CNN Travel named Anchorage among the best places to travel for the summer of 2019, and TripAdvisor, one of the world’s largest travel sites, named Sitka one of ‘‘17 Beautiful Small Towns to Visit in the U.S.”
CNN travel wrote, “Summer days in general last longer, allowing more time to sample the city’s dozen or so craft beer breweries and emerging food scene (we’re looking at you, Muse).
“The Anchorage Museum added a new wing in 2017 that’s all about contemporary Native artwork, while Town Square Park plays host to free Thursday night concerts in summer.
“And though it’s a 40-minute flight from Anchorage, the remote Tordrillo Mountain Lodge is fresh off a multimillion-dollar renovation, and among its new offerings is the state’s first via ferrata, a climbing route that includes fixed anchors, like steel cables, to help climbers. This one, next to the Triumvirate glacier, also features two suspension bridges.”
In naming Sitka, TripAdvisor said: ‘‘Sitka might be one of the most beautiful small towns in the United States, but the surrounding landscape is unabashedly big. Hike or drive up to the top of the Harbor Mountain Trail to take in larger-than-life views of surrounding Baranof Island along the Alaska Panhandle. You can take a quick drive to nearby hiking trails, but you don’t even need to leave town to see wildlife at the Alaska Raptor Center. At the right time of year, you might catch sight of migrating whales on a whale-watching cruise.’’
