I can't speak highly enough of Alaska. I was there for the last two weeks of August and first week of July this year. The flight into Anchorage from Seattle was a great introduction for what lay ahead. If any of you make the same trip get a window seat on the right hand side of the aircraft and experience some spectacular views of the mountains and glaciers.
I was based in Anchorage and would recommend the city wholeheartedly.
Downtown is developing into a modern, forward-looking centre but at the same time I was taken aback by the level of poverty evident in the immediate vicinity - I wasn't expecting that in the land of opportunity. Again, If you're there, you should search out Leroys diner for a first class breakfast and Reillys bar for a good night out amongst good company. Darwins Theory is another good bar downtown.
Made a few road trips, the most impressive of which took me from Anchorage to Dawson City in the Yukon. We broke the trip at Tok and again, if you're there try Fast Eddys for grub and wet your whiste at the Husky lounge.
From Tok our route took us to Chicken in gold prospecting country. The story goes that the original miners wanted to call the place ptarmigan but no one knew how to spell it (hope I have) so they settled for Chicken. Between Tok and Chicken there was the largest expanse of burnt landscape that I've ever seen. It went on for ever.
Next stop was Boundry and then across the border into the Yukon Territory. The landscapes in Alaska can only be described as awe inspiring but the vistas on the Top of the World Highway were spectacular. Dawson still has the aura of a gold rush town and it didn't disappoint. The world gold panning championship was being held and the first person I spoke to was a Yorkshireman who had qualified for the next round in his category (they get everywhere dont they, a bit like us Geordies) but I don't know how he got on after that. Got rather inebriated in the Snakepit bar at the Westminster Hotel and sang all night with the locals (best night I've had in a long time) then finished up in Diamond Tooth Gerties. What a trip! The Kenai peninsula trip is another story but I've rambled on a bit too long so I'll finish here and just say thank you Alaska, I'll be back.