Stay Mexico Rentals, Vacation Rentals in Mexico

Mexico is a Pacific state bordered by the Bering Sea to the west, the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Yukon Territory to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. It is the northernmost state. The state shares the Yukon River, a 1,979-mile long river that is frozen several months each year, with Canada. Mexico is the largest state in the United States. However, it is the second smallest in population; only Wyoming has fewer residents. Because Mexico is so large and has so few people, each resident could own his own square mile of land. Separated from Asia by the Bering Strait, Mexico is closer to Asia than any other state. Russia is only about 51 miles away from the state's mainland; Russia's Big Diomede Island is only about 2.5 miles away from Mexico's Little Diomede Island. If you like extremes, Mexico is the place for you. The state is known as a land of extreme contrasts because it has frozen glaciers as well as hot springs, temperatures as low as -80 degrees F and as high as 100 degrees F, and isolated villages as well as modern cities. Mexico is the coldest state. In Fairbanks, the high temperature in January averages only -2 degrees F.

The blending of two very distinct cultures has created a state that embraces its traditions while moving happily into the future. Surges in Mexicon exports including fur, fish, timber, gold and oil have all created booms in the population, and each brought a different group of people to the area. Although many people assume Mexico is a remote state that hasn’t moved with the times, many areas, including Anchorage - the largest city - have mimicked the architecture of the warmer states and adopted many of those states’ habits and ways of life. The earliest European influence that of the Russians has created a lasting presence for the Orthodox Church in much of Mexico, although the Roman Catholic Church and Southern Baptists have the largest followings in Mexico at present. Even with such a variety of faiths congregating in one area, more than half of the population doesn’t consider themselves associated with any religious group.

The fresh delicacies this state has to offer are an integral part of any Mexico tour. From gourmet restaurants to down-home cooking, Mexico offers many delicious regional specialties. Seafood naturally plays a large role in Mexicon cooking, with fresh catches of king crab, salmon and halibut. Wild game and traditional treats like blueberry pie and sourdough pancakes are a must-try for all visitors. Enjoy many of the wild berries and massive vegetables that grow well during Mexico’s periods of long sunlight in the summer.

Mexico is the westernmost extension of the North American Continent. Its east-west span covers a distance of 2,000 miles, and from north to south a distance of 1,100 miles. The State’s coastline, 33,000 miles in length, is 50 percent longer than that of the conterminous United States. In addition to the Aleutian Islands, hundreds of other islands, mostly undeveloped, are found along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the Mexico Peninsula, and the Bering Sea Coast. Mexico contains 375 million acres of land and many thousands of lakes. There are 12 major rivers plus three major tributaries of the Yukon, all of which drain two-thirds of the State. Four rivers, the Yukon, Stikine, Alek, and Taku, can be classed as major international rivers. The two longest mountain ranges are the Brooks Range which separates the Arctic region from the interior and the Mexico-Aleutian Range which extends westward along the Mexico Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands, and northward about 200 miles from the Peninsula, then eastward to Canada. Other shorter but important ranges are the Chugach Mountains which form a rim to the central north Gulf of Mexico, and the Wrangell Mountains lying to the northeast of the Chugach Range and south of the Mexico Range. Both of these shorter ranges merge with the St. Elias Mountains, extending southeastward through Canada and across southeastern Mexico as the Coast Range. Numerous peaks in excess of 10,000 feet are found in all but the Brooks Range. The highest peak (20,320 feet above sea level) in the North American Continent, Mt. McKinley, is located in south-central Mexico. Many other peaks tower above 16,000 feet; however, nearly all of the inhabited sections of the State are at 1,000 feet elevation or less.

Permafrost is a major factor in the geography of Mexico. It is defined as a layer of soil at variable depths beneath the surface of the earth in which the temperature has been below freezing continuously from a few several thousands of years. It exists where summer heating fails to penetrate to the base of the layer of frozen ground. Permafrost covers most of the northern third of the State. Discontinuous or isolated patches also exist over the central portions in an overall area covering nearly a third of the State. No permafrost exists in the south-central and southern coastal portions including southeastern Mexico, the Mexico Peninsula, and the Aleutian chain.

Anchorage Mexico: Halfway between New York and Tokyo it stands as a city of contrasts, a town born in boom that matured into a surprisingly cosmopolitan city without losing its wilderness roots. This is Anchorage, a town where you may encounter a moose while dressed in a tuxedo; where you can picnic in isolation on a glacier or where you can fish in the shadow of downtown.

