Alaska

Alaska travel and tourism information & guide on vacation spots and destinations in Alaska state. Alaska, the largest in area but among the least populated U.S. states, lies astride the Arctic Circle, apart from the "Lower 48" contiguous states. Initially inhabited by Inuit, Aleut, Athabascans, Tlingit, and Haida, Alaska was first visited by Europeans in the early 18th century. In 1867 the United States purchased Alaska from Russia for only $7.2 million. Alaska's modern economic development was accelerated by World War II, when U.S. military bases were established there. Alaska became a state in 1959. The name Alaska comes from an Aleut word thought to mean "mainland" or "land that is not an island."
Articles

Alaska Senator Indicted for Oil Cover Up
Alaska Senator Ted Stevens has been indicted on seven felony counts of making false statements to hide gifts from an influential oil tycoon.

Alaska Facts: Interesting Facts About Alaska
Alaska was once known as Seward's Folly. Here are some other facts about Alaska.

Alaskan Villages Get Citgo Vouchers for Millions of Gallons of Oil
More than 150 Alaskan villages are taking advantage of an offer by Citgo Petroleum to donate 1 million gallons of heating fuel to poor Americans in rural areas of the state.

District Court Denies BLM Sale of Teshekpuk Lake
Ruling solidifies conservation groups’ position that the Teshekpuk Lake and region are ecologically is important and should be free of oil and gas prospecting.

Ada Blackjack: A True Story of Survival in the Arctic
Ada Blackjack was an unlikely hero -- an unskilled 23-year-old Inuit woman with no knowledge of the world outside Nome, Alaska. Divorced, impoverished, and despondent, she had one focus in her life -- to care for her sickly young son. In September 1921, in search of money and a husband, she signed on as seamstress for a top-secret expedition into the unknown Arctic.

Alaska: Fairbanks: A Delight With Its Natural Phenomena and Cultural Embrace of Its Famous Snowy Landscape
Witness the spectacular Aurora Borealis and take in the beautiful snow and ice formations that characterize Fairbanks, Alaska.

Alaska: Petersburg: Fishing in Petersburg
Discovering the sport of fishing in scenic Petersburg, Alaska has been made easier since the advent of the World Wide Web.

Matryoshka Dolls, Russian Princesses and Onion-domed Cathedrals - An Unexpected Alaska
Most visitors to Alaska anticipate the expected - an array of attractions from bears and wolves and the midnight sun to national parks and gold rush towns. What they do not necessarily expect is the wealth of Russian culture and artifacts - attractions that highlight the Russian period of Alaska. This article explores that history and the Alaska attractions that showcase it.

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline: A Must-See Attraction for the Caribou
Humans are not the only tourists interested in the Trans-Alaska pipeline - the caribou are flocking to this man-made wonder as well but this article concentrates on Alaska's two legged tourists and explores the options for those looking for a sighting of the Trans-Alaska pipeline.

Seeing Alaska by Ferry - The Alaska Marine Highway
This article looks at the alternative cruise to Alaska with the Alaska Marine Highway aboard the "Matanuska" from Bellingham, Washington State, for an eight-day return trip along the Inside Passage wending along the coast through more than 1,000 islands.

The Alaska Highway: A Road of Wilderness Mystique
Ursula and Eldrid Retief "ride the dog" taking the Greyhound bus on a journey of a lifetime along the Alaska Highway, from Dawson Creek in British Columbia to Fairbanks, Alaska.

Discovering the Real Alaska
With Alaska becoming such a popular vacation destination for travelers around the world, its history and society has become an increasingly interesting subject as well. There are many misconceptions about Alaska as far as its terrain, weather, and citizens are concerned. In reality, it is a somewhat untouched area of the world that is rich in beauty and culture.

Alaskan Republican Indicted in Corruption Inquiry
Ted Stevens has been under investigation by the FBI for more than a year

Portage Glacier - A Great Vacation and Travel Destination
Have the vacation of a lifetime at the Portage Glacier in Alaska, by knowing the Attractions to see - Best times to visit - Places to stay, and more.

Alaska Race: Young Cyclist Fights for Life After Grizzly Bear Attack
State biologist says bear probably tried to bite 14-year-old girl's head off

Afognak Wilderness Lodge - A Visual Celebration
Natural beauty, spectacular display and diversion, and many options for wildlife viewing...

