The gift-giving season is upon us, and John Hall’s Alaska is aiming to make the holidays even brighter for those who dream of visiting Alaska in 2018.

With the recently updated version of its classic “Denali Explorer” tour and the addition of a second “Iditarod & Aurora Adventure” departure this winter, travelers now have a multitude of options for experiencing the best of Alaska at a discounted rate.

If travel to the Last Frontier doesn’t fit into your 2018 plans, spread the spirit of the 49th state with friends and loved ones with John Hall’s Alaska’s annual holiday gift guide.

– Megan O’Malley, The Alaska 100

Visitors to Alaska often have a lot of questions about the Last Frontier, wanting to know what it looks like and what they can see during their vacation.

There are actually a number of resources available to see what’s happening in Alaska right at this moment. For example, the Nome Convention and Visitors Bureau website has a live camera showing the town of Nome. If wildlife is on the mind, watch The Alaska Zoo’s polar bear camera or the famous brown bears of Katmai National Park.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game website also lists other live cameras available.

– Ashleigh Ebert, The Alaska 100

Passengers on the Alaska Railroad can enjoy more opportunities to celebrate the holiday season aboard the Aurora Winter Train as the Alaska Railroad continues to increase its winter service between Anchorage and Fairbanks to six days in the last week of December.

In addition, the Alaska Railroad will be launching its new Denali in a Day trip. Passengers will take a guided, scenic drive on the Parks Highway from Fairbanks to visit Denali National Park. There, they can spend the day snowshoeing and exploring before they climb aboard the train back to Fairbanks.

Tickets are available at www.AlaskaRailroad.com.

– Meghan Clemens, Alaska Railroad