Frommer's Alaska 2007 (Frommer's Complete)

513 Pages·2006·4.79 MB·English

by  Charles P. Wohlforth

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Alaska
2007
by Charles Wohlforth
Here’s what the critics say about Frommer’s:
“Amazingly easy to use.Very portable,very complete.”
—Booklist
“Detailed,accurate,and easy-to-read information for all price ranges.”
—Glamour Magazine
“Hotel information is close to encyclopedic.”
—Des Moines Sunday Register
“Frommer’s Guides have a way of giving you a real feel for a place.”
—Knight Ridder Newspapers
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About the Author
Charles Wohlforthis 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 daugh-
ters 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, $14). Wohlforth can be reached through his website, www.wohlforth.net.
Published by:
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ISBN-13: 978-0-471-94554-3
ISBN-10:0-471-94554-4
Editor: Billy Fox
Production Editor: Michael Brumitt
Cartographer: Andrew Dolan
Photo Editor: Richard Fox
Anniversary Logo Design: Richard Pacifico
Production by Wiley Indianapolis Composition Services
Front cover photo: Juneau Ice Field: Mendenhall Glacier, woman kayaker in foreground.
Back cover photo: Homer, Kachemak Bay: Eagle landing on prey, top of water.
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5 4 3 2 1
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Contents
List of Maps vii
What’s New in Alaska 1
1 The Best of Alaska 4
1 The Best Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 9 The Best Encounters with
2 The Best Alaska Cruises . . . . . . . . . . .5 Native Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
3 The Best Glaciers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 10 The Best Museums &
Historic Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
4 The Most Beautiful Drives &
Train Rides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 11 The Best Winter Destinations . . . . . .12
5 The Best Fishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 12 The Strangest Community Events . . .12
6 The Best Tips for Cooking Salmon . . . .9 13 The Best Hotels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
7 The Best Bear Viewing . . . . . . . . . . .10 14 The Best Websites . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
8 The Best Marine Mammal
Viewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
2 Planning Your Trip to Alaska 15
1 The Regions in Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Frommers.com: The Complete
Alaska by the Numbers . . . . . . . . . .16 Travel Resource . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
2 When to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 6 Planning an Outdoor Vacation . . . . .35
Alaska Calendar of Events . . . . . . . .21 A Salmon Primer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Only-in-Alaska Events . . . . . . . . . . . .22 7 Entry Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
3 Cost & Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 8 Travel & Rental Car Insurance . . . . . .44
4 Getting There & Getting Around . . . .25 Using the Internet on the Road . . . .45
Native Art: Finding the Real Thing . .26 9 Health & Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
5 Escorted Tour or Do-It-Yourself? . . . .31 10 Specialized Travel Resources . . . . . . .51
Fast Facts: Alaska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
3 Suggested Alaska Itineraries 60
1 Southeast Alaska in a Week . . . . . . .61 4 A Week in Alaska with Children . . . .67
2 Two National Parks in a Week . . . . .62 5 A Week of Alaska Winter Sports . . . .69
Itinerary Add-Ons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Doubling Up the Seasons . . . . . . . . .70
3 A 2-Week Grand Loop . . . . . . . . . . .64
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iv CONTENTS
4 Cruising Alaska’s Coast 71
by Jerry Brown & Fran Wenograd Golden
1 Weighing Your Cruise Options . . . . .72 Shore Excursions: The What,
2 The Best Cruise Experiences When & Why . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
in Alaska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 4 The Small-Ship Cruise Lines . . . . . . .81
3 Booking Your Cruise . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 5 The Big-Ship Cruise Lines . . . . . . . . .85
5 Southeast Alaska 91
1 Exploring Southeast Alaska . . . . . . . .92 6 Juneau:Forest Capital . . . . . . . . . .148
2 Ketchikan:On the Waterfront . . . . . .99 Fast Facts: Juneau . . . . . . . . . . . . .151
Fast Facts: Ketchikan . . . . . . . . . . .103 A Juneau Walking Tour . . . . . . . . .154
Majestic Misty Fjords . . . . . . . . . . .112 Remote Cabins on Foot . . . . . . . . .164
3 Wrangell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115 A Day Trip to Tracy Arm . . . . . . . . .166
Fast Facts: Wrangell . . . . . . . . . . . .116 7 Glacier Bay National Park . . . . . . . .174
4 Petersburg:Unvarnished Threshold 8 Gustavus:Country Inns & Quiet . . .179
to the Outdoors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124 9 Haines:Eagles &
Fast Facts: Petersburg . . . . . . . . . .126 the Unexpected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183
