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Great migrations of the great land: plan now to blaze a trail to Alaska, the last frontier
Travel America, Sept-Oct, 2004 by M.T. Schwartzman
IT BEGINS EVERY MEMORIAL DAY AND CONTINUES through Labor Day. Recreational vehicles arrived by the highway. Cruise ships tie up at the docks. Planes fly in from the Lower 48. It's the annual summertime migration to Alaska.
The phenomenon has been going on for more than a century, ever since the famed naturalist and Sierra Club cofounder John Muir set off to prove his theories of glaciation. Muir himself made seven trips to the north land, beginning in 1879, when he discovered Glacier Bay. Muir's explorations and writings excited the public about the beauty and wonders of Alaska, and by the late 1880s, several thousands travelers a year were arriving by steamship. The expanse of Alaska is so great, it is sometimes hard to comprehend.
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ALASKA
Because our 49th state is more than twice the size of Texas, it would be impossible to see everything in just one visit. Fortunately, many tour operators simplify the equation by providing first-rate transportation and sightseeing options. One of the best is Alaska Tour & Travel (800-208-0200), a homegrown company that specializes in independent and group arrangements throughout the state. Of special note is the company's "Park Connection Motorcoach," which allows travel between Kenai Fjords National Park and Denali National Park in just one day.
At least once during your visit, be sure to climb aboard a "flightseeing" tour for an aerial view of Alaska's majesty. Flightseeing is available in two varieties: fixed wing in a propeller-driven plane or, for a true adventure, aboard a six-passenger helicopter. Era Aviation (800-843-1947) operates from helipads statewide, including locations in Anchorage, Juneau, Seward, and Denali National Park.
Alaska's first visitors came from Asia about 15,000 years ago, perhaps by way of an ancient land bridge or maybe in small boats across the north Pacific (there are differences of opinion on that). Among these first people were the Aleuts, who called their new home "Alyeska," meaning "Great Land."
By 8,000 years ago, Alaska's native people had settled along the Inside Passage in the general vicinity of places we know today by the names of Ketchikan, Haines, Sitka, and Wrangell. They developed a rich culture of storytelling and brilliant artwork--among their most widely known artistic expressions are Alaska's famous totem poles. Souvenir replicas are available everywhere, ranging in price from a few bucks to several hundred dollars for a hand-carved original. When shopping for local handiwork, look for the Silver Hand label, which designates an authentic native craft, or the polar bear symbol for items made in Alaska.
Alaska's most celebrated migration came in 1897, when an estimated 200,000 people set off to strike it rich in the Klondike. Only about 20,000 are said to have made it, following a route up the Alaskan panhandle and over the mountains into Canada. Several illustrious writers chronicled this storied event, including Jack London and Robert Service, whose poem "Trail of '98" is must-reading for Alaska-bound vacationers.
To transport the prospectors, the White Pass & Yukon Route railroad in Skagway opened in 1900; it's now one of the most popular day-trips in Alaska. Along the route you can still see the actual "Trail of '98," worn into the mountainside more than a century ago. True to its name, the WP&YR serves as a link to Canada's Yukon Territory for modern-day travelers. But unlike during the Gold Rush days, overland travel is now possible by the Klondike Highway (Route 2), popular with RVers. In fact, Skagway is one of only two communities linked to the rest of Alaska's Inside Passage by road, the other being Haines.
Whales, too, make an annual trek to Alaska from winter breeding grounds in Mexico and Hawaii. Gray whales prefer the northern waters of the Bering Sea, named for Vitas Bering, who discovered Alaska in 1741 while sailing for the Russian crown. As the gray whales make their way up the coast, they pass by Seward and the Kenai Peninsula, where Kenai Fjords Tours (800-478-8068) runs whale-watching excursions in Prince William Sound.
Humpback whales, meanwhile, tend to congregate near the entrance to Glacier Bay National Park; orcas (also known as "killer whales") may be encountered as well. Sightseeing cruises leave daily from Juneau in season; information and schedules are available from the Goldbelt Tour Center (800-820-2628).
Juneau (888-581-2201) itself is a crossroads of the Inside Passage. Founded in 1880 during the rush for gold, it has been the capital of Alaska since prior to statehood. The influx of outsiders gives Juneau a cosmopolitan flavor, and you're likely to meet people from throughout Alaska and the rest of the Lower 48.
Wherever you're heading in Alaska, Anchorage (800-478-1255) will likely be a hub of your travels. The Anchorage area has seen visitors come and go since the 1700s. Among the first to explore here was Captain James Cook, who arrived in 1778 on his third and final voyage of discovery. When the railroad came to town in 1915, the city got its name (some wanted to call it "Alaska City"), and Anchorage quickly became a hub of commerce and culture. The Anchorage Museum of History and Art, in particular, houses some or the state's finest galleries.
