Frontier Fun Facts

I mentioned that I harbor an intense curiosity for Alaska, which is why I have created this blog, and I believe it is because Alaska truly is one of the last "frontiers" of our time.  In my research, I have come across some interesting facts about Alaska's history that you may enjoy:

1. Alaska was incorporated into the United States as the 49th state of the Union in 1959.   The purchase of the Alaskan territory from the Russians in 1867 for a mere $.02 an acre was referred to at the time as Seward's Folly.  It was only later, when the abundance of natural resources was discovered, that the Government recognized the value of having the state as part of our country.  And you just know that the Russians kick themselves every day!  I mean, they could have been even more oil and gas rich AND had a leg up on the Cold War if they hadn't sold out.  

2.  Alaska is the largest state in the U.S. area-wise, but one of the smallest population-wise.  And when I say large, I mean HUGE.  The next three largest states, Texas, California, and Montana, could all fit in the boundaries of Alaska with some room to spare.  This makes the fact that the 2010 Census recorded only about 710,000 people living in the state even more amazing.  To give you a point of reference, the city of Fort Worth has an estimated population of about 730,000 people living on 300 square miles of land.  Compare roughly the same population to a total square mileage in Alaska of 663,000, and now you have a place where every person could conceivably have approximately 1 square mile of their own land without ever running into another soul.  Whoa.  Kind makes me want to bring some back up bread in case I get separated from the group that way I can try to find my way out Hansel and Gretel-style.  

3. Alaska is geographically diverse.  Did you know that Alaska can be considered the easternmost, westernmost,  AND northernmost state in the U.S.?  The maps that we normally see always show Alaska on the northwestern side of the U.S., however, parts of Alaska, specifically the Aleutian Islands are technically in the Eastern Hemisphere.  And, the northern part of the state, known as the North Slope, crosses into the Arctic Circle and is home to the northern-most city in North America, Barrow, population almost 4,000.  In addition, Alaska has more miles of coastline than all other states in the U.S. combined.  Alaska is also home to North America's highest peak, Mt. McKinley in Denali National Forrest and a chain of active volcanoes in the southeastern region.  Finally, over half of the world's glaciers reside in Alaska.  Not bad for a folly.

4. Alaska has an extremely diverse climate.  I know us Texans like to say that the weather changes here so fast that sometimes the weatherman gets it right, but I think Alaska takes the cake: The southern region of what is known as the panhandle (southeast Alaska) actually has pretty mild weather in the summers and winters, due to the coast.  Head north on the panhandle toward Anchorage and southern Alaska and the climate turns from oceanic to subarctic, meaning the summers are short and cool, although the proximity to the coast does keep the climate a little milder than other arctic regions.  Move into the interior and you can find both desert and places with an abundance of rain.  Move even further north, and you have entered subarctic territory, with little rain, and summers with averages of just 34 degrees F.  Yikes!

5. Alaska has very few roadways.  In fact, Juneau, the capital of Alaska, cannot be reached by roadway. At the very least, you would have to take a ferry across the coves and bays surrounding it.  Alaska is not directly connected to the continental U.S. by roadway, which means that you would have to drive through Canada to get there!

I hope this has give you a taste of some of the really unique traits of Alaska.  In this blog, I hope to explore the regions, cities, natural wonders, and transportation challenges of Alaska.  

Alaska On My Mind

In December 2010, I was thisclose to packing a bag containing a bikini, some flip flops, and my cherished RayBan's and moving to an island in the Caribbean for the rest of my life. However, I am a woman of many words, little courage, and a propensity for taking the easy route-plus I have a dog that I wouldn't know what to do with. So, I am still in Texas, going to a job that is becoming quite tenuous, and living a life that can characterized as boring at best.

However, just the other day, I received a shot of excitement when my mother called to see whether I would be up for going on a family vacation this year. Assuming she was talking somewhere relatively close, I suggested rafting down the Colorado river in the Grand Canyon. "Umm yeah, that could be fun" was her response, followed by "but your father and I were thinking maybe Alaska." Alaska? Heck yeah! Count me in! Ever since my parents had visited Alaska several years ago and independent of that, ever since I had read the book "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer, I have always wanted to visit Alaska. I think it has something to do with the vastness of land that is largely untouched by the modern world. Somehow, I knew that this trip was just what I needed to have something to look forward to in 2011.

Our family quickly decided that instead of flying to Alaska and picking our own vacation spots, that we will go on Carnival Cruise Line's Spirit for a 7 day trip. We will set sail from Seattle, Washington on August 9, and hit the ports of Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria, before pulling back into Seattle one week later.

Immediately I began looking at shore excursions, and to my surprise, there are A LOT to choose from. Too many really. The selection was quite overwhelming, as were the prices on some of the excursions. Overwhelmed, I decided that I needed to take a systematic approach to deciding how I would spend my time and my $$$. So, I decided to start a blog for a couple of reasons: 1) to allow me to do research and share some of the most interesting aspects of Alaska's history, geography, people, and culture; 2) to help me research and pick the shore excursions for each port; and 3) give me a hobby to write about every once and a while.

So yeah, Alaska is a far cry from Aruba, Jamaica, Kokomo, etc., but I think an adventure (even if it is "Fun Ship" safe, may be just what I need to get my spirits up in 2011.