Welcome To Rediscovering America

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Welcome to the See Michaelson Travel Podcast, a ZMAX Radio production presented by Collage Travel Media Network. This is your space for inspiration, confidence in travel, and a little bit of luxury and adventure. So whether you're traveling across the world, rediscovering America, or simply dreaming about your next escape, we hope we can help guide you. Now, here's See

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Hi, and welcome to my summer series on Rediscovering America, where every journey tells a story of landscapes and places that make our nation extraordinary. Now, I am your host, C. Michaelson, and today we are gonna be traveling far beyond the ordinary vacation. You know where we're going? We are heading to the north, to the wild heart of America, Alaska, and then we're gonna cross the Pacific Ocean to the islands of Hawaii. These are places where mountains rise higher, glaciers move like rivers over ice, volcanoes reshape the earth, and wildlife still follows ancient paths. Now, today's journey is about experiencing America's national parks, not just a destination, but as adventures. We're going to explore where these parks are, what makes them special, and unforgettable sights are waiting for you. And mostly important, how can you actually get there?

Why Alaska Feels Like Wilderness

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So I think I'm gonna start with Alaska. Now, I'm gonna be perfectly honest. I have not been to Alaska yet, and I am dying to go. It is on my bucket list. I've had friends who've lived there. I have friends that work there, and I have friends that have gone there, and every time I hear a story, it's amazing. So let's look at Denali National Park and Preserve, the crown jewel of Alaska. Now, our first stop is one of the most iconic landscapes. It's the entire national park system, Denali. Imagine standing in front of a six million acres of wilderness, watching moose walking through the valleys, grizzly bears moving across hillsides. That's a little scary, but it's great to see. Caribou crossing the tundra, and above it all, the incredible presence of Denali, North America's tallest mountain. And yes, there have been some name changes back and forth, but we'll keep it as Denali for this episode. Denali is about experiencing wilderness on a massive, massive scale. The highlights here are quite amazing. You have the Denali mountain views, all the wildlife viewing you can possibly imagine, the Denali Park Road. You can actually get sled dog demonstrations, hiking through untouched wilderness, and of course, flight seeing tours around the Alaskan range Doesn't that sound exciting? I personally do not like the cold, but as long as I know I'm coming back to Florida, I can, I can stay with the cold for a little bit. I think that would work out for me. Now, how do you get there?

Denali Wildlife And Park Road

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Well, most visitors begin their Alaskan adventure by flying into either Anchorage or Fairbanks. From Anchorage, Denali is approximately a four to five-hour drive north. From Fairbanks, it's about a two-hour drive south. Another unforgettable option is the Alaskan Railroad, which connects visitors directly to Denali during the travel season Also remember, a lot of people take cruises during the summer season and then jump on the railroad. The park entrance is located along the George Parks Highway, making Denali one of Alaska's most accessible national parks Now a great travel tip is this, do not rush Denali. No, don't rush it. This is not a drive-in, take a picture, and leave kinda destination. Plan at least two or three days so you can experience the wildlife, you can experience the scenery and changing light of Alaska. It truly is amazing Now, I know I'm probably gonna make a mess out of this name, but the Kenai Fjords National Park. Now this is where, um, the mountains meet the sea And that is going to be as we travel south, a spectacular coastline of the Kenai Peninsula. Now, here you can discover the fjords, a world of glaciers, ocean cliffs, and marine wildlife. I love the ocean, so I love marine wildlife. The star attraction is the Harding Icefield. It's one of the largest ice fields in the United States Now, what can you look for here? What are the points of interest? Well, you have Exit Glacier. You have Harding Icefield views. You have tidewater glaciers. Here's one of my favorites: humpback whales. Yes, you can see the humpback whales. Sea lions, puffins, and of course, coastal boat adventures Now in order to get here, the gateway community is Seward. Many travelers fly into Anchorage and then drive about 126 miles south along the scenic Seward Highway. You can also take the Alaskan Railroad from Anchorage to Seward during the summer months. Now remember, if you're going to Alaska and you're not into winter, go

Kenai Fjords Icefield By Boat

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during the summer. Probably the best time is gonna be April through September. After that, some of these places are gonna be harder to reach, and some may even be closed Now, once you're in Seward, the best way to experience the park is to often go by boat tour, because much of the park is a coastal wilderness. So imagine cruising past towering glaciers while a piece of the ancient ice breaks away and crashes into the ocean. You'll hear it. That is Alaska. It's amazing Now, while you're in Alaska, here is something that you might wanna take a peek at. And again, it's a national park, 'cause the United States does have some beautiful national parks. I'm only touching on a few of them from state to state. So we have the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. Okay, this is a wilderness area. It is the largest national park in the United States as well. This is where visitors can find massive mountain ranges, historic mining communities, glaciers, and of course, remote wilderness and backcountry adventures. The main visitor area is near the communities of McCarthy and Kennicott. Okay, and getting there requires a little bit more planning. This is a little bit tougher to get to. Many travelers drive from Anchorage through the scenic Alaska interior. The final roads can be remote, and it includes gravel sections, so preparation matter. For many visitors, a guided tour or flight-seeing experience is probably the perfect way to understand the scale of this incredible park It is amazing. And if you're into remote wilderness and backcountry adventures, this may be the park you're looking for. But again, it takes a little planning to get there Now moving right along, I'm still in Alaska. We have Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. It's a world of ice and ocean And few places on Earth feel as untouched as Glacier Bay And what is this park famous for? Well, of course, massive glaciers. That goes without saying. But you have ice-carved mountains, marine wildlife. Here's my favorite again, whale watching. And if you're into kayaking, they have some great kayaking adventures.

