Frommer's Alaska 2011

640 Pages·2011·10.61 MB·English

by  Charles P. Wohlforth

Alaska
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http://avaxhome.ws/blogs/ChrisRedfield
Alaska
2011
by Charles Wohlforth
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
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Published by:
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Wiley and the Wiley Publishing logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons,
Inc. and/or its affi liates. Frommer’s is a trademark or registered trademark of Arthur Frommer. Used
under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc.
is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
ISBN 978-0-470-63865-1 (paper); ISBN 978-0-470-93976-5 (ebk); ISBN 978-0-470-93977-2 (ebk);
ISBN 978-0-470-44258-6 (ebk)
Editor: Linda Barth
Production Editor: Katie Robinson
Cartographer: Guy Ruggiero
Photo Editor: Cherie Cincilla, Richard Fox, Alden Gewirtz
Design and Layout by Vertigo Design
Graphics and Prepress by Wiley Indianapolis Composition Services
Front cover photo: Ice Cave, Glacier National Park © Fred Hirschmann / Science Faction / Corbis.
Back cover photos: Left: Tufted puffi n © Blickwinkel / Frischknecht / Alamy Images. Middle: A small
lake in Portage Valley, Chugach National Forest © Michael DeYoung / Alaska Stock LLC / Alamy
Images. Right: Traditional Haida totem carving, Ketchikan © AlaskaStock / Corbis.
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CCOONNTTEENNTTSS
List of Maps vii
1
THE BEST OF ALASKA 
1
The Best Views 3 The Best Encounters with Native
The Best Alaska Cruises 6 Culture 13
The Best Glaciers 7 The Best Museums & Historic
Sites 14
The Most Beautiful Drives & Train
Rides 8 The Best Winter Destinations 15
The Best Fishing 10 The Strangest Community
Events 17
The Best Bear Viewing 11
The Best Hotels 17
The Best Marine Mammal
Viewing 12 The Best Websites 18
2
ALASKA IN DEPTH 
20
Alaska Today: What It Means to Be History: Scenes on an Oversize
Alaskan 22 Stage 45
Alaska’s Political Earthquake 30 THE IDITAROD 47
Natural History: Rough Drafts & Books, Film & TV 51
Erasures 34 Alaska Cuisine: Fresh Fish
Special 53
3
PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO ALASKA 
55
When to Go 56 ALASKA BY THE NUMBERS 70
ONLY-IN-ALASKA EVENTS 62 Escorted Tour or Do-It-Yourself? 72
ALASKA CALENDAR OF EVENTS 63 Planning an Outdoor Vacation 76
Money & Costs 65 A SALMON PRIMER 81
NATIVE ART: FINDING THE REAL THING 66 Entry Requirements 84
Getting There & Getting Travel & Rental-Car Insurance 86
Around 68 Health & Safety 88
4
SUGGESTED ALASKA ITINERARIES 
94
Southeast Alaska in 1 Week 96 A Week in Alaska with Kids 106
2 National Parks in 1 Week 99 A Week of Alaska Winter
A 2-Week Grand Loop 103 Sports 109
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5
CRUISING ALASKA’S COAST 
112
by Fran Wenograd Golden and Gene Sloan
Weighing Your Cruise Options 115 Booking Your Cruise 122
The Best Cruise Experiences in The Small-Ship Cruise Lines 127
Alaska 118 The Big-Ship Cruise Lines 130
6
SOUTHEAST ALASKA 
139
Exploring Southeast Alaska 142 FAST FACTS: JUNEAU 216
Ketchikan: On the Waterfront 150 WALKING TOUR: JUNEAU 220
FAST FACTS: KETCHIKAN 155 REMOTE CABINS ON FOOT 232
MAJESTIC MISTY FJORDS 162 A DAY TRIP TO TRACY ARM 234
Wrangell 169 QUICK BITES IN JUNEAU 243
FAST FACTS: WRANGELL 172 Glacier Bay National Park 244
Petersburg: Unvarnished Threshold Gustavus: Country Inns & Quiet 249
to the Outdoors 182 Haines: Eagles & the
FAST FACTS: PETERSBURG 184 Unexpected 254
Sitka: Rich Prize of Russian FAST FACTS: HAINES 257
Conquest 194 Skagway: After the Gold Rush 265
FAST FACTS: SITKA 198 THE GOLD RUSH IN CONTEXT 266
Juneau: Forest Capital 212 FAST FACTS: SKAGWAY 272
7
ANCHORAGE & ENVIRONS 
282
Essentials 287 Shopping 334
FAST FACTS: ANCHORAGE 293 Anchorage Nightlife 336
Where to Stay 294 Side Trips to Turnagain Arm &
Where to Dine 302 Portage Glacier 337
What to See & Do 309 TIDAL WAVE 340
Side Trips to Girdwood & Mount
WALKING TOUR: DOWNTOWN
ANCHORAGE 309 Alyeska 344
Getting Outside 324 Side Trip to the Matanuska &
Susitna Valleys 349
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8
THE KENAI PENINSULA & PRINCE
WILLIAM SOUND 
353
Exploring the Kenai Peninsula & Kenai, Soldotna & Sterling: Giant
Prince William Sound 355 Salmon 397
The Seward Highway: A Road FAST FACTS: KENAI & SOLDOTNA 398
Guide 359 Kenai National Wildlife Refuge 404
Chugach National Forest: Do-It- Homer & Kachemak Bay:
Yourself Wilderness 362 Cosmic Hamlet by the Sea 407
A SIDE TRIP TO HOPE 362 FAST FACTS: HOMER 411
Whittier: Dock on the Sound 369 A DAY TRIP TO HALIBUT COVE 419
Seward: Gateway to Resurrection GETTING YOUR FISH HOME 420
Bay & Kenai Fjords 375
Valdez 428
FAST FACTS: SEWARD 378
FAST FACTS: VALDEZ 431
Kenai Fjords National Park 386
Cordova: Hidden Treasure 438
Cooper Landing: Road
FAST FACTS: CORDOVA 441
Meets River 394
9
THE DENALI NATIONAL PARK
REGION 
449
Planning a Visit to the Park 452 Denali on Foot: Day Hiking &
