Great slogans of The Great Land: nicknames abound in Alaska, a vast empire of superlatives

Travel America, Sept-Oct, 2003 by M.T. Schwartzman

EVERY STATE HAS AN OFFICIAL motto, but Alaska has more slogans than you call shake a stick at. Each moniker captures some colorful aspect of Alaska and conveys the spirit of "The Last Frontier."

Alaska has long inspired people to describe it in superlatives. For example, the native Aleuts named it "Alyeska," which means "The Great Land." Today, that translation is the state's official nickname--not to be confused with the state's motto, which is "North to the Future." Alaska also is known as "The Land of the Midnight Sun." Alaska indeed has long hours of daylight (if not always sun), but only north of the Arctic Circle does the sun never set in summer.

As you travel through Alaska, you'll see that even the towns have colorful nicknames. Juneau (888-581-2201), the state capital, has been called the "San Francisco of the North" for its steep hillside streets. But there's no need to climb these mountains. It's easy to hitch a ride aboard the Mount Roberts Tram (888-461-TRAM) for a great view of downtown and the harbor. There's also shopping, a restaurant, and a theater set 2,000 feet above sea level.

The channels and bays surrounding Juneau are a nature-lover's paradise, harboring whales, seals, and sea otters. Day cruises can be arranged through Goldbelt Tour Center (800-820-2628). Daily tours visit Tracy Arm and the Sawyer Glaciers or Icy Strait for whale watching. For a longer trip, Glacier Bay Cruiseline (800-451-5952) has small-ship nature cruises from Juneau.

Ketchikan (800-770-2200) was known as "The Salmon Capital of the World" for the 14 canneries that once lined its shores. The city also is called "Alaska's First City." That's because Ketchikan is the first place in Alaska you'll come to when heading north.

Ketchikan has the largest collection of totem poles in the world. Totems can be found in three sites: Totem Bight State Park, north of town, re-creates the waterfront setting of a traditional Native village. Saxman Village, just south of town, is an active Tlingit community. The Totem Heritage Center downtown has some of the oldest totem poles to be seen in all Alaska--a few date back more than 100 years.

If Ketchikan is the "Salmon Capital of the World," then Petersburg (907-772-4636) is the "Shrimp Capital of the World." Its canneries package shrimp and other seafood for shipment throughout the Lower 48 and elsewhere.

Petersburg's other nickname is Alaska's "Little Norway" because its founder, Peter Buschmann, came from Norway in 1897. Many more Scandinavian families followed, and the town's older buildings still display "rosemaling," a decorative painting style that Petersburg's settlers brought with them.

Haines (800-458-3579) is located in the Valley of the Eagles. Every fall through winter, thousands of bald eagles gather along the Chilkat River to feed on a late run of salmon. Year-round, though, you can see their white heads and brown bodies perched along the roadside. Several hundred eagles make their home in Haines, and the American Bald Eagle Foundation has its headquarters and museum here as well.

At the end of the 19th century, Skagway (888-762-1898) was "The Gateway to the Klondike." It was a rowdy place--"the roughest place on earth," according to Canadian Mountie Samuel Steele, and while the prospectors, painted ladies, and con men are gone, the colorful Gold-Rush-era buildings remain.

A tour around town with the Skagway Streetcar Company (907-983-2908) features guides in period costume. The itinerary takes a look at Skagway past and present, including the historic district, residential areas, and the Gold Rush Cemetery--a somber reminder that not everyone struck it rich.

Another way to experience the history of the Gold Rush is aboard the White Pass & Yukon Route (800-343-7373), which bills itself as the "Scenic Railway of the World." The train follows a steep path up the mountainside, zigzagging its way to the summit. Along the way, you can see the old "Trail of '98," worn into the slopes more than a century ago.

Sitka (907-747-5940) once was known as the "Paris of the Pacific," but it was the Russians who established the town. Vestiges of that period remain at Sitka National Historic Park and the Russian Bishop's House, both operated by the National Park Service. The onion-domed Russian Orthodox Cathedral still has an active congregation.

Across the Gulf of Alaska lies the Kenai Peninsula, known to many as "Alaska's Playground." Fishing, hiking, and rafting are the main sports here, as locals and tourists alike enjoy nature's bounty.

Seward (907-224-8051), at the tip of the peninsula, is home to the Alaska SeaLife Center (800-224-2525), a world-class facility devoted to research, rehabilitation, and education. Beyond the center lies Prince William Sound and Kenai Fjords National Park, a sanctuary for sea lions, puffins, and whales. Kenai Fjords Tours (800-478-8068) runs nature cruises.

Finally, we've come to Alaska's rugged mountain country, the setting for Anchorage (800-478-1255), Alaska's largest city (population 258,000). The town began in 1915 when the Alaska Railroad (800-544-0552) was built and is today the jumping off point for Denali National Park and Fairbanks. The city's newest attraction is the Alaska Native Heritage Center (800-315-6608), the only place where all of Alaska's major native cultures are gathered under one roof.