Frommer's Alaska 2010 (Frommer's Colour Complete Guides)

644 Pages·2010·37.95 MB·English

by  Charles P. Wohlforth

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Alaska
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Alaska

2010
CHARLES WOHLFORTH
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
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Published by:
WILEY PUBLISHING, INC.
111 River St.
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Copyright © 2010 Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. All rights reserved. No part of this
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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 978-0-470-49773-9
Editor: Anuja Madar
Production Editor: Heather Wilcox
Cartographer: Andrew Dolan
Photo Editors: Alden Gewirtz, Cherie Cincilla
Cover Photo Research: Richard Fox
Design and layout by Vertigo Design
Graphics and prepress by Wiley Indianapolis Composition Services
Front cover photo: Iceberg Portage Lake Chugach Mtns Portage Southcentral Alaska winter portrait
© Randy Brandon/Alaska Stock LLC/Alamy Images
Back cover photos, left to right: Wildfl owers in Alaska © Will Johnson/iStockphoto; Close-up view of
a totem pole © Brandon Laufenberg/iStockphoto; Ketchikan: Creek Street Shops © America/Alamy
Images; Grizzly bear rubbing its back on a log © Suzann Julien/iStockphoto
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List of Maps vii
1
THE BEST OF ALASKA 1
The Best Views 3 The Best Encounters with
The Best Alaska Cruises 6 Native Culture 14
The Best Glaciers 8 The Best Museums & Historic
Sites 15
The Most Beautiful Drives & Train
Rides 9 The Best Winter Destinations 16
The Best Fishing 11 The Strangest Community
Events 18
The Best Bear Viewing 12
The Best Hotels 18
The Best Marine Mammal
Viewing 13 The Best Websites 19
2
ALASKA IN DEPTH 21
Alaska Today: What It Means to History: Scenes on an Oversize
Be Alaskan 23 Stage 47
Alaska’s Political Earthquake 32 THE IDITAROD 48
Natural History: Rough Drafts & Books, Film & TV 53
Erasures 35 Alaska Cuisine: Fresh Fish Special 55
3
PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO ALASKA 57
When to Go 58 Escorted Tour or
ALASKA CALENDAR OF EVENTS 65 Do-It-Yourself? 75
Money & Costs 68 Planning an Outdoor Vacation 79
NATIVE ART: FINDING THE REAL THING 68 A SALMON PRIMER 82
Entry Requirements 87
Getting There & Getting
Around 70 Travel & Rental-Car Insurance 89
ALASKA BY THE NUMBERS 74 Health & Safety 91
4
SUGGESTED ALASKA ITINERARIES 97
Southeast Alaska in 1 Week 100 A Week in Alaska with Kids 110
Two National Parks in 1 Week 103 A Week of Alaska Winter
A 2-Week Grand Loop 106 Sports 112
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5
CRUISING ALASKA’S COAST 116
Weighing Your Cruise Options 119 Booking Your Cruise 126
The Best Cruise Experiences in The Small-Ship Cruise Lines 131
Alaska 123 The Big-Ship Cruise Lines 134
6
SOUTHEAST ALASKA 141
Exploring Southeast Alaska 144 Juneau: Forest Capital 216
Ketchikan: On the Waterfront 152 FAST FACTS: JUNEAU 220
FAST FACTS: KETCHIKAN 157 WALKING TOUR: JUNEAU 224
MAJESTIC MISTY FJORDS 164 A DAY TRIP TO TRACY ARM 238
Wrangell 172 Glacier Bay National Park 248
FAST FACTS: WRANGELL 175 Gustavus: Country Inns & Quiet
254
Petersburg: Unvarnished Threshold
to the Outdoors 184 Haines: Eagles & the
FAST FACTS: PETERSBURG 188 Unexpected 259
Sitka: Rich Prize of Russian FAST FACTS: HAINES 261
Conquest 198 Skagway: After the Gold Rush 269
FAST FACTS: SITKA 201 FAST FACTS: SKAGWAY 273
7
ANCHORAGE & ENVIRONS 283
Essentials 288 Anchorage Nightlife 338
FAST FACTS: ANCHORAGE 293 Side Trips to Turnagain Arm &
Where to Stay 295 Portage Glacier 339
Where to Dine 303 TIDAL WAVE 342
What to See & Do 310 Side Trips to Girdwood &
Mount Alyeska 346
WALKING TOUR: DOWNTOWN
ANCHORAGE 311 Side Trips to the Matanuska &
Getting Outside 326 Susitna Valleys 351
Shopping 336
