Moorten Botanical Garden showcases over 3,000 plant species collected from deserts across the globe, all thriving on the historic Moorten family estate. The garden is filled with intriguing varieties of cacti, succulents, ancient fossils, and striking mineral specimens. A guided tour is well worth it—led by one of the Moortens or a seasoned guide, you’ll get a closer look at rare plants and stories of the garden’s evolution.

Just 30 minutes from Anchorage, the trail to Thunderbird Falls winds through a quiet forest before ending at a 200-foot waterfall. It’s an easy walk—about a mile each way—with a wooden viewing deck overlooking the falls. There’s also a steep little detour if you want to get down to the base and see it up close. Once the temperature drops, Thunderbird Falls becomes something else entirely—still, sharp, and frozen in place like glass.

In the middle of the Øresund strait, right between Sweden and Denmark, lies the idyllic island of Ven. The astronomer Tycho Brahe was gifted the whole island by King Fredrik II after he discovered a new star in the Cassiopeia constellation. Here he constructed one of the most interesting buildings of the time: the Uraniborg castle, a subterranean observatory called Stjerneborg and a renaissance garden. The New Church of Ven has now been turned into a museum, the garden has been renovated, and in the observatory you can watch a light and sound show. The light in Ven is said to have a unique quality, which has attracted many an artist and ceramist to the island. Take a tour among the studios and workshops, and meet with sculptors and silversmiths along the way. Ven is a small island, and the best way to get around is by bike, which you can easily rent when you get off the ferry.