Alaska or bust: for a true taste of our 49th state, drive its highways and byways

Travel America, March-April, 2004 by M.T. Schwartzman

IF YOU WANT TO FIND THE heart of Alaska, hit the road. You'll see stunning mountain vistas, meet colorful local characters, and really experience the grandeur of "The Great Land." By driving through or to Alaska, you can go where you want, when you want. It's a dream come true.

Travelers have two options for exploring the highways of Alaska's hinterlands. The easiest way is to fly to Alaska and rent a car or RV. Alaska Tour & Travel (800-208-0200) can customize a trip, arranging hotels and sightseeing.

Anchorage (800-478-1255), Alaska's largest city, is a logical place to begin any driving tour. Another gateway is Fairbanks (800-327-5774), situated almost exactly in the geographic center of the state. From either city, you can travel to points north, south, and east, including Canada's Yukon Territory.

A second option is to drive your own car or RV to Alaska, taking the Alaska Highway (Route 2) up through western Canada. By the time you get to the end of the highway at Delta Junction, you're 342 miles from Anchorage, 101 miles from Fairbanks, and 266 miles from Valdez.

Turnoffs along the way include the Haines Highway (Route 7), which leads to the picturesque artists' community of Haines (800-458-3579). The Klondike Highway leads to historic Skagway, where the Gold Rush never ended. The White Pass & Yukon Route train (800-343-7373) still follows the path of '98 through the mountains, blazed by prospectors a century ago.

The Inside Passage can be "driven" on Alaska Marine Highway (800-642-0066). The ferries carry cars, RVs, and passengers from Bellingham, Washington, north to Haines and Skagway.

From Juneau (888-581-2201), you can board a once-a-month ferry across the Gulf of Alaska. Before you do, see Juneau by air, land, and sea: Era Helicopters (800-843-1947) can show you the awesome Juneau Icefield. Goldbelt Tour Center (800-820-2628) has whale-watching and glacier cruises. The Mount Roberts Tram (888-461-TRAM) is a thrilling ride to the best views of Juneau.

Take a break from the road and fly from Anchorage to the Arctic region with Tundra Tours and stay at Top of the World Hotel (800-882-8478) in Barrow, the northernmost community in the U.S.

Whatever mutes you choose, you'll travel deep into "The Great Land" and experience many unforgettable sights. Here are some of the roads you can explore:

Seward Highway. Alaska's only National Scenic Byway connects Anchorage with Seward (907-224-8051), about a two-and-a-half hour drive south of the city. The highway (Route 9) twists and turns along Turnagain Arm, revealing sensational vistas around every bend.

Scenic lookouts begin about 24 miles south of Anchorage and dot the highway all the way to Seward. The most impressive sight is Exit Glacier, one of Alaska's drive-up glaciers. It's round just before the city of Seward on a turnoff to the right. This is Exit Glacier Road. It's eight miles from here to the glacier. Look for the entrance on your left. It's the only part of Kenai Fjords National Park accessible by road. For a boat tour of the rest of the park, contact Kenai Fjords Tours at (800-478-8068).

Once in Seward, you can't miss the Alaska Sealife Center (800-224-2525). It's literally at the end of the road where the Seward Highway meets the sea. Much more than an aquarium, the center has a threefold mission: rescue, research, and rehabilitation of marine mammals.

Inside this new, $56-million facility are sea lions, puffins, harbor seals, starfish, and other creatures typically round in Prince William Sound. Many of the animals are studied for clues to their behavior and life-cycle. Others are being rehabilitated so that one day they may return to the wild.

Parks Highway. Probably the most popular highway in Alaska is the Parks Highway (Route 3). This is the road to Denali National Park, although the highway is actually named for a person, George A. Parks, the territorial governor of Alaska from 1925 to 1933.

Much of the Parks Highway is lined by trees. But even the treetops can't obscure "The High One," Mount McKinley, which is easily visible on a clear day. The best place to see it is from Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge (888-959-9590). The view takes in Mount McKinley (20,320 feet), Mount Hunter (14,573 feet), and Mount Foraker (17,400 feet).

The small town of Talkeetna is a charming, dusty remnant of days gone by. On sunny summer days, the one main street is filled with pedestrians soaking up the ambiance of the "Last Frontier."

Glenn Highway. Alaska's Route 1 is really two highways. The stretch of road north from Anchorage to Palmer is a divided, four-lane freeway. The first stop of interest on the Glenn Highway is the Alaska Native Heritage Center (800-315-6608), 10 minutes north of downtown Anchorage. Enjoy storytelling, dance performances, and artists at work.

Beyond Palmer, the Glenn Highway narrows to two lanes and winds its way through some of the most spectacular scenery in Alaska.

Richardson Highway. Known for its scenic mountain passes, the Richardson (Route 4) connects Valdez (800-770-5954) with the test of Alaska. The most famous sight along the road is Thompson Pass.