Fly into Anchorage and head north for approximately 41 miles on the Glenn Highway. You'll arrive at the suburban community of Wasilla, where Palin's family moved when she was a young girl (she was born in Sandpoint, Idaho)-and where she would later serve as mayor.
Consider staying at the Gatehouse Bed and Breakfast, on the banks of Wasilla Lake, with plenty of wildlife-watching opportunities abounding. The Best Western Lake Lucille Inn is another solid choice, with many rooms offering lake-view balconies-and some excellent hiking and biking paths nearby.
While in Wasilla proper, Palin fans can check out the City Hall where Palin served as town mayor or visit the high school she attended and played basketball. Otherwise, "progress" has brought a slew of strip malls and other development to the town in recent years, and it doesn't have a whole lot to offer vacationers.
Your best bet then is exploring the surrounding realms of the Mat-Su Valley (essentially the combined Matanuska and Susitna Valleys). This is where you'll discover more quintessentially Alaskan scenery and activities, so make sure to bring plenty of film for the dramatic panoramas.
Among these attractions, don't miss the Matanuska Glacier, Alaska's most massive drive-up glacier. At almost 25 miles long and about four miles across, the glacier has a private park where you can access paths for exploring on your own-or take a guided trek.
Other outdoor adventures can include a dog sled ride at Iditarod headquarters or splashing down the Matunaska River on a whitewater rafting excursion through Class III and IV rapids. NOVA is a longtime outfitter of the latter, and options include everything from short and mild floats to two-day escapes sampling all kinds of rapids.
The history of the region is seen in all of its glory at the Independence Mine State Historical Park, where you grab a pan at the small visitors center and see if you can find any gold flecks in the river. Nestled in the upper realms of the Talkeetna Mountains, the views here are astounding-and some intriguing old structures add to the fun.
Even if you're not planning to scale the sky-high Mt. Denali that towers over it, Talkeetna is a tiny town that will transport you back to the state's pioneer days. Unpaved streets, old log homes and a couple of old-timey watering holes-The West Rib Café and Pub is a good one-make it a fun village to wile away an afternoon or evening.
