Page 121 - eatg

com; Website: www.dillinghamak.com.

Founded in 1818 as a Russian trade center,
Dillingham is now an established fishing community
which has evolved into the economic, transportation
and public service center for western Bristol Bay.
Commercial, subsistence and world-class sport
fishing, fish processing, cold storage, and support
of the fishing industry are primary activities. Bristol
Bay’s rivers support the world’s largest red salmon run.
All five species of Pacific salmon, halibut, Actic char
and grayling, northern pike, Dolly Varden, rainbow
and lake trout are all found in great abundance in area
waters. A wide variety of guided fishing adventures
are available. There are five national wildlife refuges,
wilderness areas and parks in the region, as well as a
number of state parks and wildlife protection areas.
Visitors will find comfortable accommodations
at B&Bs, hotels and lodges, and may also enjoy
wilderness camping in the surrounding vast expanses,
where one may spend an entire trip without seeing
another person.
ALEUTIAN ISLANDS

The Aleutians are a series of 300 islands
stretching 1,400 miles from southwestern Alaska
to Russia. An Alaska Marine Highway ferry makes
the trip on a monthly basis April through October,
from Homer and Kodiak along the Alaska
Peninsula. After leaving Kodiak, passengers sail
past the perfect cones of several volcanoes, the
treeless but lush green mountains of the Aleutians
and distinctive rock formations and cliffs. The
ferry docks at small villages along the way and
serves as the oldest Russian parish in the New at the end of the line in Dutch Harbor the ship
World, dating from 1794. The present day church, stays in port for several hours, long enough for
built in 1945, is marked by its beautiful blue onion a van tour designed specifically to accommodate
domes and is the third church to occupy this site. ferry passengers.
The Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center
in downtown Kodiak offers trip planning resources Unalaska/Dutch Harbor
and orientation film on the 3000 square mile
sanctuary. Visitors also enjoy the Kodiak Fisheries Located on one of the furthest points on the
Research Center Aquarium and Touch Tank. Aleutian Island Chain; 800 air miles from
Annual events include the Brown Bear Festival in Anchorage, served by daily flights and Alaska
March, Whale Festival in April, King Salmon Derby Marine Highway ferry. Population 4,300.
sport fishing. April through May, and Crab Festival in May. Visitor Information: Unalaska/Port of Dutch
Whale watching, sightseeing tour, and fishing boat Harbor Convention and Visitors Bureau,
operators offer half and full day charters and remain SOUTHWEST ALASKA MAINLAND Phone: (877) 581-2612; Website: www.
busy through the summer months following the unalaska.info.
migration of several species to the northern waters.
From the largest marine mammals in Kodiak waters, Bethel At the end of the Aleutian Chain, Unalaska/Dutch
the baleen whales, to fin, humpback, gray, sei, orca, Population: 6400. Visitor Information: Bethel Harbor is also its largest community. It is a busy
and minke whales, the bays and straits surrounding Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 329, Bethel, fishing and seafood processing port and popular
Kodiak Island provide a natural habitat to view AK 99559; Phone: (907) 543-2911; Email: tourist destination offering sportfishing, bird and
these majestic creatures. Steller sea lions and harbor bethelchamber1@alaska.com; Website: www. wildlife viewing, cultural and historical exploration,
seals have their pups in June and make nearby rock bethelakchamber.org. hiking, and beachcombing. The community enjoys a
formations or harbor docks their platform to bark and strategic position at the center of one of the richest
stand their ground. Birders delight in viewing the Located in southwest Alaska on the Yukon Delta fisheries in the world and consistently ranks as the
large diversity of resident and migratory species on National Wildlife Refuge along the banks of the number one port in the nation for seafood volume
land or by water. Captains can customize the boating Kuskokwim River, Bethel’s lifestyle revolves around and value, processing many hundreds of millions
experience with a hike on a nearby island, dinner the water, with several nearby world-class trout and pounds annually.
cruise, or a photographic expedition. salmon streams. There are no roads connecting Bethel Unalaska’s history is a mix of Unangan (Aleut)
Kodiak attractions include the Alutiiq Museum and with any other cities, but daily jet service is available native culture and Russian fur trade. The Museum
Archaeological Repository, where visitors can learn to Anchorage with a one-hour flight time. Air taxi of the Aleutians is the only archeological research
about the Island’s 7500-year-old Native heritage. services provide scheduled and charter flights into and storage facility for the Aleutian region. Located
Also popular, the Kodiak Military History Museum over 50 communities in the surrounding area. on the remains of a World War II warehouse,
is located inside Fort Abercrombie State Historical the site was once part of Fort Mears. Permanent
Park. Originally known as the Russian American displays focus on native Aleut/Unangan culture
Magazin and later as Erskine House, Alaska’s oldest Dillingham from prehistoric times to the present, the Russian-
building now houses the Baranov Museum and is Population: 2400. Visitor Information: American era and the role played by the islands in
on the National Register of Historic Places. The Dillingham Chamber of Commerce, Phone: WWII. Rotating exhibits showcase local artists as
Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Cathedral (907) 842-5115; Email: dlgchmbr@nushtel. well as traveling exhibits from Russia.

223