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8
THE KENAI PENINSULA & PRINCE
WILLIAM SOUND 355
Exploring the Kenai Peninsula & Kenai/Soldotna & Sterling: Giant
Prince William Sound 357 Salmon 399
The Seward Highway: A Road FAST FACTS: KENAI & SOLDOTNA 400
Guide 361 Kenai National Wildlife Refuge 406
Chugach National Forest: Do-It- Homer & Kachemak Bay:
Yourself Wilderness 364 Cosmic Hamlet by the Sea 409
A SIDE TRIP TO HOPE 364 FAST FACTS: HOMER 413
Whittier: Dock on the Sound 371 A DAY TRIP TO HALIBUT COVE 421
Seward: Gateway to Resurrection Valdez 431
Bay & Kenai Fjords 377 FAST FACTS: VALDEZ 434
FAST FACTS: SEWARD 380 Cordova: Hidden Treasure 441
Kenai Fjords National Park 388 FAST FACTS: CORDOVA 444
Cooper Landing: Road Meets
River 396
9
THE DENALI NATIONAL PARK REGION 451
Planning a Visit to the Park 455 Activities Within the Park 477
THE DENALI HIGHWAY: THE DRIVABLE Attractions & Activities Outside
DENALI 456 the Park 479
Park Essentials 459 Where to Stay 481
TRAIN CHOICES 462 Where to Dine 487
FAST FACTS: DENALI NATIONAL PARK 464 Denali Nightlife 489
Denali by Shuttle Bus 465 Denali Wilderness Lodges 490
Denali on Foot: Day Hiking & Talkeetna: Back Door to Denali 491
Backpacking 472 FAST FACTS: TALKEETNA 494
THE ALASKA–OHIO NAME GAME, NEXT
GENERATION 474
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10
THE ALASKAN INTERIOR 497
Exploring the Interior 499 The Alaska Highway 543
Fairbanks: Alaska Heartland 500 DAWSON CITY & EAGLE: DETOUR INTO
HISTORY 544
ALASKA’S HIGHWAYS A LA CARTE 502
FAST FACTS: TOK 547
FAST FACTS: FAIRBANK 507
FAST FACTS: DELTA JUNCTION 549
Chena Hot Springs Road 530
The Glenn Highway 551
THE ROSTER OF RURAL ROADS 532
The Richardson Highway &
The Steese Highway: Drive into the
Copper Center 554
Wild 536
Wrangell–St. Elias National Park &
The Dalton Highway 538
Kennecott 556
11
THE BUSH 565
Exploring the Bush 568 The Pribilof Islands: Birder’s
Kodiak: Wild Island 570 Paradise 591
FAST FACTS: KODIAK 572 Nome: Arctic Frontier Town 592
Katmai National Park 579 FAST FACTS: NOME 594
FAST FACTS: KATMAI & REGION 581 THE KOTZEBUE OPTION 598
Unalaska/Dutch Harbor: Aleutian Barrow: Way North 600
Boomtown 584 FAST FACTS: BARROW 603
FAST FACTS: UNALASKA/DUTCH Prudhoe Bay: Arctic Industry 606
HARBOR 586
THE ALEUTIANS: THE QUIET AFTER
WAR 588
12
FAST FACTS: ALASKA 609
Airline, Hotel & Car-Rental
Websites 614
Index 616
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LIST OF MAPS
Alaska(cid:1)4
Suggested Alaska Itineraries(cid:1)99
Southeast Alaska(cid:1)144
Ketchikan(cid:1)153
Wrangell(cid:1)174
Petersburg(cid:1)187
Sitka(cid:1)199
Juneau(cid:1)223
Juneau Beyond Downtown(cid:1)231
Glacier Bay National Park(cid:1)249
Haines(cid:1)260
Skagway(cid:1)270
Anchorage(cid:1)286
Downtown Anchorage(cid:1)296
Downtown Anchorage Walking Tour(cid:1)311
The Kenai Peninsula & Prince William Sound(cid:1)358
Seward(cid:1)378
Homer(cid:1)411
Valdez(cid:1)433
Cordova(cid:1)443
Denali National Park(cid:1)454
Fairbanks(cid:1)504
Downtown Fairbanks(cid:1)522
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. Due this spring from St.
Martin’s Press is his book The Fate of Nature,
which explores the history, ecology, and
anthropology of Prince William Sound. His
previous book, winner of the Los Angeles Times
book prize, is The Whale and the Supercom-
puter: On the Northern Front of Climate Change
(North Point Press, $14). Wohlforth can be
reached through his website, www.wohlforth.net.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This is my 13th 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 impos-
sible. I want to acknowledge them all, but I need to give special note to the remarkable
professionals who assisted with this 2010 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: Charlotte Glover, Eric Troyer, Kris Capps, Matt Hawthorne, Carolyn
Edelman, and Martha Robinson. —Charles Wohlforth
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