The many faces of Alaska: from the Southeastern panhandle to Arctic waters, the 49th state offers countless attractions

Travel America, Sept-Oct, 2002 by M.T. Schwartzman

Running like a spine up the center of Alaska's Mountain Region is the Alaska Railroad (800-544-0552), which begins in Seward and can take you all the way to Fairbanks by way of Anchorage and Denali National Park. Fairbanks (800-327-5774) is a hub of transportation and education. Among its sites of interest for visitors is the museum at the famed University of Alaska.

Custom-designed tours of the Seward-to-Denali corridor are the specialty of Alaska Heritage Tours (877-258-6877). This native-owned company incorporates some of the best-known names in Alaska tourism, including Kenai Fjords Tours and Prince William Sound Cruises & Tours. Another home-grown Alaska specialist is Alaska Tour & Travel (800-208-0200). For a close-up look at Alaska's Mountain Region, contact Era Aviation (800-843-1947), which offers plane and helicopter tours.

Arctic Tundra. North and west of Denali lie the communities of Alaska's Arctic Tundra. Alaska Airlines (800-468-2248) has packages that include Barrow, the northernmost community in the United States, plus Kotzebue and Nome, two Bering Sea communities that are truly on the edge of civilization.

Barrow is a sight to behold. It's right on the shore of the Arctic Ocean, and even in mid-July, you can see the Arctic pack ice just beyond the beach. Kotzebue is a native community and home to the Living Museum of the Arctic, where life in the Far North is dramatized through song, dance, and wildlife dioramas. Nome was born of gold rush fever in 1898, and in a way, the gold rush continues to this day: Prospectors still camp out on the beach in Nome, hoping to strike it rich.

Lake-and-River Region. According to the state, Alaska has more than three million lakes and 3,000 rivers. Many of them are found in the Southwest. Fishermen flock to the region, which supports a variety of fish. The fish attract other predators too--namely bears--and big ones at that.

Alaska's Lake-and-River Region is truly unspoiled. There are few roads. There are very few towns. The best and most common way in is by float plane, which can take advantage of the "natural" landing strips--just about any lake will do.

For a free state vacation planner, write Alaska Tourism Industry Association (TravelAmerica Magazine), Dept. 2101, P.O. Box 196710, Anchorage, AK 99519. Call (800) 862-5275 or log on to www.travelalaska.com.