USA Guide
Alaska
Few who see this land of gargantuan ice fields, sweeping tundra, glacially excavated valleys, lush rainforests, deep fjords, and occasionally smoking volcanoes leave unimpressed. Wildlife here is abundant, with Kodiak bears standing twelve feet tall, moose stopping traffic in downtown Anchorage, wolves prowling national parks, bald eagles circling over the trees, and rivers solid with salmon.
If Alaska were superimposed onto the Lower 48 states, it would stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific, but a mere 670,000 people live here. Often referred to as the "Last Frontier," Alaska in many ways mirrors the American West of the nineteenth century: an endless, undeveloped space in which to stake one's claim and set up a life without interference. Throughout the last hundred years or so, tens of thousands have been lured by the promise of wealth, first by gold and then by fishing, logging, and, most recently, oil and Alaska's 100,000 Native peoples have been greatly marginalized.
Travelling around Alaska still demands a spirit of adventure, and to make the most of the state you need to have an enthusiasm for striking out on your own and roughing it a bit. Binoculars are an absolute must, as is bug spray; the mosquito is referred to as the "Alaska state bird". On top of that, there's the climate – though Alaska is far from the great big icebox people imagine it to be, winter temperatures of -40°F are commonplace in Fairbanks. The most touristed areas enjoy a maritime climate (45–65°F in summer) similar to that of the Pacific Northwest, meaning more rain than snow.
Alaska is far more expensive than most other states: there's little budget accommodation, and eating and drinking will set you back at least twenty percent more than in the Lower 48. From June to August room prices are crazy; May and September, when tariffs are relaxed and the weather only slightly chillier, are just as good times to go, and in April or October you'll have the place to yourself, albeit with a smaller range of places to stay and eat.
Highlights
1 Sitka Russian influence blended with Native heritage and fabulous coastal scenery, making this one of Alaska's most diverting towns.
2 The Chilkoot Trail Follow in the (frozen) footsteps of the Klondike prospectors on this demanding 33-mile trail near Skagway.
3 Talkeetna Every Alaska visitor's favourite small town is the base for superb flightseeing trips around Mount McKinley.
4 Denali National Park Alaska's finest park offers superb mountain scenery and incomparable wildlife-spotting around the highest peak in North America.
5 Aurora borealis The spectacular after-dark displays of the Northern Lights are at their best around Fairbanks from mid-September to mid-March.
6 Dalton Highway This lonely and grueling 500-mile road leads north from Fairbanks to the Arctic Ocean.
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