2016-2017 CELEBRATING 80 YEARS OF TRAVEL
Alaska
®
12 FUN SIDE TRIPS FROM ANCHORAGE
All of
ALASKA
MEET THE MOUNTAIN FORMERLY KNOWN AS MCKINLEY COOL HOT SPOTS ACROSS THE STATE
CO VI MP SI LI TO M R EN CO TA PY RY
From the biggest cities to the smallest towns (and everything in between)
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YOUR STYLE. STACKED TO PERFECTION.
T H E PA N D O R A S T O R E AT
ANCHORAGE 5TH AVENUE MALL 907.258.0008
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Seward Highway & East Benson 907.272.41445
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Be inspired by the light of the Aurora Borealis. Renew your energy under the Midnight Sun. Experience the warmth of Fairbanks—Alaska’s Golden Heart—and the gateway to Denali, Interior and Arctic Alaska. Make the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center your first stop to planning your Alaskan adventure. Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center 101 Dunkel Street • Downtown Fairbanks 8am – 9pm Summer • 8am – 5pm Winter
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Alaska
2016-2017
CONTENTS
SEE MORE OF ALASKA AT WHERETRAVELER.COM
the guide ANCHORAGE AND PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
24 XX
A Vibrant City and a Saltwater Paradise
28 XX
KENAI PENINSULA
Alaska’s Playground for Outdoor Adventure
31
MAT-SU AND THE COPPER RIVER VALLEY
XX Rugged Mountains, Mighty Rivers, Pioneer Farms
33
SOUTHWESTERN/ WESTERN/ARCTIC
Alaska’s Wilderness Rim
XX
INTERIOR/DENALI NATIONAL PARK/ FAIRBANKS
34
15 80 minutes in Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks.
where now
8 Hot Spots
10 Experience All of Anchorage
Check out these listings for cool hot spots across Alaska. ON THE COVER Brown (grizzly)
Get to know Interior Alaska's biggest city.
18 Ports of Call
Seeing Alaska by cruise ship.
20 Alaska on Tap
Sample the state's microbreweries.
21 Winter in the North READ US ON MAGZTER
XX
15 Denali: The Great One
16 Fairbanks: The Golden Heart City
CONNECT WITH US
Sublime Wilderness, Charming Port Cities
Driving trips from an hour to an overnight. Visiting Alaska's most visited national park.
©KATHLEEN BARTH
SOUTHEAST ALASKA
13 Side Trips from Anchorage
Wildlife Conservaof Anchorage.
36
From downtown to midtown and beyond.
bear at Alaska tion Center south
XX
Cool sports and hot toddies.
MAPS
City maps of Downtown Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau page 46
COURTESY TALKEETNA AIR TAXI
4 Editor’s Itinerary
Highest Mountain, Longest River, Northern Lights
2 W H E R E A L A S K A I 2016 - 2017
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ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE CENTER
Experience Alaska’s Native People
SHARING PRESERVING EDUCATING CELEBRATING
Summer of Performance Art with over 30 Native artists demonstrating throughout the Summer • Learn about Alaska Native values and traditions • Tour life-size Native village sites • Download the ANHC App available on the AppStore
open daily: May 8, 2016 – September 5, 2016 Winter schedule online www.alaskanative.net
A nonprofit organization
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ALASKA ITINERARY
FROM THE WHERE® STAFF IN ANCHORAGE
YOUR TRAVELING COMPANION SINCE 1936®
where
®
A L A S K A
C E L E B R AT I N G 8 0 Y E A R S O F T R AV E L
Welcome to an Alaskan’s Alaska
PUBLISHER Dane Hjort EDITOR Kris Valencia ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sharon
Meet Melissa Bradley, Where® Alaska account manager, who along with husband Devon and their two children is living the Alaska dream, whether it's sailing out of Homer or snowshoeing at Nancy Lake. With a little planning, visitors can experience their own Alaska dream. In Homer, board the Danny J ferry and chug across Kachemak Bay to charming Halibut Cove. Melissa's suggestion: "Stroll the boardwalk and local art galleries, walk the beach, and then finish your day at The Saltry, enjoying homemade bread with halibut ceviché and smoked salmon paté." In winter, rent snowshoes or cross-country skis, then hit the trails at Kincaid Park in Anchorage.
ADVERTISING & CIRCULATION REGION PRESIDENT Courtney Fuhrmann WEST REGION VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES
Anchorage Get a crash course in Alaska's Native cultures at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Visit six different village sites— each representing one of Alaska's Native cultures—on an outdoor walk around Tiulana Lake, with time left over to enjoy traditional dance, songs or stories presented inside the center. Great admission price (includes shuttle) to both the Native Heritage Center and the Anchorage Museum available, go to alaskaculturepass. org. Juneau Get a spectacular view of the city and Gastineau Channel as you rise 1,800 feet from waterfront to mountainside on the Mount Roberts Tramway. The mountaintop complex
Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks
EDITORIAL & DESIGN REGIONAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Margaret Martin ART DIRECTOR Wendy Hausrath MORRIS VISITOR PUBLICATIONS MVP | EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT Donna W. Kessler CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER Reab Berry CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Dennis Kelly VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS Angela CHIEF TRAVEL EDITOR Geoff Kohl GENERAL MANAGER, WHERE MAPS
E. Allen
Christopher Huber
DIRECTOR OF CIRCULATION Scott Ferguson NATIONAL MARKETING MANAGER Melissa Blanco MVP | CREATIVE CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER Haines Wilkerson SENIOR REGIONAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Margaret Martin
DESIGN DIRECTOR Jane Frey DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Isaac Arjonilla CREATIVE COORDINATOR Beverly Mandelblatt MVP | NATIONAL SALES VICE PRESIDENT, NATIONAL SALES Rick Mollineaux 202.463.4550 VICE PRESIDENT, NATIONAL MARKETING
Adeline Tafuri Jurecka
DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS & NATIONAL DIGITAL SALES Bridget Duffie 706.821.6663 NATIONAL SALES COORDINATOR David Gately MVP | PRODUCTION DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION Kris Miller PUBLICATIONS MANAGER Mickey Kibler DIGITAL IMAGING Erik Lewis
includes a theatre, restaurant, bar, gift shop, access to alpine hiking and more. Operates May through September; details at mountroberts tramway.com. Fairbanks Pioneer Park is fun and it's free. Authentic old buildings
Get going! Explore Alaska at wheretraveler.com.
where in the world
Michelle Schneider ACCOUNT MANAGER Melissa Bradley
house shops selling everything from ice cream cones to carved ivory. Kids can play miniature golf or take a 12-minute ride around the park on the Crooked Creek & Whiskey Island Railroad, while adults step into the Pioneer Air Museum for a look at Alaska aviation history. Then meet for a family dinner at the Alaska Salmon Bake, open daily for dinner in summer.
®
Where is an international network of magazines first published in 1936 and distributed in over 4,000 leading hotels in more than 50 places around the world. Look for us when you visit any of the following cities, or plan ahead for your next trip by visiting us online at wheretraveler.com. UNITED STATES Alaska, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Indianapolis, Jacksonville/ St. Augustine/Amelia Island, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Maui, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Orleans, New York, Northern Virginia, Oahu, Orange County (CA), Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix/Scottsdale, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, Tucson, Washington, D.C. ASIA Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore AUSTRALIA Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney CANADA Calgary, Canadian Rockies, Edmonton, Halifax, Muskoka/Parry Sound, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Whistler, Winnipeg EUROPE Berlin, Budapest, Istanbul, London, Milan, Moscow, Paris, Rome, St. Petersburg
MVP | MANUFACTURING & TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR OF MANUFACTURING Donald Horton TECHNICAL OPERATIONS MANAGER
Tony Thorne-Booth
E-mails for all of the above except contributors: firstname.lastname@morris.com
MVP | ALASKA
301 Arctic Slope Ave., Anchorage, AK 99518, 907.275.6070 MORRIS COMMUNICATIONS CHAIRMAN William S. Morris III PRESIDENT & CEO William S. Morris
IV
where traveler.com
Where® magazine is produced by Morris Visitor Publications (MVP), a division of Morris Communications Co., LLC. 725 Broad St., Augusta, GA 30901, morrismedianetwork.com. Where magazine and the where® logo are registered trademarks of Morris Visitor Publications. Where makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes, but cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from errors or omissions. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part strictly prohibited. MVP is a proud sponsor of Les Clefs d’Or USA
COURTESY ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE CENTER
80 MINUTES IN:
Leighow
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WHERE ALASKA STATEWIDE 2016-2017 Search all of Alaska at wheretraveler.com/alaska
HOT SPOTS
Adventure CHILKOOT TRAIL The 33-mile historic gold rush trail starts at Dyea, just outside Skagway, and ends at Lake Bennett in British Columbia. This hike requires a lot of planning on your own (www.nps.gov/klgo/planyour visit/chilkoottrail.htm), or join a 4- or 5-day guided trip (alaskamountainguides.com). WRANGELLST. ELIAS NATIONAL PARK Guided day or overnight hiking/backpacking trips, glacier hiking, river rafting, ice climbing, and mining history. Do not miss the 2-hour Kennecott Mill Town Tour. Half-day or full-day Root Glacier hikes from Kennicott (guided or on your own). Flightseeing and transportation into the backcountry by bush plane. (www.steliasguides.com; www.kennicottguides.com; www.wrangell mountainair.com; www.copperoar.com) KODIAK BROWN BEAR CENTER (www.kodiakbearcenter.com) on Kodiak Island. Guided bear viewing tours at Karluk Lake, Karluk River and the Thumb River. Guest cabins have WiFi. Relax in the maqii , the Alutiiq traditional steam bath, after a gourmet meal!
Dining Take the Danny J ferry across Kachemak Bay from Homer to dine at THE SALTRY (Thesaltry.com, 907.266.2424) in scenic Halibut Cove. Specializing in Alaska seafood, The Saltry has become a destination for chefs and food lovers alike. You’ll find fine dining in a remote location at the MCCARTHY LODGE BISTRO (www.mccarthy lodge.com, 858.256.7612). Experience culinary adventures with local ingredients and an extensive wine list. We recommend the Copper River red salmon. Serving fresh fish, local produce and hand tossed pizzas, the LITTLE MERMAID BISTRO (little mermaidhomer.com, 907.399.9900) is a hidden gem on the Homer Spit. Try the rockfish tacos. Located just south of Denali Park, the 229 PARKS RESTAURANT AND TAVERN (229parks.com, 907.683.2567) serves fresh Alaskan seafood—halibut, king salmon, scallops, king crab—rack of lamb, free range chicken and grass fed beef. 229 Parks also offers cooking lessons!
Take a free guided tour of this old mining town with the National Park Service, then join St. Elias Alpine Guides for a unique and unforgettable look inside the 14-story Kennecott (yes, it is spelled differently!) Copper Mill.
Events IDITAROD SLED DOG RACE FINISH in Nome. Stand on Front Street in Nome and watch as dog teams make their way across the finish line and under the burl arch. The ceremonial start of the 1,000-mile race takes place in Anchorage the first
©SHARON NAULT
COOL HOT SPOTS: Kennicott
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For more information: wheretraveler.com
booths, competitive exhibits, carnival games, marquee performers and more. Alaskastatefair.org At the TALKEETNA BACHELOR AUCTION in December, bachelors auction themselves off for a good cause: raising money for local nonprofits. Winners get a drink, a dance and photo with their bachelor! The winner of the Wilderness Woman Contest, held earlier in the day, is crowned at the auction. Then it all winds up with the Bachelor Ball, followed by breakfast at midnight at the Talkeetna Roadhouse. Talkeetnabachelors.com
(FROM TOP) COURTESY KATMAI WILDERNESS LODGE/ANGELA MOLLAN; COURTESY THE SALTRY/COLIN WALKER
Brown bear family
Tours & Activities
Saturday in March, with the restart in Willow on Sunday. Racers often arrive in Nome in the middle of the night (race officials use an air horn or siren to let the crowd know when a musher is approaching), but with all the excitement, just about everybody is already awake. Iditarod.com
Doing your Big Year? ST. PAUL ISLAND (www. stpaultour.com) is a birder's paradise, with 248 species of birds and full service birding, photography and generalist tours. St. Paul Island is located in Alaska's Pribilof Islands, 300 miles off the coast of Alaska in the Bering Sea.
The SLUSH CUP AT ALYESKA RESORT'S SPRING CARNIVAL in April. The carnival celebrates the end of ski season and usually offers the perfect combination of sun and snow for participants and spectators to enjoy events like the Dummy Downhill, the XTRATUF Tug o’ War and, of course, the Slush Cup, always a crowd favorite. Cheer as costumed skiers speed downhill and then launch themselves across a slushy pond in an attempt to ski across the water to the other side. Alyeskaresort.com
Northern Alaska Tour Company (www.north ernalaska.com) offers several Arctic adventures. Fly to the Inupiat Eskimo village of BARROW and walk on the shores of the Arctic Ocean at the northernmost point in North America; one-day and overnight excursions are available year-round. Or another favorite is their three-day guided round trip to PRUDHOE BAY on the Arctic Ocean via the famous Dalton Highway.
Watch the home team Goldpanners play in front of a capacity crowd at the MIDNIGHT SUN BASE BALL GAME in Fairbanks on the longest day of the year (June 21). The game begins at 10:30 pm and lasts until well past midnight (the sun sets about 1 am), and is played without artificial lights. Held at Growden Memorial Park. This is one of the most popular summer solstice activities in the state. Run or watch the MOUNT MARATHON RACE on July 4th in Seward. This grueling endurance race up and down Mount Marathon (elev. 3,022 feet) requires previous mountain running experience. The course includes areas "of extreme difficulty, with steep inclines and slippery loose rock and shale." Protective gear—helmet, gloves, goggles, knee and elbow pads—is recommended. Start and finish in downtown Seward. Participants register for the race online between January 1 and March 31. mmr.seward.com The old-fashioned ALASKA STATE FAIR in Palmer is famous for its record-setting giant vegetables and picturesque location at the foot of the Chugach Mountains in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. An 11-day event (late August to Labor Day weekend), it features amusement rides, food
Hop aboard a BUSH MAIL FLIGHT with Warbelow's Air Ventures (www.warbelows.com) out of Fairbanks for a 3- to 4-hour flight to Beaver, Bettles, Anaktuvuk Pass and other villages. The least expensive way available to see Bush Alaska. Operates year-round. Warbelow's also offers a September trip to KAKTOVIK to see polar bears. Celebrate Kachemak Bay cuisine at the COOK ING SCHOOL AT TUTKA BAY (withinthewild. com/cuisine/cooking-school-tutka-bay/). Weekend cooking programs are open to the public and to Tutka Bay Lodge guests, with rotating 3-course menus featuring their recipe collections and regional products. Includes water taxi from Homer.
Brooks Lodge overlooks the Brooks River— famous for its bear viewing—in Katmai National Park, the ultimate Alaskan experience. Kulik Lodge and Grosvenor Lodge are premier sportfishing destinations; round-trip air transportation from Anchorage is included in tour package. KATMAI WILDERNESS LODGE (www.katmaiwilderness.com) offers an adventure package that includes lodging, meals, guided bear and wildlife viewing, photography tours and roundtrip floatplane travel from Kodiak. GLACIER BAY LODGE (www.visitglacierbay. com) is the only hotel within Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve and offers the only scheduled day tour permitted inside the park. See tidewater glaciers, whales, Stellar sea lions and more. Full-day cruise departs 7:30 am and returns 3:30 pm daily. Fairweather Dining Room at the lodge serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Wake up in nature at the luxurious ULTIMA THULE LODGE (ultimathulelodge.com). One hundred miles from the nearest road, this lodge in Wrangell-St. Elias National offers unparalleled access to Alaska’s wilderness. Private cabins, flight safaris and great hiking. You’ll enjoy the spectacular view of the Alaska Range from these family-owned wilderness lodges in Denali National Park. NORTH FACE LODGE has guest rooms with ensuite bathrooms and electricity. The more rustic CAMP DENALI offers cabins with outdoor facilities. Guest speaks and planned activities. Campdenali.com WINTERLAKE LODGE (withinthewild.com/ lodges/winterlake/), located northwest of Anchorage in the Alaska Range, is a fly-in lodge with guest cabins and bear viewing, fishing, float and paddle, glacier trekking, mountain biking and a dog mushing school (one of several winter-only activities). You may recognize the name from Chef Kirsten Dixon's latest cookbook.
