Sunshine in Alaska. It’s a pretty common occurrence in the summer, that’s for sure. With all this ‘Midnight Sun’ some wonder how locals adjust to the never ending light. Well, other than spending as much time awake as humanly possible, locals also have a few tips and tricks to help with the seasonal daylight that may cause some distress on your Dream Alaskan Vacation.
Have you ever driven through an Alaskan neighborhood and seen a distinctly metallic window in a house? You can bet it’s summer. We use tinfoil, no joke, to keep the sun and heat out. It works wonderfully, but it’s a pain if you want to see the beautiful weather from your window. Typically this method is used in nurseries and kids rooms where looking outside is not as necessary, or where heavy curtains can be dangerous.
For those of us who like to enjoy the sun in the day, but not after 9 at night, we have black-out curtains. The stores sell them for around $50 a panel, which I find outrageous, so typically some black burlap laid over the curtain rod is what I choose. Runs me about half the price.
If you’re RVing up here you know that the windows in those rolling hotel rooms tend to let in a lot of unwanted light. Best choice for that sort of situation is a combination of sleep mask and windshield visor. Be warned though; until you are accustomed to the sun at all hours of the night, if you have a schedule to keep don’t ever rely on how bright it is to tell the time. It will mislead you every time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve awoken in panic at 2 AM thinking it’s actually 9 AM and I’m late for work. Invest in an alarm clock, and trust it.
With these small hints your vacation in Alaska can be very enjoyable! Don’t forget the sunscreen and sunglasses!