Alaska a land of quirky wonders

by PAT GORSKE PRICE

for the News-Tribune

I am in awe of Alaska. Sure, the scenery is spectacular. Joe and I were lucky enough to travel there last May and we decided it was like Colorado on steroids, but there's more to my assessment than that. What amazed me are the little things that seem to separate Alaskans from, well....everyone else.

We began our tour in Fairbanks at a Princess-owned hotel with a huge river rushing along behind it. A road ran right up to the water with bulky barricades blocking access to the floe.

We both thought this was very strange so we asked our tour guide, Jenny, a native of Fairbanks, about it. The answer was even more strange.

Fairbanks "enjoys" (using that term very loosely) the broadest range of temperatures anywhere, dipping to 50 below to the temperate 70s we were enjoying. During the winter the river freezes and Fairbankians drive down the river, cutting mega time off their commutes on the city streets.

Each year the residents participate in a lottery guessing what the date and time will be when it is no longer safe to drive on their shortcut. The winner gets the pot of money collected. How do they determine when the safety factor has expired?

It's when the first car falls through the ice into the river. Jenny never told us what happens to the poor folks in that particular vehicle.

As a kid I remember Dad teasing me by saying, "What's the capital of Alaska?" I'd say, "What?" He'd respond with "You know..." Which would logically be followed by, "No I don't." That cycle would go on and on until he'd spell it out, "J-U-N-E-A-U." That exchange marked the extent of my knowledge when we made our trip last spring.

One thing I did learn was that there are only three ways to get to the capital of Alaska -- by boat, by plane and by birth. We arrived via ship.

While there, we took two excursions: one to a rain forest and the other to a glacier. I thought the two would provide interesting contrast, and, indeed, they did, but the most incredible part for me was when we were traveling from one to the other.

There in the harbor was an enormous barge with hundreds of cars smashed absolutely flat, piled on top of each other. And this was before Cash for Clunkers.

The bus driver told us that once a year they collect old cars, crush them and ship them out. If a Juneau resident wants a new car, they have to pay to have it shipped in and then must hold onto the old car until it can be crushed and cargoed out.

In Ohio we have problems with deer. But if a deer can do damage to a car, just imagine what a moose could do.

There aren't many roads in Alaska because of the terrain. The highway that connects Fairbanks and Anchorage is a vital lifeline, and great efforts are made to keep it clear during the winter months. Moose much prefer walking down the shoveled road to picking their way through the deep snow in the wild, so Alaskan drivers must be ever vigilant for moose on the highway.

The thing is, moose sometimes get tired and decide to lie down for a nap -- in the road. Drivers must then watch for sleeping moose in the way.

Moose do not mind snow, so often when napping they become covered with snow. Therefore, drivers must watch out for big lumps that could be napping moose buried in the snow. Talk about hazards.

There were other things we learned, like homeowners do not have to pay real estate taxes if their houses are not completely built, so there are hundreds of unfinished homes.

Masses of people migrate to Alaska for the tourist season to work. We met one young woman from Philadelphia who served us a wonderful lunch in Skagway. She told us she makes enough money in six months to travel the other six.

Along the highway there are little huts, stocked with supplies. Motorists who break down are free to use the huts, but are honor bound to return when able to replace any items used during their stay.

It is an Alaskan unwritten rule that if someone is in trouble along the road others will, indeed, stop to help. Rugged individuals? You betcha.

Traveling is one of the great perks of retirement. Having discovered so much of the unusual "Code of the 49th State," Joe and I are eager to explore other areas and increase our awe of this amazing world.