Wilderness Lodges Explore America’s largest national park while staying at KENNICOTT GLACIER LODGE (kennicottlodge.com) in the historic copper mining town of Kennicott, in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Sit on the front porch and enjoy the panoramic view. Family-style dining room serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can request a sack lunch the night before a day hike. KATMAILAND (www.katmailand.com) books guests into Brooks, Kulik and Grosvenor lodges.
Octopus dinner at The Saltry
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where now Alaska
How to explore a really big state, starting with the biggest city.
Experience All of Anchorage
From Downtown to Midtown and Beyond
Fourth Ave. in downtown Anchorage is alive with flowers and food stands in summer
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For more information wheretraveler.com
T
he Anchorage Bowl sprawls across a low-lying alluvial plain on Cook Inlet and up the slopes of the Chugach Mountains to the east. For visitors, most of the action is concentrated in the very compact and very accessible downtown core (W. First to W. Ninth avenues), but there are also plenty of attractions beyond the city center. Included here are things to do and great places to shop and eat in Midtown, which is south from the Chester Creek Greenbelt to Dowling Road; in South Anchorage, which starts about Dimond Blvd.; and in East Anchorage, which lies east of the New Seward Highway from city center to Tudor.
OPPOSITE PAGE: COURTESY VISIT ANCHORAGE/FRANK FLAVIN. THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: COURTESY VISIT ANCHORAGE/ROY NEESE (3); ALASKA BOTANICAL GARDEN
First Stop Pick up maps, ask questions and follow the free advice of the friendly staff at the Log Cabin Visitor Information Center on Fourth Ave. or at the modern walk-in visitor center directly behind it. Both centers are open daily, year-round, except for major holidays. Anchorage City Trolley Tours (anchoragetrolley.com) departs from here on their popular 15-mile narrated sightseeing ride ($10 kids, $20 13 years and older).
Log Cabin visitor center
Outdoor Summer Fun Bike the 11-mile Tony Knowles Coastal Trail with its spectacular views of Cook Inlet, or mountain bike Kincaid Park (watch for moose on either trail!). Bike rentals are available locally. Downtown Bicycle Rental (www.alaska-bikerentals.com, Fourth Ave. between C and D streets) rents bikes and is also home to the Flattop Mountain Shuttle (www.hike-anchorage-alaska.com). For visitors wishing to hike Flattop, the state’s most popular trail—with wonderful views of Anchorage, Denali and Foraker on clear days—the shuttle is an easy and reasonably priced alternative to doing the driving yourself. Pick up some snacks for the hike at New Sagaya City Market on 13th
Ave. or New Sagaya Midtown. The Natural Pantry, also in Midtown on 36th Avenue, is a natural food market with an extensive hot and cold food buffet and to-go boxes. Grab your spot on the lawn at Peratrovich Park, corner of Fourth Ave. and E St., at noon on Mondays and Wednesdays, for Music in the Park. These hour-long lunchtime concerts begin June 1 and continue to Aug. 17. “Live After Five,” a weekly evening concert series featuring local bands plus a beer garden, takes place at Town Square, between Fifth and Seventh avenues, adjacent the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. Showtime is 5:30–7:30 pm Thursdays from June 3 to July 31. (The summer flower displays at Town Square are a visual feast for visitors and residents alike.) The Anchorage Alaska Public Lands Information Center, located in the historic Old Federal Building on Fourth Ave. and F St., offers a variety of guest speaker programs, natural history films and exhibits, interactive GIS stations and trip-planning assistance for outdoor enthusiasts. Guided downtown walking tours leave from here during the summer. Anchorage Market & Festival, Alaska’s largest open-air
Blue poppy
Flattop
market, is held in the parking lot at Third Ave. and E St., every weekend from May 7 to Sept. 4. There are food booths, live entertainment and hundreds of vendors selling a variety of Alaskan-made and Alaska-grown products, imported and novelty items. You’ll find Himalayan blue poppies and outstanding peonies at the Alaska Botanical Garden on Campbell Airstrip Road (www. alaskabg.org, 907.770.3692), east of the New Seward Highway off Tudor Road. This delightful walk in the woods provides the opportunity to see native Alaskan plants and perennials. The half-mile main loop visits seven display gardens; pick up a self-guiding trail map at the entrance or call ahead for a guided tour.
the corner of Seventh Ave. and C Street. Guided 45-minute tours are offered daily, or enjoy the art galleries, Thomas Planetarium and the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center on your own. At the Alaska Native Heritage Center (www. alaskanative.net), a 10-minute drive east of downtown, experience all of Alaska’s Native cultures in one place. This 26-acre wooded site includes the Welcome House, with a 95-seat theater and a Gathering Place to enjoy traditional storytelling, Native song and dance. Outside, take a walk around Tiulana Lake to six traditional village sites representing Athabascan, Yupik/Cupik, Inupiaq, Unangax, Alutiiq and Tlingit/Haida/Eyak/ Tsimshian cultures.
Alaska Culture
At the Bear Tooth Theatrepub (beartooththeatre.net) buy a $4 movie ticket then head to the counter to order freshly prepared food (try the Turnagain tofu burrito, Avalanche pizza or seared AK salmon tacos—3 of our favorites!), take the day-glow-orange numbered cone you are handed, find a seat inside the theatre, and wait for your meal to arrive and the movie to start.
See two great attractions for one great price ($29.95, includes shuttle) with the Alaska Culture Pass (alaskaculturepass. org) to Anchorage Museum and the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Explore 10,000 years of history at Anchorage Museum (www.anchoragemuseum.org), on
Rainy Day Fun
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Order a root beer with your meal, or head to the draft beer and wine bar inside. Also in this building is the Bear Tooth Grill, a restaurant that routinely appears on Best Places to Eat in Anchorage lists. In Midtown at 1230 West 27th Ave. Just a block south of Beartooth, in the “heart of Spenard” on Northern Lights Blvd., is a strip mall with worthy stops (not unusual in Anchorage). There’s the Anchorage REI, with its great selection of outdoor gear and rentals for the visiting outdoor adventurer (everything from backpacks to snowshoes); open until 9 pm weeknights, 7 pm on weekends. In the same mall, visit the 30,000-squarefoot Title Wave Books (www.wavebooks.com), largest bookstore in Alaska and one of the biggest used bookstores in the country. Browse a fabulous selection of used and new books, used DVDs, music CDs and LPs. Have lunch next door at the Middle Way Café (www.middlewaycafe.com), advertising “Organic coffee, healthy eats & local art”; open daily until 6 pm, lunch served all day every day! Learn about Alaska’s aviation history at the Aviation Heritage Museum (www.alaskaairmuseum. org, 907.248.5325) located near the airport on the south shore of the busiest seaplane base in the world, Lake Hood.
Kid Stuff The Imaginarium Discovery Center at downtown’s Anchorage Museum is a hands-on place for kids to learn science through fun and interactive exhibits, such as Bubble Space, where bubbles demonstrate surface tension, shape and light reflection. TOTE Kidspace is a gallery designed for children ages 5 and under, the perfect place to let your children wear off excess energy in a safe and educational environment. The Alaska Zoo (www.alaskazoo.org) is a fun family destination with gravel paths winding through the woods past a variety of resident mammals—bears, moose, Dall sheep, musk oxen and more—as well as exotic species like Bactrian camels and snow leopards. During the winter, enjoy the whimsical lighted animal displays of Zoo Lights (usually Thanksgiving through Fur Rondy; check website for schedule). In South Anchorage on O’Malley.
Eat & Drink Anchorage has many, many fine restaurants, not just downtown but south, east, west and midtown. Standards like Orso, Crow’s Nest, Jens’, Snow City Café and Sacks Café, and newer downtown spots like Williwaw, Fat Ptarmigan, Tequila 61 and Haute Quarter
Coastal bike trail
Ginger
907.770.9200) restaurant and coffeehouse, as its name implies, is in South Anchorage at 11124 Old Seward Hwy. Try the crab frittata for brunch or dinner entrees like pork picatta or sopa de mar.
Shopping The ulu makes a great souvenir or gift (pack it in your checked luggage, not in your carry-on!). Classic interpretations of this traditional Eskimo cutting tool at the Ulu Factory (www.theulufactory. com), 211 W. Ship Creek Ave., and in local stores. The distinctively branded and extra soft tees and hoodies at AK Starfish Co. (www.akstarfish.com) come in many colors and are a favorite with locals. Downtown at 737 West Fifth Ave., and in South Anchorage on Dimond Blvd., adjacent their sister store, Mermaid Co. Boutique. Knitted caps, scarves and other garments made from qiviut, the downy-soft underwool of the musk ox, at Oomingmak Musk Ox Producers’ Cooperative (www.qiviut.com), on the corner of Sixth Ave. and H St.
CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: COURTESY VISIT ANCHORAGE/ROY NEESE; VISIT ANCHORAGE/JODYO (2)
City moose
Grill. Here’s just a sample of what’s available across the city: Club Paris has been serving perfect steaks and seafood since the 1950s. Downtown at 417 W. Fifth Ave. Lunch and dinner Mon.– Sat., dinner only on Sundays. (www.clubparisrestaurant.com, 907.277.6332) Ginger (gingeralaska.com, 907.929.3680), 425 W. Fifth Ave., is a downtown fusion restaurant specializing in Pacific Rim cuisine and classic Asian specialties. Serving dinner 7 days a week, lunch on weekdays, and a great brunch (11 am–2:30 pm) on the weekend. Known for its wild Alaska salmon, rotisserie meats and handcrafted ales, Glacier Brewhouse (www.glacierbrewhouse.com, 907.274.2739) is downtown at 737 W. Fifth Ave., open daily, reservations recommended. Kincaid Grill (www.kincaidgrill. com, 907.243.0507), on Jewel Lake Road on the west end of town, is known for its innovative menu featuring fresh Alaska seafood. Quite possibly one of the best meals you’ll ever have. Serving dinner only, Tues.–Sat., 5–10 pm. Lucky Wishbone at 1033 E. Fifth Ave. (907.272.3454) has been serving fried chicken and French fries since 1955, winning top reviews for its food and service. Moose’s Tooth (moosestooth. net, 907.258.2537) in Midtown at 3300 Old Seward Hwy. Innovative pizzas, great salads and craft beer are served daily; open until midnight Fridays and Saturdays. South (www.southak.com,
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WHERE NOW Alaska
Side Trips from Anchorage
CLOCKWISE FROM LOWER LEFT: ©CLAIRE TORGERSON; ©JONA HARMAN; ©SHARON LEIGHOW; ©KRIS VALENCIA (2)
It is said that Alaska is just a short drive from Anchorage, and there’s some truth to that: A halfhour’s drive from Fifth Avenue Mall and you can hike in the kind of wilderness synonymous with the Last Frontier. These side trip suggestions vary in driving time from less than an hour to five hours for half-day, allday and overnight adventures. Approximate roundtrip mileages from Anchorage are given. For those without a car, all-inclusive tours that include transportation from Anchorage are available for day cruises out of Whittier and Seward. The Alaska Railroad (www.AlaskaRailroad.com) provides scheduled train service and all-inclusive tour packages to Girdwood, Whittier, Talkeetna and Seward, as well as Denali National Park and Fairbanks.
