Introduction
Whale watching, bear viewing, fjord cruising - north to Alaska! It isn't just the mountains, sparkling lakes and glaciers that draw travelers to Alaska but the magic in the land, its mystical boreal pull. It's a place that ignites the imaginations of people who live in the city but long to wander into the woods.
The expansive grandeur of the state will help you put the size of your snowshoes in perspective as you marvel at the sight of a brown bear at full amble, or kayak past a tidewater glacier shedding icebergs the size of small cars. And it needn't cost you a fortune.
Geography:
Easily the USA's largest member state, Alaska is a huge space, able to give each of its residents almost a square mile in which to do their thing. The state measures 2254km (1400mi) north to south and 3864km (2400mi) across the girth, comprising several distinctive regions. The Southeast, also known as the Panhandle, is a 500mi (805km) coastal strip including the wildly serrated Inside Passage, a watery lifeline for isolated towns inaccessible by road. The mountain ranges, glaciers and fjords of this region continue through Southcentral in a 1047km (650mi) swerve of shore and bend of bay from the Gulf of Alaska to Kodiak Island. The Interior is Alaska's heartland, with milder weather than the state's extremities and scenic delights including Denali National Park, Alaska's best-known attraction. The Bush is larger than all of the other regions combined, claiming the whole western swathe, Arctic Alaska and the southwest island chains. Bush Alaska is generally accessible only by charter plane, rendering it prohibitively expensive for many travelers, but enabling the maintenance of a lifestyle unaffected by the state's booming summer tourist industry.
Destination Facts
Time zone: GMT -9
Area: 1530694
Coordinates: 64 latitude and -153 longitude
Population: 670053
Currency: US Dollar (US$)
Daylight Saving: From second Sunday in March to first Sunday of November
Weight System: Imperial
Area codes: 011
Getting there and away
Flights to Alaska can deposit you in Anchorage, Juneau, Ketchikan or Fairbanks. If driving, you'll find yourself motoring up the Alcan (aka the Alaska Hwy) and, if arriving by boat, it'll be a trip along the Inside Passage waterway. Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), 11km (7mi) west of the city center, is Alaska's largest airport and is serviced by major airlines. Most travelers from Asia or Europe will need to touch down in Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis or Vancouver first and catch a connecting flight to Anchorage. You can drive or take a combination of buses along the Alcan into Alaska. Good tires are essential on this road. Ferries run from Bellingham, Washington; they take 2 to 3.5 days to reach Juneau (depending on the route) and are a scenic and hassle-free way to get to Alaska.
Getting around
Alaska Airlines is the major domestic airline - it services the most towns and cities. Bush planes can be chartered to access remote villages or drop you into the middle of pristine wilderness. Regular bus services are available between the larger towns and cities, but if there are three or more of you, it's probably cheaper to rent a car. The Alaska Railroad provides a good, scenic means of transport, though rarely the most affordable. Marine ferries service Southeast, Southcentral and Southwest Alaska and are often the dominant mode of transport in these road-unfriendly areas. Car rental agencies are located in major cities and towns. Cycling is a good way to get around, and can be economically combined with ferry trips if your bike doesn't convert into a pedal-steamer.
Weather
Alaska's climate is inconsist - it's not uncommon for more than one season to be crammed into a single day. Don't stake your raincoat on it, but the Southeast and Southcentral regions generally experience high rainfall and moderate temperatures, with summers averaging 15-21 ° C (60-70 ° F). In the Interior, precipitation is light but temperatures fluctuate wildly, sometimes breaking 32 ° C (90 ° F) in August. The climate along the western coast is mostly cool with summer temperatures around 7 ° C (45 ° F), and regular fog and rain. Most of Alaska experiences the magic of the midnight sun, a surfeit of daylight which apparently sanctions the kind of madness which finds families undertaking 10km (6mi) hikes after dinner and softball teams convening for a witching hour hit-up.
Places of Interest
It isn't just the mountains, sparkling lakes and glaciers that draw travelers to Alaska but the magic in the land, its mystical boreal pull. It's a place that ignites the imaginations of people who live in the city but long to wander into the woods. The expansive grandeur of the state will help you put the size of your snowshoes in perspective as you marvel at the sight of a brown bear at full amble, or kayak past a tidewater glacier shedding icebergs the size of small cars. And it needn't cost you a fortune.
Events
Alaskans are a celebratory people, especially in the summer when 24-hour daylight turns the most sober and sane into the most blithering and bonkers. Most towns have Summer Solstice (June 21) festivities. The festival in Fairbanks is one of the most popular, enjoying nearly 23 hours of sun to stage a midnight baseball game. Sitka lets off June summer steam with log-chopping, axe-tossing and tree-climbing competitions. Independence Day (July 4) is a very popular holiday with celebrations of particular note in Ketchikan and Anchorage, including parades, contests and softball games, all rounded off with impressive firework displays. On the second weekend in July, Talkeetna is the proud host of the Moose Dropping Festival, a high-class bash enjoyed by second-class shot-putters wondering why dropping-tossing isn't an Olympic event. Golden Days in Fairbanks is held in late July. It celebrates the discovery of gold with parades and sports, giving the less athletic a chance in events like the Hairy Legs Contest.