Backpacking 470
THE DENALI HIGHWAY: THE DRIVABLE
DENALI 454 Activities Within the Park 474
Park Essentials 456 Attractions & Activities Outside
TRAIN CHOICES 458 the Park 476
FAST FACTS: DENALI NATIONAL PARK 462 Where to Stay 478
Denali by Shuttle Bus 462 Where to Dine 483
DENALI PARK ROAD BUS FACTS 465 Denali Nightlife 486
Denali Wilderness Lodges 486
THE ALASKA-OHIO NAME GAME,
NEXT GENERATION 469 Talkeetna: Back Door to Denali 487
FAST FACTS: TALKEETNA 489
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C O A S T
M O U N
T
A
I
Skagway Juneau N
Icefield B R I T I S H C O L U M B I A S
Haines T O N G A S S Tracy A rm NUNITCEADN SATDAATES Stikine Hyder Stewart
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THE ROSTER OF RURAL ROADS 526 The Glenn Highway 548 Lulu I.
Chena Hot Springs Road 529 ThCe eRnitcehra r5d5s1on Highway & Copper Coronation I. Noyes I.Baker I.Suemez I. Dall Island Long I.
THE STEESE HIGHWAY: DRIVE INTO
THE WILD 534 Wrangell–St. Elias National Park &
Kennecott 552
The Dalton Highway 534
11
THE BUSH 
562
Exploring the Bush 565 The Pribilof Islands: Birder’s
Kodiak: Wild Island 567 Paradise 589
FAST FACTS: KODIAK 569 Nome: Arctic Frontier Town 590
Katmai National Park 577 FAST FACTS: NOME 593
FAST FACTS: KATMAI & REGION 579 THE KOTZEBUE OPTION 598
Unalaska & Dutch Harbor: Aleutian Barrow: Way North 598
Boomtown 582 FAST FACTS: BARROW 601
FAST FACTS: UNALASKA & DUTCH Prudhoe Bay: Arctic Industry 604
HARBOR 584
THE ALEUTIANS: THE QUIET AFTER
WAR 586
12
FAST FACTS 
608
Fast Facts: Alaska 608 Airline, Hotel & Car-Rental
Websites 613
Index 615
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C O A S T
M O U N
T
A
I
Skagway Juneau N
Icefield B R I T I S H C O L U M B I A S
Haines T O N G A S S Tracy A rm NUNITCEADN SATDAATES SSttiikkiinnee Hyder Stewart
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Petersburg(cid:2)1W8a3rren I. Sukkwan I.
Lulu I.
Homer(cid:2)409
SJCuitonkreoana(cid:2)auti(cid:2)1o9n 52I.19 Noyes I.Baker I.Suemez I. ValDdeazl(cid:2)l 4 2I9sland Long I.
Cordova(cid:2)439
Juneau Beyond Downtown(cid:2)226
Denali National Park(cid:2)453
Glacier Bay National Park(cid:2)245
Fairbanks(cid:2)499
Haines(cid:2)255
Downtown Fairbanks(cid:2)519
Skagway(cid:2)269
vii
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Charles Wohlforth is a lifelong Alaskan who
has been a writer and journalist since 1986.
Wohlforth lives in Anchorage with his wife,
Barbara, sons Robin and Joseph, and
daughters Julia and Rebecca. His book The
Fate of Nature: Rediscovering Our Ability to
Rescue the Earth (Thomas Dunne/St. Martins, $28) explores the history, ecology, and
anthropology of Prince William Sound to fi nd the roots of the human need to conserve
the environment. His previous book, winner of the Los Angeles Times book prize, is The
Whale and the Supercomputer: On the Northern Front of Climate Change (North Point
Press, $14). Learn more about his work at www.fateofnature.com.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This is my 14th edition of Frommer’s Alaska and, as always, it is the product of teamwork.
From the very start I received enormous help from friends, colleagues, and my family. The
size and diversity of Alaska would otherwise make the project impossible. I want to
acknowledge them all, but I need to give special note to the remarkable professionals who
assisted with this 2011 edition. Karen Datko is my right hand, contributing creative and
journalistic talents that greatly enhance the book. Researchers and writers around the state
contributed as well, bringing new life to the book and giving it the insider information that
I couldn’t have produced alone, even as a life-long Alaskan. They include: Jessica Edwards,
Charlotte Glover, Eric Troyer, Kris Capps, Martha Robinson, Jay Barrett, and Anne Hillman.
—Charles Wohlforth
HOW TO CONTACT US
In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places—hotels, restaurants,
shops, and more. We’re sure you’ll fi nd others. Please tell us about them, so we can
share the information with your fellow travelers in upcoming editions. If you were
disappointed with a recommendation, we’d love to know that, too. Please write to:
Frommer’s Alaska 2011
Wiley Publishing, Inc. • 111 River St. • Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
[email protected]
AN ADDITIONAL NOTE
Please be advised that travel information is subject to change at any time—and this is
especially true of prices. We therefore suggest that you write or call ahead for confi rma-
tion when making your travel plans. The authors, editors, and publisher cannot be held
responsible for the experiences of readers while traveling. Your safety is important to us,
however, so we encourage you to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. Keep a
close eye on cameras, purses, and wallets, all favorite targets of thieves and pickpockets.
viii
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