user: What is some advice for planning an Alaskan vacation?

assistant: First, you need to determine what are your goals for visiting Alaska. Do you enjoy summer activities or winter activities? Do you want to see the Northern Lights or would you rather vacation under the Midnight Sun? Once you have decided when to go, you can build your itinerary around these desired activities. It's important to note that if you want to work within a budget, it's more expensive during the summer. Plane tickets, hotels, and car rentals will be pricey and oftentimes harder to reserve. On the other hand, it will be cheaper to visit Alaska in the winter, as you will have more hotel options available to you, but fewer flight options, and you will need to have winter driving experience if you rent a car.

In the summertime, you will get to experience the state in full bloom -- pun intended. Because Alaska gets more direct sunlight during this time of year, everything grows big and fast. The best months for a summertime visit are late May, June, and July. The further north you go, the more sunlight you will have, with 24 hours of full sun in Utqiagvik (formerly known as Barrow). There are plenty of places to go hiking, fishing, camping, and hunting. Don't forget to bring bug spray, as the mosquitoes are huge and plentiful; you'll also likely encounter "no-see-ums" which are tiny biting midges that can swarm you. In Anchorage, the biggest city, you can rent a bicycle to ride the hundreds of miles of trails within the municipality. Keep in mind that despite the extra sun exposure, you'll likely encounter cold and rainy weather, so bring a rain jacket.

In the wintertime, you will have the opportunity to see the Northern Lights. The further north you are, the chances are higher that you will see them. When it's very cold and clear out, and if you're away from city light pollution, you're almost guaranteed to see a beautiful display in the night sky. While you might not have much success camping or fishing, you can still do other activities like skiing and snowboarding at the world-famous Alyeska resort, ice skating on many public-use ponds and lakes, and perhaps catch the ceremonial start of the Iditarod dog race in February. Don't forget to bring lots of warm clothes and to layer up from head-to-toe. Average December temperatures across Alaska vary from a low of 27F in Juneau to -20F in Tok, but it isn't unusual for temperatures to drop much, much further.

Many people don't realize that Alaska is a very, very big state. Don't try to cram too many activities into a short amount of time and give yourself plenty of time to travel to your intended destinations. There most reliable transportation is either a car or plane; there is not a well-developed rail system nor other public transport system. Some car rental company won't let you drive to certain areas because of inherent highway dangers, such as unpaved, gravel roads, isolation, and animal dangers. You'll encounter delays on roads in the summer due to road construction and delays in the winter due to accidents, ice, and blizzards.

No matter what time of year you go, there will be plenty to see and do in Alaska. Just remember to plan ahead, budget accordingly, dress appropriately for the weather, and build some flexibility into your itinerary to accommodate for delays or unexpected changes.