Introduction VII PART ONE GENERAL INFORMATION 1 Chapter 1 Background Information 3 Geography 3, Climate 4, History 6, Government and politics 11, Economy 12, People 13, Language 15, Religion 16, Education 16, Culture 17, Natural history 20, Environmental concerns 36, Conservation 37 Chapter 2 Practical Information 39 When to visit 39, Highlights 40, Suggested itineraries 40, Tourist information 44, Tour operators 45, Red tape 46, Embassies 46, Getting there and away 47, Health 50, Safety 52, What to take 56, Money 57, Budgeting 58, Getting around 92, Accommodation 65, Eating and drinking 66, Public holidays 67, Festivals and events 67, Shopping 72, Arts and entertainment 73, Activities 73, Photography 79, Media and communications 79, Business 81, Buying property 81, Cultural etiquette 82, Travelling positively 82 PART TWO THE GUIDE 85 Chapter 3 Juneau 77 History 87, Getting there and away 88, Getting around 92, Tourist information 93, Local tours and activities 94, Where to stay 100, Where to eat 102, Where to drink 104, Entertainment and nightlife 104, Festivals and events 105, Shopping 106, Other practicalities 107, What to see and do 108, Around Juneau 109 Chapter 4 Southeast Alaska: Alaskan Panhandle 113 Hyder (and Stewart) 114, Ketchikan 116, Around Ketchikan 129, Prince of Wales Island 131, Wrangell 138, Petersburg 143, Around Petersburg 150, Sitka 151, Glacier Bay National Park and Gustavus 161, Skagway 164, Haines 171, Yakutat 177 Chapter 5 Southcentral Alaska 181 Anchorage 183, North of Anchorage 209, South of Anchorage 218, The Kenai Peninsula 223, Seward 228, Kenai Fjords National Park 230, Western Kenai Peninsula 238, Homer 246, Seldovia 262, Halibut Cove 264, Prince William Sound 264, Valdez 267, Cordova 274 Chapter 6 Interior Alaska 279 The George Parks Highway 281, Denali National Park and Preserve 287, Healy 299, Between Healy and Nenana 300, Nenana 300, Fairbanks 301, Around Fairbanks 323, Denali Highway 333, Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve 335, Chitina, McCarthy and Kennicott 340, Taylor Highway 344 Chapter 7 Southwest Alaska 347 Kodiak 351, Bristol Bay 367, The Aleutian Run 375, Other Aleutian islands 392, Pribilof Islands 395 Chapter 8 Western Alaska 397 History 397, Getting there and away 388, Bethel 388, Nome 400, St Lawrence Island 406, Nunivak Island 407, Diomede Islands 409, King Island 410, Western Alaska's remote refuges 411 Chapter 9 Northern Alaska: Arctic Circle 413 Dalton Highway 414, Kotzebue 418, Barrow 423, Prudhoe Bay/Deadhorse 426, Other remote refuges of the Arctic 427 Appendix 1 Glossary 431 Appendix 2 Further Information 432 Index 427
