Most Asked Questions
Tide Tables
(Click "The Tides", then enter "Cordova"
for tide predictions applicable western
and southern Prince William Sound.)
Alaska Weather Satellite (NOAA)
(National Weather Service)
Q: what is Alaska's Largest Natural Resource?
A: Fresh Water
AST2 presents a summary of the most frequently asked questions for each community in Alaska. Including community location, population, taxes, climate, history, culture, demographics, utilities, schools, health care, economy, transportation, and major contacts.
Q: My wife and I are in the process of researching a trip to Alaska.
We are looking at a 12 Day Cruise-tour (7 day Northward Cruise Vancouver, Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Hubbard Glacier, Valdez/College Ford/5 Day land tour Alyeska/Anchorage/Fairbanks, Fairbanks/Denali, Denali/Talkeetna, Talkeetna/Anchorage) from Celebrity Cruiselines.
We are looking at a June 7 date, is July or August better as far as sight seeing and the animal life? Anything we definitely shouldn't miss?
A: Just show up...nothing is guaranteed but people are rarely disappointed...I was just at a local chamber meeting...I guess Holland America is selling their cruises 1/2 off...book it while you can. http://www.hollandamerica.com/
Q:Anything we definitely shouldn't miss?
A: Yes. Alaska. You won't really see it on a cruise ship, and you'll be herded around with a thousand other sheeple from one cruise-industry "attraction" to another, while the industrial megacruise industry extracts the maximum number of dollars they can.
If you really want to see Alaska, don't come on a cruise ship.Fly or take the ferry and get off and spend a few days patronizing locally owned lodges, B&Bs, and restaurants. Get away from the cruise ship passengers being herded and bussed from here to there by visiting smaller communities with no cruise ships. Then you might see something you definitely shouldn't miss. The real Alaska.
Q: I like Juneau. But I like Anchorage better. Care to give your reasons?
A: Happy to! Here's why I, Shooty Canseco, like Anchorage better than Juneau.Much better weather, every month of the year, bar none, hands down, without question. A multiple-Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper that actually investigates stories (name one significant story the Empire has ever broken) Far brighter in winter, despite shorter days.
Brewpubs. More constructive activities for youths. Better downhill skiing. Raw sewage NOT routinely fed untreated into local waterways. Ice rinks. Relatively Chuck Keen-free.
Stores with stuff worth getting excited over in them. African Americans. Alaska Baseball League. Actual restaurants. Cheaper air travel. Mr. Whitekeys. A convention center that actually hosts conventions. No sales tax. Stuff gets a chance to dry out. Access to business activity. Moose. REI. An airport that airplanes can routinely land at. An actual university. People every bit as friendly.
Dog mushing. No matter what walk of life an Anchorageite is from, she has an opinion on Theresa Obermeyer, meaning instant conversation with anyone at any time. KTUU's quality local newscast.
Last election, every single race and issue went the same way I voted (I'm starting to run this place). Seawolves hockey. affordable housing. No helicopter tours. Now don't get me wrong, I like Juneau very much, wouldn't have spent seven years there if I didn't. In Alaska, a beautiful day in Juneau is only bested by that same day in Sitka. And I can come up with a similar list, albeit far shorter, that sings Juneau's praises. But I much prefer Anchorage, and the above are the reasons that come to mind at the moment. Thanks for asking!
Q: Visting Alaska question
For those coming to Alaska for vacation (fishing/sightseeing) I would recommend allowing a long visit because it can be overwelming. We have a Bed and Breakfast on the Kenai Peninsula but have traveled the state fairly extensively, and you just can't see it all in a week or two. I would suggest you spend a week, minimum of 5 days on the Kenai
Peninsula. They call us Little Alaska because you can find almost everything here that existes elsewhere in the whole state. Our city of Soldotna is centralized and makes a good base for your travel. We can also help with other plans for your trip.
Q: We don't want to take one of the mass market cruise lines along the coast. We would like to see the glaciers from the water, however. Can someone suggest alternatives,ferries or small steamers, that I might look into to get from Prince Rupert to the north? What do the local people use?
A: Locals use the Alaska State Ferry System. http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.html The fastest way to get schedule info - 800 line is very busy. 1-800-642-0066 for reservations. Of course, from Prince Rupert to Haines/Skagway you will see no glaciers from the ferry. you can head north on the alaska marine highway ferries from
either bellingham, washington or prince rupert, bc. A daily catamaran to gustavus ( www.gustavus.com ), as well as trips to tracy arm, and their sister company glacier bay tours and cruises (http://www.glacierbaytours.com/ ) has day trips in glacier bay.
there are a number of b&bs and lodges in gustavus, which is a quiet little town with one of the few real golf courses in the region. glacier bay tours runs the lodge, but it's kind of impersonal, unlike the calvin trillin-approved gustavus inn ( www.gustavusinn.com ) or meadow's b&b (http://www.glacier-bay-alaska.com ).
there are a lot of links at www.juneau.com the ferries aren't luxurious, but they are a great way to meet folks. food isn't fancy, and it's not cheap. you should plan on packing some sandwich stuff or visiting groceries near ferry terminals in towns like ketchikan or petersburg if you're on a tight budget.
if you want staterooms you need to book now, but many folks are happy sleeping in sleeping bags on deck chairs in the upper deck solarium.
