Alaska travel companies

Alaska is the largest state in the USA, a sparsely populated land of immense natural beauty, diverse wildlife and breathtaking adventure. At one-fifth the size of the lower 48 states, Alaska has 3 million lakes, over 3,000 rivers, 17 of the USA’s 20 highest peaks, 100,000 glaciers and 15 national parks, preserves and monuments. Soaring snow-covered peaks, glaciers and fjords, bears, moose, salmon-filled rivers and the shrill call of eagles echo the grandeur of this state, which offers an experience like nowhere else on earth.

Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, is both a popular tourist destination and the centre of commerce and transportation for the region; 40% of the state’s population lives here. Lake Hood is home to the world’s largest seaplane base, the main form of transport in Alaska.

Fairbanks, Alaska’s second-largest city, situated at the northern end of the Alaska Highway, is a trade and transportation centre for the Interior and Far North regions, and gateway to the state’s real frontier. From mid-May through to July, visitors can enjoy more than 20 hours of sunlight a day, but in winter the short days are mostly a pink-and-indigo twilight with about four hours of real daylight.

Time
Alaska: GMT – 9 (GMT – 8 from second Sunday in March to first Sunday in November) in the greater part of the state .
Hawaii-Aleutian: GMT – 10 west of 169° 30′.
Population
684,232 (official estimate 2008).
Population Density
0.4 per sq km.

Capital
Juneau.
Nickname
The Last Frontier or Land of the Midnight Sun.

Food and Drink
Alaskan cuisine features freshly caught seafood, moose and caribou. Salmon, halibut and trout feature heavily on most menus.

Regional specialities:
• Smoked salmon.
• Caribou stew.
• Moose steaks.
• Akutaq – Eskimo ice cream.

Nightlife
Live music is very popular in Alaska. Many bars offer a wide choice of late-night sounds, ranging from rock to jazz and blues. Anchorage has a bigger nightlife scene than the interior city of Fairbanks.

Shopping
Unique Alaskan products and crafts include: gold nugget jewellery; items carved from jade; handmade clothing and toys; and woven baskets of beach grass, bark and baleen. Native sea-oil candles, beaded mittens and miniature hand-carved totem poles are also popular souvenirs. The ‘Made in Alaska’ logo indicates that an item has been genuinely manufactured in Alaska, and the ‘silver hand’ logo identifies Native Alaskan handicrafts.

Top Things To See

• See the Northern Lights (aurora borealis) dancing across the cold winter night skies between December-March.

• Delight in the wealth of local history that can be seen at the Heritage Library and Museum, the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, the Oscar Anderson House Museum, and the Alaska Native Heritage Center.

• Watch March’s world-famous Iditarod Race, which traverses 1,851km (1,150 miles) of rugged terrain from Anchorage to Nome, on the Bering Sea. The K-300, out of Bethel in the Yukon Delta, puts up the largest purse for a mid-length 300-mile sled dog race every January.

• Take a short trip north of Anchorage leading to the Eagle River Visitor Center and the alpine beauty of Chugach State Park.

• Experience the most popular excursion, Columbia Glacier, a 6km- (4-mile-) wide piece of ice. This world’s fastest-moving glacier can be reached via day cruises, charter boats, flight-seeing tours and the state ferry.

• Explore Denali National Park and Preserve, famous for its panoramic views of the Alaska Range and Mount McKinley, highest mountain in North America at 6,194m (20,320ft). You can take a popular day excursion through the wilderness to see caribou, grizzly bears, wolves and moose.

• See the world’s largest collection of totem poles at Ketchikan, nestled between oceans and mountains. Infamous Creek Street’s bars and bordellos of fishing and silver-mining days are now galleries and restaurants.

• Follow the 1890s gold rush trail from Skagway to Whitehorse (Canada) along the 177km (110 mile) Klondike Highway.

• Visit Kodiak Island, home of Alaska’s largest fishing fleet. View its Russian legacy at the Baranov Museum, and the island’s native people at Alutiiq Museum. The Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge is a protected habitat for Kodiak brown bears.

Getting Alaska

Getting by Air
Roads are few in Alaska, due to mountains, tundra and inhospitable terrain. The most common way to get around this wilderness state is by air, most small aircraft being equipped with floats. Several airlines, largely based at Anchorage, operate services to almost every Alaskan village. Alaska Airlines flies to Alaska’s largest cities (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and Ketchikan), as well as a number of bush communities throughout the state. A number of smaller, regional airlines provide statewide services.

Main Airports
Ted Stevens Anchorage International (ANC) is situated 3km (2 miles) south of Anchorage.
Fairbanks International (FBK) is 3 miles (5km) southwest of central Fairbanks.
Ketchikan International (KTN) sits on Gravina Island just across from the city; a small ferry runs from the airport to just above the state ferry dock.
Juneau International (JNU) is located 14km (9 miles) north of Juneau.

Getting by Water
The Alaska Marine Highway System provides a practical ferry service on four separate routes: Inside Passage/Southeast, Southwest and Southcentral. Cross-Gulf route. Visitors can board the ferry at Bellingham (Washington) and travel up to Skagway on the Inside Passage/Southeast route; the Southwest route connects the Kenai Peninsula and Prince William Sound to the Aleutians Islands; the Kennicott ferry runs a twice-monthly Southcentral service from June to September, linking the two routes (running between Juneau and Seward).

Getting by Rail
The scenic, historic and expensive Alaska Railroad operates daily between Anchorage, Fairbanks, Grandview, Hurricane and Seward. At the southern end of the rail corridor, connections with the state ferry system can be made at Seward and Whittier. Except for the Anchorage-Seward and Anchorage-Grandview routes, the railway operates all year round, with reduced services from September to May.

Getting by Road
The famous Alaska Highway covers a staggering 2,647km (1,645 miles) from Delta Junction, near Fairbanks, to Dawson Creek (British Columbia, Canada). Drivers should note that weather conditions can be hazardous, and create visibility and navigational challenges. The road system is in good condition, however, and if drivers use commonsense and are prepared for changes in the weather, the Alaska Highway is an ideal way to explore the state. Other roads only reach a quarter of the state’s vast area, and treacherous weather conditions can make driving a hazardous option. Further information and suggested itineraries may be found online.

Cars are available for hire statewide, with major chains featured in most cities.

Alaska Direct Bus Line offers bus services from Anchorage to Whitehorse, Canada (journey time – 16 to 18 hours) and from Fairbanks to Whitehorse (journey time – 13 to 15 hours). From Whitehorse, Greyhound Canada offers connections to Vancouver, British Columbia (journey time – 40 hours 30 minutes). The total travel time from Alaska to the lower 48 states can take up to five days and involve a number of connections. Greyhound Canada also has connections from Prince George, British Columbia to Prince Rupert, British Columbia (journey time – 10 hours 30 minutes), from where a ferry may be taken to Alaska. This trip follows the impressive Yellowhead Highway as it heads along to the coast.

Alaska Climate

The climate varies widely throughout the state. Anchorage’s summer weather is pleasant and the winters are mild. Fairbanks, the Interior and parts of the Bush region experience Alaska’s most extreme weather conditions with average temperatures ranging from 22C (72°F) in high summer to -28C (-19°F) in winter.

Required Clothing
In the Anchorage area, a layered wardrobe is the best option, with a light jacket in summer and a warm coat in winter. Elsewhere, very warm winter clothing is required in the coldest months, and heavily insulated shoes. Lightweight and layered clothing is recommended during the summer.