Rebecca G. (kitschweb) reviewed Compass American Guides: Alaska's Inside Passage, 2nd Edition on + 60 more book reviews
The author clearly loves Alaska and it shows. I just got back from a two week family cruise and found her guidebook invaluable (and small enough to carry around in my shoulder bag, which is nice). I found I disagreed with her very rarely, most notably on the quality of food to be found in the various towns she describes. Note that if you are from pretty much any city in the lower 48, you'll be appalled by the both the cost of a meal and the lack of good restaurants (not to mention the complete absence of salmon, which I was looking forward to, on all the menus). There may be something in Juneau, which I wasn't lucky enough to see, but in the smaller towns, expect to pay $20 or more for very average meals at diner-type establishments. I also was disappointed by our trek to the "Petroglyph Beach" in Petersburg - after walking an hour from the marina to the beach and slogging through freezing tide pools at low tide, we were only able to find one small face and a pair of feet. I was excited to find them, but I think you'd have to be pretty into the quest to be anything but disappointed - the Petroglyph Beach at Wrangell is a much better bet with something like 40 carvings to be found. In either case, make sure you go at low tide!
Another small complaint is that since the author raves about everything it's difficult to gauge what is a must-see and what isn't. To that end, here are some of my favorites from the trip:
1. The Museum at Wrangell was wonderful and a bargain at less than $10 admission for adults. It also has a very nice gift store where you can find local garnets, birch syrup, t-shirts and books from Ketchikan artist Ray Troll, and other inexpensive gifts for the folks back home.
2. I can't rave enough about the Sing Lee Alley Bookstore in Petersburg. It was fantastic, friendly, and by the time I got there I was desperate for books. Wonderful collection of Alaskana (including very giftable children's books), as well as a totally unexpected inventory of other books to rival any other independent bookstore I've seen.
3. I was also very impressed by the public library in Petersburg. I was on a private boat (not a commercial cruise) so Internet access was a terminal problem. The very friendly public library had fast, free wi-fi and a great selection of magazines to browse while I was waiting for a particularly large download.
4. The Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka is worth visiting if you're interested in birds of prey. You'll get used to seeing bald eagles and the like perching in trees in Alaska (where the species has never been endangered), but the Raptor Center, which is really a hospital for injured birds from all over North America, is a good place to see the majestic birds up close.
5. Tracy Arm Fjord is worth visiting if you get the chance and have the time. It's several hours of cruising through Tolkienesque landscapes (we're talking 2,000-foot granite cliffs heading up into the mist and harbor seals lying on blue icebergs) to the twin Sawyer glaciers. Each of the glaciers calves huge chunks of blue ice into the water every hour or so.
Another small complaint is that since the author raves about everything it's difficult to gauge what is a must-see and what isn't. To that end, here are some of my favorites from the trip:
1. The Museum at Wrangell was wonderful and a bargain at less than $10 admission for adults. It also has a very nice gift store where you can find local garnets, birch syrup, t-shirts and books from Ketchikan artist Ray Troll, and other inexpensive gifts for the folks back home.
2. I can't rave enough about the Sing Lee Alley Bookstore in Petersburg. It was fantastic, friendly, and by the time I got there I was desperate for books. Wonderful collection of Alaskana (including very giftable children's books), as well as a totally unexpected inventory of other books to rival any other independent bookstore I've seen.
3. I was also very impressed by the public library in Petersburg. I was on a private boat (not a commercial cruise) so Internet access was a terminal problem. The very friendly public library had fast, free wi-fi and a great selection of magazines to browse while I was waiting for a particularly large download.
4. The Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka is worth visiting if you're interested in birds of prey. You'll get used to seeing bald eagles and the like perching in trees in Alaska (where the species has never been endangered), but the Raptor Center, which is really a hospital for injured birds from all over North America, is a good place to see the majestic birds up close.
5. Tracy Arm Fjord is worth visiting if you get the chance and have the time. It's several hours of cruising through Tolkienesque landscapes (we're talking 2,000-foot granite cliffs heading up into the mist and harbor seals lying on blue icebergs) to the twin Sawyer glaciers. Each of the glaciers calves huge chunks of blue ice into the water every hour or so.
