Category — Alaska

The Alaskan family trip is one you and your kids will never forget. Children as young as four reminisce about the Saxman Native Village and the whale watching. The patriarch of the family loved the salmon fishing, the grizzly viewing and the moose burgers. The matriarch enjoyed the Broadway shows aboard the cruise ship and the Denali National Park bus trip. Alaska is a wild wilderness with much to offer, but first you must come to a family consensus about what adventures to enjoy.

If it’s your first visit, then travel veterans will tell you an Alaskan Cruise is the ultimate way to see and experience the state of Alaska. Do you dream of seven-night cruises in pleasant sixty-to-seventy degree weather, while feasting on fresh-caught salmon, caribou steaks or reindeer sausages, and sipping on local micro-brews? Wouldn’t it be great if all your tours were pre-arranged and you could pan for gold, visit a glacial park, whale watch, take a jeep and canoe safari, watch a 1900s Lumberjack Show and see towering native Inuit totem poles? Or, if you’d like, you can still view the majestic glaciers along the Inside Passage, yet stay on the ship for all your entertainment, including casinos, movies, fitness centers, internet centers, spas, libraries, swimming pools, Broadway-style shows, game centers and educational native Alaskan presentations. A cruising Alaskan adventure is the perfect option for people who despise the organizing, arranging and “now what should we do” aspects of a vacation but love experiencing new things, all for one inclusive price. During the summer months, you can even find a seven-night cruise for as low as $799!

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If you’re not from the state of Alaska or you are not a big fan of the Siberian Husky, then chances are you’ve never heard of the “Iditarod Race.” Yet, this unique event began in 1973 and has since garnered sponsors like Wells Fargo, Chrysler and Cabela’s. The dog sled race takes teams of Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, Samoyas and Eskimo dogs 1,150 miles across the frozen tundra. The team of twelve to sixteen dogs race from checkpoint to checkpoint, all the while hauling their musher. A small microchip is embedded in their shoulders, which are scanned to ensure everything is fair in the race and safe for the animals. The time to beat for this massive trek is currently around 11 days. For many tourists, the Iditarod Race is a memorable, Alaskan experience.

One needn’t be a die-hard racer to love the Siberian Husky. Sure, these dogs are clearly bred for racing. Their slender, agile frames shout “long distance runner,” while their thick double coat and heavily padded feet exude “endurance.” This breed is incredibly resilient, requiring little food and little sleep, but demands exercise and attention. The Alaskan Husky likes to dig, loves to run and enjoys the hunt. Smaller dogs, cats and other animals may become prey for this wolf-like dog, so they function best with similar-sized dogs of the opposite sex and the companionship of the whole family. Early obedience classes will help these native Alaskan dogs be all they can be and it should be understood that positive reward works best for these docile and devoted animals.

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It’s hard to imagine just how big a grizzly really is, or how surprising it would be to see a moose in your backyard. Does your heart swell with American pride when you see a bald eagle soaring through the blue sky? Your life certainly won’t be complete without seeing a glacier or taking a dogsled journey across the tundra. With the looming energy crisis bringing up the topic of drilling for more Alaskan oil, this could be your last chance to see a wildlife preserve in Alaska.

Whale-watching is one of the main tours that people take in the state of Alaska. “The time the cruise ships are up there is when humpbacks and orcas are feeding, so there’s a good chance you’ll see them,” says Robert Blythman, director for Carnival Cruise Lines. He says some excursions, like the Whale Watching and Wildlife Quest in Auke Bay, comes with a money back guarantee. “It’s a 100 percent guarantee that you’ll see the otters,” Blythman added, noting that there are 70,000 of these playful critters swimming in Alaskan waters. He personally recommends the Sea Otter Quest from the town of Sitka. Humpback whales and killer whales can be seen surfacing and breeching the Inside Passage, which is a popular Alaskan cruise route, or in Prince William Sound, the Kodiak archipelago, Glacier Bay National Park and Kenai Fjords National Park. Humpbacks sometimes disappear for thirty minutes at a time, but the orcas usually move in pods with the ships. Beluga whales are most easily seen in Cook Inlet and Turnagain Arm, near Anchorage. Many drivers pull over between Beluga Point (Mile 110) and Bird Point Scenic Overlook (Mile 96) for a magnificent view of these endangered whales. Bowhead whales, the state marine mammal of Alaska, can be seen in the Arctic Ocean and the Northern Bering Sea.