Q: Hi I will be moving to Seward from Evergreen CO (near Denver)at the end of May this year (w/ a pre-arranged job). However the company >does not provide moving assistance. maybe even an idea of what it >costs to do this (I know it depends on weight and how compact your >stuff is) but maybe an example of what you or others have had to pay
>for such a service based on your own experience. >Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
A: If you crate your own things or possibly paletize and shrink wrap, you
might ship by Samson Tug and Barge out of Seattle.
www.samsontug.com 800-331-3522.
It's probably about one grand for a 20' full container. It's cheaper than common carrier. It may take a three weeks from time you ship to having things arrive in Seward.
Q: Me and a couple buddies are planning a 2 wk backpacking trip to Denali NP this summer. We are planning on taking the shuttle bus to Wonder Lake campground & starting there. Has anyone backpacked in that general area and if
so, what should I expect terrain-wise? What kind of weather should I be prepared for?
We have two 2 wk periods we're considering, mid-June or mid-July. Which would be better in regards to temps, lower chances of rain & less
mosquitoes. Does this area of Denali get a lot of visitors either of those times? Thanks for any help you guys can offer.
A: If you are hiking up any of those mountains plan on every kind of weather imaginable. Rain, snow, sleet, wind, hot sun with lots of mosquitoes, freezing temperatures, and bears that might have cubs. Remember to carry two extra days of dried food and a flare kit. Also, Down is out. When down gets wet it is worthless. And if the rain doesn't get it
wet the sweat will. Use wool. Wool will keep you warm when it is wet. Cotton losses its insulating value when it gets wet. Learned this while sheep hunting, the hard way, of course.We are lucky to still be alive. I think Denali gets about 600,000 visitors a year. But most of them are older people that do not hike, but just ride the buses in and out.
No personal vehicles are allowed. If you get off the road just about anywhere in Alaska you have got it all to your self. That is one of the great things about Alaska. These are just my observations. The Park Service is really who you should
contact. Have a look at www.wages.com.au for American wage rates plus Australian wages and jobs with Jobs in Antartica
Q: Does anyone know if Alaska hunting regs are online?
Bethel area Info: http://kusko.net/ , http://bethelak.com/
Alaska's flag weathers 75 years 2002
BENNY BENSON: Designer is celebrated for his creation.
Benny Benson is renowned for his design of the Alaska flag. As a 13-year-old orphan, Benson entered and won a 1927 contest asking schoolchildren to design a banner to represent the Last Frontier.
Benson's blue flag with gold stars in the shape of the Big Dipper was first hoisted in 1927 at an orphanage in Seward, where Benson and his brother lived.
Benson is known to have made and signed numerous replicas of the flag. His last, made in 1972, was given to Mrs. Billie S. Gillilan and became part of her Alaskana collection.
The 18-by-12-inch replica was sold to the Alaska Native Heritage Center in 2001, where it now hangs.
"Benny Benson is a shining example for all Alaskans," Margaret Nelson, president and chief executive officer of the center, wrote in a press release. "On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the first raising of the flag, the center is honored to share Benson's last flag with the community."
Benson was born in 1913 in Chignik to a Russian-Aleut mother and Swedish father. When his mother died, Benson and his brother went to live at the Jesse Lee Memorial Home in Seward.
Benson's contest entry included this statement: "The blue field is for the Alaska sky and the forget-me-not, an Alaska flower. The North Star is for the future state of Alaska, the most northerly in the union. The Dipper is for the Great Bear -- symbolizing strength."
His design spurred Marie Drake to write the poem "Alaska's Flag." Drake's poem was set to music by Elinor Dusenbury and eventually became the state song.
Benson went on to raise two daughters as a single parent and become the first Alaska Native to join the Elks Club. He served as Alaska's unofficial goodwill ambassador for many years.
His vision of Alaska as a state came to fruition when he received a standing ovation at the 1959 Alaska Constitutional Convention in Juneau. Benson spent his later years as an airplane mechanic in Kodiak. He died in 1972.
ALASKA FLAG DAY: An Alaska Flag Day celebration will be 5:30-8:30 p.m. today on the Jesse Lee Campus of Alaska Children's Services, 4600 Abbott Road. Tickets, available at the gate, are $5 individual, $20 family, free for children younger than 3. The Alaska Children's Choir will perform "Alaska's Flag."
For more information, call 348-9206. The Alaska Native Heritage Center, on Muldoon Road near Bartlett High School, is open to the public 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily through Sept. 28. For information about heritage center programs, visit www.alaskanative.net.
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