Have you ever dreamed of standing in a place where the mountains scrape the sky, bears roam freely, and the night sky glows with dancing lights? If so, Alaska might be calling your name. Alaska is a place that feels like a giant adventure waiting to happen. It is the largest state in the United States. It is so big that you could fit many other states inside it. Just think of it, the state of Rhode Island could fit in it 425 times! Alaska’s huge size makes it feel wild and mysterious, like nature is telling its own story.

Alaska wasn’t always part of the U. S. It was bought from Russia for $7.2 million, and it didn’t become a state until 1959. Can you imagine paying 7.2 million dollars for that much land? Today some people pay that much for a house. Gold was soon discovered and people rushed to the north to get rich.

The animals of Alaska are some of the most exciting in the world. Huge brown bears, moose and caribou travel across the state. In the ocean, whales leap from the water, and seals rest on floating ice. Polar bears wander the ice fields looking for the seals in a quest to find food. Seeing these animals in the wild is like a living nature movie but the movie doesn’t end with the animals. If you listen carefully you might hear the cracking and popping sounds that glaciers make as they move toward the sea. If you want to climb the highest mountain in North America, head to Denali National Park where the mountain the park is named after, stands 20,310 feet above sea level. Or, if you are really adventurous you might want to try out Alaska’s official sport, dog sledding, which is called mushing by the native Alaskans.

Alaska’s seasons are very different from most places in the United States. Part of this state is in the Arctic circle and it is closer to the North Pole than any other state. In the summer, parts of Alaska have very long days. In the far north, the sun does not set at all for weeks. During the Winter it is cold, snowy, and dark. You may not see the sun for weeks and the temperature can get as low as -80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Did you know that Alaska was attacked during World War II? In 1942, Japanese forces bombed Dutch Harbor killing 43 Americans. They took over and controlled two Alaskan islands, Kiska and Attu.  Every single resident on the island of Attu was taken to Japan and held in prisoner of war camps. The Japanese were on the islands for about a year before Canadian and U.S forces took back the land and chased the invaders back into the Pacific Ocean. It was not until August of 1945 that the Attu captives were released.