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In this July Alaska Travel News Bulletin you will find:
Social Media Spotlight


The Brooks Falls bear cam is back! Look on as bears interact in their natural Alaska habitat. While July is the best time to watch bears fish at Brooks Falls, they are also viewed mid-spring to mid-fall.
1. Visit Alaska’s wildlife centers in Southcentral Alaska

Alaska’s wildlife viewing opportunities are endless but visitors do not have to venture far to find them. While there are extensive wildlife tours throughout the state, there are also many rehabilitative centers for orphaned or injured animals. These centers give back to the animal community and also allow guests to view Alaska’s animals in close proximity. For travelers visiting Southcentral Alaska, there are two centers easily accessible from Anchorage. The Alaska SeaLife Center located in Seward, a two-hour drive from Anchorage, is a private, non-profit research institution and visitor attraction that rehabilitates Alaska sea mammals and birds. The center is home to Steller sea lions, seals, puffins and more but also features rotating exhibits. This summer guests will have the opportunity to experience the Summer of Sharks, a brand new exhibit that focuses on a prehistoric, whorl-toothed shark called Helicoprion, also known as the buzz saw shark. The buzz saw shark exhibit even boasts an Alaska tie: nearly 30 years ago, a rare rock containing a pre-historic shark’s 360-degree spiral teeth imprint was discovered in Alaska and after many years in the Smithsonian Institute’s archives, the fossil has been returned to Alaska and will be on display in the Alaska SeaLife Center’s exhibit throughout the summer months. The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, located just 49 miles outside of Anchorage, provides care for injured and orphaned wildlife. The center is a year-round home to moose, bear, elk, wood bison, eagles, musk ox and more. Visitors to the center this summer will also have the chance to see the youngest members at the center, including four wood bison, two musk ox calves and two moose calves. The staff works diligently to rear the young orphaned animals and will integrate them into the exhibits throughout the summer as they get older. Other opportunities for visitors to the center include daily narrated tours, experience a variety of resident animals being fed and even a behind-the-scenes tour to learn about the inner workings of AWCC.

Media Contacts:
Contact: Laurie Morrow, Alaska SeaLife Center
Phone: (907) 224-6334
Email: lauriem@alaskasealife.org
Facebook: Alaska SeaLife Center
Twitter: @AlaskaSeaLife
URL: www.alaskasealife.org
 
Contact: Scott Michaelis, Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Phone: (952) 836-7719
Email: scott@alaskawildlife.org
Facebook: Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Twitter: @akwildlife
URL: http://www.alaskawildlife.org
 
Photo: Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
2. Experience Alyeska Resort’s mountain terrain during the summer months

Alyeska Resort is the largest ski resort in Alaska, a haven for snowboarders and skiers during the winter months. The resort stays buzzing during the summer season with guests enjoying quality accommodations, award winning cuisine, hiking trails, tram rides and now the Alyeska bike park. The bike park, open Friday-Sunday from July 19 – Sept. 7, allows visitors to experience Alyeska’s mountain terrain during the off-season. Mountain bikes, helmets and pads are available to rent at the resort for ages 10 years and older. There are several different trail options that vary in level of difficulty, making the bike park an activity that families can experience together. The mix of trails include top-to-bottom access of the mountain, trails with road elements, single-track trails and man-made features. Guests can also load their bikes onto specified chair lifts including Bear Cub Quad, Ted’s Express and Glacier Bowl Express for direct access to the various downhill trails. Alyeska is also offering mountain bike lessons. The lessons range from beginner level to intermediate. Guided tours of the bike park are also available.

Media Contact:
Contact: Ben Napolitano, Alyeska Resort
Phone: (907) 754-2530
Email: bnapolitano@alyeskaresort.com
Facebook: AlyeskaResort
Twitter: @resortalyeska
Instagram: @resortalyeska
URL: www.alyeskaresort.com
 
Photo credit: Alyeska Resort
3. Festivals across the state under Alaska’s midnight sun

Alaska’s extended daylight hours during the summer months provide the perfect setting for festivals throughout the state. The Fairbanks Summer Art Festival, now in its 35th year, is held every July in the “Golden Heart City.” The two-week festival, named in the top 100 events by American Bus Assocation, begins on July 12 and encourages participants to awaken their inner artist. In addition to the variety of events offered, the festival also provides workshops ranging from two hours to two weeks long across a multitude of artistic disciplines. Examples of workshops include sushi classes, piano master classes, glass fusion art classes, food and wine pairing workshops and much more. Travelers to Sitka July 30 – Aug. 1 can experience the 10th annual Homeskillet Music Festival. The outdoor festival brings in artists from all over the country of all different backgrounds and musical genres. Passes are sold for individual days but can be purchased as a package. Children under the age of 10 are free. Geared for family fun, Eagle River's Bear Paw Festival, slated for July 8-12, 2015, features a variety of wacky events including the Slippery Salmon Olympics and I-Did-A-Duck Rubber Ducky Race in addition to traditional fair-type elements such as a Classic Car Show, food vendors, carnival games and a community parade. Finally, head to Ketchikan for the 40th annual Blueberry Arts Festival held July 31 – Aug. 2. There are several different types of events for the whole family to enjoy including best blueberry dish contest, blueberry art exhibits, pie-eating contests, a totem pole raising ceremony, a blueberry boat race and more.

Media Contact:
Contact: Jennifer Thompson, Thompson & Co. PR
Email: jennifer@thompsonpr.com
Phone: (907) 561-4488
Facebook: Alaska Travel News

Twitter: @alaskatravlnews

Instagram: @travelalaska
URL: TravelAlaska.com
 
Photo credit: Visit Anchorage
4. Changing tides: a study of Alaska’s coastal brown bears

The National Park Service has launched a new program to better understand the link between Alaska’s coastal brown bears and intertidal invertebrates. This summer, a team of researchers from the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, Washington State University and the Alaska SeaLife Center will study the bears in the Katmai National Park & Preserve and the Lake Clark National Park & Preserve regions in an effort to document their environmental habits. Clams and other intertidal invertebrates are an important food source for coastal brown bears during the early foraging season before the summer and fall salmon runs. The goal of the study is to better understand what impact the changing ocean conditions will have in relation to these environments and the effects this will have on coastal brown bears dietary habits. Some of the bears that are being collared as part of this study will have collars that have built in video cameras. The footage will not only provide a unique view at Alaska bears in their natural habitat but will also give researchers direct insight into their adaptive behaviors.

Media Contact:
Contact: John Quinley, National Park Service Alaska
Email: John_quinley@nps.gov
Phone: (907) 644-3512
Facebook: Alaska National Parks
Twitter: @AlaskaNPS
URL: www.nps.gov/state/ak
 
Photo credit: National Park Service Alaska
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