When you hear Alaska, you immediately think of salmon and the Bering Sea king crab from Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch…at least that’s what I think of.  Since visiting, my perception has not changed, but it hasn’t broaden a bit.  My first advice to anyone traveling is alway this, don’t be afraid to try something new.  While I will admit that I went into this trip wanting to eat my weight in crab (which I think I accomplished), I did stray a few times and enjoyed something unexpected.  I learned that Alaskan salmon is far superior to anywhere else, halibut cheeks are the most delicious tasting fish dish and caribou is quite good (despite thinking of Santa’s reindeer as I ate it).  The other thing I learned is that while visiting places like Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway which can be very touristy, don’t stop at the places that everyone tells you is famous…go to the the places that should be famous!  There is nothing like seeing a shack at the end of a dock and watching two men with fresh king crab legs steaming to order.  Trust me when I say it is worth sitting at a picnic table in the cold rain to eat this!  Another tidbit I took from this trip, you don’t always have to eat the food local to the area.  When traveling to inland Alaska and Denali National Park, you may just stumble into a pizza joint off the side of the road and enjoy a slice here more so than in a big city.