4th Edition Alaska $19.99 US / $23.99 CN / £13.99 UK ISBN 978-0-470-38527-2 Whether your style is luxury cruise ship, laid-back road trip, or active wilderness hike, this guide helps you explore Alaska the fun and easy way. See wildlife roaming vast open spaces. Explore Mount McKinley, Native Alaskan culture, and old gold rush towns. Go skiing, sea kayaking, or fishing. Marvel at spectacular glaciers and windswept tundras. You can do it all on a wild and wonderful Alaskan adventure. Tame the wilds of America’s Last Frontier Travel travel smart @ www.dummies.com • Down-to-earth trip-planning advice • What you shouldn’t miss — and what you can skip • The best hotels and restaurants for every budget • Lots of detailed maps With tips and recommendations from the experts at Open the book and find: Charles Wohlforth spine=.915” Alaska 4th Edition spine=.915” Covering the most popular destinations in North America and Europe, For Dummies travel guides are the ultimate user-friendly trip planners. Available wherever books are sold or go to www.dummies.com And book it with our online partner, Frommers.com ߜ Book airfare, hotels and packages ߜ Find the hottest deals ߜ Get breaking travel news ߜ Enter to win vacations ߜ Share trip photos and stories ߜ And much more Frommers.com, rated the #1 Travel Web Site by PC Magazine Plan your trip with For Dummies 01_385272-ffirs.qxp 2/13/09 12:02 AM Page i Available wherever books are sold. Go to www.dummies.com or call 1-877-762-2974 to order direct. The fun and easy way ™ to travel! U.S.A. Also available: Alaska For Dummies Arizona For Dummies Boston For Dummies California For Dummies Chicago For Dummies Colorado & the Rockies For Dummies Florida For Dummies Los Angeles & Disneyland For Dummies Maui For Dummies National Parks of the American West For Dummies New Orleans For Dummies New York City For Dummies San Francisco For Dummies Seattle & the Olympic Peninsula For Dummies Washington, D.C. For Dummies RV Vacations For Dummies Walt Disney World & Orlando For Dummies EUROPE Also available: England For Dummies Europe For Dummies Germany For Dummies Ireland For Dummies London For Dummies Paris For Dummies Scotland For Dummies Spain For Dummies OTHER DESTINATIONS Also available: Bahamas For Dummies Cancun & the Yucatan For Dummies Costa Rica For Dummies Mexico’s Beach Resorts For Dummies Montreal & Quebec City For Dummies Vancouver & Victoria For Dummies ™ 01_385272-ffirs.qxp 2/13/09 12:02 AM Page ii by Charles Wohlforth Alaska FOR DUMmIES ‰ 4 TH EDITION s 01_385272-ffirs.qxp 2/13/09 12:02 AM Page iii Alaska For Dummies ® , 4th Edition Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www.wiley.com Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permit- ted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201-748-6011, fax 201-748-6008, or online at http:// www.wiley.com/go/permissions . Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. Frommer’s is a trade- mark or registered trademark of Arthur Frommer. Used under license. All other trademarks are the prop- erty of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. 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For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. ISBN: 978-0-470-38527-2 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 01_385272-ffirs.qxp 2/13/09 12:02 AM Page iv About the Author Charles Wohlforth is a lifelong Alaskan who has been a writer and journalist since 1986. Wohlforth lives in Anchorage with his wife, Barbara; sons, Robin and Joseph; and daughters, Julia and Rebecca. His book about Eskimos experiencing warming in the Arctic is titled The Whale and the Supercomputer: On the Northern Front of Climate Change (North Point Press). A forthcoming book from St. Martin’s Press is tentatively titled Hidden Waters: Human Nature and the Fate of the Oceans, and explores the history, ecol- ogy, and anthropology of Prince William Sound. Wohlforth can be reached through his Web site, www.wohlforth.net. Author’s Acknowledgments This is my fourth edition of Alaska For Dummies and, more than ever, it is the product of teamwork. From the very start, I received enormous help from friends, colleagues, and my family — the size and diversity of Alaska would otherwise make the project impossi- ble. I want to acknowledge them all, but I need to give special note to the remarkable professionals who assisted with this edition. Karen Datko is more than my right hand; without her creative and journalistic talents, the book would have been greatly diminished. Researchers and writers around the state contributed as well, bringing new life to the book and giving it the insider’s insider information that I couldn’t have produced alone, even as a lifelong Alaskan; they include: Eric Troyer, Charlotte Glover, Kris Capps, Matt Hawthorne, Martha Robinson, and Charles Homans. 01_385272-ffirs.qxp 2/13/09 12:02 AM Page v Editorial Editors: Chris Summers, Marc Nadeau, Erin Amick Copy Editor: Elizabeth Kuball Cartographer: Guy Ruggiero Editorial Assistant: Jessica Langan-Peck Senior Photo Editor: Richard Fox Front cover: © Jeff Foott / Discovery Channel Images / Getty Images Description: Kayaker paddles past an iceberg in Southeastern Alaska; Back cover: © Kevin Schafer/Alamy Images Description: Juneau: Native style carving in wood Cartoons: Rich Tennant ( www.the5thwave.com) Composition Services Project Coordinator: Katie Key Layout and Graphics: SDJumper, Sarah Phillipart, Julie Trippetti Special Art: Anniversary Logo Design: Richard Pacifico Proofreaders: David Faust, Jessica Kramer, Sossity R. Smith Indexer: Silvoskey Indexing Services Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies Kristin Ferguson-Wagstaffe, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel Publishing for Technology Dummies Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/ General User Composition Services Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Service Publisher’s Acknowledgments We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/. Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following: 01_385272-ffirs.qxp 2/13/09 12:02 AM Page vi Contents at a Glance Introduction 1 Part I: Introducing Alaska 7 Chapter 1: Discovering the Best of Alaska 9 Chapter 2: Digging Deeper into Alaska 15 Chapter 3: Deciding Where and When to Go 25 Chapter 4: Great Alaska Itineraries 35 Part II: Planning Your Trip to Alaska 45 Chapter 5: Managing Your Money 47 Chapter 6: Getting to Alaska 58 Chapter 7: Getting Around Alaska 69 Chapter 8: Cruising Alaska’s Coast 81 Chapter 9: Planning an Outdoor Adventure 108 Chapter 10: Booking Your Accommodations 130 Chapter 11: Catering to Special Travel Needs or Interests 136 Chapter 12: Taking Care of the Remaining Details 142 Part III: Anchorage and Environs 157 Chapter 13: Settling Into Anchorage 159 Chapter 14: Exploring Anchorage 180 Chapter 15: Side Trips from Anchorage 202 Part IV: Road Trips from Anchorage 219 Chapter 16: The Kenai Peninsula: Seward, Kenai Fjords National Park, Kenai, and Homer 221 Chapter 17: Fairbanks 260 Chapter 18: Driving Alaska’s Highways 283 Chapter 19: Denali National Park 297 Part V: Southeast Alaska 321 Chapter 20: Juneau 323 Chapter 21: Skagway 343 Chapter 22: Sitka 352 Part VI: The End of the Road and Beyond: Bush Alaska 365 Chapter 23: The Arctic 367 Chapter 24: Bear Country: Katmai National Park and Kodiak Island 378 02_385272-ftoc.qxp 2/13/09 12:02 AM Page vii Part VII: The Part of Tens 389 Chapter 25: Ten Great Walks and Hikes in Alaska 391 Chapter 26: Ten Questions to Ask an Alaskan 395 Chapter 27: Ten Ways to Be an Alaska Know-It-All 399 Appendix: Quick Concierge 404 Index 411 Maps at a Glance Alaska Wildlife 122 Anchorage 168 Downtown Anchorage 173 The Kenai Peninsula and Prince William Sound 223 Seward 226 Homer 248 Fairbanks 264 Downtown Fairbanks 269 Alaska Highways 285 Denali National Park 304 Greater Juneau 327 Downtown Juneau 329 Skagway 346 Sitka 354 02_385272-ftoc.qxp 2/13/09 12:02 AM Page viii [...]