Wrangell-St. Elias Takes Planning

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The easiest access point is through Gustavus. Travelers usually reach Glacier Bay by either flying from Juneau, taking a cruise ship itinerary... Yes, your cruise ships do have some of this itinerary, so keep an eye for that. Or booking a guided excursion. This is a destination where the journey is part of the experience And as I'm talking to you about Alaska and all of these national parks, it makes me want to put it higher up on my bucket list All righty. Am I leaving Alaska yet? No, I am not leaving Alaska yet. Unfortunately, I'm probably gonna say this name incorrectly, and I apologize. Katmai, K-A-T-M-A-I National Park and Preserve. If you like bears, this is the land of the bears. It is one of Alaska's most unforgettable wildlife destinations, and the famous image, a brown bear standing in rushing water catching a salmon, that happens to be here at Brooks Falls. So if you're thinking bears and you're thinking salmon and you remember that picture, it's at Katmai National Park and Preserve. Now, some of the points of interest here are Brooks Falls, which we just talked about with the salmon, brown bear viewing, and they have a lot of them, volcano landscapes, yes, volcano landscapes, and remote Alaska wilderness Alaska does have a lot of wilderness, so don't think it's all big cities and snow Now how do you get there? It is not a drive up park, by no means. Most visitors visit from Anchorage by a small aircraft or float plane. This really is adventure travel, so you have to plan ahead. It's very, very essential. But if this is what you're looking for, you really do owe it to yourself to make the trip

Glacier Bay Where Ice Meets Ocean

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Now, if Alaska is on your travel list, remember these three things. Number one, distance matters. Alaska is enormous. A map does not show the true scale. It is big. It really, really is. Number two, summer is prime travel season, which I've already pointed out. So June through August usually provides the best access and longer daylight hours. Because after that, it's going to be cold, snowy, and wet Number three, you have to build flexibility into your itinerary. Why? Well, like I just said, weather can change plans quickly. So you have to be a little bit more flexible, particularly if you're gonna be taking a, a float plane or a seaplane and you're gonna be jumping from one place to the other. If weather is permitting, you'll be able to go up. If weather is not permitting, you're gonna have to be a little more flexible. Alaska rewards travelers who slow down. Keep that in mind. So what'd you think of Alaska? I know I wanna go so badly. I am probably going to be doing an Alaskan cruise and then building some of these expeditions into my cruise So now I promised you Hawaii as well. So now we're gonna zip across the Pacific, and we're gonna go to Hawaii National Parks. This too is on my bucket list I've been to a lot of states out of all of our states. Hawaii and Alaska are still on my list Now in Hawaii, of course, what are they known for? Volcanoes.

Katmai Bears At Brooks Falls

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Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and they... I love this part. I really do. It says, "Where Earth creates itself." I personally am a little afraid of volcanoes, but as we leave the Alaskan glaciers behind, and we fly across the Pacific, on the Big Island, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park can take us into the living story of our planet. Here on the Big Island, you're gonna experience volcano landscapes, lava fields, steam vents, along with rainforests and crater views. Yeah. It really can show you how our planet was made. How do you get there? Well, you can fly into Hilo or Kailua-Kona, and from Hilo, the park is approximately 30 miles away. From Kona, it's a longer drive across the island A rental car really is strongly recommended because the park covers a very large area Now a perfect day in the park. Hmm. Let's see, a perfect day. Morning rainforest walks, followed by an afternoon scenic drive, and then an evening of exploring volcanic landscapes under the stars. What do you think of that? Kinda nice Now, I do apologize to Hawaii because I have a hard time saying the names of their places. So Haleakalā, Haleakalā National Park. I am going to spell it in case you are looking for it on a map. H-A-L-E-A-K-A-L-A

Three Alaska Tips For Smooth Travel

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Actually, it's supposed to be Haleakalā National Park. Now, they say that this park is above the clouds. Hmm, above the clouds Our final national park stop is on Maui Now, the name of this park means House of the Sun. Even though I mispronounced it, I like the translation. House of the Sun. And it's standing above the clouds at sunrise, and you can understand why some of the highlights here are sunrise summit views, volcanic craters, very rare Hawaiian plants, scenic mountain roads, coastal wilderness of Kipahulu, and getting there Most visitors do fly into Kalui. The summit entrance is about 28 miles from the airport. The drive includes mountain roads and switchbacks, so allow for plenty of time. A sunrise visit requires advanced planning because you have to make reservations. They're often required. So knowing all of this, I've only hit two national parks in Hawaii And like I said, I'm only hitting on a few of all of the national parks in our United States They're amazing parks. Make plans to attend them, to go see them. If you can only do short trips, think where you live, think which parks are nearby But it's well worth the trip So from glaciers of Alaska to the volcanoes of Hawaii, these national parks remind

Hawaii Volcanoes And Haleakalā Sunrise

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us that America is still a place of wonder. Denali teaches us about the wilderness. Kenai Fjords teach us about the power of ice and ocean. Katmai shows us wildlife in its purest form. And of course, the Hawaiian volcanoes remind us that the earth is always changing. Haleakalā. And Haleakalā reminds us that sometimes the greatest views come when we climb above the clouds And you know what? This is really why we travel. Not just to see places, but to experience the stories. To bring experiences to your life I'm Zee Michaelson, and this has been Rediscovering America. So until our next adventure, keep exploring. And like I always say, shoot for those stars, and if you only

Final Takeaway And Listener Share

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get to the moon, at least you made the trip. Thanks for listening today, and please feel free to share my podcast with your friends and family. Have a great adventure