Alaska For Dummies

460 Pages·2009·21.77 MB·English

by  Charles P. Wohlforth

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Travel
With tips and recommendations
from the experts at 4th Edition
Tame the wilds of
America’s Last Frontier
Open the book A l a s ka
Whether your style is luxury cruise and find: A
ship, laid-back road trip, or active
wilderness hike, this guide helps
(cid:127) Down-to-earth l
you explore Alaska the fun and easy
trip-planning advice a
way. See wildlife roaming vast open
spaces. Explore Mount McKinley, (cid:127) What you shouldn’t miss —
s
Native Alaskan culture, and old gold and what you can skip
rush towns. Go skiing, sea kayaking, or k
(cid:127) The best hotels and restaurants
fishing. Marvel at spectacular glaciers
for every budget
and windswept tundras. You can do
a
it all on a wild and wonderful Alaskan
(cid:127) Lots of detailed maps
adventure.
travel smart @ www.dummies.com
$19.99 US / $23.99 CN / £13.99 UK
ISBN 978-0-470-38527-2
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01_385272-ffirs.qxp 2/13/09 12:02 AM Page i
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Alaska
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
s
4
TH EDITION
by Charles Wohlforth
01_385272-ffirs.qxp 2/13/09 12:02 AM Page iv
Alaska For Dummies®, 4thEdition
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or
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01_385272-ffirs.qxp 2/13/09 12:02 AM Page v
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 about Eskimos experiencing warming in the
Arctic is titled The Whale and the Supercomputer: On the Northern
Front of Climate Change(North Point Press). A forthcoming book
from St. Martin’s Press is tentatively titled Hidden Waters: Human
Nature and the Fate of the Oceans,and explores the history, ecol-
ogy, and anthropology of Prince William Sound. Wohlforth can be
reached through his Web site, www.wohlforth.net.
Author’s Acknowledgments
This is my fourth edition of Alaska For Dummies and, more than
ever, 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 impossi-
ble. I want to acknowledge them all, but I need to give special note
to the remarkable professionals who assisted with this edition.
Karen Datko is more than my right hand; without her creative and
journalistic talents, the book would have been greatly diminished.
Researchers and writers around the state contributed as well,
bringing new life to the book and giving it the insider’s insider
information that I couldn’t have produced alone, even as a lifelong
Alaskan; they include: Eric Troyer, Charlotte Glover, Kris Capps,
Matt Hawthorne, Martha Robinson, and Charles Homans.
01_385272-ffirs.qxp 2/13/09 12:02 AM Page vi
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies
online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Editorial Composition Services
Editors:Chris Summers, Marc Nadeau, Project Coordinator:Katie Key
Erin Amick
Layout and Graphics: SDJumper,
Copy Editor:Elizabeth Kuball Sarah Phillipart, Julie Trippetti
Cartographer:Guy Ruggiero Special Art:Anniversary Logo Design:
Editorial Assistant: Richard Pacifico
Jessica Langan-Peck Proofreaders:David Faust,
Senior Photo Editor:Richard Fox Jessica Kramer, Sossity R. Smith
Front cover: ©Jeff Foott / Indexer:Silvoskey Indexing Services
Discovery Channel Images /
Getty Images
Description:Kayaker paddles past an
iceberg in Southeastern Alaska;
Back cover:© Kevin Schafer/Alamy
Images
Description: Juneau: Native style
carving in wood
Cartoons:Rich Tennant
(www.the5thwave.com)
Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies
Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies
Kristin Ferguson-Wagstaffe, Product Development Director,
Consumer Dummies
Kelly Regan,Editorial Director, Travel
Publishing for Technology Dummies
Andy Cummings,Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/
General User
Composition Services
Gerry Fahey,Vice President of Production Services
Debbie Stailey,Director of Composition Service
02_385272-ftoc.qxp 2/13/09 12:02 AM Page vii
Contents at a Glance
Introduction.......................................................1
Part I: Introducing Alaska...................................7
Chapter 1:Discovering the Best of Alaska ....................................9
Chapter 2:Digging Deeper into Alaska ........................................15
Chapter 3:Deciding Where and When to Go ..............................25
Chapter 4:Great Alaska Itineraries ..............................................35
Part II: Planning Your Trip to Alaska.................45
Chapter 5:Managing Your Money ................................................47
Chapter 6:Getting to Alaska..........................................................58
Chapter 7:Getting Around Alaska ................................................69
Chapter 8:Cruising Alaska’s Coast ..............................................81
Chapter 9:Planning an Outdoor Adventure..............................108
Chapter 10:Booking Your Accommodations ............................130
Chapter 11:Catering to Special Travel Needs or Interests......136
Chapter 12:Taking Care of the Remaining Details....................142
Part III: Anchorage and Environs.....................157
Chapter 13:Settling Into Anchorage ..........................................159
Chapter 14:Exploring Anchorage ..............................................180
Chapter 15:Side Trips from Anchorage ....................................202
Part IV: Road Trips from Anchorage.................219
Chapter 16:The Kenai Peninsula: Seward, Kenai Fjords
National Park, Kenai, and Homer..........................................221
Chapter 17:Fairbanks ..................................................................260
Chapter 18:Driving Alaska’s Highways......................................283
Chapter 19:Denali National Park................................................297
Part V: Southeast Alaska................................321
Chapter 20:Juneau........................................................................323
Chapter 21:Skagway ....................................................................343
Chapter 22:Sitka............................................................................352
Part VI: The End of the Road and Beyond:
Bush Alaska ..............................................365
Chapter 23:The Arctic..................................................................367
Chapter 24:Bear Country: Katmai National Park
and Kodiak Island ..................................................................378
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Part VII: The Part of Tens................................389
Chapter 25:Ten Great Walks and Hikes in Alaska ....................391
Chapter 26:Ten Questions to Ask an Alaskan ..........................395
Chapter 27:Ten Ways to Be an Alaska Know-It-All....................399
Appendix: Quick Concierge..............................404
Index.............................................................411
Maps at a Glance
Alaska Wildlife..........................................................................................122
Anchorage................................................................................................168
Downtown Anchorage............................................................................173
The Kenai Peninsula and Prince William Sound..................................223
Seward......................................................................................................226
Homer........................................................................................................248
Fairbanks..................................................................................................264
Downtown Fairbanks..............................................................................269
Alaska Highways......................................................................................285
Denali National Park................................................................................304
Greater Juneau ........................................................................................327
Downtown Juneau ..................................................................................329
Skagway....................................................................................................346
Sitka ..........................................................................................................354