Head out the Glenn Highway Hiking Trails Thunderbird Falls is a popular and easy 2-mile round-trip hike from the trailhead; a wide, mostly flat, scenic trail to a viewing platform. Take Thunderbird South Fork Valley Falls exit 25 miles northeast of Anchorage on the Glenn Highway. Before you go, stop in at the Alaska Public Lands Information Center downtown for details on other nearby hiking trails. Two of our area favorites are the South Fork Valley and Rendezvous Peak trails. Be bear aware on all trails! (50 miles)
Eagle River Nature Center (www.ernc.org) has natural history displays and self-guiding nature trails. Guided nature hikes offered in summer, educational programs year-round. Turn your day hike into an overnight by renting a yurt (details on website). Eagle River or Eagle River Loop exits off the Glenn Highway. (52 miles)
Palmer
Reindeer Farm
Old Glenn Highway The 18-mile-long Old Glenn Highway, off the new Glenn Highway, is the scenic route into Palmer. Among its attractions are: Fishing at Eklutna Tailrace; daily trips out to Knik Glacier with Knik Glacier Tours (www.knikglacier.com); hiking Bodenburg Butte; picking fresh fruits and veggies at Pyrah’s Pioneer Peak Farm (PPPfarm.net); and stopping at the Reindeer Farm (reindeerfarm.com), where the Williams family welcomes summer visitors to their original Colony Farm and you can hand feed reindeer. If you have the time, it makes sense to combine this drive with a visit to Palmer. (90 miles)
Nestled in the Matanuska Valley northeast of Anchorage, Palmer has fun shops and good restaurants. Try Turkey Red Café and Bakery (turkeyredak.com), a foodie’s paradise; produce from local farms is used to create their Greek-inspired dishes. Don’t miss the Colony House Museum on Elmwood Avenue: it represents one of the original house plans available to the Matanuska Valley Colonists who settled here during the 1930s. Just east of Palmer, visit the Musk Ox Farm (muskoxfarm.org), dedicated to the preservation and domestication of the musk ox. Observe and photograph these shaggy Ice Age beasts on an original Colony Farm and learn more about them on a guided tour. (100 miles)
The Musk Ox Farm
Wasilla Less than an hour’s drive north of Anchorage via the Glenn and Parks highways, Wasilla has a variety of museums. The Dorothy G. Page Museum and Historic Town Site on N. Main St., presents local history and hosts a Farmers Market on Wednesdays. A must-stop to learn more about the “last great race” is the Iditarod Sled Dog Race Headquarters (www.iditarod.com), at Mile 2 Knik-Goose Bay Road. Northwest of town a few miles, and just off the Parks Highway, the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry (www.museumofalaska.org) has 20 acres of historic aircraft, railroad, mining and military equipment, and vintage farm machinery. Stop for food and a brewski at The Last Frontier Brewing Company (lastfrontierbrew.com) or enjoy lunch, happy hour or dinner at The Grape Tap (www.the grapetap.com), both in Wasilla. Farmers Market (98 miles) 13
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Turn off the Glenn Highway just east of Palmer and follow Palmer-Fishhook Road 17 miles to the park entrance. Tour the restored buildings and ruins of this old gold mine. Hike the Gold Cord Lake Trail, good for all fitness levels. Have lunch at Hatcher Pass Lodge (www.hatcherpasslodge.com) then backtrack to Anchorage via Palmer. Hatcher Pass is a trip best planned for mid-June through August. (134 miles)
South on the Seward Highway Girdwood
Southern BBQ
Bird Point
Independence Mine
Talkeetna There’s so much to do in Talkeetna, a small town 2-1/2-hours’ drive from Anchorage via the Glenn and Parks highways, that you may want to make this an overnight destination. Local air services like Talkeetna Air Taxi (www. talkeetnaair.com), K2 Aviation (flyk2.com) and Sheldon Air Service (sheldonairservice.com) offer flightseeing trips of Denali along with glacier landings, as well as transport for climbers doing Denali. Another memorable tour here is a jet boat trip upriver to Devils Canyon with Mahay’s Jet Boat Adventures (www. mahaysjetboat.com). Or catch the afternoon departure of Alaska Railroad’s Hurricane Turn train, the last flag-stop train in the nation. Stop by the old-time Nagley’s General Store for lunch items or dine at one of several excellent restaurants. Eating options include Flying Squirrel Bakery Café, the Talkeetna Roadhouse, the Swiss-Alaska Inn, Mountain High Pizza Pie, Denali Brewpub and West Rib Café and Pub, to name a few. (226 miles)
Drive 30 miles south on the Seward Highway to Bird Point scenic overlook to see beluga whales or a bore tide. Fish for silver salmon, July-August, at Bird Creek. Grab lunch at Turnagain Arm Pit BBQ, “authentic southern ‘Q’ on the shores of Turnagain Arm,” then shop for reindeer sausage, buffalo and venison at Indian Valley Meats (www.indian valleymeats.com, 907.653.7511). Or try your hand at gold panning at Indian Valley Mine (indian valleymine.com), a National Historic Site, at Milepost 104. At Potter Marsh, stroll the extensive boardwalk to see nesting arctic terns, Canada geese and trumpeter swans. (60 miles)
A 45-minute drive from Anchorage via the Seward Highway and 3-mile-long Alyeska Highway, Girdwood and the adjacent Alyeska Resort (alyeskaresort.com) offer spectacular scenery and lots of activities. Don’t miss Crow Creek Mine (crowcreekmine.com) a national historic site; hike the Winner Creek Trail; ride the tram to the 2,300-foot level of Mount Alyeska and dine at Seven Glaciers Restaurant. Other popular area eateries include Chair 5, Jack Sprats, The Bake Shop and Double Musky Inn. (80 miles)
Hope A bustling gold camp in 1896, picturesque Hope is a quiet community today, with unique shops and historic buildings. It is a 70-mile drive south from Anchorage followed by a 20-mile drive on the Hope Highway. Visit the Hope and Sunrise Historical and Mining Museum to get a taste of this area’s history, and then have lunch at the Seaview Café (www. seaviewcafealaska.com) or Tito’s Discovery Café. Drive to the end of Hope Highway to reach the trailhead for Gull Rock Trail. This easy and relatively flat 5.7-mile hike through lush vegetation offers fine views of Turnagain Arm. For the more adventurous, Nova River Runners (www.nova-alaska. com) offers Class IV and V whitewater trips on Sixmile Creek, at Mile 0.1 Hope Seaview Cafe Highway. (180 miles)
Portage Glacier/Whittier Less than an hour’s drive south of Anchorage, a side road takes you five miles to Begich, Boggs Visitor Center on Portage Lake. Learn about the Portage Valley here, then cruise Portage Lake on the MV Ptarmigan and get a close-up look at Portage Glacier (www.graylinealaska.com). Drive through 2-mile-long Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel (www.tunnel.alaska.gov) to reach Whittier, a popular port for glacier and wildlife cruise tours of Prince William Sound (www.26glaciers.com, MajorMarine.com). Be sure to stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (www.alaskawildlife.org), just before the Whittier turnoff, to see bears, moose, caribou, musk-oxen, elk and more. (120 miles)
Seward Just over 2 hours’ drive south of Anchorage, Seward is home to The Alaska SeaLife Center (www.alaskasealife.org), Alaska’s premier aquarium and marine wildlife rescue center. At Seward Small Boat Harbor, Kenai Fjords Tours (kenai fjords.com) and Major Marine Tours (majormarine.com) offer day cruises to Kenai Fjords National Park, and Stoney Creek Canopy Tours (www.stoneycreekca.com) departs for their zipline adventures. Outside town, hike to Exit Glacier then stop at Seavey’s Iditarod Champion Kennel (www.ididaride. com) for a summer dog sled ride. (292 miles)
CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT: ©MEGHAN MACKEY; ©KRIS VALENCIA; ©SHARON NAULT (2)
Independence Mine State Historical Park
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Denali: The Great One Visiting Alaska’s most visited national park
©SHARON NAULT (TOP); ©KRIS VALENCIA (BOTTOM)
A
t 20,310 feet, Denali dominates the already colossal landscape of the Alaska Range, rising above the horizon of Alaska’s two largest cities, Fairbanks and Anchorage. Seeing Denali, the mountain formerly known as Mount McKinley and the highest peak on the continent, tops most Alaska visitors’ lists. Known around the world for its amazing scenery and wildlife, Denali National Park is a place of excitement, inspiration and exploration for travelers. One of the most popular activities is exploring Denali by bus along the 92-mile Denali Park Road. Take in the extraordinary landscape and the opportunity to see Denali (weather permitting)! Tour bus drivers narrate and pause for views of wildlife and scenery. Less expensive, nonnarrated shuttle buses, called Visitor Transportation Shuttles (VTS), provide more flexibility to explore the park at your leisure. These buses also stop for wildlife and scenery viewing/ picture taking. Lucky visitors will see grizzly and black bears, wolves, caribou, moose and Dall sheep. Buses depart the Wilderness Access Center every half hour between 6 am and 10 pm in the summer. A must-see in Denali Park is the sled dog demonstration. The sled dogs of Denali are the only working sled dogs in a U.S. national park. Free Sled Dog Demonstrations are given at the
Park Kennels three times a day during peak season. Visitors can photograph and pet the sled dogs before the formal demonstration. We highly recommend you take advantage of the informative park ranger programs. Park rangers are available for hikes, talks and rides on certain bus tours. Attend an educational program at the Murie Science and Learning Center. Programs
include field seminars, teacher training and youth camps. When planning a visit, allow time for one of the flightseeing tours by plane or helicopter that offer a bird’s-eye view of Denali and the Alaska Range. Many tour operators offer optional glacier landings on ski planes. Check out Talkeetna Air Taxi (www.talkeetnaair.com), Sheldon Air Service (sheldonairservice.com) and K-2 Aviation (flyk2.
Visiting the Park Kennels
com) in Talkeetna; Denali Air (www. denaliair.com), with air tours departing from their private airstrip just south of the park entrance; and Rust’s Flying Service (flyrusts. com) in Anchorage. Scenic and whitewater river trips are a very popular activity here. Denali rafting companies offer daily departures for Nenana Gorge whitewater trips, Upper Nenana River scenic floats and trips that combine both scenic and whitewater. Multi-day overnight raft trips are also available. Rafts are paddle or oar. Operators provide drysuits for whitewater, free transportation from local hotels, and safety briefings by experienced guides. Kayak trips using inflatable kayaks are also available. Rafting and kayaking are affordable ways to enjoy the wilderness, with or without the thrill of whitewater. Visit these websites for details: Denali Raft Adventures (www.denaliraft.com), Nenana Raft Adventures (www. raftdenali.com), Denali Outdoor Center (www. denalioutdoorcenter. com). Consider seeing Denali from the treetops on a zipline tour! These cableride attractions have become increasingly popular in Alaska. Denali Zipline Tours (www.denalizipline. com), offers spectacular views of Denali and the Alaska Range. An ATV tour through Denali Park
offers thrills from the ground as you bounce across dirt tracks and experience the park’s wilderness from a single or multirider ATV. Two- and four-hour tours are available from Denali ATV Adventures (www.denaliatv.com). Staying in Denali? There are many hotels to choose from just north of the park entrance on the Parks Highway. Camping in the park is also an option; reserve ahead. Visitors can access Denali National Park and Preserve by vehicle and by the Alaska Railroad (www. alaskarailroad.com, 800.544.0552). The park entrance is 237 miles north of Anchorage and 125 miles south of Fairbanks via the Parks Highway. Typical summer weather in the park is cool, wet and windy. Visitors should pack clothes for temperatures that range from 40-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Rain gear, a light coat and bug spray are essential. The park entrance fee is $10 fee per person and additional fees are charged for the shuttle bus, tour buses and campgrounds (there is also a reservation fee). Free attractions in the park include the Sled Dog Demonstrations, guided ranger hikes and the Denali Visitor Center/Karstens Theatre. Season openings for park services and the park road are found at www.nps. gov/dena and at www. reservedenali.com. 15
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WHERE NOW Alaska
Fairbanks The Golden Heart City
First Stop Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center (www.explorefairbanks.com), 101 Dunkel St., is the city’s marvelous answer to all visitor questions. From the knowledgeable staff to the interpretive exhibits, theatre and dedicated trip planning assistance desk, this
is what a visitor center should be! Outside, walk through the moose and caribou antler arch and follow the riverwalk to Golden Heart Park. Free.
Summer Fun Step aboard one of the Riverboat Discovery (www.riverboatdiscovery.com, 907.479.6673) sternwheelers for a cruise down the Chena River and into history, with a stops at the Old Chena Indian Village and the kennel of the late Susan Butcher (4-time Iditarod champ), plus a bush pilot demonstration on the river. This is a top Fairbanks attraction. 1975 Discovery Dr. The 44-acre Pioneer Park (907.459.1087) has something for everyone: historic buildings, shops and concessions, food, entertainment, picnicking, playgrounds, miniature golf, museums, train rides, canoe and bike rentals. Admission is free.
Must-See Museums The distinctive silhouette of the University of Alaska Museum of the North (www.uaf.edu/ museum, 907.474.7505) promises a world-class facility and it delivers, with displays of Alaska wildlife, natural history and Alaska Native cultures. Don’t miss: Blue Babe, a 36,000-year-old steppe bison mummy dug up at a local placer gold mine in 1979; the largest public display of gold in the state; and 2,000 years of Alaska art at the Rose Berry Alaska Art Gallery.
Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum (www.fountainheadmuseum.com, 907.456.3642) showcases more than 70 historically significant automobiles, including the first car in the Territory of Alaska, historical Alaska photographs and films, and a fabulous vintage fashion collection (the women seem to have all been Size 0 back in the day!) From College Road take Margaret Ave. to Wedgewood Resort and follow signs.
Only in Fairbanks Birds of a feather flock together, and here in Fairbanks that would be sandhill cranes, ducks, swans, geese and other birds at Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge (www. creamersfield.org, 907.452.5162) at 1300 College Road. Explore over 5 miles of trails on this 2,000-acre refuge—on the site of the historic Creamer’s Dairy Farm—and stop by the Farmhouse Visitor Center. Free. Reserve a walk in the boreal forest of northwest Fairbanks accompanied by reindeer at Running Reindeer Ranch (www.running reindeer.com, 907.455.4998). Details and booking information online. Robert G. White Large Animal Research Station (www.muskoxuaf.org, 907.474.5724), or LARS for short, introduces visitors to muskoxen, caribou and reindeer on a 1/4-mile narrated walk. Public tours available June through August, admission fee charged.
©KRIS VALENCIA
H
ub of Interior Alaska, Fairbanks is 360 highway miles north of Anchorage and a 4-hour train trip from Denali Park. With almost 22 hours of daylight in summer, you’ll have long days to explore. In winter, aurora watchers arrive by the planeload. Whatever the season, Fairbanks is fun!
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TIP!
Bring a sleeping mask in summer. You’ll need it.
©KRIS VALENCIA
Eat & Drink The Pump House (www.pumphouse.com, 907.479.8452) has been voted best dining experience in the Interior by fans. Fresh seafood, wild game, oyster bar, historic atmosphere inside (it’s on the National Register of Historic Places) and an outside deck overlooking the Chena River can’t be beat. The Turtle Club (907.457.3883) is at Mile 10 Old Steese Highway, in nearby Fox, but Fairbanks residents are regulars, driving the short distance to enjoy the restaurant’s famous prime rib and prawns. The Cookie Jar (www.cookiejarfairbanks.com, 907.479.8319) at 1006 Cadillac Court (behind Kendall Auto), is a very popular family restaurant with an extensive menu. Breakfast—served all day—is a favorite here. Lavelle’s Bistro (www.lavellesbistro.com, 907.450.0555) is a happening place in downtown Fairbanks, with an extensive wine list and favorites like potato-crusted salmon, honey apple halibut and warm red cabbage salad. Located inside Springhill Suites at 575 First Ave. Chena’s Alaskan Grill (chenas.net, 907.474.3644), located at River’s Edge Resort on Boat Street off Airport Way, features modern Alaskan cuisine on its lunch and dinner menus. Try their Alaskan Amber glazed pork tenderloin or fire grilled wild caught Alaska salmon. Fairbanks has a surprising number of Thai restaurants. Here are two that make top ten
lists: Lemongrass Thai Cuisine (www.lemongrassalaska.com, 907.456.2200) serves authentic cuisine from Chiang Mai, Thailand, at 388 Old Chena Pump Rd.; and Thai House Restaurant (907.452.6123) at 412 Fifth Ave.
Gold! Gold Dredge 8 (www.golddredge8.com, 907.479.6673), just north of Fairbanks, preserves a 5-deck, 250-foot dredge built in 1928. Tours of the dredge, a ride on a replica of the Tanana Valley Railroad, and gold panning lessons. “The best 2 hours you will spend in the State.” Learn how to gold pan with professionals at Gold Daughters (golddaughters.com), located on the Steese Highway about 8 miles from Fairbanks, across from the pipeline viewpoint.
Shopping Noted for her silver sculptural interpretations of Northern images, look for Judie Gumm Jewelry (www.judiegumm.com, 907.479.4568) in local shops. Her studio is in Ester, just west of Fairbanks. Fine Alaska chocolates by Willit House Chocolate Company (www.willithouse.com) are available at many select shops in the Fairbanks area, including the Riverboat Discovery gift shop, Santa Claus House in North Pole and Chena Hot Springs Resort. Or order online. Fairbanks has a lively art scene and more than 20 Northern artists are represented at Two Street Gallery (2streetgallery, 907.455.4070), 535
Second Ave., Suite 102. Open daily year-round. Tanana Valley Farmer’s Market (tvfmarket. com) at 2600 College Rd. showcases a variety of Alaska grown produce and Made in Alaska arts and crafts. Wed. and weekends May–Sept. The Great Alaskan Bowl Company (www. woodbowl.com, 907.474.9663) at 4630 Old Airport Way has one of the few bowl mills left in the country at its in-store factory. Open daily year-round. Everyone has a favorite flavor of Hot Licks Homemade Ice Cream (www.hotlicks.net), the premium small-batch ice cream made in Alaska since 1986. Try a cone or cup of the Alaska Wild Blueberry at their store on College Road.
Day Trips Chena Hot Springs Resort (chenahotsprings. com, 907.451.8104), 60 scenic miles from Fairbanks, offers an outdoor hot springs and indoor pool; the Aurora Ice Museum; a full-service restaurant; geothermal tours; dog sled and dog cart rides; and guided horseback or ATV tours. Open yearround, with aurora viewing in winter. 80 lodge rooms for those wishing to overnight. Christmas in July? It’s Christmas year-round at Santa Claus House (www.santaclaushouse. com) in North Pole, 14 miles east of Fairbanks. Visit the reindeer outside then browse the gift shop for Christmas decorations. Santa Claus is usually in residence to meet young children. Home of the Original Letter from Santa; mail from here will have a North Pole postmark. 17
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PORTS OF CALL
Seeing Alaska by Cruise Ship With an estimated 34,000 miles of coastline, including islands, cruising Alaska is like going around the world once, then taking a second trip from pole to pole, at least in terms of distance. But the majority of Alaska cruises are 7 to 14 days, concentrating on the Inside Passage in Southeastern Alaska or extending north and west to Prince William Sound and Kenai Peninsula ports, with some itineraries calling at Kodiak and Dutch Harbor in Southwestern Alaska.
Creek Street, Ketchikan
Misty Fiords National Monument, a pristine wilderness of dense forest and dramatic waterfalls, is bisected by
Behm Canal, extraordinary for its length and depth. A scenic wonder. Wrangell is the only Alaska city to have existed under 4 nations and 3 flags—the Stikine Tlingits, the Russians, Great Britain and the United States. Wrangell Museum and Chief Shakes Island are highlights, as are floatplane and boat tours to Anan Wildlife Observatory (for bear viewing), the Stikine River Delta and LeConte Glacier. Petersburg reflects both its Norwegian heri-
Saxman
TOP CENTER PHOTO: ©SHARON NAULT; ©KRIS VALENCIA (4)
Ketchikan, “Alaska’s First City,” has a wonderful waterfront promenade, where local fishing boats dock alongside mega cruise ships. Don’t miss the Totem Heritage Center, Saxman Totem Park or Totem Bight State Historical Park. We like strolling Creek Street, the pub halibut at Annabelle’s, the view from Cape Fox Lodge and the fish and chips at the Alaska Fish House.
