Denali Park Hotel

Guide to Canada and Alaska

ALL ABOARD THE ROCKY ROAD

Travellers from Down Under have finally realised Alaska is one of the world's last great wilderness frontiers that should not be missed for its soaring mountain peaks, glistening glaciers and a huge array of wildlife that is readily seen by land and sea.

Instead of taking a round-trip on one of the many cruise ships, both large and small, that sail the winding ribbon of Alaska's Inside Passage, Australians are finally intent on roaming further afield.

These days they often opt for a one-way cruise from Juneau (Alaska's capital city on the Inside Passage), or from Vancouver in Canada, or Seattle or San Francisco (in the United States), and sail even further west to disembark at Whittier and head overland to Anchorage, Alaska's largest city where more than half the State's 700,000 population live.

They then experience the rich Alaskan native culture in craft, traditional music, dancing and story-telling at the new Morris Thompson Cultural Centre before heading further afield.

Adventure options are plentiful including stays in wilderness lodges in Denali National Park to sight wildlife from caribou to bears to moose and dall sheep as eagles soar above. A drive north to Fairbanks, a frontier town that started with a gold rush, is where the aurora borealis (the northern lights) paints the sky glowing colours from September and into the dark winter nights.

Travellers who opt for no more than a cruise can take excursions at ports of call to experience typical adventures from dog sledding to flights over vast glaciers as well as bear and salmon sightings. While exploring these small towns, cruise passengers meet friendly locals who often arrived in Alaska to find work in the summer tourist season, fell in love with the people and environment, and stayed on.

Some will point out that single women have a great social life in these parts as men outnumber them significantly. But as one woman observes in light-hearted fashion: "The odds are really good but the goods can be really odd."

Residents also talk of the changing rhythm of life through the year. In winter the icy weather encourages cocooning with family, overseas travel or restocking souvenir shops.

But when the spring thaw arrives it is time to make boats and planes shipshape to take tourists into pristine wilderness.

In the summer season from May to September, thousands of cruise passengers invade the small towns, and locals start ticking off the days until the last ship sails south and peace falls until next summer's invasion.

Roll Call - Summer Jobs 2011 - My CoolWorks

Travis Morgan                  Hillary Morgan

Cook 3                             Food & Bev Asst

Xanterra                           Xanterra

Mammoth Hot Springs       Mammoth Hot Springs                

Yellowstone                      Yellowstone

May 7th to October           May 5th to October

This is our first year working seasonal.  I can't wait to make new friends.

Alaska

Insiders' Guide to Anchorage and Southcentral Alaska, Including the Kenai Peninsula, Prince William Sound, and Denali National Park

Denali National Park and Preserve, Adventure, Explore, Discover

Guide to the National Park Areas, Western States

Washington