ALASKA

The Last Frontier

 

Many Americans visit Alaska, our 49^th state.   It is a huge state – in area, more than two times that of the state of Texas.  Population-wise, it ranks number 47 of the 50 states, but, in population density, it ranks number 50.  Approximately half of Alaska’s residents live within the metropolitan area of Anchorage.  For these reasons, Alaska is also known by the native Aleut name of “Alyeska,”  meaning ”great land.”  We are drawn to this land for a variety of reasons.  Primarily, visitors go to see the scenery.  Denali National Park, Alaska’s most famous park, is home to Mt. McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America.  It rises to a height of 20,320 feet, spectacularly taller than anything nearby.  More than 155 species of birds and 37 species of mammals inhabit the park.  As an interesting twist of nature, Mt. McKinley sometimes disappears!  It is so tall that it creates its own weather patterns which swirl around it, often obscuring it from view.  A sure way to see this giant mountain is by air.  Both helicopters and fixed wing planes are available for this type of excursion.

 

Most travelers to Alaska will see it in two ways: by land and by water, namely the Inside Passage.  Denali National Park lies between and to the west of Alaska’s two largest cities; Anchorage and Fairbanks.  Trains and coaches ferry passengers to and from the park.  Once inside the park, the road is restricted to tour and shuttle-bus traffic.  As Alaska is our largest state, so Denali is our largest park.  At 9,419 square miles, it is approximately the size of the state of Massachusetts so, although you may hike the roads and pathways, you will see very little of the park itself.  The best way to see more deeply into the interior of the park is to take one of the one-day bus tours.

 

Alaska has nearly 34,000 miles of tidal shoreline.  It has a longer coastline than all other US states combined.  More volcanoes are to be found here than in any other state. The Aleutian Islands alone sport several active volcanoes.  Mount Shisbaldin, rising 10,000 feet in the air, has the most perfect volcano cone on Earth.   The state is also known for its tides.  One of the world’s largest tides occurs in Turnagain Arm, near Anchorage.  Here, tidal differences can be more than 35 feet.

 

Fairbanks, as the second largest city, is called the gateway to the Arctic.  It lies on an apparently endless plain, on the forested floor of the Tanana Valley, 125 miles south of the Arctic Circle.  It is truly a frontier; it will take you back fifty or more years in time.  The city's most obvious geographical feature is the Chena River which winds through the city.  If you should find yourself in Fairbanks in the winter months, you will witness a bit of nature’s majesty in the aurora borealis, or northern lights.  This is a multi-colored display that illuminates the sky for hours.  Summer in Fairbanks is known as the land of the midnight sun because the sun is visible even at midnight, whereas, in winter, there are only four hours of daylight.

 

One popular tourist spot in Fairbanks is known as “Gold Dredge Number 8.”  It reminds one of a gigantic backhoe, so large that you can walk inside it.  Between the years 1928 and 1959, this dredge scooped up 7 million ounces of gold!  Another popular spot is the El Dorado Gold Mine where panning for gold is certain to get you a little of the precious metal.

 

Not to be missed is the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, just north of the city.  The visitor’s center is a good place to learn about the workings and maintenance of the pipeline.

 

Back on the Chena River, one can tour aboard the Sternwheeler Discovery.  It will make a stop at an authentic Alaskan Native village and, often at the home of Susan Butcher, the first woman to win the Iditarod three times.

 

The famed Inside Passage is seen by most visitors to Alaska.  It stretches for more than 1,000 miles along the coast of southeast Alaska and is the only link (other than by air) to the capital city of Juneau. (You will marvel at Mendenhall Glacier, right next to the city.)   Juneau is the only US state capital which borders a foreign country.  For the adventuresome, a helicopter ride will take you to the top of the glacier where you can walk on the blue ice.  More than 30 cruise ships ply these inland waters annually, stopping at such places as Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Sitka.  This is the Alaska often seen in photographs.  Rugged coastlines, misty mountains, glaciers, fjords, and islands charm the visitor, while eagles, seals, whales, moose, bears, and other animals add to the scenery,  One of the highlights is Glacier Bay which is in Glacier Bay National Park.  No ships or boats can get closer to the glaciers than ¼ mile.  When the glaciers calve, or break away, the force could sink a ship.

 

A historic narrow-gauge railroad, called the White Pass and Yukon Railroad, transports visitors from Skagway to Whitehorse, in the Yukon region of Canada.  The scenery here is breathtaking, but becomes even more inspiring when you learn that this pass was cut by hand by the 1890’s gold miners, many of whom lost their lives in the process.  In the short distance, you will climb above the tree line and get expansive views of the northern tip of the Inside Passage.  Back in Skagway, take in the flavor of gold rush days at the local dance halls, where 1890’s costumed girls kick up their legs in restored saloons, and learn about Soapy Smith in the play, Days of ’98.

 

The Russian influence is everywhere on the Inside Passage, but most obviously so in the town of Sitka.  This was the Russian capital before Alaska was purchased by Seward in 1867, and served as the capital of Alaska until 1906.  The Russians sold the land for only 7.2 million dollars.  It is also the ancestral home of the Native American Tlingit tribe.  Sitka has something especially for the younger set: the Alaska Raptor Center.  Like Juneau, Sitka is accessible only by air or by sea.  Look for magnificent scenery, hundreds of varieties of trees, and the snowcapped Mount Edgecumbe volcano, now dormant.  Sitka’s other claim to fame is that it is the largest city, in terms of area, in the United States.  It covers 4,811 square miles, about 40% of which is water.  Noteworthy to see are St. Michael’s Cathedral, the Russian Bishop’s house, and the Fortress of the Bear where orphaned bear cubs are nursed back to health.

 

While cruising the Inside Passage, expect the same kinds of entertainment as would be on other cruise ships.   There will be a Captain’s dinner and, if you choose to take advantage of that, it will be a dressy evening.  The only other dressy (but less so) evening is for the Captain’s farewell cocktail party.  The other evenings will be resort casual or casual.  This means no jeans or shorts in the dining room for dinner.  While on land, everything is casual.  Be sure to take clothing that layers well.  The temperatures in Fairbanks may hit 80 degrees in the summer months, but it will be much colder in Denali National Park.  Be aware also that Skagway is one of the world’s rainiest cities, so be prepared.  Then return home, with wonderful memories of the land, the people, and the abundance of animals living freely in the wild! 

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