Page 15 - September 2020

On the Go... Staggering Beauty of Alaska’s Inside Passage

Reflections Re-imagined! fascinating insight into how the lumberjacks
Staggering beauty of Alaska’s overcame the rugged hazardous Tongass
Inside Passage Forest and coastal wilderness Juneau
By: Ronnie Greenberg Alaska’s capital city and the stunning
Photos: Joe Hilbers gateway to the glaciers, clings to the base of
two 3,500-foot mountains, surrounded by
From the grandeur of its glaciers to the true wilderness. In 1889 a Tlingit guide led
majesty of its mountains, breathtaking prospectors Joseph Juneau and Richard
and foreboding landscapes beckon you Harris to gold in the mountains. They staked
on a journey of intriguing discovery a 160-acre town site and a boomtown was
through the southerly stretch of Alaska’s born. Alaska’s capital city since 1906, Juneau
1,000 mile Panhandle, known as the is a mix of modern hotels, shopping areas
Inside Passage. The protected blue-green and odd narrow winding streets. The Red
waterway, sculpted during the last ice Dog Saloon among the restored 1880’s
age, weaves along coves, placid lakes, buildings captures the flavor and lust of the
flowing rivers, and towering cascading gold rush days that still lingers here.
waterfalls. Awesome stark panoramas of Sites include: Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau’s
majestic fjords, snowfields and icefields most popular attraction. The glacier begins
dramatically unfold, as calving high above Juneau, and flows12 miles down
crystalline glaciers, deep and slick from the mountains from the Juneau Icefields.
ethereal ice-blue water, mold around Though there are many options to explore
entire mountains. The majesty of lush the glaciers, the ultimate experience is on a
green rain forests complete the timeless spectacular helicopter tour with
natural beauty of this vast wilderness. breathtaking views over alpine ridges and
Nature in all her untamed glory is the jagged ice spires. Glacier Bay National Park
heart of Southeast Alaska’s beautiful has incredible tidewater glaciers and 3
rugged frontier, interwoven with million acres of wilderness. The waterways
glimpses of moose, deer, bears and provide access to 16 of these glaciers, 12 of
mountain goats. Where life and land which actively calf icebergs into the bay. The
have remained unspoiled through the Park and Preserve is the result of a glacial
ages, dolphins, porpoises, seals, sea lions, retreat. Take the Mount Roberts Tramway, a
sea otters, humpback and killer whales breathtaking spectacle up to the top of
thread their way through waterways, Mount Roberts, towering 4,000 feet directly
islets and keys. Millions of salmon above sea level and downtown Juneau. At
navigate the furling rivers as hawks and the top enjoy a visit to the Observatory and
seagulls screech, and bald eagles soar Nature Center. Take time for a visit to St.
high above/ Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church; and the
Ketchikan- Nestled in the heart of the Angoon Tlingit island village to see North
Tongass National Forest, Ketchikan that America’s largest bald eagle nesting area.
grew with the Yukon gold rush, has a rich Skagway - In 1896 the cry of “gold “made
fishing and timber history. Hillsides with the spirit of adventure and discovery come
steep wooden stairways lead up to alive in Skagway. It became the departure
clusters of weatherworn hill-hanging point of 20,000 fortune seekers who braved
houses with gable rooftops. Creek Street the hazardous and harrowing, Chilkoot and
stands as the once infamous location of White Pass trails, on their way to the Yukon
the Red Light District in this bawdy town gold fields. Once a lawless boomtown, get
of the early 1900’s with “Dolly’s House” the feel of what life was like in the historic
offering a glimpse into the area’s frontier district’s bustling 6-block strip. Gold-rush
times. Known as the “Salmon Capital of era buildings that once housed saloons,
the World.” three harbors teem with gambling houses and dance halls, are
fishing boats, barges and floatplanes. sprinkled across boardwalk lined streets.
Sites include: Misty Fjords a Sites include: The White Pass & Yukon
masterpiece of nature that has been Route Railroad, a spectacular narrow-gauge
sculpted by massive glacial action over railway that came to be during the mad gold
the centuries. In this ice-rimmed rush to the Klondike in 1898. A 21-mile rail
wilderness, soaring 4,000-foot sheer journey from Skagway to White Pass
granite cliffs are shrouded by a veil of Summit and back follows the route used by
gossamer mist. Its terrain has filtered gold rush prospectors into Yukon Territory.
waterfalls plunging 3,000 feet, thousands A narrated trip takes you on a journey
of alpine lakes; remote bays, twisting through time, into the perilous canyons and on a nostalgic journey onboard a Sitka the picturesque town nestled on
long fjords, lava flows, and dense forests. breathtaking terrain, up rugged mountain vintage 1920’s streetcar, with guides the West side of Baranof Island is
Totem Heritage Center’s authentic cedar peaks, across mountain lakes, along Brackett dressed to reflect the era. Tour historical flanked on the East by majestic snow-
monuments retrieved from abandoned Wagon Road, past Pitchfork Falls and Dead gold mining sites and head out to the capped mountains, and on the West by
native village sites are beautifully Horse Gulch. The restored and replica Gold Rush Cemetery to hear a dramatic the Pacific Ocean. A walk around this
preserved, and artfully relate to the coaches pulled by vintage steam version of the area’s lawless past. Read charming seaside community reflects
legends and lore of Alaska’s indigenous locomotives, wind through dark tunnels, the history of this brawlin’ town on the its strong Russian heritage. Native
people. The Lumberjack Show with sky-high trestles, crawl narrow bridges and tombstones of the notorious Jefferson artifacts can be found at the Sheldon
master woodsmen demonstrating snake alongside the old Klondike trail. The Randolph “Soapy” Smith, other Jackson Museum and National Historic
logrolling, sawing pole climbing gives a Skagway Alaska Street Car Tour takes you assorted villains, and hero, Frank Reid. Park.

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