Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Always and ever
The Milepost
, which has maps, routes, places to eat, stay, sightsee, and
opening hours and seasons. We buy it, too. If you're interested in flowers, it has to be
Verna Pratt's
Field Guide to Alaskan Wildflowers
. If you're interested in birds and you
should be because Alaska is where it seems like some of every species spend their sum-
mers, invest now in Robert H. Armstrong's
Guide to the Birds of Alaska
. I have one on
the floor next to the chair in my sun room and one in the back of my car, and binoculars
both places, too.
If you're interested in readable Alaskan history, try
Confederate Raider
by Murray
Morgan,
The Klondike Rush
by Pierre Berton,
Good-time Girls
by Lael Morgan, and
The
Thousand-Mile War
by Brian Garfield. Try the
Alaska Almanac
for historical and geo-
graphical facts and wisecracks by Mr. Whitekeys, and
A Reflection in Time
for Alaska
Native history. Try
How to Speak Alaskan
by Mike Doogan if you want to come in dis-
guise. If you're interested in Alaska Native culture, try
Alaska Native Writers, Storytellers
& Orators
, a publication of the Alaska Quarterly Review. If you'd like a comprehensive
survey of Alaskan poetry and literature, try
The Last New Land
, edited by Wayne Mergler.
What else? My friend Rhonda says you should come for the Iditarod, beginning in An-
chorage for the ceremonial start on the first Saturday in March and flying to Nome for the
grand finale beneath the burlwood arch. Her co-worker Rebecca says you shouldn't miss
camping at Wonder Lake in Denali Park, where on one memorable trip for five consecut-
ive days they had a view of The Mountain every morning they opened the tent flap. My
friend Pati says you haven't really been here if you haven't been kayaking, salt water or
fresh. My friend Sharyn says no trip to Alaska is complete with driving the Denali High-
way from Cantwell to Paxon, and then driving Paxon to McCarthy to tour the Kennecott
Mine.
Me, I think if you go home without going to Seldovia, why did you bother coming at
all?