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tage and its commercial fishing industry with waterfront canneries and Scandinavian-themed shops. Whale watching, sea kayaking, LeConte Glacier boat tours, fishing charters and bear viewing are big here. Sitka was the capital of Russian Alaska until Russia sold Alaska to the United States on Oct. 18, 1867. Highlights are Sheldon Jackson Museum and Sitka National Historic Park. Highliner Coffee Café (907.747.4924), at 327 Seward Street, offers WiFi, fresh baked pastries and superb coffee. Enjoy rustic Mediterranean fare at Ludvig’s Bistro (907.966.3663), located at 256 Katlian Ave.; reserve ahead.
Homer Spit, Homer Mt. Roberts Tramway, Juneau
Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm, southeast of Juneau and adjacent Stephens Passage, are long, deep, narrow fjords extending more than 30 miles into the glaciated Coast Mountain Range. Fords Terror, off of Endicott Arm, is a smaller fjord with a narrow entrance and sheer rock walls.
TOP CENTER PHOTO: ©SHARON NAULT; ©KRIS VALENCIA (4)
Juneau, Alaska’s capital. Don’t miss Mount Roberts Tramway, Mendenhall Glacier or the Shrine of St. Therese. Have brunch at The Rookery Café (therookerycafe.com), 111 Seward St., and dinner at SALT Restaurant (saltalaska. com, 907.780.2221) at 200 Seward St. Everyone loves The Hangar On The Wharf (www. hangaronthewharf.com, 907.586.5018) for its food, drink, atmosphere and view.
Haines is home to the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, where more than 3,500 eagles congregate each October. Take a walking tour of historic Fort William H. Seward; visit the Hammer Museum; raft the Chilkat River; go hiking, biking, fishing or kayaking. Skagway dates back to the Klondike Gold Rush and evidence of its past is everywhere. Ride the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway (wpyr.com). Take a National Park Service ranger-guided tour of downtown and of Dyea townsite near the Chilkoot Trail; details at Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park visitor center on Broadway. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve has 7 active tidewater glaciers and is a sanctuary for the endangered humpback whales that summer here.
Hubbard Glacier, near Yakutat, the largest tidewater glacier in North America, is 6 miles across at its face. College Fjord is in the northwest corner of Prince William Sound. Tidewater glaciers cascade down from snowcapped peaks into this 18-mile-long estuary.
Kodiak is the largest city and main port on Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. Enjoy Russian and Alutiiq history at the Baranov Museum; WWII artifacts at Fort Abercrombie; or sample the local beer at Kodiak Island Brewing Co. Some 3,500 bears inhabit Kodiak Island.
Whittier, at the head of Passage Canal on Prince William Sound, is 60 road miles from Anchorage and that city’s de facto port for most Cross-Gulf cruise ships and for glacier and wildlife sightseeing cruise tours of Prince William Sound. Seward, on the east coast of the Kenai Peninsula, 127 highway miles from Anchorage, is the home of the Alaska SeaLife Center and the annual Mount Marathon Race, and Gateway to Kenai Fjords National Travel Park.
TIP
Homer, on Kachemak Bay, on the southwest side of Kenai Peninsula. Stop for a beer at the Salty Dawg on Homer Spit; browse small shops and art galleries in downtown Homer; visit the Pratt Museum and Alaska Islands & Ocean Center.
Dutch Harbor, the major port on Amaknak Island in the Aleutian Chain, 800 miles southwest of Anchorage. A major civilian port and gateway to the Bering Sea region, Dutch Harbor is a stop on the more exotic cruise itineraries to/from Russia and Japan.
Bring binoculars for whale watching
Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau
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WHERE NOW Alaska
Sample the state’s microbreweries
W
hether you are traveling through Alaska’s Interior, cruising Southeast, or staying in Anchorage, a fantastic microbrew isn’t hard to find. In the last decade, Alaska’s microbreweries have really taken off, to the delight of craft beer fans! Here are some of our favorites around the state. One of the state’s oldest breweries, but with a hip, modern vibe, the Midnight Sun Brewing Company (midnightsunbrewing.com, 907.344.1179), at 8111 Dimond Hook Dr. in south Anchorage, offers a tasting room, weekly tours and about-to-be-released beer samples. Its Loft restaurant offers a limited menu of fresh savory dishes. Popular with the lunch and after work crowds. Midnight Sun is included on Big Swig Tours (www.bigswigtours. com) brewery tour in Anchorage. Check out King Street Brewing Company (www.kingstreetbrewing. com, 907.336.5464), located at 7924 King St. in south Anchorage. Started by two home brewers, King Street is one of the fastest growing breweries in Alaska. Stop in and sample their signature King Street IPA, Pilsner or Hefeweizen or one of their many seasonal offerings. Expect a crowd and a wait at Moose’s Tooth (moosestooth.net, 907.258.2537) in midtown Anchorage, where they serve beer from their in-house Broken Tooth Brewing Company. Known for gourmet pizzas and delicious salads, the Moose’s Tooth is always busy—but worth the wait! You can’t go wrong with a great pizza and a frosty mug of Pipeline Stout or Northern Lights Amber. On the big island of Kodiak, you’ll find both locals and tourists imbibing at the Kodiak Island Brewing Company (www.kodiakbrewery.com, 907.486.2537) on Lower Mill Bay Rd. Started in 2003, they use organic base malts and specialty malts in their 10-barrel system. Stop in and try the local favorite, Snowshoe Session IPA. Drive north about a 100 miles
up the Parks Highway from Anchorage and stop in at Denali Brewing Company (denalibrewingcompany. com, 907.733.2536), located at Mile 2 Talkeetna Spur Road. The brewery and tasting room are open daily. Just a few miles up the road on Main Street in Talkeetna is Denali Brewpub’s Twister Creek Restaurant (907.733.2537), where we like the Mother Ale and Twister Creek IPA paired with their Chulitna club sandwich. You’ll find the 49th State Brewing Company (49statebrewing.com, 907.683.2739) in Healy, 11 miles north of the Denali National Park entrance on the Parks Highway. The 49th State
Cheers! Moose’s Tooth 3300 Old Seward Hwy., Anchorage 907.258.2537 moosestooth.net; brokentoothbrewing.com Bear Tooth Grill & Theatrepub 1230 W. 27th St., Anchorage 907.276.4200 beartoothgrill.net; brokentoothbrewing.com King Street Brewing Co. 7924 King St., Anchorage 907.336.5464 kingstreetbrewing.com Alaskan Brewing Co. 5429 Shaune Dr., Juneau 907.780.5866. alaskanbeer.com Silver Gulch Brewery & Restaurant 2195 Old Steese Hwy., Fox 907.452.2739 and Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport 907.248.1048 silvergulch.com Kodiak Island Brewery 117 Lower Mill Bay Rd., Kodiak 907.486.2537 kodiakbrewery.com
King Street beer flight
Midnight Sun Brewing Company 8111 Dimond Hook Dr., Anchorage 907.344.1179 midnightsunbrewing.com 49th State Brewing Co. Mile 248.4 Parks Hwy., Healy 907.683.2739. 49statebrewing.com Skagway Brewing Company 7th & Broadway Skagway 907.983.2739 skagwaybrewing.com
Denali Brewing Co. on Main Street, Talkeetna
Denali Brewing Co. Mile 2 Talkeetna Spur and 13605 E. Main Talkeetna 907.733.2540/2537 denalibrewingcompany. com
(TOP) COURTESY KING STREET BREWING CO.; (BOTTOM) ©CLAIRE TORGERSON
Alaska on Tap
Brewing Company is Denali’s hot spot for sustainably produced food and award-winning handcrafted beers. Indoor/outdoor seating. While there, check out the replica of the bus used in the movie Into the Wild. America’s Northernmost Brewery, the Silver Gulch Brewing & Bottle Company (www.silvergulch.com) is located in Fox, Alaska,11 miles north of Fairbanks. Their restaurant features Porter Beer Cheese Soup. Alaskan Brewing Company in Juneau (alaskanbeer.com, 907.780.5866) is the state’s largest brewery, located at 5429 Shaune Dr., it offers seasonal brews, including Pumpkin Ale; yearround beers such as Hopothermia and Icy Bay IPA; and limited edition beers like Smoked Porter. Their popular microbrews are available in Anchorage restaurants and liquor stores and in a growing number of Lower 48 states.
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For more information wheretraveler.com
WINTER IN FAIRBANKS Viewing the aurora borealis tops the winter favorites list here. There’s even a website to answer your questions and give you a forecast of aurora activity (www. gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast). The third week of February through March, don’t miss the BP World Ice Art Championships (www.icealaska.com). The competitions attract more than 100 ice artists who come from all over the world to create works of astonishing detail and beauty from giant blocks of ice. Watch carvers at work or walk among their completed creations, on display at the Ice Park (map and directions on website). Anchorage has the Iditarod (although the 2015 race did start in Fairbanks due to lack of snow in Anchorage!), and Fairbanks has
(LEFT) ©SHARON LEIGHOW; (RIGHT) COURTESY VISIT ANCHORAGE/JODY OVERSTREET
Iditarod start, Anchorage
Winter in the North
Alyeska Resort (alyeskaresort. com), Alaska’s largest ski area, is 45 miles south of Anchorage in Girdwood. The resort features a 304-room hotel, aerial tramway og mushing, skiing (cross-country and downhill), ski-joring and 2,500 vertical feet of terrain, (skiing with dogs), snowshoeing, ice skating, ice fishing and including North America’s longest snowmachining are just a few of the sports Alaskans enjoy in double-black run. winter. Winter festivals and heavenly performances by the auThe Municipality of rora borealis also provide inspiration during the cold and the Anchorage maintains several dark of winter in Alaska. (The northern lights are visible late August through outdoor skating areas includearly April.) As winter visitors will discover, the best way to fight the cold of ing Cheney Lake, Cuddy Family winter is to embrace it. Here are a few suggestions for doing just that. Park in midtown, Goose Lake in the U-med district, Jewel Lake in WINTER IN ANCHORAGE after events with a Bear Tooth south Anchorage and Westchester In February, the world’s longest, Grill Cold-Killer Toddy or Spenard Lagoon in downtown. toughest snowmobile race, the Roadhouse Glögg. (If it’s not on Hilltop Ski Area in Far North Iron Dog (irondog.org), has its the menu, ask the bartender.) Bicentennial Park has a chair ceremonial start in Anchorage The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog lift, rope tow and a platter lift and the 10-day Fur Rendezvous Race™ (www.iditarod.com) to for skiers. Ski lessons and rentals Festival (www.furrondy.net) kicks Nome starts on 4th Ave. in downare available. off with a fireworks show. “Rondy” town Anchorage the first Saturday Kincaid Park is a popular venue has more than 120 events, includin March. The racers then drive to for cross-country skiers, with its ing the Running of the Reindeer. Willow, 70 miles north, for the offi- spectacular views of Mt. Susitna, Warm up before, during and cial race restart the following day. Mt. Foraker and Denali.
Cool Sports and Hot Toddies
D
Anchorage ski trail
the Yukon Quest (www.yukonquest. com), a rugged 1,000-mile race between Fairbanks and Whitehorse in Yukon. The Quest alternates its start between the 2 cities. The 2017 race starts in Whitehorse. At Chena Hot Springs Resort (www.chenahotsprings.com), an hour’s drive from Fairbanks, soak in the outdoor hot springs pool or tour the Aurora Ice Museum, kept at a cool 25 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. The resort’s semi-remote location (there is no city light pollution) makes it one of the best places on earth for aurora viewing. 21
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the guide
Scenery on a grand scale
“There is one word of advice and caution to be given those intending to visit Alaska for pleasure, or for sightseeing,” wrote Henry Gannett in 1899. “If you are old, go by all means, but if you are young, wait. The scenery of Alaska is much grander than anything else of its kind in the world, and it is not well to dull ones’ capacity for enjoyment by seeing the finest first.” Despite Mr. Gannett’s words of caution, people of all ages— almost 2 million—visit Alaska annually, arriving by air, by sea and by road in hubs like Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks. Measured in square miles, Alaska is the largest state in the union, more than twice the size of Texas, although it ranks 47th in population (while Texas is second). To understand the vastness and variety of Alaska, we’ve created six regional guides based on geography, summarizing the distinctions of each, followed by a representative listing of attractions and activities. Find more listings at wheretraveler.com/alaska
24 ANCHORAGE AND PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
A Vibrant City and a Saltwater Paradise
28 KENAI PENINSULA
Alaska’s Playground for Outdoor Adventure
31 MAT-SU AND THE
COPPER RIVER VALLEY
Rugged Mountains, Mighty Rivers, Pioneer Farms
33 SOUTHWESTERN/ WESTERN/ARCTIC Alaska’s Wilderness Rim
34 INTERIOR/DENALI
NATIONAL PARK/FAIRBANKS
Highest Mountain, Longest River, Northern Lights
36 SOUTHEAST ALASKA Sublime Wilderness, Charming Port Cities
46 MAPS
City maps of Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks w w w.wh e re t r ave l e r. com 23
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THE GUIDE
Anchorage/Prince William Sound
A Vibrant City an Hour Away From a Saltwater Paradise With all that Anchorage has to offer as a city, it is no wonder that the city brand is Big Wild Life . Wine bars and sushi hot spots, Broadway shows and world-class art, and an extensive trail system that can be enjoyed by bicyclists, runners and inline skaters until the sun goes down at around 11 pm in summer. An hour’s drive to the south is Whittier, gateway to the pristine waters and glaciated coastline of Prince William Sound. TM
Anchorage lies between the Chugach Mountains on the east and the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet on the west. Multiple mountain ranges encircle its location—the Chugach, the Kenai, the Talkeetna, the snow-covered peaks of the Tordrillo Mountains across Cook Inlet, and the dramatic peaks of the Alaska Range, with Denali—the mountain formerly known as McKinley—visible to the north (weather permitting). Wildlife adds to the eclectic quality of this city. Moose often meander across the city’s streets, nibbling on trees and shrubbery planted by residents, while black and brown bears navigate the greenbelts along their preferred salmonproducing streams. Outdoor enthusiasts may have up-close encounters with wildlife as they share the paved Campbell Creek, Chester Creek and Tony Knowles Coastal trails, part of the city’s 135-mile paved trail system. There are an additional 300 miles of unpaved and wilderness trails within the city limits. The neighboring Chugach State Park offers even more outdoor adventures,
within several minutes’ drive of downtown, including the hike up Flattop, the state’s most popular trail.
PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND Situated off the Gulf of Alaska, this is an area famous for its scenery and wildlife. Glaciers, rainforest and mountains edge the sound, with much of it lying within the boundaries of Chugach National Forest—the second largest national forest in the nation. Prince William Sound is home to a variety of wildlife, including humpback whales, orcas, bears, seabirds, sea otters and more. Ferries provide passenger and vehicle transportation between Valdez, Cordova and Whittier. Valdez (pop. 3,976), largest Prince William Sound city and southern terminus of the 800-mile trans-Alaska Pipeline System, is also road accessible via the Richardson Highway. Glacier and wildlife sightseeing cruises of Prince William Sound depart from Whittier and Valdez daily in summer.
DAY TRIPS Anchorage’s central location offers drive or rail options to fun day-trip destinations. Find full listings at wheretraveler.com/alaska.
COURTESY VISIT ANCHORAGE/KEN GRAHAM PHOTOGRAPHY
ANCHORAGE Alaska’s most populated city at nearly 300,000 people (and 1,500 moose), Anchorage is an exciting destination that draws more than a million visitors annually from around the world. Combining cosmopolitan amenities with outdoor recreation, Anchorage offers residents an enviable quality of life. The creative enthusiasm of this young and progressive city manifests in its ever expanding dining and nightlight scene and a flourishing arts and concert culture. Entertainment venues include downtown’s Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, the neighboring 200,000 square-foot Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center, midtown’s Sullivan Arena and several playhouses across the city. Restaurants offer nearly any ethnic flavor you could hope for as well as Alaska seafood appetizers and entrees. Nightlife is most easily enjoyed downtown at wine bars or on a pub-crawl on 4th and 5th avenues. Or explore local breweries and “beercentric venues” on your own or with a tour.
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Anchorage Dining BEAR TOOTH THEATREPUB AND GRILL Brew Pub.
