Travel blog

A trip to Alaska is a bucket list trip—traveling to the 49^th state is a dream come true for many of our guests—but it can also be overwhelming. If you’re a first timer, here are some things to keep in mind to make the most of your time in the Frontier State.

Alaska is known throughout the world for its spectacular wildlife—a pack of wolves hunting together in the moonlight, a bald eagle silently dragging a single golden talon across a glassy lake, a greedy bear cub clumsily learning how to catch spawning salmon. Images of Alaskan fauna are some of the most important visuals in what we now think of as the wilds of America, and are a large part of what created our nation’s very identity. Below are just a few of the beautiful animals you might catch a glimpse of in the “The Last Frontier.”

As the days grow longer and the weather warms, travelers heed the call of the wild and head to the Frontier State. Hulking moose meander alongside the roadway and icebergs the size of school buses break from glaciers before crashing into the sea. There are totems where history is carved in wood and an endless stretch of sky where snow-covered mountains kiss the clouds. If an Alaskan adventure is in your plans, here are some need-to-know travel tips to help you make the most of your time:

Your travel bucket list is an opportunity for you to write down all the must-see places you want to visit in this lifetime. It inspires you to decide what you really want, to rank the places you’ve dreamt of seeing for years, since childhood, perhaps, and plan accordingly. Here are some of the magnificent destinations that show up most frequently on our guests’ bucket lists:

Mothers come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities. Some express their love quietly, while others shout it out for everyone to hear. All of them love us, and on Mother’s Day, we get to remind them we love them right back. 

This Mother’s Day, why confine yourself to gifts of flowers and brunch? Show the mom in our life you really care by giving her the trip of a lifetime. Perhaps she’d like a romantic cruise for two, or maybe a land adventure. It all depends on what type of mom you have.

While we can’t say for sure which trip your mom would like best, we do know a little about what certain types of moms like. So, here’s a list of the most common moms we see on our tours, and the type of tours we most often see them on.

While many travelers head to Iceland, Norway, and Northern Scandinavia in search of the phenomenon known as the aurora borealis, you can spot the northern lights much closer to home. The Alaskan Arctic offers clear skies and a superior viewing location to witness this spectacular light show. Here’s your insider’s guide to experiencing our nations own northern lights:

It appeared the small town of Nome, Alaska was doomed. Isolated by bad weather and miles of frozen tundra, the diphtheria outbreak of 1925 would surely mean certain death for the men, women, and children trapped in this remote corner of Alaska. Racing against time, teams of heroic sled dogs tore across 700 miles of harsh, unforgiving terrain to deliver the medicine that would stem the outbreak and save the town.

While summer means swimsuits and sunscreen for many travelers, a growing number are heading north to America’s last frontier. With long days of endless sun, Alaska is full of excitement throughout the summer months but when exactly is the best time to visit? To answer this question, we have to look at three things: daylight, rain, and temperature. We’ll also consider the added bonus of summer travel tours!

The nostalgia of rail travel is giving way to the rebirth of train-based tourism. From Europe to Alaska, the romance of riding the rails is attracting a whole new crop of train enthusiasts, and movies like Murder on the Orient Express are reigniting the allure. In fact, vintage train travel is one of the travel trends to watch in the upcoming year. Here are three unforgettable train excursions you can enjoy on a YMT Vacations package tour:

After years at home, many widows and widowers are now finding the courage to explore the world again. The tragedy of having lost a spouse, compounded by the toll of being a caregiver, often times makes travel seem like a luxury from a very distant past. However, the call of the open road eventually finds us all again. Here are some things to consider when making your first solo trip and some tips on how you can make traveling alone a rewarding and liberating experience: