re: Paging RogertheShrubber about move to Alaska

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What's the shortest amount of time you would recommend for a trip? Alaska seem overwhelmingly big and I don't want to rush through anything in an effort to "see it all" (which I realize is nearly impossible in a lifetime, much less a short vacation)

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Alaska is kind of like California, only much much larger. It has different geographic regions which are very very different, as are the towns and the people that inhabit them. Anchorage is kind of like a mid size city anywhere, except a more frontiers feeling, mountains and relative nearness to wilderness.

Most of the State is off the road system, which limits most people to driving, or ferry. I'd spend a week or more alone in Southeast Alaska, a week on the Kenai/Prince William Sound, 2-3 days in Anchorage, and a couple of weeks in the interior (Denali, Wrangell St-Elias, Fairbanks)

Southeast Alaska is roughly the size of Florida, with only 70k residents half of whom live in the Juneau area. It has more coastline than BC or California, over a thousand islands, the densest bear population in the world, a couple of national parks, national monuments and a lot of wilderness.

3-4 weeks you could touch on much of the State that's connected to road or ferry systems. Any shorter time, just pick one area and focus on it.