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MAJOR ATTRACTIONS:
Southeast Alaska/Inside
Passage
 Southeastern Alaska, referred to by many
residents simply as "Southeast," is Alaska's Panhandle. The
region measures about 125 by 400 miles, with 60 percent of
the area consisting densely forested islands of the Alexander
Archipelago. The majority of Southeast lies within Tongass
National Forest, the largest national forest in the United
States.
The Coast Mountains form the mainland portion of southeastern
Alaska. Southeast has a coastal climate as well, with relatively
mild winters compared with other Alaska regions, and sometimes
cool, cloudy days in summer.
Its geography dictates Southeast's unique transportation
system--travel by ferry--since the mountains and islands make
road-building between many communities impossible. Geography
as well gives Southeast its other name--the Inside Passage--referring
to the protected system of waterways used by boats, cruise
ships and ferries to connect the mainline port communities
of Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Sitka, Juneau, Haines
and Skagway, as well as the smaller towns of Metlakatla, Hollis,
Kake, Angoon, Tenakee and Hoonah.
The region is rich in Native and Russian history. Tlingit
(KLINK it) Indian, Haida (HI duh) and Tsimshian (SHIM shian)
are the aboriginal peoples of the region. The Russians arrived
in 1799, when Alexander Baranof built a fort at Sitka for
the Russian-American Co.
Today, about 69,000 people live along the Inside Passage,
with 70 percent residing in the 5 major communities of Juneau
(29,755), Ketchikan (15,082), Sitka (9,194), Petersburg (3,350)
and Wrangell (2,400).
Southeastern Alaska boasts several major attractions on the
most-visited list, in part because the region welcomes hundreds
of thousands of visitors who travel
by cruise ship.
 On
the most-visited list, the Ketchikan
Totems collectively refers to examples of this Native
art form found at several locations in the community of Ketchikan.
Totem Heritage Center houses 33 totem poles and fragments,
the largest exhibit of original totems in the country, all
of them retrieved from deserted Tlingit and Haida Indian villages.
Saxman Totem Park, 2.5 miles south of town, has 28 totems
and includes demonstrations at the Carving Center. Totem Bight
State Historical Park, 10 miles north of town, has a community
house and totem park in a striking setting.
Sitka hits the most-visited attraction list with its Russian
Church--St. Michael's Cathedral--built in 1844-48 and
rebuilt after a 1966 fire; it's New Archangel Russian Dancers,
a group of local women who perform authentic Russian dances
in authentic costume; and Sitka National Historical Park,
with its totem pole collection (displayed along a self-guiding
trail) and Russian Bishop's House, 1 of 4 Russian log structures
remaining in North America.
Breathtaking Mendenhall Glacier,
13 miles northeast of Juneau, Southeast's largest city and
the state capital, also makes the most-visited attraction
list. The glacier is accessible by road and has an excellent
visitor center with educational exhibits. The 1,500-square-mile
Juneau Icefield is a popular flightseeing trip out of Juneau,
and on a clear day the views are indescribable.
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