Anchorage’s only dining/movie theater combo. The theatrepub side serves wine and microwbrews along with gourmet burritos and pizza, while the grill portion offers salads, garlic fries, grilled specialties, microbrews and mixed drinks. beartooththeatre.net. 1230 W. 27th Ave., 907.276.4200. BENIHANA Sushi/Japanese. Complete sushi bar;
excellent steak and seafood cooked before your eyes. Open for lunch and dinner, daily. www.benihana.com/locations/anchorage-ak-ac/. 1100 W. 8th Ave., 907.222.5212. JENS’ RESTAURANT Danish. Great food only 10
minutes from downtown. Menu changes daily. Specialties include alder-planked salmon and pepper steak. www.jensrestaurant.com. 701 W. 36th Ave., 907.561.5367. KAY’S FAMILY RESTAURANT American. Breakfast,
lunch and dinner served anytime. Steaks, seafood, pasta, sandwiches, burgers, salads, extensive breakfast menu, homemade pies and desserts, beer and wine. www.kaysfamilyrestaurant.com. 3002 Spenard Rd., #101, 907.677.2577. PEANUT FARM Voted best wings, sports bar and
deck in Anchorage by the Anchorage Press. 70 HD TVs, 10 giant big screens. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night food. Open 6am until 2:30 am seven days a week. www.wemustbenuts.com. 5227 Old Seward Hwy. ,907.563.3283.
Adventure Bound Alaska Presents . . . J u n e a u’s M a g n i f i c e n t
T R AC Y A R M FJORD Sawyer Glacier Cruise Reservations: (907) 463-2509 or 1-800-228-3875
SACK’S CAFE & RESTAURANT New American.
Eclectic New American cuisine, fresh Alaskan seafood and unique dishes in a contemporary setting. www.sackscafe.com. 328 G St., 907.274.4022 SORRENTO’S Italian. Fine dining Italian, and some
say, best pizza. Nice wine options pair with authentic Italian dishes. A longtime institution and local favorite. www.sorrentosak.com/. 610 E. Fireweed, 907.278.3439. SUITE 100 New American. The place to discover
true Alaskan cuisine with a unique and lively twist. Locally owned and operated. They create great food from scratch in a fun, yet refined atmosphere. Open daily at 4 pm, reservations recommended, but not required. www.Suite100.com. 1000 E. Dimond Blvd. #100, 907.341.1000.
Shopping ALASKA FUR GALLERY Find high-quality fur,
leather and accessories. Staff explain fur storage and cleaning. akfurgallery.com. 428 W. 4th Ave. between D and E, 907.274.3877. ALASKA MINT Visit the northernmost mint in the
Full Day Cruise –
Board 7:45 am Return 6:00 pm Price: $160 adult, $95 children 17 & under plus tax. No children under 5. Our space per person is the best around.
The ADVENTURE BOUND provides the most close-up view of mountains, waterfalls, wildlife and tidewater glaciers. Family owned and operated. Steve and Winona Weber P.O. Box 23013, Juneau, AK 99802. Street Address: 76 Egan Drive, Juneau, AK 99801.
Located across from the Gold Belt Hotel.
United States. Watch as their skilled artisans create affordable gifts of glittering silver and gold. They are the perfect gift—designed and made in Alaska. Alaska Mint is a family-owned business that designs and creates beautiful Alaska coins and jewelry. www.alaskamint.com. 429 W. 4th Ave., 907.278.8414; 800.770.6468. ALASKA STARFISH COMPANY AK Starfish Co.
offers American-made garments for men, women and children that are screened locally with the artist’s original stippled starfish, wild salmon, raven and wildflower designs. www.akstarfish.com. 2601 Spenard Rd., 907.243.2211. w w w.wh e re t r ave l e r. com 25
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THE GUIDE
ALASKA WILD BERRY PRODUCTS Buy hand-craft-
ed wild berry jams and jellies, delicious chocolates, smoked salmon, ulu knives, souvenirs and gift baskets made right here in Alaska. Or just visit them to see Alaska’s largest chocolate waterfall. www.alaskawildberryproducts.com. 5225 Juneau St., 907.562.8858 or 800.280.2927. ANCHORAGE 5TH AVENUE MALL This beautiful,
five-level center is the only place in Alaska to find Nordstrom, J.C. Penney, Banana Republic and Abercrombie & Fitch. Open daily. www.simon.com/ mall/anchorage-5th-avenue-mall. 5th Ave. and C St., 907.258.4003. BELLA BOUTIQUE International indie fashions in
clothing and accessories. www.shop-bella.com. 2601 Spenard Rd., 907.664.4989. BEN BRIDGE JEWELER For over 100 years, Ben
Bridge Jeweler has been dedicated to offering beautiful jewelry and unsurpassed customer service. The store features luxury brands such as Rolex, TAG Heuer, Breitling, and A.JAFFE. www. benbridge.com. 3104 New Seward Hwy. #3, 907.272.4145. DAVID GREEN MASTER FURRIER Alaska’s most
recommended furrier since 1922. Luxurious coats, parkas and capes. www.davidgreenfurs.com. 130 W. 4th Ave., 907.277.9595. 5TH AVENUE JEWELERS Alaska’s family-owned
Jeweler since 1967. Natural gold quartz and gold nugget jewelry. Unique designs made with gold directly from miners. www.ProductsOfAlaska.com. 345 W. 5th Ave., 907.258.3635 or 888.983.2052. INDIAN VALLEY MEATS Family owned and
operated, free samples of salmon. Buy reindeer sausage, buffalo, venison, caribou and more here. www.indianvalleymeats.com. 200 Hout Circle, 907.653.7511. LULU E. BEBE A fashion destination for new trends
in Alaska. www.luluebebe.com. 2217 E. Tudor Rd., Ste. 21, 907.522.5858. OOMINGMAK QIVIUT HANDKNITS Alaska Native-
owned co-op has been making qiviut items since 1969. Qiviut, the underwool of the Arctic musk ox, brings softness and warmth. Open year-round. www.qiviut.com. 604 H St., 907.272.9225. PANDORA Owned and operated by Ben Bridge
Jeweler. Pandora jewelry collections featured in sterling silver, 14K solid gold, and two-tone. www.benbridge.com. 320 W. 5th Ave., #202A, 907.258.0008. SPORTSMAN’S WAREHOUSE Great gear for your
adventure on the Last Frontier. Start your journey off with the right gear designed for your Alaska experience. www.sportsmanswarehouse.com. 8681 Old Seward Hwy., 907.644.1400.
www.akstarfish.com 907.344.0223
Homer • Seward • Anchorage
Authentic Alaskan Clothing Designs
10TH & M SEAFOODS Ships fresh or frozen Alaska
seafood with one-day service to most U.S. cities. www.10thandmseafoods.com. 1020 M St., 800.770.2722. THE ULU FACTORY A great selection of Alaska-
made ulus, bowls, grabbers and other Alaska gifts. www.theulufactory.com. 211 W. Ship Creek Ave., 907.276.3119.
Attractions/Excursions ALASKA BOTANICAL GARDEN Showcases peren-
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AlaskaMagazine.com
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EXPLORE THE HEART OF ALASKA • Denali National Park Tours • Restaurants, Rafting, Retail Shops • Riverview Lodge
denaliparkvillage.com • 800.276.7234
Denali Outdoor Center
and a rock garden. Interpretive signs guide visitors and identify plants. Open mid-May to mid-Sep. Tu–Sa. www.alaskabg.org. 4601 Campbell Airstrip Rd., 907.770.3692. ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE CENTER Six village
sites represent Alaska’s cultural groups. Interpretive displays, Native artists, theater, gift shop. Gathering place for games, dance and storytelling. Summer daily; winter open only for special events on weekends. Free shuttle from downtown or take People Mover bus 75. www.alaskanative.net. 8800 Heritage Center Dr., 907.330.8000 or 800.315.6608. ALASKA RAILROAD Adventure packages range
from one- to 10-day itineraries, with excellent accommodations and sightseeing tours. Service from Anchorage north to Denali Park and on to Fairbanks, or from Anchorage south to Whittier or Seward. www.alaskarailroad.com. 411 W. 1st Ave., 907.265.2494; 907.265.2494 or 800.544.0552. ALASKA TOUR & TRAVEL Custom vacations to des-
tinations such as Denali National Park, Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward, Anchorage, Talkeetna and Fairbanks. Knowledgeable staff organize transportation (rail or motorcoach), tours and accommodations. www.alaskatravel.com. 9170 Jewel Lake Rd., Ste. 202, 800.208.0200 or 907.245.0200. ALASKA ZOO Orphaned, abandoned and injured
1(888)303-1925 Local: (907)683-1925
animals of Alaska, the Arctic and sub-arctic areas live at this 20-acre (eight-hectare) zoological park. See Amur tigers, snow leopards, Bactrian camels, three types of Alaska bears, raptors, wolverines, wolves, coyotes and lynx. Open year-round. www. alaskazoo.org. 4731 O’Malley Rd., 907.346.2133. ANCHORAGE MUSEUM The largest museum in the
state features history and culture, plus art exhibits. Includes the Imaginarium Science Discovery Center with hands-on discovery for families; planetarium. www.anchoragemuseum.org. 625 C St., 907.929.9200. EAGLE RIVER NATURE CENTER Log cabin visitor
center and gateway to Chugach Park. Hiking trails, guided nature walks, natural history programs (weekends only) and wildlife viewing. Overnight stays in cabins and yurts. Trails open all the time. www.ernc.org. 32750 Eagle River Rd., 907.694.2108. GRAY LINE OF ALASKATravel by bus, train and
plane to see some of the most spectacular country and northern cultures on earth. www.graylineofalaska.com. 705 W. 5th Ave., 888.425.1737. TANALIAN AVIATION Helicopter tours of Alaska
ranging from 15 minutes to 15 days. Something for everyone’s leisure or adventure needs, from walking on a glacier to mushing a dog-sled team. www. tanalianaviation.net. 2600 E. 5th Ave., 907.280.8023.
Girdwood/Portage ALASKA WILDLIFE CONSERVATION CENTER Just
ALASKA’S GREATEST TREASURE AWAITS • Day Cruise at Glacier Bay National Park • Only Lodging in the Park
visitglacierbay.com • 800.229.7687
45 minutes south of Anchorage. A nonprofit wildlife refuge located on a scenic 200 acre preserve dedicated to wildlife conservation and education. Open daily, summer 8 am-8 pm; winter 10 am-5 pm. www.alaskawildlife.org. Mile 79, Seward Hwy. opposite Portage Glacier turnoff. 907.783.2025. SEVEN GLACIERS AT HOTEL ALYESKA New Ameri-
can. Gourmet cuisine and views at the top of the Mount Alyeska tram. Alaska seafood, grilled meats, extensive wine list. Sakura & Sushi Bar and Pond Café in the Hotel Alyeska. www.alyeskaresort.com. Forty miles south of Anchorage via Seward Hwy. to Alyeska Hwy. 907.754.2237. w w w.wh e re t r ave l e r. com 27
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THE GUIDE
Kenai Peninsula
Alaska’s Playground for Outdoor Adventure!
KENAI PENINSULA A smorgasbord of activities to fit every interest makes the Kenai the go-to destination for Alaskans and Alaska visitors. Fish for “Russian reds” (that’s shorthand for the Russian River’s red/ sockeye salmon run); fish the Kenai River from a raft, drift-boat or the riverbank; take a scenic raft trip on the Kenai River; join a halibut or salmon charter for Cook Inlet fishing; camp, fish, bike, shop, drink, eat or go beachcombing on Homer Spit; canoe the 80-mile Swanson River Canoe Trail; hike the Resurrection Trail; kayak Resurrection Bay or Kachemak Bay; or learn more about this region at several good museums and cultural centers. It’s all just a reasonable drive south from Anchorage: 127 miles or a good two hours to Seward; 150 miles or about 2-1/2 hours to Kenai/Soldotna; and Homer 232 miles or about a 4-hour drive. If you don’t feel like driving, The Alaska Railroad offers service between Anchorage and Seward, and regional airlines link Anchorage with Kenai (30-minute flight) and Homer (about a 40-minute flight). Local flying services in Seward,
Soldotna and Homer offer bear viewing, fly-in fishing and transportation.
COMMUNITIES The largest cities on the peninsula are Kenai, Soldotna, Homer and Seward, but many smaller communities dot the peninsula. Kenai (pop. 7,132) is a very busy place during dip-net season, when Alaskans arrive for this subsistence fishery. Soldotna (pop. 4,299), located only 12 miles from Kenai, offers ready access to the Kenai River, Kasilof River and Cook Inlet for freshwater and saltwater fishing. The communities of Homer (pop. 5,153) and Seward (pop. 2,609) enjoy spectacularly scenic settings—on Kachemak Bay and Resurrection Bay, respectively. Homer is known for its art galleries and resident population of artists, as well as marine exhibits at the Pratt Museum and the Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center. Homer also has one of Alaska’s most popular and recognizable landmarks: the Homer Spit. Jutting 4.5 miles out into Kachemak Bay, the Spit is home to a
crazy-quilt of services and businesses, many of them seasonal: a busy small-boat harbor, charter fishing services, campgrounds, eateries, bars (you can’t miss the Salty Dawg Saloon—literally, it’s a lighthouse), and colorful boardwalk shops. Ferry service is available from Homer Spit to Seldovia and Halibut Cove. Seward marks the end of the Seward Highway from Anchorage, and is also the southern end of the Alaska Railroad. It is the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park and the site of the Mount Marathon Race. Don’t miss the Alaska SeaLife Center, a premier aquarium and institution for marine research. See wildife and enjoy the scenic beauty of Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park aboard one of the narrated cruises departing daily from Seward Boat Harbor. Just outside Seward, take Herman Leirer Road to see Exit Glacier, part of Kenai Fjords National Park. Short trails lead to close-up views of the glacier, or take the longer hike to Harding Icefield. Short on time? Reserve a half-day scenic float or fishing trip on the Kenai River out of Cooper Landing, a 100-mile drive from Anchorage.
CATCH OF A LIFETIME. With the Kenai Peninsula’s variety of fish, you are sure to get your share on a pond, popular river or wide-open ocean.
©SHARON NAULT
Measuring only 70 miles wide by 150 miles long, the Kenai Peninsula (commonly referred to as “the Kenai” by Alaskans) is endowed with spectacular scenery, moderate weather, copious wildlife and countless recreational activities, from bear viewing to halibut fishing.
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THE GUIDE
Anchor Point NORMAN LOWELL ART STUDIO AND GARDENS
Longtime Alaskan homesteader and well-known Alaska artist Norman Lowell displays his paintings of glaciers, volcanoes and the local area. Original homestead cabin and gardens open to visitors. Located 4 miles south of Anchor Point and 18 miles north of Homer off the Sterling Hwy. Open midMay to mid-Sep. www.normanlowellgallery.net. Norman Lowell Road, 907.235.7344.
Cooper Landing KENAI PRINCESS WILDERNESS LODGE Located on
a bluff above the salmon-producing Kenai River, these rooms are duplex style with fire-burning stoves and private porches. Deck views from the Eagles Crest Restaurant offer memorable views. www.princesslodges.com. 17245 Frontier Circle, 907.595.1425.
Homer Accommodations BEST WESTERN BIDARKA INN Near the entrance
to the Homer Spit and adjacent Beluga Lake, it is within walking distance of many attractions downtown and out on the Spit. Onsite dining is a convenient option if you choose to stay in. www. bidarkainn.com. 575 Sterling Hwy., 907.235.8148.
LANDS END RESORT Hotel and condo units located
on the Homer Spit. The Chart Room restaurant and lounge and hot tub overlooking the beach are two reasons this is a traveler favorite. www.lands-endresort.com. 4786 Homer Spit Rd., 907.235.0400.
