Frommer's Alaska 2007 (frommer's Complete Guides)

You'll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. It's like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go— they've done the legwork for you, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer's Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You'd be lost without us! Completely updated every year (unlike most of the competition), Frommer's Alaska features gorgeous color photos of the spectacular scenery and amazing wildlife that await you in America's last frontier. This extraordinary and detailed guide is personally researched by a lifelong resident, who offers insights into how to discover the real Alaska. You'll find complete details on whale watching, sea kayaking, hiking, salmon fishing, funky small towns, Gold Rush saloons, glaciers, scenic drives, and more. You'll even get an up-to-date cruise planner and a free color fold-out map! Frommer's Frommers Alaska 2007 1 Contents 4 List of Maps 8 What’s New in Alaska 12 Chapter 1: The Best of Alaska 15 1 The Best Views 15 2 The Best Alaska Cruises 16 3 The Best Glaciers 19 4 The Most Beautiful Drives & Train Rides 19 5 The Best Fishing 20 6 The Best Tips for Cooking Salmon 20 7 The Best Bear Viewing 21 8 The Best Marine Mammal Viewing 22 9 The Best Encounters with Native Culture 22 10 The Best Museums & Historic Sites 23 11 The Best Winter Destinations 23 12 The Strangest Community Events 23 13 The Best Hotels 24 14 The Best Websites 25 Chapter 2: Planning Your Trip to Alaska 26 1 The Regions in Brief 26 2 When to Go 28 3 Cost & Money 35 4 Getting There & Getting Around 36 5 Escorted Tour or Do-It-Yourself? 42 6 Planning an Outdoor Vacation 46 7 Entry Requirements 53 8 Travel & Rental Car Insurance 55 9 Health & Safety 57 10 Specialized Travel Resources 62 Chapter 3: Suggested Alaska Itineraries 71 1 Southeast Alaska in a Week 72 2 Two National Parks in a Week 73 3 A 2-Week Grand Loop 75 4 A Week in Alaska with Children 78 5 A Week of Alaska Winter Sports 80 Chapter 4: Cruising Alaska’s Coast 82 1 Weighing Your Cruise Options 83 2 The Best Cruise Experiences in Alaska 86 3 Booking Your Cruise 88 4 The Small-Ship Cruise Lines 92 5 The Big-Ship Cruise Lines 96 Chapter 5: Southeast Alaska 102 1 Exploring Southeast Alaska 103 2 Ketchikan: On the Waterfront 110 3 Wrangell 126 4 Petersburg: Unvarnished Threshold to the Outdoors 135 5 Sitka: Rich Prize of Russian Conquest 144 6 Juneau: Forest Capital 159 7 Glacier Bay National Park 185 8 Gustavus: Country Inns & Quiet 190 9 Haines: Eagles & the Unexpected 194 10 Skagway: After the Gold Rush 203 Chapter 6: Anchorage & Environs 215 1 Essentials 219 2 Where to Stay 224 3 Where to Dine 232 4 What to See & Do 238 5 Getting Outside 248 6 Shopping 255 7 Anchorage Nightlife 256 8 Out from Anchorage: Turnagain Arm & Portage Glacier 257 9 Out from Anchorage: Girdwood & Mount Alyeska 262 10 Out from Anchorage: The Matanuska & Susitna Valleys 266 Chapter 7: The Kenai Peninsula & Prince William Sound 269 1 Exploring the Kenai Peninsula & Prince William Sound 270 2 The Seward Highway: A Road Guide 273 3 Chugach National Forest: Do-It-Yourself Wilderness 276 4 Whittier: Dock on the Sound 281 5 Seward: Gateway to Resurrection Bay & Kenai Fjords 286 6 Kenai Fjords National Park 295 7 Cooper Landing: Road Meets River 300 8 Kenai/Soldotna & Sterling: Giant Salmon 303 9 Kenai National Wildlife Refuge 310 10 Homer & Kachemak Bay: Cosmic Hamlet by the Sea 312 11 Valdez 335 12 Cordova: Hidden Treasure 341 Chapter 8: The Denali National Park Region 350 1 Planning a Visit to the Park 352 2 Park Essentials 356 3 Denali by Shuttle Bus 361 4 Denali on Foot: Day Hiking & Backpacking 368 5 Activities within the Park 370 6 Attractions & Activities outside the Park 374 7 Where to Stay 375 8 Where to Dine 381 9 Denali Nightlife 383 10 Talkeetna: Back Door to Denali 383 11 Denali Wilderness Lodges 387 Chapter 9: The Alaskan Interior 390 1 Exploring the Interior 391 2 Fairbanks: Alaska Heartland 392 3 Chena Hot Springs Road 418 4 The Dalton Highway 423 5 The Alaska Highway 426 6 The Glenn Highway 433 7 The Richardson Highway & Copper Center 435 8 Wrangell–St. Elias National Park & Kennecott 436 Chapter 10: The Bush 444 1 Exploring the Bush 445 2 Kodiak: Wild Island 447 3 Katmai National Park 453 4 Unalaska/Dutch Harbor: Aleutian Boomtown 457 5 The Pribilof Islands: Birder’s Paradise 462 6 Nome: Arctic Frontier Town 463 8 Barrow: Way North 469 9 Prudhoe Bay: Arctic Industry 474 Appendix: Alaska in Depth 476 1 Natural History: Rough Drafts & Erasures 477 2 Politics & History: Living a Frontier Myth 484 3 The People: Three Ways to Win an Argument in Alaska 491 Index 500 ISBN-13:,9780471945543 Includes Insider advice on enjoying the great Alaskan wilderness, outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not, Exact prices, and off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems