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Travel, Teach, Live in the USA and Canada

Travelogue - Alaska, North to the Future
By:Karen Capino

'North to the future' is the motto proudly owned by Alaska. If the future looks like the 49th state of the United States then the future is breathtaking and utterly alive. Bountifully wild, seemingly endless and totally natural- Alaska is unarguably one of the last frontiers because it is one of the places least encroached by humans. In the 'Great State', a brown bear expertly catching a leaping salmon from the river with its juggernaut jaw is a common appearance.

Instead of skyscrapers, which gratefully Alaska has none to boast of yet, there are mighty glaciers that are massive and seemingly surreal. It is safe to compare the first time you see a glacier to may be the first time you ride a plane or graduate college. It is that feeling of disbelief that it is happening, that feeling of discovering something completely unknown, that butterfly in the stomach phenomena. How else can you react to the sight of millions of acres of ice formed through thousands and thousands of years tinted a deep, gleaming, sharp blue? A lucky day is when one sees a glacier shift, shedding a chunk of ice the size of a bus to form an iceberg.

Rather than driving a boxy car, one can choose to ride a boat or kayak and row in one of Alaska's 3 million lakes. It is not so hard to find orcas and humpback whales breeching in the ocean as they scavenge for their next meal. Even sea lions are friends with seals which usually lie on icebergs, their fat bellies facing the sun.

In Alaska there are no billboards crowding the sky, however seabirds and bald eagles hover freely as they hunt for food. An alternative to congested city housing is the spacious alpine glow of mountains and perpetual trees that line the land. That is the real prime estate. So, if Alaska is indeed the future, then the future is actually a frozen time in the past. The time in which people have not savagely taken over, well, everything. It is the time in which people respected nature and built their lives around it instead of taking over it.

Alaska truly is one the last frontiers. And the future for this Great Land probably means that sooner or later it will look like any state in the US or heck any city in the world, lined up with strip malls, a parking lot with SUVs, skyways with depressing traffic and a Pizza Hut delivery in each block. So before the inevitable 'future' happens explore Alaska. There are fewer things worth doing than visiting this place.

Check the internet for the right

TO GET TO FAR FAR AWAY:

Alaska's an out-of-the-way destination which is one its appeals but also makes for a costly trip. Accommodations are expensive and so is transportation. The practical way to see Alaska is to go on a cruise. From the Philippines you can fly to Seattle or Vancouver and take a cruise ship from these ports. Alaska season for tourists is only from May to September because after that it gets too cold and there is only 3 hours of sunlight. Consequently in Alaska, during the summer, the sun still sets high at 9:00 pm!

The usual cruise takes 7 days and goes to 3 cities in Alaska. Cruise-ships also pass what is known as The Inside Passage which is the coastal highway between mainland and coastland. This route means you can get close to glaciers that outline the passage. The ocean view from a cruise-ship is spectacular and you can see whales, seals, birds, dolphins and your occasional lighthouse from the luxury of your staterooms.

These cruise lines go to Alaska: Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival.

EXPLORATIONS:

Juneau
It is arguably the cosiest city in the US. Juneau has a mix of historic downtown cling, 360 views of snow capped mountain peaks, an amazing waterfront and a shopping haven of luxury brand items and Alaskan craft. The city is also the cruise-ship capital of the world. It's also a gateway to many attractions including Glacier Bay National Park and Admiralty Island National Monument.

Icy Straight Point
A quaint fishing village located near the largest indigenous community, the Tlingit village, in Alaska. There is a beach in Icy Straight to dip your feet in while sipping one of the best beers in the world, The Alaskan Amber. The longest zipline in the world is also found here with an amazing eagle eye view of the city as you zip down the mountain.

Ketchikan
Dubbed as the 'Salmon Capital of the World' this is home to Misty Fjords National Monument. Thisscenic town is also home to plaid wearing lumber jacks and blacksmiths. If you're not from PETA and like fur a lot you can stroll into one of the shops that is wall to wall covered with every kind of 'sleeping' furry animal and buy yourself a genuine fur coat or gloves.

Skagway
A first class Alaskan borough that was a superstar town back in the gold rush of the late 1800s. When one enters Skagway it feels like it's still the 18th century. Brothels with busty women in red corsets and feathers still do peek-a-boo shows. There are pubs everywhere serving lots of beers as a guitar playing country man sings. There are horse carriages that are parked alongside 1920 Cadillacs. You can hike here or ride the historic White Pass train and relive the ride gold miners took a thousand years ago.

Sitka
This pleasant town is the where the Russians became the first non-indigenous settlement in 1799. Russia would later sell Alaska to the US for US$7.2 million in 1867. It is also known as the cultural centre of Southeast Alaska and is the only city facing the Pacific Ocean. There are lots of Russian memorabilia's for sale here.

FRESH FOOD:

Huge King Crabs dripping in butter are easily available here. It'll probably take you an hour to get to all the legs. There also the sweet tasting Dungress crab which is amazingly fresh. Reindeer hotdogs are juicy to the bite and can be bought in one of the hotdog stands.

Halibut is cooked any way you want, the best is still breaded, fried and served with chilli fries. Salmon is bountiful so you order your meal or catch them.

Tip: To have a memorable Alaskan adventure, bring a digital camera. After all, pictures should be the only thing you can capture in wild Alaska

Karen
http://www.camera.co.uk/






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