American officials quickly discovered a major snag in planning for the summit: summertime is peak tourist season in Alaska, and options both available and equipped to host the two world leaders were severely limited.

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson will serve as the backdrop for Trump to welcome the Russian leader to American soil for the first time in a decade. The base sits on 85,000 acres of land that were included in the US purchase of Alaska from the Russians in 1867, and today houses more than 5,000 active military and civilian personnel.