Attractions/Adventures ALASKA ISLANDS & OCEAN VISITOR CENTER
State-of-the art interpretive, educational and research facility. Interactive exhibits. Ranger-led walks and talks, discovery labs and more. www.islandsandocean.org. 95 Sterling Hwy., 907.235.6961. BEAR CREEK WINERY Wine tasting room and tours,
3 miles out East End Road. Lodging also available. www.bearcreekwinery.com. 60203 Bear Creek Dr., 907.235.8484. HOMER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Homer - At the
“End of the Road”... The Adventure Begins! Located south of Anchorage on the shores of beautiful Kachemak Bay, known for great fishing, kayaking, bear viewing, hiking, food and art, Homer is the eco-tourism capital of Alaska. www.homeralaska. org. 201 Sterling Hwy., 907.235.7740. INLET CHARTERS Licensed guides for salmon
and halibut fishing, sea kayaking, bear-viewing and wildlife tours. www.halibutcharters.com. 4287 Homer Spit Rd., 907.235.6126 or, 800.770.6126. PRATT MUSEUM More than a typical museum, it
combines history and culture with aquariums and tide pool tanks displays. Bird and bear webcams
KENAI PENINSULA
spotlight wildlife in action. www.prattmuseum.org. 3779 Bartlett St., 907.235.8635. TRAILS END HORSE ADVENTURES Half-day rides
to the head of Kachemak Bay or, do an overnight to a rustic ranch homestead. Good for all levels of rider. 53435 E. End Rd., 907.235.6393.
Shopping NOMAR® NORTHERN MARINE CANVAS PROD UCTS Fleece clothing, Xtra-Tuf boots and
raingear, camping gear, dry bags, kitchen supplies and useful Alaskan gifts all under one roof. www.nomaralaska.com. 104 E. Pioneer Ave., 907.235.8363.
Kenai Accommodations ASPEN SUITES HOTEL This is a luxurious choice for
fishermen or business travelers to the Kenai. A full business center along with kitchens to cook up the day’s catch, combine to create a convenient choice. www.aspenhotelsak.com/kenai/. 10431 Kenai Spur Hwy., 907.283.2272.
Attractions/Adventures ALASKA FISH ON CHARTERS Full- or half-days on
the Kenai and Kasilof rivers. Owner has 20 years of experience fishing for king, silver and red salmon.
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Halibut charters, too. www.alaskafishon.com. 11823 Kenai Spur Hwy., 907.283.4002. HOLY ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH Tour one of the finest
examples of a Russian Orthodox church in Alaska. The parish was founded by Father Nikolai in 1846 (services still take place today). The present church was built about 1894. www.oca.org. 1106 Mission Ave., Kenai, 907.283.4122; 907.283.4122. KENAI VISITORS AND CULTURAL CENTER Visitor
information, reservation assistance, seasonal art shows, wildlife displays, excellent cultural exhibits, visitor programs and special events. Outdoor Saturday market in summer. www.visitkenai.com. 11471 Kenai Spur Hwy., 907.283.1991.
Seward Accommodations HARBORVIEW INN Two choices of stay offer either
hotel or inn-style accommodations. Family suites have washer/dryer combos and full kitchens are available also. Train and cruise ship dock shuttles are available. www.sewardhotel.com. 804 3rd Ave., 907.224.3217. HOTEL SEWARD Alaskan owned and operated,
Hotel Seward has it all. Enjoy this downtown boutique hotel. Book a trip with Wes’ the Fish Slayer. Enjoy the Great Victorian Restaurant, lounge, deck, spacious rooms, pillowtop beds, unique history and wildlife display. www.hotelsewardalaska.com. 221 5th Ave., 800.440.2444; 907.224.8001. ORCA ISLAND CABINS An eco-friendly island
retreat located in picturesque Humpy Cove near Seward. Yurt rentals with kitchens, dining and living areas, and private bathrooms. Observe wildlife from your private deck. Visit their art gallery. An ideal location for sea kayaking, bird-watching, tidepool exploring, fishing, hiking or just relaxation. Rates include water taxi and unlimited use of kayaks, skiff and fishing tackle. www.orcaislandcabins. com. 907.362.9014; 888.494.5846.
Attractions/Adventures ALASKA SEALIFE CENTER Alaska’s only public
aquarium and cold-water marine research facility, on the shores of Resurrection Bay. See and learn about seals, octopus, Steller sea lions and watch puffins “fly” under water. Behind-the-scenes tours and special encounters, reservations recommended. Open daily year-round, call for seasonal hours. www.alaskasealife.org. 301 Railway Ave., 907.224.6300 or, 888.224.2525. THE FISH HOUSE FISHING CHARTERS Bottom
fishing charters, this charter business specializes in halibut fishing trips out of Seward. www.thefishhouse.net. Seward Boat Harbor, 800.257.7760. IDIDARIDE Ididaride Sled Dog Tours Exciting
90-minute ride and tour at Seavey’s Iditarod Racing Kennel. All tours are guided by Iditarod and Jr. Iditarod mushers. www.ididaride.com. Old Exit Glacier Rd., 907.224.8607. KENAI FJORDS TOURS Since 1974, captains have
been sharing the beauty of Kenai Fjords National Park with visitors. See glaciers, whales, puffins, otters, Steller sea lions and seabirds. Stop at Fox Island for lunch, guided kayaking tours or an exclusive overnight. www.kenaifjords.com. 1304 4th Ave., 877.777.4051.
MAJOR MARINE TOURS Spectacular wildlife
and glacier cruises from Whittier and Seward. Uniformed rangers on board, guaranteed reserved seating and an all-you-can-eat Alaska salmon and prime rib buffet. www.majormarine.com. #2 Boardwalk, Seward Small Boat Harbor, 907.224.8030. SEWARD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Seward has
great hiking trails and is near one of Alaska’s most easily accessed glaciers, Exit Glacier. The town itself is full of science, art, history, culture and cuisine. www.seward.com. 5th & Adams Street, P.O. Box 167, 907.224.8051 STONEY CREEK CANOPY ADVENTURES Alaska’s
newest zipline/canopy tour. Located in the Pacific Temperate Rain Forest just outside of Seward, Alaska. Join them for a “treemendous” adventure of a lifetime. www.stoneycreekca.com. 13037 Knot Wood Street, 907.224.3662.
Adventure Awaits.
Shopping BROWN AND HAWKINS Clothing and souvenirs,
Italian gelato and gourmet truffles. Since 1900, Brown and Hawkins has served the Seward area. www.sweetdarlings.com. 209 4th Ave., 907.224.3011.
photo credit: Daniel Fox
THE GUIDE
THE GRAZING MOOSE Inside summer market and
artist’s co-op. Baked goods, homemade gifts and art. Specializing in “green” goods. 312 5th Ave., 907.491.1076. THE RANTING RAVEN Unique gifts of handmade
jewelry and original art in a charming coffeehouse. 228 4th Ave., 907.224.2228.
800-789-4782 www.kodiak.org visit@kodiak.org Find us at http://www.facebook.com/kodiakalaska
Soldotna KENAI PENINSULA TRAVEL PLANNER ”Alaska’s
Playground” begins 52 miles south of Anchorage where the Seward Highway crosses the isthmus that separates the Kenai Peninsula from the rest of southcentral Alaska. It offers more than 15,000 square miles of extraordinary adventure and excitement. www.alaskaplayground.org. 35571 Kenai Spur Hwy., 800.535.3624 SOLDOTNA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Just 140
miles south of Anchorage and the hub of the Kenai Peninsula, Soldotna is known for world-class fishing and amazing scenery. Centrally located, Soldotna allows for many day-trip options, showing the best Alaska has to offer. www.visitsoldotna.com. 44790 Sterling Hwy., 907.262.1337
Attractions/Adventures CROOKED CREEK GUIDES Fish the famous Kenai
River, Kasilof River and Cook Inlet. World-class sports fishing: king salmon, sockeye salmon, coho salmon and more with their professional guides. Private cabins or full RV hook-ups. crookedcreekguides.com. 23437 Trespass St., Kasilof, 907.262.1299. NATRON AIR Fly-out fishing trips for salmon, bear
and wildlife viewing. www.NatronAir.com. 619 Funny River Rd, 907.262.8440.
Sterling
MILE 50 GLENN HWY 12850 E. ARCHIE RD • PALMER • AK www. muskoxfarm. org 907-745-4151
Open
ALASKA CANOE & CAMPGROUND Experience a
day trip with Alaska Canoe. Reserve your own boat to explore Alaska rivers. Rent drift boats, rafts, canoes and kayaks; rent gear for floating, fishing and camping. www.alaskacanoetrips.com. 35292 Sterling Hwy., 907.262.2331.
Mother’s Day - Mid September 10am to 6pm The Musk Ox Farm is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
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THE GUIDE
Mat-Su/Copper River Valley
Rugged Mountains, Mighty Rivers, Pioneer Farms Play golf in the shadow of Pioneer Peak; stand face to face with a musk oxen; feed a reindeer; walk on a glacier; raft a river; eat cotton candy at a state fair. All this in a varied landscape dominated by the rugged beauty of the Chugach, Alaska, Talkeetna and Wrangell-St. Elias mountains. Public-use trails offer access to hiking, hunting, fishing, skiing, snowshoeing, ATVing and horseback riding.
©SHARON NAULT
MATANUSKASUSITNA VALLEY A place of both wilderness and pastoral charm, the Mat-Su Valley covers more than 25,000 square miles that encompass the Matanuska and Susitna rivers. It is the official start of two of Alaska’s most celebrated events: the historic Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race out of Willow, and the Iron Dog snowmobile race, which departs from nearby Big Lake. The area is also well known for being the fastest-growing region in the state. An easy 45-minute drive from Anchorage, “the Valley” attracts those who seek more affordable housing, a rural setting and a relaxed lifestyle. The local landscape reflects an assortment of modern subdivisions and log cabin homes. The Valley is the center of Alaska’s agriculture industry, containing the largest concentration of farms in the state. Thanks to a 100-day growing season, the Mat-Su Valley produces more vegetables than anywhere else in Alaska. It’s also one of the few places in the world where you can grow
125-pound cabbages. Wasilla and Palmer are the most prominent communities in the Valley. Perched near the northern edge of Knik Arm, Wasilla (pop. 8,064) is a 42-mile drive from downtown Anchorage and sprawls along the Parks Highway. Palmer (pop. 6,087) has a densely populated downtown and miles of outlying farmland. It’s the site of the Alaska State Fair, an event that draws half a million people each year. Palmer holds several world records for its oversized vegetables and also raises produce for sale to local markets. Wasilla and Palmer offer a variety of dining experiences to choose from, a local brewery, small shops and major chain retail stores and unlimited options for outdoor recreation.
COPPER RIVER VALLEY Alaska’s Copper River Valley encompasses more than 20,000 square miles of breathtaking scenery. The region—also called the Copper Valley or Copper Basin—is bound
by Prince William Sound to the south, the Alaska Range to the north, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve to the east, and the Talkeetna and Chugach mountains to the west. The impressive Wrangell-St. Elias mountains contain the greatest collection of peaks over 16,000 feet on the continent, topped by the 18,029-foot Mount St. Elias—second tallest peak in the U.S. The 300-mile-long Copper River—highly prized for its bountiful wild salmon runs—winds through this region. Other rivers in the area include the Gulkana and Klutina, which are highly regarded for their king and red salmon. These waters have some of the best salmon fishing in the world. Fishing is wildly popular here but other favorite pastimes include boating, canoeing, snow machining (or snowmobiling, as its known down south), skiing, backpacking and camping. Explore the historic Kennicott/ McCarthy area: tour Kennecott mill, hike Root Glacier, take a flightseeing trip, then enjoy a fine meal at the end of the day.
WILDLIFE VIEWING: Visitors are welcomed at the Musk-Ox Farm eight miles east of Palmer and at the Reindeer Farm seven miles southeast of Palmer. w w w.wh e re t r ave l e r. com 31
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THE GUIDE
M AT- S U / C O P P E R R I V E R V A L L E Y
Glacier View
Kennicott/McCarthy COPPER OAR Choose from multiday trips like the
Nizina Fly, Raft & Hike (that includes two flights via bush planes) and a class III rapids in Nizina Canyon. The 16-day Source to the Sea trip goes through backcountry with experienced boating and camping guides. The 5-hour rafting trip offers views of glaciers and a look at Alaska’s mining history. www. copperoar.com. Motherlode Powerhouse, McCarthy Rd., McCarthy, 907.554.4453 or 800.523.4453. KENNICOTT GLACIER LODGE New American. Fine
dining in the heart of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. www.kennicottlodge.com. #15 Kennicott Millsite, 800.582.5128. ST. ELIAS GUIDES Glacier hiking, ice climbing for
beginners, guided wilderness trips, Kennecott Mill tours in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. www. steliasguides.com. Motherlode Powerhouse, McCarthy, 907.554.4445 or 888.933.5427. WRANGELL MOUNTAIN AIR Glacier flightseeing,
guided Kennicott day tours, fly-in backpacking and rafting. www.WrangellMountainAir.com. 800.478.1160 or 907.554.4411.
Palmer THE MUSK OX FARM This one-of-a-kind nonprofit
organization creates agricultural opportunity through a cottage fiber industry for all Alaskans. The gently hand-combed qiviut (underwool) is eight times warmer than wool and one of nature’s most luxurious and finest fibers. A scenic 50-minute drive from downtown Anchorage. www.muskoxfarm.org. Archie Rd. at Mile 50.1 Glenn Hwy., 907.745.4151. TURKEY RED New American. Turkey Red is dedi-
cated to serving fresh, high quality ingredients prepared in traditional ways with care and creativity. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, Mo-Sa, 7 am to 9 pm. Fresh breads, pastries, steak, seafood, espresso, teas, beer and wine. www.turkeyredak.com. 550 S. Alaska St., 907.746.5544.
Glacier Trekking K2 AVIATION Experience Alaska’s most spectacular
flightseeing. Scenic flights of majestic Denali, land on a glacier, circle the mountain or fly to the summit. www.flyk2.com. 14052 E. 2nd St., 907.733.2291 or 800.764.2291. comes alive on cruises into Alaska’s untamed wilderness aboard custom built jet boats. Tours to Devil’s Canyon and Three Rivers are a popular and unique experience. www.mahaysriverboat.com. Main St., 907.733.2223 or 800.736.2210. MOUNT MCKINLEY PRINCESS WILDERNESS LODGE 105 miles south of the Denali Princess
SHELDON AIR SERVICE Denali flightseeing,
glacier landings, charter service. Daily presentation of “The Don Sheldon Story” in SAS hangar. www.sheldonairservice.com. Talkeetna Airport, 907.733.2333. SWISSALASKA INN Steak and Seafood. Complete
menu, featuring fresh halibut and salmon dinners. www.Swissalaska.com. East Talkeetna by boat launch, 907.733.2424. TALKEETNA AIR TAXI Scenic flights of Denali and
glacier landings in Denali National Park since 1947. See alpine tundra, wildlife, gorges, glaciers and icy peaks. www.talkeetnaair.com. Talkeetna Airport, 14212 E. 2nd St., 907.733.2218 or 800.533.2219.
educational 3-hour world-class canopy tour. Enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of Denali and the boreal forest. Ride the farthest north canopy tour with 9 ziplines and 3 suspension bridges. www. denaliziplinetours.com. Main Street, 855.733.3988. FLYING SQUIRREL BAKERY CAFE American.
Deli-style menu, artisan breads, Alaska-roasted espresso; serving vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and meat-lovers dishes. www.flyingsquirrelcafe. com. Mile 11 Talkeetna Spur Rd., 907.733.6887.
micaguides.com 907-351-7587
dining, home cooking and baking in historic Talkeetna location (established 1944); open year-round. www.talkeetnaroadhouse.com. 13550 E. Main St., 907.733.1351. WEST RIB PUB & GRILL Brew Pub. Serving fresh
Alaska halibut and salmon, burgers, salads, house soups and chowders, 11 beers on tap. www. westribpub.info. Behind Nagley’s General Store on Main Street, 907.733.3354.
DOROTHY G. PAGE MUSEUM AND HISTORIC TOWN SITE Local history on display with 8 preserved
DENALI ZIPLINE TOURS Offers thrilling and
100 Miles from Anchorage on the Glenn Highway Scenic Byway
TALKEETNA ROADHOUSE American. Family-style
Wasilla
on fresh, creatively prepared food at an affordable price; local ingredients when possible. 11 beers on tap, from Agave Gold to Twister Creek IPA. www. denalibrewingcompany.com. 13605 E. Main St., 907.733.2537 (restaurant), 907.733.2536 (brewery).
