My brother-in-law was in the Army infantry in Alaska near Fairbanks. They would go camping in the winter.

Alaska is one of three states I have not been to. Maybe someday.

My folks lived in Fairbanks for several years and went up and visited twice. The landscape is amazing but it seems every town around there looks like shit. Trash everywhere and tons of crap in peoples' yards. :shake:

I lived there for four years. All of you can have it. Fun for a visit and that is it in my book.

Did anybody know that Barrow, AK changed its name to Utqiaġvik, which I assume is a traditional Alaskan/Inuit name? I guess it happened in December of 2016. I realized this when I was at some bar trivia, and a question asked for the northernmost US city. They said it was Utqiagvik, but they would also accept Barrow, its former name.

It was like I was living an absolute lie for 2 years. I essentially was. How many other cities and communities in this country have changed their name? How many well-known world cities have changed their name? I just don't know if I can trust the world any more. Am I going to wake up tomorrow and there will be no Walla Walla, WA? And if that does happen, how long will it be before I find out?

Hell, is the sun going to come out tomorrow? I don't even know that!

Why was I never notified of this? This is unacceptable. I don't even know how to pronounce that new name.

I have a major issue with maps changing. Other than tectonic shifts, maps should never change. It really bothered me when the Soviet Union broke up, solely from a cartographic perspective, and I still can't name all of those former Yugoslavian countries.

Bosnia AND Herzegovina? Which one is it? Pick a name.

The UN should intervene and make it illegal to use conjunctions in the name of your country.

It is cold in Alaska.

To experience true wilderness in solitude backpack the backcountry of Denali NP. I've been three times and on each trip did not see another human for two weeks, but did see grizzly, moose, caribou, wolves, and breathtaking scenery. Number of visitors to any unit is very limited. By far the most memorable wilderness adventures I've had. For the less adventurous fly to Anchorage, take the scenic rail trip to Denali, and ride the buses on the one road through the park.

Ooht - Ka - Rha -Veek
Ooht - Ka - Rha -Veek

Ut-qua-g-veek.

Utqiagvic

https://www.ktoo.org/2016/10/17/say-...-known-barrow/

The most confusing one of those places is P or Tl and/or Egon.

Alaska has the northernmost, the easternmost and the westernmost points of the US.

Alaskan Chief Fan
 

Longtime Lurker, First Post.

I retired from the Coast Guard here in Alaska. Seen a lot of the state from the N. Slope to the SE to the Aleutians from sea, land and air. Its not for everyone, you basically need to like the outdoors to live up here. I live for the summer, but enjoy the winter its quiet and peaceful; both the bears and the tourists are gone for the season. The high excitement for me today was the clearing of the 8 inches of overnight snow. BTW, grew up in Kansas and went to K-State (pre-Snyder).

Also they change our tallest mountain from mt mckinley to denali! The hell people.

Took a cruise in 2006 with a land tour beforehand. Started in Fairbanks (saw sled dog training, panned for gold, stood under the Alaska pipeline). Bus to Denali, then took a 6-hour bus tour halfway in (got good pic of the mountain). Then took a 9-hour train ride down the center of the state to Anchorage. Cruised to Ketchikan (saw a salmon run, totem poles), Juneau (Mendenhall Glacier, whale watch), Skagway (rented a car, drove the White Pass into the Yukon), cruised into College Fjord (got nice pics—clear day, no clouds, so I got sea and glaciers and sky all together). Then cruised the Inside Passage to Vancouver.

Going back in May on another cruise.