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"This is Alaska calling!" |
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KNLS English Service |
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Transcripts for Postcards From Alaska |
Postcards From Alaska introduces KNLS listeners to America's last frontier and is a daily feature of the New Life Station.
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There's No Place Like Nome
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| The historic
Gold Rush town of Nome may not be accessible by road, but the 300 miles of
byways that surround the community help visitors capture the feel and
flavor that makes Nome unique. And it is on those roads that visitors capture some of their strongest memories of this historic Gold Rush town. "They love the fact that you can see for hundreds of miles. There are no trees, and people are unprepared for how beautiful and vast it is," said Lois Wirtz of the Nome Visitors and Convention Bureau. Easy-going and knowledgeable, Wirtz helps travelers arrange a road trip around Nome and hears back from visitors amazed by what they saw along the way. "Wildlife - that's the biggest thing," she said. "This is one of the few places in the world where they can see musk oxen in their natural habitat from the road system." The 300 miles of well-maintained, packed gravel road wind through the backcountry. Along the way, travelers will find limitless opportunities to set off independently and experience the wilderness, Native Alaskan culture, gold rush history, and outdoor recreational opportunities such as wildlife viewing, fishing, and bird watching. Perched on the edge of America's extreme wilderness, the magic of Nome is endless. Alaska's Gold Rush exploded here, with nuggets lying on the beach for the taking. During World War II, it was a strategic military site. And every March, the mushers of the famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race run through the streets of downtown to the finish line. Panning for gold is still a visitor attraction in this Alaskan community 102 miles below the Arctic Circle, but a lot has changed in the past 100 years. Nome's boom began in September 1898, when prospectors who would go down in history as the "Three Lucky Swedes" discovered gold on Anvil Creek just a few miles north of present-day Nome. A year later, more gold was found on the Nome beach and the largest gold rush stampede in Alaska's history began. Steamships started navigating through the Bering Sea ice. Thousands of gold seekers from Seattle and San Francisco poured into the new camp. At one point Nome was home to at least 20,000 people and was the largest city in Alaska. Today, Nome - a 75-minute flight from Anchorage - is home to about 4,000 people. And most will tell you to take to the road to see the true Nome. Two local car rental companies have an inventory of vehicles including all-terrain vehicles and camper trucks. There are no gas stations or restaurants on the road system, so make sure to leave Nome with a full tank of gas. Wirtz says none of the three roads that lead from Nome are over 70 miles long - distances easily covered with a tank of gas. The roads are also popular with mountain bikers. Municipal crews keep them in impeccable shape, and the tundra offers excellent opportunities for exploration. The Nome-Teller road will take you northwest to the traditional Eskimo village of Teller. For more than 3,000 years fishing, hunting and gathering berries and other plants have been a way of life. A couple small stores offer supplies and some excellent buys on Ivory-based Native art. The scenery here is spectacular. The Teller family owns the herd of reindeer often seen grazing on the tundra along the way. The animals are some of the 25,000 reindeer that roam the Seward Peninsula. Also look for musk oxen, moose, caribou and grizzly bears. On the Nome-Taylor Road, scenery combines with evidence of the gold rush that put Nome on the map. The road leads to many old mining claims. Old railroad bridges and tracks also are still visible. In the distance along the hillside, look for straight horizontal lines - the remaining signs of trenches dug by hand to transport water to the claims in the early 1900s. "It's impressive, how straight they are," Wirtz said. "You look at them and wonder how they did it back then." Ten miles from Nome is the Dexter Roadhouse, rumored to have once been owned by Wyatt Earp. Further along, at mile 38, Salmon Lake Campground is a good place to stop for lunch or spend the night. The road ends at Kougarok River Bridge, a popular fishing spot for Dolly Varden, Arctic grayling, and seasonal chum, pink, silver and king salmon. Heading northeast, the Nome-Council Road parallels the Bering Sea, making this a bird-watcher's paradise. At Safety Sound you can site everything from yellow billed loons to crested auklets. Be sure to stop at the Safety Roadhouse. The locals are anxious to share their perspectives on Alaska and can help identify historical gold-mining landmarks. Back on the Nome-Council road, you'll come across train engines that were abandoned in 1907. Once owned by the Solomon River and Council City Railroad, locals call the collection "the last train to nowhere." Besides opportunities to see the spectrum of tundra plants and wildlife, the region offers over 200 varieties of wildflowers. They paint the tundra with pink, purple, yellow, white and red. This road is also a favorite of local anglers. It crosses more than a dozen rivers on its 72-mile path to Council, a bustling town of about 2,000 during the gold rush. Now, only a handful of families live in Council, and access by car involves a difficult river crossing Wirtz doesn't recommend. In addition to the adventures to be had on the Nome road system, the town is an exciting place to explore. It is about six blocks wide and 16 blocks long. Neighborhoods spread out beyond the core. Travelers won't need a rental car to easily navigate the city by foot. And no cab ride will cost more than $3. Attractions include panning for gold, a self-guided historical walking tour of downtown, rides on all-terrain vehicles pulled by dog teams, and hikes to the top of Anvil Mountain to take pictures of the old Pioneer Mining Company vault. The city's newest attraction, Anvil Park, features artifacts such as frames of skin boats, historical displays and the world's largest gold pan - a whooping 16-footer. And because many Native Alaskan artists live in the area, the price and selection of arts and crafts is excellent. And if you prefer something quieter, you can always sit on the Nome dock and watch the fishing boats unload the day's catch. Nome also has a surprising selection of restaurants and taverns with a regular lineup of nightlife. And at certain times of the year, local stores sell Eskimo delicacies such as seal, whale, dried salmon and walrus. Lodging in Nome ranges from local bed-and-breakfasts to overnight apartments and larger, full-service hotels. Beach camping is allowed and water is available at the Visitors Center, just a half-mile up the road. Public showers are available at the Nome Recreational Center. For information on Nome call the Nome Convention and Visitors Bureau (907) 443-6625. For Alaska Visitor Information write to: Dept. 712, P. O. Box 196710, Anchorage, AK 99519-6710, call 800 862-5275 or visit the web site http://apr.travelalaska.com |
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