5 Sitka:Rich Prize of Russian Fast Facts: Haines . . . . . . . . . . . . .186
Conquest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133 10 Skagway:After the Gold Rush . . . .192
Fast Facts: Sitka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137 The Gold Rush in Context . . . . . . . .194
Rent a Floathouse . . . . . . . . . . . . .146 Fast Facts: Skagway . . . . . . . . . . . .197
6 Anchorage & Environs 204
1 Essentials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208 6 Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244
Fast Facts: Anchorage . . . . . . . . . .212 7 Anchorage Nightlife . . . . . . . . . . . .245
2 Where to Stay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213 8 Out from Anchorage:Turnagain
3 Where to Dine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221 Arm & Portage Glacier . . . . . . . . . .246
4 What to See & Do . . . . . . . . . . . . .227 Tidal Wave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248
Walking Tour: Downtown 9 Out from Anchorage:Girdwood &
Anchorage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228 Mount Alyeska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251
5 Getting Outside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237 10 Out from Anchorage:The Matanuska
& Susitna Valleys . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255
7 The Kenai Peninsula & Prince William Sound 258
1 Exploring the Kenai Peninsula & 3 Chugach National Forest:
Prince William Sound . . . . . . . . . . .259 Do-It-Yourself Wilderness . . . . . . . .265
2 The Seward Highway: 4 Whittier:Dock on the Sound . . . . . .270
A Road Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262
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CONTENTS v
5 Seward:Gateway to Resurrection 10 Homer & Kachemak Bay:Cosmic
Bay & Kenai Fjords . . . . . . . . . . . . .275 Hamlet by the Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . .301
Fast Facts: Seward . . . . . . . . . . . . .277 Fast Facts: Homer . . . . . . . . . . . . . .305
6 Kenai Fjords National Park . . . . . . .284 A Day Trip to Halibut Cove . . . . . . .311
7 Cooper Landing:Road Getting Your Fish Home . . . . . . . . .312
Meets River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .289 Hermits on the Homestead . . . . . . .322
8 Kenai/Soldotna & Sterling: 11 Valdez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .324
Giant Salmon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .292
Fast Facts: Valdez . . . . . . . . . . . . . .326
Fast Facts: Kenai & Soldotna . . . . .294
12 Cordova:Hidden Treasure . . . . . . . .330
9 Kenai National Wildlife Refuge . . . .299
Fast Facts: Cordova . . . . . . . . . . . .333
8 The Denali National Park Region 339
Denali Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .340 5 Activities within the Park . . . . . . . .359
1 Planning a Visit to the Park . . . . . .341 First to the Top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360
The Denali Highway: 6 Attractions & Activities outside
The Drivable Denali . . . . . . . . . . . .344 the Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .363
2 Park Essentials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .345 7 Where to Stay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .364
Train Choices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .348 8 Where to Dine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .370
Fast Facts: Denali 9 Denali Nightlife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .372
National Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .349 10 Talkeetna:Back Door to Denali . . . .372
3 Denali by Shuttle Bus . . . . . . . . . . .350 Fast Facts: Talkeetna . . . . . . . . . . .373
The Alaska-Ohio Name Game, 11 Denali Wilderness Lodges . . . . . . . .376
Round 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .356
4 Denali on Foot:Day Hiking &
Backpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .357
9 The Alaskan Interior 379
1 Exploring the Interior . . . . . . . . . . .380 5 The Alaska Highway . . . . . . . . . . . .415
2 Fairbanks:Alaska Heartland . . . . . .381 Dawson City & Eagle:
Alaska’s Highways a la Carte . . . . .382 Detour into History . . . . . . . . . . . . .416
Fast Facts: Fairbanks . . . . . . . . . . .386 Fast Facts: Tok . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .419
Seeing the Aurora Borealis . . . . . . .389 Fast Facts: Delta Junction . . . . . . . .420
The Roster of Rural Roads . . . . . . .404 6 The Glenn Highway . . . . . . . . . . . .422
3 Chena Hot Springs Road . . . . . . . .407 7 The Richardson Highway &
Copper Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .424
The Steese Highway:
Drive into the Wild . . . . . . . . . . . . .411 8 Wrangell–St.Elias National
Park & Kennecott . . . . . . . . . . . . . .425
4 The Dalton Highway . . . . . . . . . . . .412
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vi CONTENTS
10 The Bush 433
1 Exploring the Bush . . . . . . . . . . . . .434 5 The Pribilof Islands:Birder’s
2 Kodiak:Wild Island . . . . . . . . . . . . .436 Paradise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .451
Fast Facts: Kodiak . . . . . . . . . . . . .437 6 Nome:Arctic Frontier Town . . . . . . .452
