Alaska's scenic byways showcase the best of the state

Driving in the Last Frontier, whether by car, motorcycle or RV is unlike driving anyplace else on Earth. Spectacular views, majestic lakes and rivers, towering mountains, glaciers, wildflowers and wildlife are all an exciting part of the Alaska driving experience. Whether you drive your own vehicle or rent a car or RV, you'll never see so much magnificent scenery as you will in America's most northern and largest state.

The following routes have earned the designation of Alaska's "scenic byway," meaning they possess significant natural, historic, recreational, cultural and/or archeological resources. Enhance your Alaska vacation by exploring any of Alaska's scenic byways. Alaska also has two National Scenic Byways. It also has one All American Road, the Seward Highway, one of the top scenic roads in the U.S.

Alaska Marine Highway: National Scenic Byway
Alaska Railroad
Dalton Highway
Glenn Highway: National Scenic Byway
Seward Highway: All American Road
Parks Highway
Richardson Highway
Steese Highway
Sterling Highway: Wye to Skilak Lake
Sterling Highway: Anchor Point to Homer
Taylor "Top of the World" Highway

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Prices reduced on RV tours to Alaska

Tracks RV Adventures has lowered the price of its 45-day Alaska By Road Adventure from $6,900 to $6,199 for two persons and an RV. The tour starts at Dawson Creek, BC on June 26, 2010 and follows the Alaska Highway north. It returns on the Cassiar Highway to avoid backtracking. The tour includes 23 events and 12 meals. Another Alaska RV tour starts at Dawson Creek BC on June 30, but returns down the Inside Passage on an Alaska State Ferry. The price for two RVers plus RV has dropped from $8,750 to $7,869. RVers bring their own RVs on these tours. The El Paso, Texas based RV touring company also conducts many other tours in the USA, Canada and Mexico as well as international tours in rental RVs.

RV tours are popular with RVers who prefer to leave the planning details to others, and travel with other RVers rather than by themselves. Tracks is one of the oldest and best known RV tour companies.

For information on the Alaska tours and others, visit the Tracks website or call 1-800-351-6053.

Books and DVDs about RVing to and in Alaska.

Alaska seeks RV enthusiasts as camp hosts for 2010 season

Alaska State Parks has announced that it is now recruiting campground host and other volunteer positions for the 2010 coming summer. Campground hosts stay in a campground and assist the ranger with visitor contact and maintenance. Hosts live in their own motorhome or trailer and the campsite is provided for free. A small stipend is provided if the minimum time commitment is met.

Other volunteer positions include ranger assistant, trail crew, park caretaker and natural history interpreter. Housing and a small stipend are available if the minimum time commitment is met. For more information on these full-time volunteer positions, request a 2010 volunteer catalog from the volunteer coordinator at Alaska State Parks, 550 W. 7th Ave, Suite 1380, Anchorage, AK 99501 or find it on the internet at http://www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks/vip.

Alaska hammer museum now has company

The world’s first museum devoted to the humble hammer, in Haines, Alaska, now has company in Linkmenys, Lithuania. Located in Alaska’s Inside Passage, the Haines museum has over 1,500 hammers on display that date from Roman times to the present. Open since 2001 and until recently the only museum of its kind, the quirky Haines Hammer Museum is a tribute to man’s first tool and provides a unique view of the past through the use of the hammer’s lineage.

Founder Dave Pahl began communicating with Lithuanian hammer enthusiasts a few years ago. Finally, the unlikely allies met this summer in Haines, both glad to have company in their passion for hammers. The two forces have plans to publish a reference book together about the history of hammers. For more information, contact the Haines Hammer Museum at www.hammermuseum.org. To learn more about visiting Haines, visit www.haines.ak.us.

Photo: Dave Pahl, Haines Hammer Museum owner, sits in front a 19 foot hammer he erected in front of the Hammer Museum.