Travel and Photo Tips
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Alaska
Mt. McKinley - these photos were taken from a reflection pond near Wonder Lake. The mountain is usually enshrouded in clouds and, from base to peak, is the tallest mountain in the world (there are many other higher altitude ones like Everest but they're not as big from base to peak or as massive as McKinley). The mountain was called Denali by the local tribes in the area and that's the name of the national park that it's in. The incredible mass generates it's own weather system and is usually covered about 27 days of any month. I was fortunate to see it come out around 11 PM and stay cloud free all night and some of the morning.
When I camped there in June, it was more like Mosquitoe rather than Wonder Lake. One thing about Alaska mosquitoes though, while they're big and there are zillions of them, they're not very fast or remotely as aggressive as the ones in the lower 48. The welts from their stings disappear pretty quickly and if you have a headnet and protective coating, you can stroll about nicely.
Alaska is impractical to tour in one vacation of a couple of weeks. The most scenic part of the state is probably the Southwest on the Kenai Peinisula. That's where the Kenai Fjords National Park is as well as the small city of Homer located on the end of a narrow strip of land butting out into Kachemak Bay. The drive down to the Kenai Peinsula from Anchorage, where you'll most likely fly into, is one of the most photogenic routes I've been on. You must go on a boat tour into Resurrection Bay in Seward. That's where I got the whale photo as well the otter. You can also see dolphins running alongside the boat , sea lions, puffins, and numerous glaciers calving into the bay. Seward also has great shopping (to keep some of us happy) and good, if expensive, restaurants.
The next place after the Southwest is Denali National Park where you can take shuttle buses as deep as 70 miles into the park and return the same day. The buses will stop at any signs of wildlife and linger long enough for everyone who wants to to get a decent photo of the local animal life. This could mean anything from grizzlies (like the ones on this page), wolves, caribou, big horn sheep, etc. If you're adventurous, consider camping at one of the park campsites. There are even outfitters near the park that will rent you camping gear for a nominal amount. You can even reserve campsites online.
Of course, there's the Southeast (which I haven't been to yet) which is what most people associate with Alaska. That's the gold rush country and Glacier Bay boat cruises.