Nome, Denali, Kennecott

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Nome
Born from a tent city inhabited by thousands of gold miners, Nome is one of the more unique places to visit. The Iditarod dog sled race ends in Nome every march. Thousands of Alaska natives and visitors converge on Nome to celebrate the mushers crossing the finish line. A reindeer potluck, craft shows, and the Ice Golf Classic are all part of the Iditarod celebration.
During the rest of the year, visitors visit the Serpentine Hot springs, take dog sled rides, or pan for gold. Nome’s beaches and abandoned gold dredges allow people to step back in time and hunt for gold nuggets as the settlers did. Best of all, if they find gold, they get to keep it.
Just don’t try to drive to Nome, there aren’t any roads to Nome. Luckily, Alaska Airlines has year-round daily flights between Anchorage and Nome.
There are lots of roads in and around Nome. The roads were built by the army when we were at war and during the cold war when Nome was felt to be an essential strategic location. They're really amazing. Down in the rest of the state you may have had to go over some gravel roads, but up here the roads are paved and 1st class. What we did when we went to Nome was rented a camper and drove around visiting old gold dredges, muskok preserves, and some of the native villages. They even have an abandoned Chrisitan missionary with some wonderful hot springs.

Denali National Park
Larger than the state of Massachusetts, Denali National Park and Preserve is an area of unparalleled wilderness. No private cars are allowed into the park after the 14-mile mark, but visitors can take a shuttle bus to various campgrounds and trials. The park also offers a day-long narrated bus tour, perfect for landscape and wildlife watching.
Cross-country is the word for Denali hikers—very few trails cut through the park. It may make the hiking a little tougher, but it is worth it. Pick an area you want to hike in. There are some great guides to the park you can purchase. Get on the shuttle bus and tell the driver where you want to get off. Depending upon where you get off when you start your hike you'll already be up to twenty miles into the wilderness. So it doesn't take long to get up close with the wildlife. If you are lucky you'll take in views of Mt. McKinley that the buses can’t see, and experience Denali as the first explorers did.

Kennecott
Once the most modern city in Alaska, Kennecott is now a ghost town. Copper miners built the town after finding the richest copper deposit in history. Most of the original buildings, including the mill, are still standing, presenting a moment in history for visitors to enjoy.
A guided tour of the original Kennecott Mill and other buildings, hiking on the Kennicott Glacier, and ice climbing are popular among visitors. The Bonanza, Jumbo, and Erie mines are a day’s hike away. The more adventurous might like the heart-pounding trip along sheer cliffs to the Erie mine.