Customer Reviews

Insight Guide Alaska (Insight Guides)

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Most travel guides concentrate on providing substantial listings of places to go, places to stay, and places to eat. "Insight Guides Alaska" goes a different route. Here, the emphasis is on narrative articles, accompanied by maps and color photography, that provide a sense of what a destination is like. In the case of a wonderfully diverse destination such as Alaska, this type of information may be more useful to the traveler than statistics or long listing of motels.

The State of Alaska equates to 20% of the land area of the United States. Alaska has the most coastline of any state. Its signficant diversity in climate ranges the North Slope above the Arctic Circle to the rainy Panhandle, which has a climate like Seattle. The sheer scale of the landscape often overwhelms visitors. Alaska offers ready access to wildlife, glaciers, hiking, hunting and fishing, and other attractions harder to find in the lower 48 states. Its lack of development means that for those who seek it out, there is enough elbow room to satisfy practically anyone.

The essays contained in this guide offer a sense of a variety of features about Alaska, from its native Alaskans, its strenuous seasons, huge state and federal park areas, and its few urban centers. The essays provide perspective and useful information on various attractions, while the abundant photographs impart a sense of scale for a wild landscape. A section at the end addresses practicalities like food, lodging, and travel, although first-time visitors can and should seek additional information through investigation of included websites. Those who intend to travel by road are encouraged to track down a copy of The Milepost, which provides exhaustive information on Alaska's limited road network.

"Insight Guides Alaska" is highly recommended to those planning a visit to Alaska, and those curious to see what the fuss is all about.