... these criteria, Alaska For Dummies has the information you’re looking for! How This Book Is Organized With the straightforward organization of this book, finding what you’re looking for should be intuitive But just in case, here’s the blueprint 03_385272-intro.qxp 4 2/13/09 12:03 AM Page 4 Alaska For Dummies, 4th Edition Part I: Introducing Alaska In this part, I introduce you to what Alaska has to... lookout for critters I also use it to mark some of the best wildlife-viewing destinations 03_385272-intro.qxp 6 2/13/09 12:03 AM Page 6 Alaska For Dummies, 4th Edition Where to Go from Here Be not afraid! True, you go to Alaska for adventure True, the essence of Alaska is untamed wilderness, wild animals, and uncontrollable nature But Alaska is a popular visitor destination with every comfort you’re... explaining the places, times, and routes that make for a good trip 05_385272-ch01.qxp 2/13/09 12:03 AM Page 9 Chapter 1 Discovering the Best of Alaska In This Chapter ᮣ Discovering the best spots to see glaciers and bears ᮣ Exploring indigenous Alaskan culture and gold-rush history ᮣ Hiking Alaska s most beautiful day trails ᮣ Checking out Alaska s top one-of-a-kind lodgings S atellite photographs taken... piece of information you’re looking for at the moment you need it You can refer to a single chapter on a visit to a region, jump to the section about traveling with children, or just grab the facts you need right now to find a good restaurant 03_385272-intro.qxp 2 2/13/09 12:03 AM Page 2 Alaska For Dummies, 4th Edition ® Dummies Post-it Flags As you’re reading this book, you’ll find information that... money-saving strategies 93 Booking air travel through the cruise line .94 Choosing your cabin 95 Speaking up about special health and dietary concerns .96 The Small-Ship Cruise Lines 96 The Big-Ship Cruise Lines 100 xi 02_385272-ftoc.qxp xii 2/13/09 12:02 AM Page xii Alaska For Dummies, 4th Edition Chapter 9: Planning an Outdoor Adventure .108 Nine Ways to Get Killed in Alaska s... getting to Alaska and getting around the vast state — a bit more complicated than some other destinations, but also part of what makes Alaska interesting and exotic One long chapter covers options for visiting by cruise ship, and another provides details for going to Alaska for an outdoor adventure I get into finding the right accommodations at the right price and offer specialized information for families,... some general pricing information to help you as you decide where to unpack your bags or dine on the local cuisine I’ve used a system of dollar signs to show a range of costs for one night in a hotel or a meal at a restaurant Hotel prices are for a standard room for two people during the high season (Off-season prices are as little as half of the high-season prices.) For more information about high and... hasn’t been to Alaska and wants expert advice when you finally get a chance to go ߜ You may be an inexperienced traveler looking for guidance when determining whether to take a trip to Alaska and how to plan for it ߜ You’re not looking for a book that provides all the information available about Alaska or that lists every hotel, restaurant, or attraction available to you Instead, you’re looking for a book... 2: Digging Deeper into Alaska 15 Understanding Alaska s Native Cultures 15 Being courteous among Alaska s first people 17 Finding Native culture 17 Alaska History: Not an Oxymoron 18 Searching for Russian America (1741–1867) 18 Rushing for gold (1867–1940) 18 Defending the United States (1940–1968) 19 Discovering oil (1968 to the present) .20 Speaking Alaskan 21 Ordering... 56 02_385272-ftoc.qxp 2/13/09 12:02 AM Page xi Table of Contents Chapter 6: Getting to Alaska 58 Flying to Alaska .58 Finding out which airlines fly there 58 Getting the best deal on your airfare .59 Booking your flight online 60 Getting to Alaska by Road, Water, or Rail 61 Driving to Alaska .61 Taking the ferry to Alaska 62 Riding the rails to Alaska — not! . travel! U.S.A. Also available: Alaska For Dummies Arizona For Dummies Boston For Dummies California For Dummies Chicago For Dummies Colorado & the Rockies For Dummies Florida For Dummies Los Angeles. Olympic Peninsula For Dummies Washington, D.C. For Dummies RV Vacations For Dummies Walt Disney World & Orlando For Dummies EUROPE Also available: England For Dummies Europe For Dummies Germany For Dummies Ireland. Dummies Ireland For Dummies London For Dummies Paris For Dummies Scotland For Dummies Spain For Dummies OTHER DESTINATIONS Also available: Bahamas For Dummies Cancun & the Yucatan For Dummies Costa