On my first trip to Alaska, I avoided crowds and got fantastic recommendations from locals

• I explored Alaska in a converted school bus with my cousin instead of taking a cruise there. • A local invited us to a midnight bonfire, and rescued our plans when the weather canceled a tour. • We saw places typical tourists wouldn't know about, like hidden saunas and floating seafood shacks.

I'd always wanted to explore Alaska, but not from a cruise ship.

Although hundreds of thousands of people embark on Alaskan cruises each year, I wanted to connect with locals and see more than just popular port stops.

When my cousin moved to Anchorage, visiting him gave me the perfect excuse to do all of those things and explore the massive state on my own terms.

So, we spent a week in late June traveling through Alaska in his converted school bus, far from the tourist crowds.

The trip was