What’s Doing in Alaska
Located just west of Juneau is Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, which contains fifteen tidewater glaciers and over 600,000 acres of protected marine ecosystems. The Glacier Bay area was first charted by French explorer Jean-François de Galaup in 1786, officially became a national park in 1925, and was later expanded substantially in 1978. Wildlife in the area includes grizzly bears, black bears, moose, mountain goats, waterfowl, humpback whales, and black-tailed deer. Popular activities include hiking, camping, kayaking, and rafting. The park, named a Unesco World Heritage site in 1979, is not accessible by road, and must be accessed by air travel or cruise ship.
Two smaller towns of interest to visitors are Ketchikan, located in southeastern Alaska, and Skagway, located on the Alaska Panhandle. Ketchikan is known as the “Salmon Capital of the World” and is famous for its fishing and lumber industries. The city is home to the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, which features a cast of local lumberjacks who perform axe throwing, sawing, and wood chopping feats while spectators watch. Ketchikan is also the site of the Saxman Native Village Totem Pole Park, where visitors may learn about native Alaskan culture and take a look at the world’s largest collection of totem poles.
The town of Skagway began its history as a gold mining town and was an important location in the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896. The town is known for its five bridges, including the Yukon Suspension Bridge, a large pedestrian cable bridge that hangs 57 feet (17 meters) above the whitewater rapids of the Tutshi River. The town also offers visitors bus tours for sightseeing as well as various adventure activities including whitewater rafting and treetop zip lining.
WHERE TO EAT
Alaskan cuisine is known for its seafood, most notably the state’s famous Alaskan king crab and salmon.
For a taste of Alaska’s renowned seafood offerings, drop by the Crow’s Nest, located at the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage. The restaurant features New American cuisine, which is a blend of ethnic styles found in the United States, local seafood, and a 10,000-bottle wine cellar. Sample a round of fresh oysters or Alaskan king crab legs as an appetizer, and then dig into a rib eye steak with Bordelaise sauce and fingerling potatoes or Alaskan salmon with tarragon and brown butter. Don’t forget to order a slice of warm chocolate cake or pear poached in champagne and caramel for dessert.
Enjoy a night of food and entertainment at the Music of Denali dinner theater, which is located in a wood cabin on the grounds of the Denali Princess Lodge resort. The establishment features a hearty dinner of Alaskan salmon, smokehouse barbecue, mashed potatoes, and baked apple crisp served by costumed waiters, followed by a musical comedy about the first group of explorers to climb Mount McKinley.