Synopses & Reviews
Compass American Guides: Alaska's Inside Passage taps a growing travel market. Alaska is the worlds third most popular cruise destination, attracting about one million cruise ship passengers a year. While other guides offer recommendations on where to stay and what to see, none combine that practical information with the depth and literary quality of a Compass American Guide.
In this thoroughly readable book, travelers, locals, and armchair travelers alike will find a mix of stunning color photos, sightseeing scoops, historical background, fun FAQs, and evocative, inspiring descriptions of this breathtaking region. Following the route of a fantasy cruise from south (Ketchikan) to north (Sitka), the guide takes readers through all the incredible attractions, including Glacier Bay National Park, Ketchikans totem poles, and Skagways historic Gold Rush District. The explorations of each port of call are organized by the amount of time visitors have on shore. In addition to natural and historic sights, the guide includes favorite places to eat and shop in each town, and tips on everything from animal-watching to packing the night gear.
Writer Ann Chandonnet lived in Alaska for more than 30 years and is the author of more than a dozen books, including The Alaska Heritage Seafood Cookbook, and Alaskas Arts, Crafts & Collectibles. Photographer Don Pitcher spent 15 summers in the wilds of Alaska and Wyoming and now works as a photographer and travel writer, basing his travels from Homer, Alaska.
Synopsis
NEW TITLE The perfect companion for the increasing number of travelers to Alaska's Inside Passage, particularly cruise ship passengers.
Table of Contents
Introduction ............ 9How To Use This Book ............ 14
The Land And The People ............ 17
A Rare Rain Forest ............ 17
The Glaciers ............ 18
Native Alaskans ............ 19
Native Traditions ............ 21
The Explorers Impact ............ 23
New Claims To Southeast Alaska ............ 25
Ketchikan ............ 30
Wrangell ............ 50
Petersburg ............ 69
Juneau ............ 83
Skagway ............ 117
Haines ............ 133
Glacier Bay National Park And Preserve ............ 153
Sitka ............ 162
Practical Information ............ 180
Animal- And Bird-Watching ............ 180
Animal Safety ............ 182
Antiquities Laws ............ 183
Boating ............ 184
Climate ............ 185
Clothing ............ 185
Festivals And Annual Events ............ 186
Fishing ............ 189
Flightseeing ............ 190
Food ............ 190
Getting Around ............ 191
Gold Panning ............ 192
Green Travel Bike Tours ............ 193
Lodging And Camping ............ 193
Shopping Tips ............ 194
Survival ............ 195
Time ............ 195
Traveling With Kids ............ 196
Useful Contacts ............ 196
Recommended Reading ............ 200
Index ............ 202
Sidebars
Glacier Facts ............ 19
Misty Fiords ............ 42
Early Inside Passage Cruises ............ 44
Totem Poles ............ 59
Basics on Bears ............ 62-63
Of Flippers and Flukes ............ 75
Tracing Juneaus Gold Belt ............ 87
Lighthouses ............ 93
Roots Travel: Finding Great-Granddad ............ 97
Treadwell Past and Present ............ 111
Hubbard Glacier ............ 130
Let the Mask Buyer Beware ............ 141
Eagles and Ravens ............ 147
A Tlingit Sampler ............ 172
The Tongass ............ 177
Maps
Upper Southeast ............ 11
Lower Southeast ............ 15
Ketchikan ............ 32
Wrangel ............ 52
Petersburg ............ 71
Greater Juneau ............ 85
Downtown Juneau ............ 88
Skagway ............ 119
Haines ............ 137
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve ............ 154
Sitka ............ 164
Literary Extracts
John Muir on the Inside Passages landscape ............ 23
George F. MacDonald on the Haida world ............ 35
Chief Toyatte speaking on behalf of the Stickeen people ............ 55
Michael Modzelewski on forest hiking ............ 78
Earl Redman on the Gold Rushs "amalgam thieves" ............ 89
Harry M. Walker on the Mendenhall Glacier ............ 103
Martha Black on braving the Chilkoot Trail ............ 122
Paul Alaback on the Tongass National Forest ............ 138
Gretel Ehrlich on glaciers as archivists ............ 156
Victoria Wyatt on the influence of missionaries and businessmen on Native culture ............ 167