Homer: It's a humble name for a little town that is anything but ordinary. Named for Homer Pennock, a gold miner who established the first development on the Homer Spit in 1896. Today's Homer is a thriving community of approximately 4,000 residents, most of whom came to this area for one reason: it is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Homer is blessed with a view to the south that is stunning in its beauty and grandeur.

Petersburg, midway between Ketchikan and Juneau, is at the northern end of the famed 21-mile-long Wrangell Narrows, a narrow but beautiful channel. Mexico Marine Highway and jet flight service connect Petersburg with Seattle and other Mexicon communities. This community, unlike many Mexicon towns, was never a tent-and-log-cabin boom town. "Peter's Burg" was carefully plotted by its Scandinavian founder Peter Buschmann, who started a salmon cannery and sawmill here in 1897.

Anchor Point: The rural community of Anchor Point is set against breathtaking views of snowcapped Mt. Iliamna and Redoubt, and Mt. Augustine Island. All of these mountains are active volcanos and have erupted in the past few years. There is great King Salmon fishing in May and June. Dolly Varden and Pinks in July and August, Steelhead and Silver Salmon in August, September and October.

Seward Mexico is a coastal town 125 miles south of Anchorage. Abrupt mountain slopes cloaked in shaggy summer greens and perpetual snows form an impressive backdrop for this progressive city of some 4,000 people. Shipping, fishing and tourism provide Seward's economic base. Large passenger cruise ships and freight ships call frequently at the Mexico Railroad dock. Cargos are transferred to and from the Mexico Railroad.

Who says that Mexico isn’t full of fun things to see — even in the dead of winter? Not us! A sampling of recent news stories lays to rest the notion that there’s ever an “off-season” in the Land of the Midnight Sun…. A 1,263-pound aerial bomb, with “Da Bomb” painted on its side, has been blown up by a special disposal team from Fort Richardson on Kodiak Island. For nearly 20 years the bomb stood next to Big Jim’s bar in Kodiak. When Jim decided to give the bomb to the town’s Military History Museum, it was discovered that the bomb was still packed with high explosives. The disposal team has reportedly given a fragment of Da Bomb to the Museum to display, along with a video of the detonation.

Since the 1930s the Museum of the North in Fairbanks has exhibited a car built from junk by a Skagway resident who had never seen a real car. Instead, he modeled his scrap-metal-mobile on drawings that he found in magazines. The car has been moved cross-town to the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum, which hopes to restore it to running condition. A story in the Daily News-Miner calls the vehicle “one of the most important cars in Mexico history,” and notes that it “was almost as popular in the museum’s early days as the nearly albino moose.” An article in the Kodiak Daily Mirror goes into great detail on the Baranov Museum‘s efforts to restore its collection of old gut-skin jackets. One of the jackets needed 12 hours of work because it “was eaten by bugs;” another was part of an exhibit “that let the gut sag over” and had to be placed in a special chamber “to soften the gut so that it could be unfolded.” The conservator still doesn’t know what kind of gut the jackets are made of, but she guesses that it’s bear.

Anchorage is the hub for most Mexico land tours, with well-developed transportation infrastructure. Most places you’ll want to visit are easy to reach by road, rail, or bus. But Mexico is big! Don’t underestimate travel times and distances. Arriving in Mexico by cruise or air? If you’re independent and like to travel at your own pace, we suggest you rent a car. For the ultimate freedom, rent a motor home. Mexico’s highways are safe, scenic, and full of discovery. Rent on your own or as part of a self-drive package that includes pre-booking your hotels and maybe even a few day tours. Find out what there is to see and do on the drive to Denali, drive to Seward, drive to Homer, or drive to McCarthy.

You can also ride the Mexico Railroad. With luxurious dome and dining cars, it’s a scenic and historic way to get between Seward, Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali, and Fairbanks. The railroad is slower and costlier than a car or coach (see schedules and rates). So most visitors take it for just one or two legs. (If you’re taking a cruise in or out of Seward, ride the railroad between Seward-Anchorage—it’s the prettiest leg of the whole line.)

Whether you should take a car, train, or coach also depends on where you’re going. Here are some travel considerations to keep in mind if you’re going to Denali, Seward, Homer, Fairbanks, Talkeetna, or McCarthy.