?xtreme" best describes Alaska, America's outermost

northern state, one-third of which lies in the Arctic Circle.

Although Alaska is the largest state in the Union, (two and a

half times bigger than Texas), its rough terrain prohibits

intercity travel. As a result, each Alaskan city and town

preserves its unique charm and village-like quality, marked

with ancient totem poles. Towering snow-covered

mountains with menacing jagged peaks preside over

charming little towns of humble, one- and two-story wood

buildings. American Bald Eagles soar over the onion

domes of Russian Orthodox churches, reminiscent of the

time when Alaska belonged to Russia. Alaska? landscape is primitive, pristine and perilous. Its

exotic? lue ice?for example, (referring to Alaska? turquoise

ice floes that sail passively over a midnight sea), seems as

gentle as deer, yet as deadly on waterways as deer are on

highways. This stunning blue ice floats silently beneath

towering glacier walls called? hite thunder,?so called

because they look like white, foamy tidal waves frozen in

midair. Although the modern world? cruise ships and airlines

frequently penetrate this massive snow-fortified land, much

of the state remains a vast wilderness that defies man's

taming or domestication. Alaska is full of awe-inspiring

beauty and deadly danger?wo extremes of Mother Nature's

personality. As the state's unofficial nickname claims, it is

"The Last Frontier. "STATE TOURIST INFORMATION (907) 929-2200, JUNEAUJuneau is the only landlocked capital in the United States.

No major roads travel in or out of the city. However, frequent

air and boat service make this hard-to-reach capital a

manageable trek that? worth the effort and expense to get

to. Where else can you find state business being conducted

at the base of a snow-covered mountain, down the street

from a moving glacier, close to a lush rain forest, in a

wilderness where bears roam freely, Bald Eagles soar; a

city where Tlingit totem poles stand, onion dome Russian

Orthodox churches rise, and the remnants of 19th century

gold miners mark their distinctive claim?ll in one city?Things to See in Juneau:?Alaska StatehouseBuilt in 1931, the Territorial and Federal Building became

the State Capitol in 1959, and has housed the state

legislature, governor's office and Lt. governor's office ever

since. Four columns of Tokeen marble from Prince of Wales

Island south of Juneau, embellish the exterior brick-faced

concrete structure. The Alaska State Seal in the lobby, made

of gold nuggets from Alaska? Gold Rush era greets

visitors. The doors to the Senate Chambers have handles of

hand cast brass etched in totemic symbols representing an

eagle, a whale and a bear?till commonly found in Juneau

to this day. Check it out . . . The portrait of former state senator Bettye

Fahrenkamp shows her wearing earrings of native symbols

that mean "in one ear, out the other. ?She wore them during

all Senate sessions. Check it out . . . The map of Alaska on the third floor is made

from a piece of the Trans-Alaska pipeline. ?Alaska State MuseumFounded as a territorial museum in 1900 the Alaska State

Museum today displays Alaska? natural history, native

history, state history, art and culture with exhibits containing

more than 23,000 artifacts and works of art. Check it out . . . The Alaska Native Gallery includes a

Northwest Coast clan house complete with totems, a 38 ft.

umiak, a whaling boat made from driftwood covered with

walrus skins and the state? unique bentwood hunting hat. Check it out . . . The Natural History Gallery exhibits Alaska's

bald eagles in a full-sized nesting tree that includes seven

eagles at various stages of life, from egg to adult. ?St. Nicholas ChurchSt. Nicholas Church, situated above downtown Juneau is

the oldest original Russian Orthodox church in Alaska. A

gilded gold onion dome crowns a humble, thatched roof

cottage of white clapboard trimmed in Nantucket blue. The

bell hanging from a small steepled doorway beckons

visitors inside where solemn, 19th century Russian icons

and liturgical items transport one to Russia? past. Tip: Weekend services sung in English, Tlingit, and Old

Slavonic are held Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings. ?Mendenhall GlacierOne of Alaska's most popular attractions, Mendenhall

Glacier, is just few miles from downtown. So close to town,

yet so far from civilization, this primordial mass of ancient

ice stretches 12 miles, spans a width of 1-1/2 miles, and is

400-800 feet deep, depending on where you stand.

Naturalist John Muir considered it "one of the most beautiful

of the coastal glaciers. " An easy trail along Mendenhall Lake

leads to close-up views of this massive chunk of ice and

rock, which is merely one arm of the colossal Juneau Ice

Field, a 1500-square-mile block of ice larger than the state

of Rhode Island. ?Tracy Arm FjordA natural fence of jagged white mountains surrounds this

narrow, deep waterway. The base of the mountains

descend almost in equidistance to the depths of the

greenish blue water below. Triangular ice floes that look like

huge wedges of aquamarine pie topped with whipped

meringue on a crust of snow sail past boats half their size.

Waterfalls spew out between a fringe of evergreens,

cascading into an awaiting green sea, synchronized like the

well-rehearsed leap of a ballerina into the arms of her

anticipating partner. The wide-winged Bald Eagle

commands the skies overhead as whales, seals, porpoise,

and other wildlife splash and splatter below in their private

swimming hole, protected by glacial stone palisades. The

waterway is like a gigantic moat shimmering past a glorious

ice palace. Glaciers, waterfalls, feathery green pines, and

flirtatious ice floes of translucent blue and opaque white

make this a wintry fairyland to dazzle the eye and make

one? heart soar with the eagles. Priscilla Faith Rhodes is the author of DISCOVER AMERICA

DIARIES: 50 STATES, 50 STATES OF MIND, and

co-publisher of the award-winning website, Postcards from

America, http://www. postcardsfrom. com, a edu-travel site

that helps students and families learn about America

through postcards.

Author:
Priscilla Faith Rhodes