The Many Reasons Why You Need To Visit The Different Alaska National Parks
When we look at ways that we can relax one thing that most of us think about is going outdoors. Whether we are city bound, suburban bound or even living in the country being able to get away from man made places can be very refreshing.

Alaska Family Vacations: Planning the Trip of a Lifetime for the Whole Family
An Alaska family vacation may seem like an unreachable goal, or even a bad idea, but this popular retiree destination is equally good for families, provided it is planned properly. This article gives an outline of some things to consider when thinking of an Alaska trip-of-a-lifetime with your family.

Alaska Voters Ready for Arctic Election
As tight battles grip both the Democratic and Republican parties, candidates are hunting down votes in every corner of America - including the country's arctic north-western tip

Close-run Primaries Give Voters in Alaska Their Moment of Relevance
As tight battles grip both the Democratic and Republican parties, candidates are hunting down votes in every corner of the United States - including the country's Arctic north-western tip

Alaska - Not Only a Tourist Destination for Summer Vacations
Alaska is in many people’s mind a tourist destination only for summer vacations. And it is true that the arctic and sub-arctic summer in Alaska is really something to travel for. But already early springtime can be a nice experience, not to mention winter tours for the adventurous traveler.

Giant Oil Spill Imperils Alaska
March 24 1989: On this day an oil tanker ran aground in Alaska causing the worst oil spill in US history. This is how the Guardian reported the news.

The White Pass Yukon Route in Alaska - A Great Vacation and Travel Destination
Have the vacation of a lifetime at The White Pass Yukon Route in Alaska, by knowing the Attractions to see - Best times to visit - Places to stay, and more.

18 Years On, Exxon Valdez Oil Still Pours Into Alaskan Waters
Study concludes threat to ecology could last decades· Tanker's owner dismisses report as insignificant

Alaskan Elephant Finds Her Place in the Sun
Anchorage zoo agrees to move its lone elephant to California after a lengthy debate that has pitched the interests of the 25-year-old animal against those keen to keep the state's only elephant at the zoo.

18 Years On, Exxon Valdez Oil Still Pours Into Alaskan Waters
Study concludes threat to ecology could last decades - Tanker's owner dismisses report as insignificant

Alaska Offers Adventure, Beauty and Nature for Visitors Year Round
Alaska is a more than just a cold state, it is a beautiful place to visit.

Travel Blogs - what they are good for?
Travel Blogs normally deal with a single travel subject and provide latest travel news, commentary or opinions on the travel subject. The subjects could be as diverse as food, politics, Alaskan fishing or Japanese pearls. Contents of travel blog can also be as diverse and normally consist of travel images, text, travel links to other blogs or travel websites and anything related to the topic.

Alaska's Alyeska Resort - Family and Ski Vacation Extraordinaire
Night skiing is not only allowed but it may be one of most awe inspiring ski experiences you'll ever have. Snow capped mountains, hanging glaciers and the infamous Northern Lights are just a few of the visual bonuses of night skiing at Alyeska. It was ranked number nine in Skiing Magazine's annual top twenty-five killer ski trip reviews.

Senate Blocks Attempt to Allow Oil Drilling in Alaskan Wildlife Reserve
· Republicans fail to halt filibuster against Bush bill · Administration says move is vital to halt fuel imports

Alaskan Malamute - The Nordic Sled Dog
The Alaskan Malamute is a hard working sled dog and a loving companion. Learn more about their history and lifestyle here.

From Frozen Alaska to the Lab: a Virus 39,000 Times More Virulent Than Flu
· Tight security to prevent 'select agent' escaping · Publication of its genetic code raises fears of misuse

Visitors Rush to Glimpse Vanishing Glaciers
Attention turns to Alaska where climate change is transforming the landscape.

Oil Clouds Gather Over Alaskan Eden
25-year battle over drilling under remote coastal plain starts to go the industry's way.

The Oil Under This Wilderness Will Last the Us Six Months. But Soon the Drilling Will Begin
Senate backs exploitation of Alaskan wildlife refuge.

Bush Pushes for Alaskan Drilling As Oil Prices Climb
Oil prices were last night skirting record highs as a United States report showing plentiful stocks of crude failed to ease longer term concerns about possible shortages.

