Page 281 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Alaska

PR A C TIC AL INFORM A TION  279

DIRECTORY
Mail services
DHL
Tel (800) 225-5345. ∑ dhl.com
Federal Express (FedEx)
Tel (800) 463-3339. ∑ fedex.com
UPS
Tel (800) 742-5877. ∑ ups.com
US Postal Service
Tel (800) 275-8777. ∑ usps.com
Phones
Newspaper vending machines on 4th Avenue, downtown Anchorage
TracFone
Newspapers, Radio, and Tel (800) 867-7183.
Mail guarantees to deliver in five Television ∑ tracfone.com
working days. Several private
international couriers offer next- The major daily newspaper in
day delivery for foreign mail, the Alaska is the Alaska Dispatch listing local weather, events, and
best known being DHL, Federal News. Other major papers are news. The most popular of these
Express, and UPS. the daily Fairbanks New-Miner is the Anchorage Press.
All Alaskan towns have at and Juneau Empire, and the The Alaska Public Radio
least one post office. Small weekly Mat-Su Frontiersman. Network has stations in all major
packages and letters may be Bestselling national daily papers cities and towns. Anchor age’s
dropped into mailboxes, but such as the Wall Street Journal, 91.1 FM is the most pop ular; 650
all parcels will need to be the New York Times, and USA and 700 AM have news and talk.
inspected at the post office Today are also available, although In Fairbanks, 970 AM has the
counter. Contract post offices a few days late, at large book- news, while 104.7 FM plays rock.
in shops and small towns often shops and newsstands in major 630 AM in Juneau has the news.
have shorter queues, but don’t airports. Some visitors’ centers Most hotels offer a range of
accept international parcels. and shops offer free papers cable and satellite TV channels.

Alaskan Lexicon Lower 48 – all US states except Snowbirds – older people
Alaska and Hawaii. who summer in Alaska but
Baleen – strips of fibrous Mukluks – moosehide or winter in the Lower 48.
tissue from the mouths of sealskin boots. Snowmachine – what other
baleen whales, used to filter Muktuk – whale or seal blubber North Americans would call
plankton from the sea. favored by Native Alaskans. a snowmobile or ski-doo.
Breakup – wet and muddy Mushing – driving a dog sled, Sourdough – an old-time
period when the ice melts also Alaska’s state sport. prospector or any long-time
in April. Native – spelled with an Alaskan, usually those who
Bush – the part of Alaska uppercase “N,” it refers to an have been in Alaska for at
that is off the highway and indigenous Alaskan. Spelled least two decades. The word
ferry systems. with a lowercase “n,” it refers to is derived from the bread
Cache – hut built on stilts anyone born in Alaska. made with sourdough
and used to store items out Outhouse – outdoor toilet starter (see p248).
of reach of animals. consisting of a hole in the Taiga – Russian for “little
Camai – an Athabaskan ground covered by a shelter. sticks,” referring to black
greeting (pronounced “cha- Permafrost – permanently spruce. Much of Alaska’s
MAI”) that is the Alaskan frozen ground overlain by muskeg and boreal forest
equivalent of “Aloha.” topsoil or muskeg. consists of taiga vegetation.
Cheechako – a newcomer Potlatch – Southeast Alaska Tundra – derived from the
who has been in Alaska less Native feast in which the Finnish word for “treeless
than about 20 years. host distributes numerous plain,” it refers to areas of
Chinook – warm wind from possessions. miniature plants in Alaska’s
the Southeast that can melt Scrimshaw – Native designs northern and alpine areas.
the snow, even in midwinter. etched onto walrus ivory. Ulu – a crescent-shaped knife
Igloo – a variation of the Skookum – anything that’s used by Natives for cleaning
Inupiat word illu, which strong, great, or wonderful. and skinning ani mal skins
means “house.” The ice block Slough – stagnant backwater and cutting meat.
variety is used only as an formed by old river channels Xtra Tufs – high-top rubber
emergency shelter. (pronounced “slew”). boots used throughout Alaska.

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