Page 725 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

ALASK A  723

Gastineau Channel. The
downtown Alaska State
Museum holds a fine collection
of Russian artifacts as well as
Native American crafts such
as Inuit masks. Its natural history
section exhibits a re-creation
of a bald eagle’s nest. Located
at the northern end of the city,
13 miles (21 km) from down-
town, Mendenhall Glacier is
an impressive attraction. A
part of the massive Juneau
Icefield, this slowly retreating The scenic White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad near Skagway
1.5-mile- (2.4-km-) wide
glacier is calving icebergs into (160 km), creating a magnificent here only to be faced with
Mendenhall Lake. A lakeside waterway indented by long an almost insurmount able
visitor center offers interpretive bays and protected by the obstacle – the 33-mile
panels descri bing the forces 5,156-sq-mile (13,354-sq-km) (53 km) Chilkoot Trail. This
behind glacial movement. national park. Six glaciers reach trail traversed a harrowing
This is the starting point for the sea and break up into 45-degree slope nicknamed
hiking trails that provide close- massive chunks of ice, which the “Golden Staircase” over
up views of the glacier. Rafting float into a bay inhabited by the White Pass to the
is also offered. humpback whales, porpoises, headwaters of the Yukon
and seals. River. In the following years,
E Alaska State Museum Most visitors to Glacier Bay Skagway became a lawless
395 Whittier St. Tel (907) 465-2901. arrive aboard cruise ships. outpost, unofficially ruled by
Open check website for hours. & 7 Travelers can also come by way the notorious businessman
∑ museums.state.ak.us of the hamlet of Gustavus from “Soapy” Smith, who died in a
} Mendenhall Glacier Juneau, making the short famous shoot-out with a local
Off Mendenhall Loop Rd. Tel (907) overland trip to Bartlett Cove surveyor outside the City Hall.
789-0097. Open May–Sep: 8am– and Glacier Bay Lodge (see p744) Today, Skagway’s fortunes
7:30pm daily; Oct–Apr: 10am–4pm by shuttle bus. From Bartlett rely largely on promoting its
Thu–Sun. & 7 Cove, it is 40 miles (64 km) to colorful history. The whole of
the nearest glacier in a high- the downtown district is
speed catamaran. An onboard protected as the Klondike
4 Glacier Bay park naturalist describes the Gold Rush National Historic
National Park bay’s natural history. Park, encompassing false-
fronted buildings, old-time
~ 4 from Juneau. n (907) 697- saloons, as well as the
2230. ∑ nps.gov/glba 5 Skagway distinctive Arctic Brother-
Glacier Bay Lodge & Tours: Departures: hood Hall, whose interesting
Jun–early Sep: 7am–3:30pm daily. * 800. ~ @ 4 SW end of façade is decorated with over
Tel (907) 264-4600, (888) 229-8687. Broadway. n Broadway at 2nd Ave,
∑ visitglacierbay.com (907) 983-2854. ∑ skagway.com 8,000 pieces of driftwood.
The White Pass & Yukon Route
Glacier Bay has changed greatly The final northbound stop Railroad, which was originally
since the British explorer for travelers on the Inside built over the White Pass as
Captain George Vancouver (see Passage is this little tourist an alternative to the Chilkoot
p600) found his way through town surrounded by towering Trail, now operates purely
Icy Strait in 1794. During the peaks. In 1897, thousands of for tourists on a scenic three-
ensuing 200 years, the glaciers fortune seekers heading for hour-long round-trip to the
have retreated almost 100 miles the Klondike goldfields arrived pass and back.

Alaska Marine Highway
The state-operated ferry service links towns that are inaccessible by road
throughout southeast and south central Alaska, extending service as
far south as Prince Rupert (British Columbia) and Bellingham
(Washington). En route, visitors pass magnificent fjords, towering
glaciers, and virgin forests. The comfortable and well-equipped
vessels carry vehicles, and feature cabins, dining areas, and onboard
naturalists. It is possible to even pitch tents on the outer deck. Bookings
Logo, Alaska Marine Highway should be made well in advance (see p742).

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