Whale watching, bear viewing, fjord cruising - north to Alaska! It isn't just the mountains, sparkling lakes and glaciers that draw travelers to Alaska but the magic in the land, its mystical boreal pull. It's a place that ignites the imaginations of people who live in the city but long to wander into the woods.
The expansive grandeur of the state will help you put the size of your snowshoes in perspective as you marvel at the sight of a brown bear at full amble, or kayak past a tidewater glacier shedding icebergs the size of small cars. And it needn't cost you a fortune.
Geography:
Easily the USA's largest member state, Alaska is a huge space, able to give each of its residents almost a square mile in which to do their thing. The state measures 2254km (1400mi) north to south and 3864km (2400mi) across the girth, comprising several distinctive regions. The Southeast, also known as the Panhandle, is a 500mi (805km) coastal strip including the wildly serrated Inside Passage, a watery lifeline for isolated towns inaccessible by road. The mountain ranges, glaciers and fjords of this region continue through Southcentral in a 1047km (650mi) swerve of shore and bend of bay from the Gulf of Alaska to Kodiak Island. The Interior is Alaska's heartland, with milder weather than the state's extremities and scenic delights including Denali National Park, Alaska's best-known attraction. The Bush is larger than all of the other regions combined, claiming the whole western swathe, Arctic Alaska and the southwest island chains. Bush Alaska is generally accessible only by charter plane, rendering it prohibitively expensive for many travelers, but enabling the maintenance of a lifestyle unaffected by the state's booming summer tourist industry.
Destination Facts
Time zone: GMT -9
Area: 1530694
Coordinates: 64 latitude and -153 longitude
Population: 670053
Currency: US Dollar (US$)
Daylight Saving: From second Sunday in March to first Sunday of November
Weight System: Imperial
Area codes: 011
Getting there and away
Flights to Alaska can deposit you in Anchorage, Juneau, Ketchikan or Fairbanks. If driving, you'll find yourself motoring up the Alcan (aka the Alaska Hwy) and, if arriving by boat, it'll be a trip along the Inside Passage waterway. Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), 11km (7mi) west of the city center, is Alaska's largest airport and is serviced by major airlines. Most travelers from Asia or Europe will need to touch down in Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis or Vancouver first and catch a connecting flight to Anchorage. You can drive or take a combination of buses along the Alcan into Alaska. Good tires are essential on this road. Ferries run from Bellingham, Washington; they take 2 to 3.5 days to reach Juneau (depending on the route) and are a scenic and hassle-free way to get to Alaska.
Getting around
Alaska Airlines is the major domestic airline - it services the most towns and cities. Bush planes can be chartered to access remote villages or drop you into the middle of pristine wilderness. Regular bus services are available between the larger towns and cities, but if there are three or more of you, it's probably cheaper to rent a car. The Alaska Railroad provides a good, scenic means of transport, though rarely the most affordable. Marine ferries service Southeast, Southcentral and Southwest Alaska and are often the dominant mode of transport in these road-unfriendly areas. Car rental agencies are located in major cities and towns. Cycling is a good way to get around, and can be economically combined with ferry trips if your bike doesn't convert into a pedal-steamer.
Weather
Alaska's climate is inconsist - it's not uncommon for more than one season to be crammed into a single day. Don't stake your raincoat on it, but the Southeast and Southcentral regions generally experience high rainfall and moderate temperatures, with summers averaging 15-21 ° C (60-70 ° F). In the Interior, precipitation is light but temperatures fluctuate wildly, sometimes breaking 32 ° C (90 ° F) in August. The climate along the western coast is mostly cool with summer temperatures around 7 ° C (45 ° F), and regular fog and rain. Most of Alaska experiences the magic of the midnight sun, a surfeit of daylight which apparently sanctions the kind of madness which finds families undertaking 10km (6mi) hikes after dinner and softball teams convening for a witching hour hit-up.
Places of Interest
It isn't just the mountains, sparkling lakes and glaciers that draw travelers to Alaska but the magic in the land, its mystical boreal pull. It's a place that ignites the imaginations of people who live in the city but long to wander into the woods. The expansive grandeur of the state will help you put the size of your snowshoes in perspective as you marvel at the sight of a brown bear at full amble, or kayak past a tidewater glacier shedding icebergs the size of small cars. And it needn't cost you a fortune.
Events
Alaskans are a celebratory people, especially in the summer when 24-hour daylight turns the most sober and sane into the most blithering and bonkers. Most towns have Summer Solstice (June 21) festivities. The festival in Fairbanks is one of the most popular, enjoying nearly 23 hours of sun to stage a midnight baseball game. Sitka lets off June summer steam with log-chopping, axe-tossing and tree-climbing competitions. Independence Day (July 4) is a very popular holiday with celebrations of particular note in Ketchikan and Anchorage, including parades, contests and softball games, all rounded off with impressive firework displays. On the second weekend in July, Talkeetna is the proud host of the Moose Dropping Festival, a high-class bash enjoyed by second-class shot-putters wondering why dropping-tossing isn't an Olympic event. Golden Days in Fairbanks is held in late July. It celebrates the discovery of gold with parades and sports, giving the less athletic a chance in events like the Hairy Legs Contest.
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