Straying into the frigid waters of the Cook Inlet, the Kenai Peninsula is an adventure all its own, a stirring wilderness of forests and icefields, where rivers wind unhurried for miles, finally meeting the sea in epic, orca-patrolled fjords. Weeks could be spent exploring this serene landscape alone: halibut fishing or rafting, perhaps, taking to the air on a ‘flightseeing’ trip, or striding out on one of its many walking routes and taking it all in on foot.   

Historic roadhouses, old-school inns and a smattering of quaint local stores: Talkeetna is a warm, sweet embrace in the depths of wilderness. The ever-present siren call of Denali National Park to the north is difficult to resist, but so too are the charms of this riverside town, where seasoned mountaineers prop up the bars and the waft of cinnamon rolls mingles with the scent of birch.