Being the parent of a teen is challenging in many ways, from knowing when to hold them close to learning when to let go a little bit more each day. Traveling with teens can be an equal challenge. Not only are there different tastes, likes and dislikes, your teen can go from wanting to be right by your side to needing his/her space on a dime.
The key to traveling with teenagers is to make certain that their experience is their own. Rather than wanting them to see, feel and hear all that you do on your next adventure, allow them to interpret it on their own. What better way and what better location than to take a trip to Alaska with your teen. Alaska is authentic in its own right and has earned its name of the Last Frontier time and time again.
In Alaska, you can have experiences of bonding and connecting without having to say much at all. It is virtually impossible not to connect in the most natural, pristine environment that so much wildlife and exhilarating adventure calls home.
Here are some top must-do activities for you and your teen in Alaska this summer.
It Wouldn’t be Alaska if You Didn’t go Fishing
One of the first things you would need to do in order to define your fishing experience is to decide where and how you want to fish in Alaska. There are a few questions, but important ones, to ask:
- Do you want to charter a boat?
- Are you interested in fishing in a lake or a river?
- What type of fish would most float your boat – salmon, trout or halibut?
- Are you looking to rough it for the night and do something rustic?
- Or, do you want to ease your teen into fishing with a more luxurious accommodation?
- Ice fishing or fly fishing?
Once you have chosen your type of adventure and what kind of fish you would be fishing for, the rest is easy – just throw out the rod and feel your way through the experience. The Kenai Peninsula has to be one of the best spots to experience real fishing, Alaskan-style for your trip.
Denali National Park and Preserve
Denali National Park and Preserve truly is one of the best spots in Alaska for families. There is such a variety of discoveries to make and activities to take place in that it is virtually impossible to be at a loss for something to please everyone.
- Tent-camping or RV camping in the park is a great way to experience wildlife, nature and Alaska like nowhere else you can imagine
- Take a dog-sled demonstration and feel as though you are actually part of the Iditarod
- Hit the trails and take a hike
- Cycling through the park road will leave you and your teen feeling challenged. There are some steep downward hills and some blind curves to navigate, but with the ever-expanding hand-eye coordination teens gained from all that video game playing, they are bound to find it a challenge they can handle and a thrill to remember.
Teen Trips to Alaska
What better way to have your teen feel emancipated (at least for a little while) than to send him/her on a teen trip to Alaska. There are plenty of trip packages and tours that cater to youth when visiting Alaska.
Teenagers can experience a host of activities from backpacking in the Chugach Mountains where they learn necessary survival skills as they trek along through the wilderness to sea kayaking adventures with bald eagles overhead and beluga whales in the distance.
If you and your teen are even more adventurous, there are climbing tours and packages for your teens to partake in, as well. Imagine giving your teen the opportunity to explore the sport of ice-climbing with some introductory lessons combined with camping out at the base of a mountain with snow-capped mountains overhead as they bond with other teens.
Teen summer camps filled with mountain climbing, white water rafting and backpacking are just a few more items for your teen to experience on their Alaskan itinerary adventure.
So, if you thought Alaska was for the seasoned explore, think again as you open up to the idea that Alaska is for everyone. Your teen will have the experience of a lifetime and a tale or two to go along with it.
