Alaska can make you feel small in the best possible way and not because it’s scary, but because the scale rewires your sense of distance, weather, and “normal.” We sit down with the longtime travel blogger behind Otts World, who’s spent 20 years turning real-world travel stories into practical guidance and small-group adventures. Along the way, we even detour into kitten fostering as the perfect “pet life” for someone who’s constantly on the move.

Then we get into the Alaska travel questions everyone actually has: Where should you base yourself? When is the best time to go to Alaska for fewer crowds? Why do some towns feel like islands even when they’re not? We talk Anchorage as a gateway, Seward as a water-and-wildlife jumping-off point, and why the Alaska Railroad deserves at least a full day on your itinerary.

If you’re dreaming of winter Alaska, Fairbanks takes center stage for aurora borealis viewing, with better odds thanks to landlocked skies and its position under the Aurora oval. We also explore trips across the Arctic Circle, the Dalton Highway experience, Coldfoot, and the engineering story of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. And because you can’t talk about Alaska without ice, we break down unforgettable glacier options like Spencer Glacier and Matanuska Glacier, including guided hiking, kayaking, and winter conditions that can open up ice tunnels, plus what’s changing as glaciers recede.

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You can find Sherry here:

OttsWorld Travel Blog

Instagram

Sherry's Tours

Sherry's Consulting Page

Here are some of the things we spoke about regarding Alaska and Antarctica:

24 Things to Do in Anchorage in Winter or Summer

29 Things to Do in Fairbanks Alaska Summer and Winter

Antarctica Cruise Motion Sickness: Remedies to Help Survive the Drake Passage

How to Travel to Antarctica: The Ultimate Guide

New Zealand Subantarctic Islands: How to Visit the Snares, Auckland, Campbell and Macquarie

Travels with my Father

Map of Alaska

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Carol Springer: https://www.instagram.com/carol.work.life
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