ALASKA HOW TO SUCCEED AT THIS TOP TRAVEL DESTINATION

Course Objectives Describe the geographic locations and seasons in Alaska Distinguish the climate changes and seasons in Alaska Describe the attributes and cultural differences of the tribes in Alaska Describe how to assess community resources in rural areas, and avoid social isolation

Overview of Alaska

Alaska Licensing Takes 2 weeks for licensing Requires finger-printing and passport photo $284 $334 to include temporary permit

Alaska Fun Facts The US Purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million (2 cents/acre) Alaska became the 49 th state in 1959 Alaska is divided into boroughs, rather than counties. About half of the population resides in the Anchorage area The Aleutian islands are a volcano hot spot!

Regions of Alaska The Inside Passage (aka The Panhandle) The South Central Region The Southwest Region The North Slope\Arctic Region The Interior

The Alaskan Panhandle (Southeast Alaska) The Inside Passage – Cruise Ships Tourism – May through September Larger cities on individual islands, only accessible via airplane or ferry Glaciers Present

Panhandle Weather Wettest and warmest region of Alaska 50” of precipitation in Juneau 150” of precipitation in Ketchikan (37” are snow) Only region where daytime temp in winter months is above freezing Temp ranges from 20°f - 65°f Sunlight 6 hrs/day – 18 hrs/day In summer, the sun rises at 4am and sets at 11pm In winter, it rises at 8:30am and sets at 3:30pm

Ketchikan Population of 8,250 5 th largest city in Alaska “Salmon Capitol of the World” Largest collection of standing totem poles 90 miles from Canada Roads are scare, no need for a car Bus works well

Ketchikan General Hospital Critical Access Hospital 25 in-patient beds Full service Hospital

Juneau Capitol of Alaska Population of 32,556 2 nd largest city in the US by area – 2,700 square miles Juneau Ice Field – 30 glaciers flow from it

Bartlett Regional Hospital 57 bed in patient hospital 16 residential substance abuse beds Services a 1,500 sq. mile region, with 55,000 residents Most communities cannot access this hospital by road

Sitka Population of 8,881 4 th largest in population Only 14 miles of road - Most places are within walking distance of downtown. Southeast Alaska Regional Health

Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital Part of the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium 27 in-patient beds Full service hospital

Sitka Community Hospital Critical Access Hospital 24 in-patient beds

South Central Region Contains majority of the states population in Anchorage Petroleum Plants prevalent in the area

South Central Region Weather Summer temp ranges from 55°-78° Winter temp ranges from 5°-30° Avg snowfall around 75 inches Long summer days (19 hours of sunlight) Short winter days (6 hours of sunlight) Less rain than the Southeast region, but more snow

Anchorage Most populated city in Alaska – 298,610 Makes up 40 % of the state population No state sales tax Ash hazards due to active volcano 78 miles away

Hospitals of Anchorage Providence Alaska Medical Center 371 beds Several sister hospitals Alaska Regional Hospital 250 beds

Homer Population of 5, square miles “Halibut Fishing Capitol of the World” Erected 1 st traffic light in 2005 Moose sightings are a common occurrence on area roads and trails

South Peninsula Hospital 22 medical beds 28 nursing home beds Largest employer in the area

Southwest Region Largely costal region Sparsely populated. Most living along the coastline Unconnected to the road system 2 national parks & numerous wildlife refugees Hugely important to the fishing industry Kodiak & Aleutian islands – 300 small volcanic islands, 1,200 miles long

Southwest Region Weather Average temp for January 0°-12° Average temp for July 49°-62° Sunlight – 5 hours in Dec., 18 hours in Jun. In summer the sun rises at 5am, and sets after 11pm In winter the sun rises at 10am, and sets at 4pm

Kodiak Population of 6, square miles Air travel or ferry only Economy consists of commercial fishing, tourism, and hunting

Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center Critical Access Hospital 25 Acute Care Beds 19 Skilled Nursing Beds

Bethel 16 miles of road, only one is paved, but has 93 taxi cabs 50% of the population is below the age of 18 Lies within the Yukon- Kuskokwim Delta Population of 6,080 A hub for 56 surrounding villages Flat and essentially treeless Lies within a wildlife preserve Air and river access only Allows alcohol sales