3 Katmai National Park . . . . . . . . . . .442 Fast Facts: Nome . . . . . . . . . . . . . .454
Fast Facts: Katmai . . . . . . . . . . . . .444 The Kotzebue Option . . . . . . . . . . .457
4 Unalaska/Dutch Harbor: 7 Barrow:Way North . . . . . . . . . . . . .458
Aleutian Boomtown . . . . . . . . . . . .446 Fast Facts: Barrow . . . . . . . . . . . . .460
Fast Facts: Unalaska/ 8 Prudhoe Bay:Arctic Industry . . . . . .463
Dutch Harbor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .447
The Aleutians: The Quiet
after War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .448
Appendix:Alaska in Depth 465
1 Natural History:Rough Drafts & 3 The People:Three Ways to Win
Erasures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .466 an Argument in Alaska . . . . . . . . . .480
2 Politics & History:Living The Iditarod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .481
a Frontier Myth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .473 An Alaska Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . .486
Dateline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .473
Index 489
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List of Maps
Alaska 6 Downtown Anchorage 215
Southeast Alaska 93 Downtown Anchorage
Ketchikan 101 Walking Tour 229
Wrangell 117 The Kenai Peninsula &
Prince William Sound 261
Petersburg 125
Seward 276
Sitka 135
Homer 303
Downtown Juneau Walking Tour 155
Valdez 325
Juneau Beyond Downtown 161
Cordova 331
Downtown Juneau 169
Denali National Park 343
Glacier Bay National Park 175
Greater Fairbanks 385
Haines 185
Downtown Fairbanks 399
Skagway 193
Anchorage 206
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Acknowledgments
This is my tenth edition of Frommer’s Alaska 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 impossible. I want to acknowledge
them all, but I need to give special note to the remarkable professionals who assisted with this
2007 edition. Karen Datko is more than my right hand. She’s my life preserver, too. Kathryn
Gerlek got the project started by helping with my database. Researchers and writers around the
state who contributed brought new life to the book and gave it the insider’s insider information
that I couldn’t have produced alone, even as a life-long Alaskan. They include: Tom Morphet,
Eric Troyer, Kris Capps, and Charlotte Glover.
An Invitation to the Reader
In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places—hotels, restaurants, shops, and
more. We’re sure you’ll find 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 recommenda-
tion, we’d love to know that, too. Please write to:
Frommer’s Alaska 2007
Wiley Publishing, Inc. • 111 River St. • Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
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 confirmation when making
your travel plans. The authors, editors, and publisher cannot be held responsible for the experi-
ences 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.
Other Great Guides for Your Trip:
Frommer’s Alaska Cruises & Ports of Call
Alaska For Dummies
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Frommer’s Star Ratings,Icons & Abbreviations
Every hotel, restaurant, and attraction listing in this guide has been ranked for quality, value,
service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating system.In country, state, and regional
guides, we also rate towns and regions to help you narrow down your choices and budget your
time accordingly. Hotels and restaurants are rated on a scale of zero (recommended) to three
stars (exceptional). Attractions, shopping, nightlife, towns, and regions are rated according to
the following scale: zero stars (recommended), one star (highly recommended), two stars (very
highly recommended), and three stars (must-see).
In addition to the star-rating system, we also use seven feature iconsthat point you to the
great deals, in-the-know advice, and unique experiences that separate travelers from tourists.
Throughout the book, look for:
Finds Special finds—those places only insiders know about
Fun Fact Fun facts—details that make travelers more informed and their trips more fun
Kids Best bets for kids, and advice for the whole family
Moments Special moments—those experiences that memories are made of
Overrated Places or experiences not worth your time or money
Tips Insider tips—great ways to save time and money
Value Great values—where to get the best deals
The following abbreviationsare used forcredit cards:
AE American Express DISC Discover V Visa
DC Diners Club MC MasterCard
Frommers.com
Now that you have this guidebook to help you plan a great trip, visit our website at www.
frommers.comfor additional travel information on more than 3,500 destinations. We update
features regularly to give you instant access to the most current trip-planning information avail-
able. At Frommers.com, you’ll find scoops on the best airfares, lodging rates, and car rental bar-
gains. You can even book your travel online through our reliable travel booking partners. Other
popular features include:
•Online updates of our most popular guidebooks
•Vacation sweepstakes and contest giveaways
•Newsletters highlighting the hottest travel trends
•Online travel message boards with featured travel discussions