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“Part of the problem in Washington is that a lot of our Democratic friends, year after year, have tried to stand in the way of more energy production,” Vice President Dick Cheney told the New York Republic Committee on May 29th, 2008. “The plain truth is we can get a lot more energy here in America, and we can do it in an environmentally sound and friendly way.” He was, of course, talking about expanding drilling and excavating for Alaskan oil. Drilling in Alaska has been a contentious issue since the 1970s, with environmentalists raising a clamor about protecting the national wildlife refuges and the pristine wilderness. Some feared that oil exploration would cause undue harm from oil spills and would disrupt the thriving tourism industry, as well as the centuries-old wildlife migration patterns. However, with the looming energy crisis, the Alaskan pipeline may be the only solution.

“Suddenly people started coming into town,” described JB Carnahan, former police officer in Fairbanks Alaska. “It happened kind of rapidly when it took off. Because I don’t think anybody really believed this monstrous project was going to impact us. I mean, maybe the politicians did, but I think the average guy was just kind of going, ‘Oh sure, we’ve heard this before,’ because this has always been a boom or bust town. And suddenly, there it was.” When the Trans-Alaskan pipeline project began, a flood of people came to town with $3,000 – $5,000 cash burning holes in their pockets, beautiful women arrived from New York and Florida, welders and construction workers drove up from Oklahoma and Texas, South American and Irish immigrants came to collect a check and everyone from secretaries and teachers, to prostitutes and pimps came looking for their fortune. Fairbanks hadn’t seen such activity since the gold rush of the late 1800s! Within a year, the population had doubled in size to 40,000 strong, and the pipeline project had transformed this sleepy two-cop town into a bustling metropolis. Unfortunately, along with all of the business came higher rents, more drugs and more crime.

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If you want evidence that Alaskan native heritage is respected and preserved, then just visit a school in Anchorage Alaska. The student body speaks 83 different languages, and authentic Native Alaskan artwork, which is the livelihood of many locals, is available to travelers. In addition to the Inuit people, there are many European influences in Alaska as well. Traversing the Inside Passage, you’ll come upon Petersburg, with its strong Scandinavian influences. Continuing on, you’ll see Spanish influences in Cordova and Valdez, British influences in Cook Inlet, as well as Russian Orthodox Churches scattered all about. While 69% of the 626,932 locals are Anglo Saxon, the next largest ethnic group is the American Indian or Alaska native with 15.6%. Mixed races, Asians, Blacks, Native Hawaiian and Latino populations also exist in small numbers, according to the 2000 census.

A good starting point to learn more about Alaska’s indigenous people is to visit The Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage Alaska. This world renowned cultural center and museum contains information, educational materials, video presentations, artwork and displays documenting the following Alaskan native peoples: the Athabascan, the Aleut & Alutiiq, the Yup’ik & Cup’ik, the Inupiaq & St. Lawrence Island Yupik, the Eyak, the Tlingit, the Haida and the Tsimshian. Here you can view beaded artwork from the Athabascan people, learn about the spirituality of the Yup’ik and Cup’ik, who believed in good shamans for healing and bad shamans who placed curses on people, or gaze upon the festive Chilkat & raven’s tail robe regalia worn at the Eyak potlach festivals.

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Looking into Alaskan cruises this summer? Despite the growing number of people interested in taking an Alaskan vacation, the cruising patterns have remained relatively unchanged. The most traditional Alaskan cruise is an “Inside Passage” route that takes passengers from Vancouver to southeast Alaska and back in seven nights and eight days, with port calls in two to four towns, which might include Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Sitka, Juneau, Haines and Skagway, or Glacier Bay National Park. The second type of cruise is the seven-night, one-way “Gulf and Glaciers” route that leaves from Seward or Whittier and tours the inside passage sights, with the addition of Prince William Sound. Thirdly, some cruises are just one-way, seven-night trips between Alaskan towns, such as Juneau and Sitka. Lastly, an expedition voyage can include Aleutian island, sub-Arctic ports and Russian territory as well.

