took us to Gates of the Arctic National Park, Noatak National Preserve and Kobuk Valley National Park. We landed in each of the parks and got out of the small plane to take in the scenery on foot as well as from the air. This was truly the highlight of our Alaska vacation. The plot was great, the landings smooth and the scenery amazing. I can't recommend this enough.