There’s more to do.
Lodge, on the Chulitna River in Denali State Park; view of Denali. Luxury accommodations include onsite restaurants and shuttle service. www.princesslodges.com. McKinley View Dr., 907.733.2900.
ALASKA RAILROAD Tour packages to and from Tal-
DENALI BREWING COMPANY & TWISTER CREEK RES TAURANT New American. Diverse menu focusing
Ice Climbing
MAHAY’S JETBOAT ADVENTURE The Last Frontier
Talkeetna keetna, including a day trip by rail with a raft trip on the Susitna River. Talkeetna is also a stop on train tours from Anchorage and Denali Park. Weather permitting, views of Denali and the Talkeetna Mountains are breathtaking. www.alaskarailroad. com. Main St., 907.265.2494 or 800.544.0552.
Zipline
pioneer structures. The museum building and 1917 schoolhouse are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Farmer’s market held Wednesday in summer. www.cityofwasilla.com/museum. 323 N. Main St., 907.373.9071. MUSEUM OF ALASKA TRANSPORTATION & INDUS TRY Indoor/outdoor exhibits and displays of
historic aircraft, pioneer farm machinery, trains, snowmachines, mining and military equipment, and more. Open daily May 1 to September 30. www.museumofalaska.org. Turn on West Museum Drive at Mile 47 Parks Hwy., 907.376.1211. IDITAROD TRAIL SLED DOG RACE MUSEUM Free
admission year-round to see musher and sled dog racing displays and videos. Open daily in summer, with dog sled/cart rides. www.iditarod.com. Mile 2.2 Knik Rd., 907.376.5155 ext. 108. THE LAST FRONTIER BREWING COMPANY Great
food, beer and service at this family-run restaurant voted the Best of the Valley by the Mat-Su Frontiersman in 2013. Burgers, pizzas, prime rib, sandwiches, steaks and 22oz bottles and growlers to go. www.lastfrontierbrew.com. 238 N. Boundary St. off the Parks Hwy., 907.357.7200.
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THE GUIDE
Southwestern/Western/Arctic
Alaska’s Wilderness Rim
Stretching from Demarcation Point on the Beaufort Sea, down the Bering Sea Coast to Bristol Bay, and out to Attu Island, westernmost tip of Alaska, this region encompasses millions of acres of land, including the YukonKuskokwim Delta. Wildlife refuges and parks offer unique opportunities for remote backcountry adventurers.
©SHARON NAULT
BUSH ALASKA These more remote regions of Alaska, often referred to simply as “the Bush,” are not—with the exception of Prudhoe Bay in the Arctic—connected to the state’s road system. But they are connected by air to just about anywhere else in the state via charter or scheduled airlines. Travel within the region is also by boat in summer, snowmachine and dog sled in winter. Bush Alaska draws both the rugged adventurer, with backpack and insect repellent in hand, and those who want to experience Bush life, but with amenities. Off-the-grid, fly-in lodges offer vacation packages that include gourmet meals, dog mushing (in winter), hiking and fishing (in summer), along with a host of other activities, including yoga. World-class fly-fishing and bear viewing are a focal point for many of these lodges. For the adventurous, there are plenty of trips to choose from, whether it’s rafting the Kongkagut River, floating the Yukon River or backpacking Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The nation’s largest state park, Wood-Tikchik, an area about
the size of Delaware at 1.6 million acres, is found here, as is the largest wildlife refuge, 20-millionacre Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge.
KATMAI NATIONAL PARK Sport fishing and brown bear viewing are at the heart of Katmai’s draw, along with the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. Fly-in lodges at Grosvenor Lake, Kulik Lake and other locations focus on sportfishing. Bears congregate at Brooks Falls, within walking distance of Brooks Lodge; viewing platforms and naturalist-guided walks are available. Bus tours leave the lodge for the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, 23 miles away, where streams have cut dramatic gorges through volcanic debris left by the June 6, 1912, eruption of Novarupta Volcano.
KODIAK Located on Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska, the city of Kodiak (pop. 6,338) is a 50-minute plane ride from Anchorage. Kodiak Island is home to the largest brown bears in North America; worldclass sportfishing; one of the largest Coast Guard bases and one of the largest commercial fishing
ports in the nation. Kodiak attractions include Alutiiq Museum, Baranov Museum, Kodiak Island Brewery and the Kodiak Military History Museum. Kodiak Island surfing has been compared to Hawaii’s (with a bit of a temperature difference).
COMMUNITIES From small villages to first-class cities, populations are predominantly Alaska Native, and the traditional subsistence lifestyle of hunting, fishing and gathering, remains prevalent today. Major communities include: Barrow (pop. 4,469), the farthest north settlement in the U.S.; Bethel (pop. 6,241), transportation hub for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta; Kotzebue (pop. 3,153), an Inupiat Eskimo city located 26 miles above the Arctic Circle and a popular destination with tour groups; Nome (pop. 3,695), the finish for the Iditarod Sled Dog Race™; Dillingham (pop. 2,431), noted for its commercial fishing in Bristol Bay; and Unalaska/ Dutch Harbor (pop. 4,364), farthest west port for the Alaska state ferry system, noted for its commercial crab fishing in the Bering Sea. Prudhoe Bay, a 500-mile drive from Fairbanks, is populated by oil industry employees.
MORE THAN BEARS: Kodiak is famous for its giant bears, but there is much more to see and do. Discover Kodiak at kodiak.org and wheretraveler.com/alaska. w w w.wh e re t r ave l e r. com 33
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THE GUIDE
Interior Alaska/Denali/Fairbanks
Natural Wonders Abound Here! In the Alaska Range is North America’s highest peak, Denali, at 20,310 feet. In the night sky are the northern lights (aurora borealis); watch for them from September to April. At the end of the Steese Highway is the Yukon River, the longest river in Alaska. On the Dalton Highway, 200 miles north of Fairbanks, is the Arctic Circle; along the way see a manmade wonder, the 800-mile-long trans-Alaska oil pipeline. care sectors, retail and service industries provide jobs. The Interior is also home to dog mushers, gold miners, mountain climbers, riverboat captains, bush pilots and long-haul truckers. The military has a major impact on the region’s economy, with 4 military installations adding people and jobs: Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Eielson Air Force Base near North Pole, the National Guard’s Clear radar station at Anderson, and Fort Greely near Delta Junction.
distinctive gold nugget jewelry, made from locally mined gold. Top attractions are the University of Alaska Museum of the Nort, the Riverboat Discovery and the Fountainhead Auto Museum. Popular annual events include the Ice Alaska ice carving competition, the Yukon Quest Dog Sled Race and the World Eskimo Indian Olympics. The Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline Viewpoint is about an 8-mile drive from town.
FAIRBANKS
DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE
(pop. 32,070) is the largest city and hub of the Interior, at the crossroads of 3 highways (Parks, Richardson, Steese), with a modern airport and passenger rail service. It’s also the geographic heart of the region, dubbed the “Golden Heart City.” Fairbanks sits about 125 miles south of the Arctic Circle and 360 miles north of Anchorage. Named in honor of Sen. Charles W. Fairbanks of Indiana, Fairbanks was incorporated in 1903. Fairbanks’ past, present and future are closely linked to gold. Prospector Felix Pedro discovered gold in the nearby hills in 1902, and gold mining continues today. Jewelry stores carry
At 6 million acres, Denali National Park is one of the largest national parks in the nation. The park’s best known feature, Denali (formerly Mount McKinley), may be the highest peak on the North American continent but it is not always easy to see: summer visitors have about a 30 to 40 percent chance of seeing “the mountain.” But beautiful scenery, wildlife sightings and sled dog demonstrations at the Park Kennels, can still be enjoyed on cloudy days. The park entrance is 125 highway miles south of Fairbanks. By rail, Denali Park is 4 hours from Fairbanks.
STARTING POINT: The Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau at explorefairbanks.com and full travel listings at wheretraveler.com/alaska.
©KRIS VALENCIA
INTERIOR ALASKA Interior Alaska is a great chunk of land in the middle of the state that stretches from the Alaska Range in the south to the Brooks Range in the north. It is made up of wide-open valleys of boreal forest or taiga, crisscrossed by big rivers (the Tanana, Chena and Yukon) and four of Alaska’s remaining gravel highways (the Denali, Steese, Elliott and Dalton). The Parks Highway connects Fairbanks with Anchorage. And Alaska’s first highway—the Richardson—a natural extension of the Alaska Highway, ends in Fairbanks, making the city Mile 1523 on the Alaska Highway (there’s a milepost downtown). Hot summers with very long days, and cold winters with very short days, characterize the climate of Alaska’s Interior. Summer temperatures routinely climb to 80˚F, and sometimes into the 90s. On solstice (June 21), the sun stays above the horizon for nearly 22 hours in Fairbanks, and locals celebrate by playing baseball without artificial lights (the game starts at 10:30 pm). At winter solstice (December 22) the sun comes up for only 3 hours and 37 minutes. Government, tourism, education and health
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THE GUIDE
Denali Park/Fairbanks ABBEY ARCHWAY INN Affordable extended stays
and special getaways. Extended kitchens, full-size refrigerators, sinks, stoves, ovens, pots and pans. Extended warmth from jetted tubs and fireplaces. Extended suites and studios. Extended communications, Wi-Fi, 200 cable channels and Blu-ray players. www.abbeyarchwayinn.com. 4316 Birch Lane, 907.479.7300. DENALI ATV ADVENTURES Denali ATV Adventures
is Alaska’s premiere ATV tour company. Denali area and Stampede Trail tours; 4 guided tour options.
I N T E R I O R A L A S K A / D E N A L I / FA I R B A N K S
Single and Side by Side ATVs (2 or 4 passengers) available. All ages welcome. Tours offered midMay through mid-September. www.DenaliATV. com. Mile 238.6 Parks Hwy., 907.683.4288. DENALI JEEP EXCURSION One of the newest activi-
ties in the Denali National Park area. They offer 5-hour guided Jeep tours on the scenic Denali Highway from mid-May to mid-September. www. denalijeep.com. 907.683.5337. DENALI OUTDOOR CENTER An outfitter special-
izing in whitewater rafting, scenic family float trips, kayak adventures and mountain biking rentals and
Muskox and caribou viewing from Memorial Day through Labor Day, Wednesdays 9:30 to 7; Thursday through Sunday 9:30 to 4:30. ✺
naturalist presentations at 10, 12, and 2 daily ✺ gift shop featuring work by Alaskan artists ✺
✺
2220 Yankovich Rd. Fairbanks, AK • www.muskoxuaf.org • (907) 474-5724
tours. Private campground and cabin rentals on the shores of Otto Lake 10 minutes north of Denali National Park. Fun and professionally guided trips for ages 5 and up. Open daily from mid-May to midSeptember. www.denalioutdoorcenter.com. Mile 238.9 Parks Hwy., 888.303.1925 or 907.683.1925. EXPLORE FAIRBANKS Go deep inside Alaska,
where the unparalleled meets the unexpected. Fairbanks emanates a quality of light, energy and warmth found nowhere else on Earth. Our northern lights will change you, while our summer midnight sun charms you. Greet the Arctic wilderness or be amazed by Denali. Make your journey into the heart of Alaska! Call 907.456.5774 or toll free at 800.327.5774 www.explorefairbanks.com. GOLD RUSH DINING ROOM A delightful retreat
for scrumptious morning buffets and uniquely Alaskan dishes. Breakfast buffets, 5 am-10:30 pm; lunch, 11 am- 2:30 pm; dinner, 5 pm-10:30 pm. www.DenaliParkVillage.com. Mile 231 Parks Hwy., 907.683.8900. GRAY LINE OF ALASKA Multiday package tours of
Alaska that include sightseeing, motorcoach transportation, lodging and luxury railcar tours to Denali National Park and Anchorage. Also day tours ranging from activities and sightseeing in Fairbanks to flightseeing Denali and the Arctic Circle. www.graylinealaska.com. 813 Noble St. (Westmark Fairbanks Hotel) mid-May to mid-September, 888.425.1737. HUSKY HOMESTEAD Tour Iditarod Champion
Jeff King’s kennels and experience the Alaskan lifestyle; 3 tours daily. Booking office open 8 am to 8 pm daily mid-May to mid-September. www. huskyhomestead.com. Booking office in Rainbow Village, 907.683.2904. LUCKY MISS SALOON An authentic Alaskan fireside
saloon offering inspired spirits and cozy, casual eating, 11 am-midnight. Menu served 11 am-10:30 pm. www.DenaliParkVillage.com. Mile 231 Parks Hwy., 907.683.8900. PRINCESS TOURS Offering a variety of tour pack-
ages including motorcoach sightseeing, lodging, luxury railcar service to Denali Park and Anchorage. Fairbanks excursions include Chena Hot Springs, Gold Dredge #8, Salmon Bake and Palace Theatre, Riverboat Discovery Cruise and more. www.princessalaskalodges.com. 3401 Lathrop St., 907.479.9660 or 800.426.0500. THE PUMP HOUSE RESTAURANT & SALOON New
American. Fine dining in a historic atmosphere. The reconstructed pump house, with authentic Gold Rush-era furnishings, overlooks the Chena River. Menu includes prime aged beef, Alaska salmon and other seafood; premium wine list and micro brews; oyster bar in saloon. www.pumphouse.com. 796 Chena Pump Rd., 907.479.8452. ROADHOUSE BBQ A rustic Alaska log cabin sets
the tone for mouthwatering BBQ cuisine and a family-friendly atmosphere. Open 5 pm-10 pm. Menu served 5 pm-9 pm. www.DenaliVillagePark. com. Mile 231 Parks Hwy., 907.683.8900. UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA MUSEUM OF THE NORTH
Exhibition galleries cover 2,000 years of Alaskan art, from ancient ivory carvings to 20th-century paintings, and offer extensive displays of Alaska natural history and wildlife, including Blue Babe, a 36,000-year-old steppe bison mummy. Films, museum store, audio guide, cafe. Open yearround. University of Alaska campus. www.uaf.edu/ museum. 907 Yukon Dr., 907.474.7505. w w w.wh e re t r ave l e r. com 35
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THE GUIDE
Southeast Alaska
Sublime Wilderness, Charming Port Cities A watery wilderness “unspeakably pure and sublime,” to borrow from John Muir’s description of Glacier Bay, Alaska’s “Panhandle” encompasses a narrow strip of mainland backed up against the Coast Mountains and hundreds of islands in the Alexander Archipelago. The mist shrouded forests, pebbled beaches, quiet waterways and glaciated mountains of Southeast draw a million visitors each year.
SOUTHEAST COMMUNITIES The mainline ports in Southeast (from south to north) are Ketchikan (pop. 8,313), Wrangell
(pop. 2,448), Petersburg (pop. 3,200), Sitka (pop. 9,084), Juneau (pop. 33,064), Haines (pop. 2,530) and Skagway (pop. 1,036). For more details, see “Ports of Call” on pages 18-19. Prince of Wales Island, a 3-hour ferry ride west from Ketchikan, is the third largest island under the American flag and has the most extensive road system in Southeast Alaska. Island communities include Craig, Klawock, Hydaburg, Thorne Bay, Kasaan, Coffman Cove and Whale Pass. Other Southeast communities served by state ferries and local airlines, include Metlakatla, on the west coast of Annette Island; Kake, on the northwest coast of Kupreanof Island; Angoon on Admiralty Island; and Hoonah, Pelican and Tenakee on Chichagof Island. Yakutat, on the Gulf of Alaska coast, is a stop on the Cross Gulf ferry route. It is also a popular destination for steelhead fisherman. Gustavus (gustavusak.com), gateway to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, is located on the north shore of Icy Strait, 48 miles northwest of Juneau. It is served by the state ferry system and jet flights from Juneau as well as charters and scheduled service from other Southeast
communities, with many visitors bound for Glacier Bay Lodge & Tours.