“People go to Alaska to see wildlife for a reason, but you see it in many ways and in many circumstances,” said Erik Elvejord, spokesman for Holland America Line. “Don’t expect a lineup of bears when you hit the pier, or pods of whales everywhere the ship goes.” Seeing wildlife in Alaska while on a cruise is all about careful planning, Alaskans say. While animals won’t be flocking toward the ship, you can visit one of the port stop towns for guaranteed sightings. Carnival Cruise Lines recommends the Sea Otter Quest in Sitka, for example, because there’s a 100% guarantee you’ll see these playful creatures. Holland America recommends the Whale Watching and Wildlife Quest in Auke Bay because humpback and orca feeding grounds are located right amid the Alaskan cruise route. Bears can be a little more hit-or-miss, wildlife experts say. You can take a $100 “Bear Search” at 7am in Icy Strait Point, although there’s no guarantee you’ll spot one. Or you can take a $300 – $1,600 fly-in adventure to Pack Creek on Admiralty Island, Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park or the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary, where bears reliably come to feed on salmon.

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Imagine being a resident of Alaska in a town of 900 and watching thousands of passengers unloading off six massive cruise lines. Back in the 1800s, the Gold Rush brought a similar bombardment of settlers to what was a pristine swatch of land containing mountains, frozen volcanoes, forests and glaciers. If you love history, then an Alaskan adventure is a “must.” Not only will you see leftover historic mines, but you can also learn about the native Alaskan people, who bared the elements and lived off whales and moose.

In Juneau, a classic Alaskan tour is the “Four Glaciers By Helicopter & Dog Sled Adventure.” On this once-in-a-lifetime expedition, you’ll soar over four real glaciers, which are the Taku, the Hole-in-the-Wall, Dead Branch and East Twin, while catching a bird’s eye view of moose, goats, bears and caribou. Then you will land on Norris Glacier where you’ll meet up with your Alaskan malamute and Alaskan husky dogsled team. Your guide will describe the 1,000-mile Iditarod Race that traverses from Anchorage to Nome. Your trip will include some hiking through crevasses and navigating streams for two hours of ethereal zen. This journey is for the fearless, the cold-insensitive, the adventurous and the athletic.

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It is said that Alaska is home to the last wild frontier of the wilderness. It is not any wonder. It is the northernmost state in the United States of America. Home to a wide diversity of wildlife and a climate that is comprised of six months of light and six months of darkness, Alaska is the final frontier of the wilderness.

Those who call Alaska their home must be a special hearty breed for it is not a forgiving climate for those who make mistakes. Bears are just some of what the wilds dish out daily to inhabitants and visitors to this great landscape. Even more fantastic than the wildlife and the wilderness is the rich and diverse history that Alaska offers. In this article we will address some of the questions you may have regarding this great state.

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For some, the story of Alaska begins in 1959, when Alaska became the 49th state of America. For others, their ties with the land dates back more than 11,000 years. One thing is clear, as you look out over the diverse Alaskan landscape and towns; the history of Alaska is very much with the locals today. Whether you’re visiting an Aleutian village where bead-making, totem pole sculpting and painting are still their livelihoods, or you’re taking a ride through glacial canyons that overlook abandoned mine shafts, or you’re riding a bus through Denali National Park to catch a glimpse of grizzlies and bald eagles, you will discover that Alaska remains a source of intrigue for anyone who has the spirit of adventure in their heart.

The first Alaskans were thought to have crossed the Bering Strait between 60,000 and 50,000 BC. By the mid 1700s, there were 60-80,000 Indians, Aleuts and Eskimos living in Alaska. The Indians of Alaska included the Tlingits and Haidas in the Southeast, and the Athabaskans of the Interior Passage; together, they numbered about 20,000 strong. The 15,000 Aleuts inhabited the Aleutian Islands and a Southwest portion of the Alaska Peninsula. Lastly, 30,000 Eskimos lived along the Alaskan coast from the Arctic Ocean to Yakutat, stretching to the Kodiak Island, the Alaska Peninsula and Prince William Sound. The early inhabitants of the state of Alaska lived in a hunter-gatherer society and used every part of the beasts they hunted, making long houses, tools, igloos, weapons, clothing, blankets, jewelry, dishes and canoes. Shamans battled for good and evil, with some providing spiritual healing, while others cast curses. Wealth was shared through ceremonies, like Tlingit potlatches, Athabaskan festivals, Eskimo messenger feasts, and Aleut theatrical performances. For thousands of years, these indigenous groups would be the only population on the Alaskan frontier, but that changed and the Alaska native became just 15% of the total population.

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