Yukon Kuskokwim Delta Regional Hospital 50 beds Private non-profit tribal consortium Level IV trauma center

North Slope/Artic Region Small towns like Nome, Bethel, and Barrow Mostly tundra, peppered with native villages Massive reserves of crude oil Remote and sparsely populated 380 native villages

Nome Population of 3, square miles Ending place of the Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race Roads lead out to smaller communities, up to 54 miles away

Norton Sound Regional Hospital Tribally owned and operated New hospital in 2012 Provide services for life Bering Straight Region – 44,000 sq. miles 36 beds

Barrow Population of 4, square miles of land Surrounded by the National Petroleum Reserve Arctic Ocean borders 3 sides of the city Becomes ice-free August-September, causing dense fog Furthest north, North American City Above the arctic circle by 320 miles

Barrow Weather Desert climate – less than 5 in of rain per year 29 inches of snow per year Freezing temps from Oct – May Dangerously low wind chills Whiteouts are common Snow can occur at any time of the year Cloudiest place on Earth – overcast 50% of the year

Barrow – Land of the Midnight Sun Sun sets Nov 18 th, and remains set for 65 days Rises again on Jan 22 nd By March there are 9 hours of sun In May, the sun remains above the horizon for the entire day. It doesn’t set again until Aug 22 nd (82 days of sunlight)

Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital 14 beds Recently built new facility 4X larger than original Provides housing for travelers, and includes a meal plan ER nurses can be trained for flight nursing

Interior Largest region Largely uninhabited wilderness Fairbanks is the only large city Native villages scattered throughout Denali National Park Not many travel assignments Has highest and lowest temps ( 90° in summer to -60° in winter ) Up to 24 hours of sunlight

Understanding Cultural Differences Tribes and Culture

Cultural Diversity Total population in 2010 – 736,000 Caucasian – 70% American Indian/Alaska Native – 20% Asian – 5% African American – 4% Hispanic – 1%

Three Most Common Native Alaskan Tribes Aleuts Inuits First Nations a. Tlingits b. Haida

Aleuts Also known as Unagan Ancestors migrated to Aleutian Islands 7,000 years ago Famous for fishing and hunting Lived on ice-free waters Know for basketry

Inuit Also known as Eskimo Lived on the icy northern seas of Western Alaska Total dependence on the sea Their food, clothing, furnishings for their homes, and fuel all came from hunting marine life such as whales and seals

First Nations The two largest groups are the Tlingit and Haida Know for wealth, character, and ancestors of their members Known for their elaborate ceremonies (Potlatch – Ceremony for the Dead) Know for fur trading

Healthcare in Alaska Mental Illness a. Alcoholism b. Rape Diabetes Cardiovascular Disease

Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium Local community aides Telemedicine Distant and difficult transportation

Financial Preparedness for Traveling in Alaska Car Rental in Juneau-$ /month Gas prices differ based on areas of State- $3.75-$5.94 Gallon of Milk in Nome-$7.29 (cheaper in other areas) One dozen eggs in Nome-$4.49 (cheaper in other areas) Banking can be difficult in rural areas

Making Alaska An Unforgettable Experience Five most popular tourist areas 1.Anchorage 2.Juneau 3.Fairbanks 4.Ketchikan 5.Barrow

Visiting Anchorage Annual Iditarod race from Anchorage to Nome a. Starts the first weekend of March and goes on for 6 days b. $ to $ , depending on the number of days you attend c. Largest tourism event in the state, people come from all over the world to watch this dog sledding race Museum and Alaska Heritage Center - $12.00 Admission Glacier Viewing Cruise - $100.00/per full day

Visiting Juneau State Capital Mendenhall Glacier Whale watching Mt. Roberts Thruway goes up to 1800 feet to Native American Center with Numerous Totem Poles

Visiting Fairbanks Best place to see “Aurora Borealis” Northern Lights (best time to see is late November to March) Chena Hot Springs El Dorado Gold Mine Pioneer Park

Visiting Ketchikan Thomas Street and Marina (Go Salmon and Halibut fishing) Tongass Historical Museum Cape Fox Lodge Deer Mountain Tribal Hatchery Review

Visiting Barrow Cathy Parker Field: Barrow, Alaska Whale Jawbone Arch Wading in the Arctic Ocean Point Barrow