SOUTHEAST ATTRACTIONS Join a wildlife cruise to see marine wildlife, such as humpback whales and orcas, or a sightseeing cruise of Glacier Bay, Misty Fiords, LeConte Glacier, Stikine River or Tracy Arm. There’s black and brown bear viewing at Pack Creek on Admiralty Island, Anan Creek near Wrangell, Fish Creek near Hyder and Herring Cove near Ketchikan. Especially popular in Southeast are flightseeing tours—by small plane or helicopter—to see glaciers and icefields. Enjoy Russian dance performances in Sitka and Tlingit dance performances in Haines. Explore Alaska Native culture at totem parks and museums throughout Southeast Alaska. Step into the region’s past at colorful Creek Street in Ketchikan, the Red Dog Saloon in Juneau or the Red Onion Saloon & Brothel Museum in Skagway. Get a taste of the Gold Rush by taking a day hike up the Chilkoot Trail. Skim the treetops of a lush forest hanging from a zipline. Experience this watery wilderness on a kayak trip. The possibilities are endless.
CRUISING Nearly 1 million travelers visit Juneau each year, or about 2 of every 3 Alaska visitors. Many extend their trips to include land tours, or return for independent travel.
©SHARON NAULT
SOUTHEAST ALASKA A uniquely different environment from the rest of Alaska, offering a uniquely different experience for visitors, Southeast Alaska lies at the same latitude as Scotland and southern Sweden. It has a typical Pacific Northwest climate, although temperatures generally run 10 degrees cooler than Seattle, WA. Transportation is dictated by topography, with most communities accessible only by air or water. Ferries of the Alaska Marine Highway System (www.ferryalaska.com) carry both passengers and vehicles between mainline Southeast Alaska port cities and to Prince Rupert, BC, and Bellingham, WA. Two towns on the ferry system’s mainline also connect to the mainland highway system: Haines via the Haines Highway, and Skagway via the South Klondike Highway (both junction with the Alaska Highway in Canada). Hyder, at the head of Portland Canal, is accessible by road from Stewart, BC.
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THE GUIDE
SOUTHEAST ALASKA
Haines RUBY RANGE ADVENTURES The stunning northern
landscapes of Canada’s Yukon and Alaska await, and Ruby Range Adventures has the guides, experience and knowledge to make your journey one you will carry with you forever. www.rubyrange. com. PO Box 30107, Whitehorse, YT Y1A 5M2, Canada. Toll-Free in USA & Canada: 888.667.2209 SOCKEYE CYCLE CO. Fully supported bicycle tours
from 3 to 8 hours in length. Four options available out of Haines, one is a bike/kayak combo. Also self-guided tours possible with bike rental option. www.cyclealaska.com. 24 Portage St., 907.766.2869. or 877.292.4154.
Juneau Attractions/Adventures ADVENTURE BOUND ALASKA Full-day cruise
aboard the 56-ft. Adventure Bound or 65-ft. Captain Cook to Tracy Arm Fjord. Spectacular close-up views of tidewater and hanging glaciers, sheer rock walls and waterfalls. Wildlife-watching for whales, bears, mountain goats, seals and birds. www.adventureboundalaska.com. 76 Egan Dr,, 907.463.2509 or 800.228.3875. ADVENTURES WITH WHALES ORCA ENTERPRIS ES Professional whale-watching with Captain
Larry aboard a 42-foot jet boat. Exhilarating close encounters with wildlife and fantastic photo opportunities. Daily departures in season. www. alaskawhalewatching.com. 495 S. Franklin St., 907.789.6801 or 888.733.6722. GLACIER GARDENS RAINFOREST ADVENTURE
Guided garden and rainforest tour through 50 acres (20 hectares). Scenic overlooks give views of Gastineau Channel, downtown Juneau and the Chilkat Mountains. Cafe on-site. www.glaciergardens.com. 7600 Glacier Hwy., 907.790.3377. TEMSCO HELICOPTERS Flightseeing and guided
walk on Mendenhall Glacier, bird’s-eye views of the Tongass National Forest, dog sledding. Tours available daily in summer. www.temscoair.com. 1650 Maplesden Way, 907.789.9501 or 877.789.9501.
Ketchikan Attractions/Adventures ALASKA CANOPY ADVENTURES Two award-
winning rainforest courses offer the ultimate zipline adventure. www.alaskacanopy.com. 116 Wood Rd., 907.225.5503. SAXMAN TOTEM PARK & NATIVE VILLAGE At-
traction showcases more than 20 totem poles and is included in local sightseeing tours. Cape Fox Tours offers carving demonstrations and cultural performances by Native dancers. Located 2.5 miles south on Tongass Hwy. Park open year-round, Cape Fox Tours May to Sept. www.capefoxtours. com. 2.3 Mile South Tongass Hwy., 907.225.4846. SOUTHEAST ALASKA DISCOVERY CENTER Inter-
pretive exhibits on coastal rainforest, Native culture, natural resources and local industry. Admission charged in summer. Open year-round, daily in summer. www.alaskacenters.gov/ketchikan. cfm. 50 Main St., 907.228.6220. TAQUAN AIR Flightseeing, charter and sched-
uled service on DeHavilland Beaver aircraft to
Metlakatla, Hyder and most Prince of Wales Island communities. Tours include flightseeing Misty Fjords National Monument and visiting Anan Creek bear observatory in Tongass National Forest. Fly-out fishing trips available. www.flytaquan.com. 4085 Tongass Ave., 800.770.8800 or 907.225.8800.
Petersburg VIKING TRAVEL, INC. Tours from Petersburg
include whale watching, sea kayaking, LeConte Glacier trip, fishing charters, bear viewing, river rafting, Glacier Bay tours and Alaska Marine Highway sailings. www.AlaskaFerryVacations.com. 101 N. Nordic Dr., 907.772.3818 or 800.327.2571.
Prince of Wales Island EL CAPITAN CAVE Guided cave tours offered by
U.S. Forest Service during summer with advance reservation. www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/districts/ pow/recreation/rogs/elcap.shtml. 1312 Federal Way for Ranger District Office, 907.828.3304. FIREWEED LODGE Guided fishing charters/pack-
ages in the waters surrounding Prince of Wales Island. www.fireweedlodge.com. Mile 7 KlawockHollis Hwy., 907.755.2930.
Where to Eat, Shop, Play and Stay Is Just a Touch Away Put the power of Where® in the palm of your hand. Our Where Traveler City Guide app gives you instant access to thousands of hand-picked recommendations for things to do and places to go in destinations all over the world. Download it today for iPhone and Android.
Sitka Attractions/Adventures ALASKA RAPTOR CENTER Bald eagle rehabilitation
facility and nonprofit educational center. Watch more than 20 raptors-in-residence (birds unable to return to the wild) up close. www.alaskaraptor.org. 1000 Raptor Way, 907.747.8662. SHELDON JACKSON MUSEUM Alaska’s oldest
museum and keeper of many rarities collected by missionary Sheldon Jackson. The building is on the National Historic Register. Admission charged, varied hours, summer and winter. www.museums. state.ak.us. 104 College Dr., 907.747.8981. SEA OTTER & WILDLIFE QUEST Award-winning
three-hour cruise offers opportunity to see sea otters, humpback whales, sea lions, porpoise, puffins, bald eagles , brown bears and more. Variable departure times. Season runs from mid-May to early September. www.truealaskantours.com. Allen Marine Tours, 1512 Sawmill Creek Rd., 907.747.8100 or 888.289.0081.
Skagway SKAGWAY BREWING COMPANY Brew Pub. Spe-
cialty burgers, salmon and halibut, wings, pasta and more and locally brewed and award-winning beer. Covered beer garden. www.skagwaybrewing. com. 7th and Broadway, 907.983.2739. SOCKEYE CYCLE CO. Six day trips, from 1.5 hours
to 7 hours in length. Train and bike tours, Klondike bicycle tours, Skagway triple adventure are some of the trips offered. Also, extended trips beyond this region. www.cyclealaska.com. 381 5th Ave., 907.983.2851.
Wrangell WRANGELL MUSEUM Presents Native Alaskan
artifacts, gold rush relics, fur trade and early exploration displays. Gift shop and films. www.wrangell alaska.org/museum/index.html. 296 Campbell Dr., 907.874.3770.
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Old Steese Highway
Metro Field
Un
C
Jo h a
Alaska Railroad Chena 5 Depot River SRS Av ve e. Pioneer Park 2 A
ressw ay
ou t
. Rd p um aP
en Ch
B
ug h
Noyes
Davis Road
Ta n a n a A
. Rd
ena
G
y Wa
International Airport
Co
ge lle
Tanana Valley Fairgrounds
Ch
ate hG
4
F
Sout
Chena Marina Airport and Float Pond
CreamersE
an
he ll
Dale Rd. Airport Way
d
To Fox
Cushm
i tc M
Ri
St .
Boater
Sternwheeler Discovery
4
G
C
University of Alaska
To Denali Park, Anchorage
City Cemetery
Farmers Loop Rd.
Illin n ois St.
Univ. of Mt. McKinley Alaska Viewpoint Museum
Georgeson Botanical Garden
3
d.
Creamers Field State Game Refuge
Riv
na
Fire
F
Slo
Ester Dome ay Henderson Rd. hw oad Cripple Creek Hig ill R s H k Historical Site ld Par Go
E
Lathrop
1
R op Lo
Peger Rd.
r pC a ee Sh Ala sk
ee kR d Ra ilr . oad
Yankovich Rd.
University Ave
B
D Street
D Street
C
Miller Hill Rd.
The Alaska
Ester
E Street
F Street
G Street
H Street
I Street
K Street
L Street L Street
M Street
N Street
To Murphy Dome A
e Ch
2
Trooper Museum
Delaney Park
Veterans Memorial
B
E. 2nd Ct.
Federal Bldg. U.S. Courthouse
MAP 3 Fairbanks Vicinity
3
Buttress Park
Anchorage Museum
MLK Memorial
Delaney Park Strip
1
Barrow Park
Barrow St.
a
las k
O St. W. 9th
2
E. 1st
Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center
W. 8th
A
Alaska Railroad Depot
City Hall
W. 7th
G
Denali St.
W. 1st
Eisenhower Statehood Monument
F
Quyana Park Weekend Market & Festival Old Federal Building Cpt. CookW.. 3rd -Alaska Public Lands Monument Resolution Park Center Nesbitt 4th Avenue Courthouse Market Oscar W. 4th Log Cabin Anderson Visitor Center House Elderberry Egan Center Park W. 5th Alaska Center 5th Ave. Mall Town for the Square Performing Arts W. 6th
Nulbay Park
W. 10th
E
M St.
Co
as ta
N St.
lT ra il
Cook Inlet
4
P Street
ad
W. 2nd
Th eA
200 ft 100 m
3
R
ro ai l
D
A Street
Knik Arm
1
2
C
Stees eE xp res s
B
Noble
A
F
G
46 W H E R E A L A S K A I 2016 - 2017
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MAPS
MAP 5 Downtown Juneau A
B
A
C
1
Bas Mt. Roberts Trailhead
1
1
ld
n
St
d ar w Se
St
y
4
LEGEND State Highway
Cruise Ship Terminal
Information
Museum/Gallery
Hospital
University/College
Parking
Train Station
Post Office
Library
Golf Course
Restroom
Bicycle Route
Zoo
Airport
Place of Interest
Ski Area
View Point
5
Herbert Glacier
Shrine of St. Therese
Juneau Veterans’ Memorial Highway
Tee Harbor
Peterson Lake
4
Lena Mendenhall Lake Lena Cove Campground Montana Mendenhall Beach Creek Rd. Mendenhall Glacier USFS Lake Auke Bay Picnic Ferry Terminal Area Mendenhall Auke L. Glacier Auke Village Auke Visitor Glacier 5 Recreation Center Bay Hwy. Area Mendenhall
Mendenhall Peninsula Fritz Cove
Mendenhall River
Airport
North Douglas Highway
6
Tongass National Forest
7
3
Windfall Lake
Eaglecrest Ski Area
Douglas Island
JuneauDouglas Bridge Douglas Highway
Douglas
Loop Rd.
Old Glacier Highway Salmon Egan Dr. Creek 6 Reservoir
Macaulay Salmon Hatchery
Downtown Juneau
Gas
St
C
Favorite Channel
n
kli
B
3
Shelter Island
an
Fr USS Juneau Mount Memorial Roberts Tramway
4
Stephens Passage
S
ve uA
ea
tin
s Ga
e Av
Gastineau Channel
Eagle Glacier
Eagle River
Eagle Beach USFS Picnic Area Eagle Beach SRA
l Channe
St
hb
ug
Juneau Veterans’ Memorial Highway
3
50 m
A
2
au tine
kli
an
ain M
r St
ittie
Wh
illo W
2
Lynn Canal
Rd sin t Ba ris S r St Ha
2
Go
Fr
e Av n ou lh Ca Capitol Ave
St
200 ft
4
Point Bridget
Echo Cove
Nicholas Orthodox St Church 7th W State Capitol St St th St 6th St 10 h t t 8 W 5th S Governor's St h City St 9t 4th Mansion WFederal 3rd St Museum d Bldg 2n State Ave y b h g Office Bldg nt St Willou Fro 3 Alaska State Centennial Museum Hall Dr Egan
th
11
C
Berners Bay
St
th
2 W
B
1
in Rd
12
MAP 6 Juneau Vicinity
Cruise Ship Docks Thane Rd.
Sandy Beach Recreation Area A
B
7
C w w w.wh e re t r ave l e r. com 47
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[WHERE INSIDE]
Alaska Your Way
Fishy (1) Fresh fish entrees are featured at most Alaska restaurants. This black cod dish is on the menu at The Saltry in Halibut Cove, where other lunch and dinner choices include halibut ceviché, Kachemak Bay oysters and salmon (paté, pickled, pan-seared, smoked, you name it). (2) Fish art hangs in museums; fish designs decorate T-shirts; and fish—especially salmon—in wood, metal and resin, adorn outdoor public spaces. This detail of a carved salmon is from a bench, dedicated to an avid Kenai River fisherman, that sits in front of the Soldotna visitor center. (3) Charter and guided fishing trips are available for saltwater and freshwater fishermen, whether you are interested in fly-fishing a river for arctic grayling or going after halibut in Cook Inlet, like this fisherwoman posing with her catch.
Fun (1) Gold panning may not yield enough gold
to pay for your trip, but it sure is fun. You can pan for gold on almost any stream, although your chances for "colors" in your pan improve at commercial operations like Gold Dredge No. 8 (pictured here), where an experienced instructor and pay dirt from their claim almost guarantee you'll see the glitter of gold when you are done. (2) Glacier landings on flightseeing trips of Denali (formerly Mount McKinley) are a memorable addition to any itinerary. These air services operate out of Talkeetna and Denali Park. (3) Whitewater rafting trips are offered on dozens of Alaska rivers, with the Nenana River at Denali Park one of the most popular choices. Nenana Raft Adventures offers 3-4 hour Nenana Gorge whitewater raft trips.
Fantastic (1) Glacier viewing is on everyone's top ten list of things to do in Alaska. Several glaciers, such as Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau (seen here), are accessible by road. Others may be viewed by cruise ship or day cruise in Southeast Alaska and in Prince William Sound. (2) Wildlife is a big draw for Alaska visitors, and rightly so. How often do you get to see moose, bear, whales, otters and other mammals in their natural environment? Big bull moose like this can even be seen in Anchorage city parks or along the roads! (3) Native Arts and Crafts are displayed in museums and are available for purchase at fine gift shops throughout the state. Neval Mathias demonstrates her doll-making artistry at the Sheldon Jackson Museum in Sitka, where one of the state's finest Native craft collections is found.
TOP ROW: COURTESY THE SALTRY/COLIN WALKER, ©KRIS VALENCIA (2); MIDDLE ROW: ©KRIS VALENCIA, ©SHARON NAULT (2); BOTTOM ROW: ©SHARON NAULT, COURTESY NENANA RAFT ADVENTURES, ©KRIS VALENCIA
UNIQUE TRAVEL RECOMMENDATIONS, FIT TO MATCH YOUR PERSONAL STYLE. FIND THE DESTINATION THAT SUITS YOU AT WHERETRAVELER.COM/ALASKA.
48 W H E R E A L A S K A I 2016 - 2017
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