Travel
Exploring Palin’s Alaska
The governor has it right: The
state’s many outdoor splendors
are also its No. 1 attraction.
BOUNCE BACK Alaska Gov. Sarah
Palin participates in a traditional
walrus-skin Eskimo blanket toss
in the state’s northernmost
Inupiat Eskimo village.
By Monica K. Dyben Glacier Bay
National Park
D
ESPITE ITS HUNDREDS OF NATURAL WONDERS, MANY
and Preserve
Americans discovered Alaska’s splendor when
Find your perfect
the media descended on Gov. Sarah Palin’s
spot amid 3.3 m llion
hometown of Wasilla to chronicle the life of the 2008
acres of snow-covered
Republican vice-presidential candidate.
mountains, coastal
“Our golden goose is the wildlife, hands down,”
beaches, estuarine waters, and deep fjords. The southeast Alaska attraction is a prime viewing
Alaska Tourism Planner Odin Brudie tells Newsmax.
spot for the endangered humpback whale, porpoises, harbor seals, the threatened Steller sea
“It’s quintessential.”
lion, and sea otters. Glacier-fed waters invite fi shing, kayaking, river rafting, and boat tours.
Wilderness lovers can fi nd golden opportunities to
Land lovers can watch birds, climb mountains, or take a guided nature walk with a park ranger.
behold mountain peaks and seemingly endless national
Glacier Bay became a biosphere reserve in 1986 and a world heritage site in 1992.
forests, replete with salmon-snatching bears, traffi c-
C
OM
stopping moose, and hundreds of bald eagles. Marine
life afi cionados can revel in a wonderland of immense The White Pass and Yukon Route Scenic Railway
C
OM
T
OCK.
blue glaciers and majestic fjords, while witnessing 15 Take a train into a part of the spectacular Alaskan wilderness inaccessible by road. This T
OCK.
species of whales. narrow-gauge railroad from Skagway to Fraser, British
T
O
ALASKAS
Backpacking, dog sledding, kayaking, white-water Columbia, Canada, follows a scenic route carved with
/
ALASKAS CHER/
rafting, and fi shing abound. And Alaskan winters pro- the help of 450 tons of explosives during the Klondike
O
vide stunning views of the dazzling Northern Lights. Gold Rush in 1898. The train travels through several
Y OF NPS PHO
To see what Palin meant when she praised the tunnels and over bridges as it climbs nearly 3,000 feet
TES
great outdoors as “a uniquely Alaskan lifestyle,” take in in just 20 miles with steep grades and hairpin turns. The
C
OUR
/
2008 © DON PIT
2008 © AL GRILL
some of these jewels just waiting to steal the breath of journey is rich with historic sites and remarkable views
A
Y
CIER/
W
the intrepid northern traveler. of gorges, glaciers, mountains, waterfalls, and valleys. P
ALIN/
GLA RAIL
74 NEWSMAX MAXLIFE / JANUARY 2009
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