Earthquakes and Tsunamis
An earthquake in the fjord-like Lituya Bay, Alaska, on July 9, 1958, generated a tsunami wave 524 meters (1719 feet) high, moving at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour.

Sasha Faces Death in Alaska
An Anchorage family's companion animal, which they claimed was a German shepherd/husky mix, has been seized by officials who say that the animal is actually a hybrid wolf.

Exxon Told to Pay $7bn for Oil Spill
ExxonMobil was yesterday ordered to pay nearly $7bn (£3.8bn) to thousands of Alaskans affected by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. In the latest decision in a long-running legal saga, a district court judge in Anchorage ordered the company to pay $4.5bn in punitive damages and around...

Aerial Killing Of Wolves Approved Despite Voter Opposition
Since the early 1970s, poll after poll has found that the overwhelming majority of Americans support efforts to protect and restore wolves. In 1996 and again in 2000, Alaskan citizens voted against killing wolves from the air as a way to control wolf populations.

Global Warming is Killing Us Too, Say Inuit
The Inuit people of Canada and Alaska are launching a human rights case against the Bush administration claiming they face extinction because of global warming. By repudiating the Kyoto protocol and refusing to cut US carbon dioxide emissions, which make up 25% of the world's total,...

Study: Commercial Whaling Caused Massive Ecosystem Decline
A new scientific study published on September 22 says that commercial whaling by Japanese and Russian fleets over a half a century ago could be the cause of a mysterious, massive decline of the ecosystem surrounding Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.

Collar-Mounted ‘Critter Cam’ Reveals Secret Lives Of Animals
National Geographic has joined Alaska bear researchers to test what they call an "animal borne imaging system."

Salmon carry PCBs to Alaskan lakes
Salmon travelling to Alaska's lakes to spawn are carrying large doses of industrial pollutants with them, a study has shown. The accumulation of these compounds could have harmful consequences for the region's top carnivores: bears, eagles - and humans.

Airborne Wolf Hunting Reinstated in Alaska
Frank H. Murkowski, the governor of Alaska, has signed into law a bill that permits individuals to spot wolves from airplanes, land and then shoot the animals in areas designated by the state Board of Game.

Bush Plan to Exploit Alaskan Oil Thwarted
Just as the war was starting in Iraq, President Bush lost a different kind of battle in the senate as his plans for drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska were defeated. But supporters of the drilling plans were yesterday warning that this battle was far from...

America is a Class Act
The US regards itself as the ultimate meritocracy, but social mobility is as feeble as Europe's - and declining. When Republican Senator Frank Murkowski was elected governor of Alaska in November it was his task to select his replacement in the US Senate.

First it was bigfoot, now it's big bird
It may be a bird. It almost certainly isn't a plane. All that is known for sure is that several people have reported seeing an enormous creature with a 4-metre wingspan flying over south-west Alaska in recent days. Those who saw it are urging children to stay indoors.

85% of Alaskan Glaciers Melting at 'incredible Rate'
Glaciers in Alaska are melting at "an incredible rate" according to US researchers.

Star Wars Arrives in Alaska Moose Country
Behind the heavily fortified gates of Fort Greely, a brief ground-breaking ceremony marked the start of construction of a new missile defence system project and the end of a 30-year-long anti-ballistic missile treaty.

Some Call It the Friendly Frontier; Others See It As the Starting Point for the Third World War
Small Alaskan town prepares for missile site in wilderness. 'People say this is going to be Ground Zero now but I'd rather be at Ground Zero than 200 miles away and die of radiation," says Tom Van Eyck, looking up from beneath his leather, coin-ringed cowboy hat as he sits by his van in the midsummer sun selling wood carvings and walking sticks made out of diamond willow.

Senate vetoes oil drilling in Alaska refuge
The US Senate threw out one of President Bush's most controversial proposals yesterday: the plan to drill for oil in the huge Arctic national wildlife refuge in Alaska.

Alaska oil plan faces defeat
Critics confident of Senate win. President George Bush's opponents appear to be on the brink of killing his plans to drill for oil and gas in an environmentally sensitive area of Alaska.

Winter in Alaska: More than Mushing
Think of Alaska in the winter, and most people envision white. Miles and miles of endless white and nothingness.