Title:

Compass American Guides: Alaska's Inside Passage
(Compass American Guides / Fodor's Travel Publications, 2006) ISBN 1-4000-1480-8

Theme:

Modern cruise ships have discovered Alaska's Inside Passage. In 1897, gold rush stampeders traversed it to Skagway on route to The Chilkoot Pass Trail and the Klondike. Ann Chandonner tells readers to "Get set for a sensory immersion in nature's splendor." Compass America's Guides: Alaska's Inside Passage helps you plan your trip, with maps, frequently asked questions (FAQs), Kids Stuff, Walking Tours, Brief Excursions and Longer Outings sections.

Sample Items:

Skagway (Tlingit term meaning "place where the north wind blows"), features essays on history and current attractions. Tips on exploring Dyea, a nearby ghost town, touring Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park, Skagway historic district section, the White Pass & Yukon Railway excursion to White Pass, and hiking The Chilkoot Pass Trail.

Notable Elements:

Ann outlines a fantasy cruise through this lush waterway, starting at Ketchikan and going north to Wrangell, Juneau, Skagway, Haines, Glacier Bay National Park and Sitka. She recommends exploring rain forests, glaciers and fjords along the way. Short essays provide regional highlights on totem poles, glaciers, native masks, gold mining and wildlife. Plentiful FAQs include suggestions for children.

Tone / Style:

Practical, well-written, guidebook style with good photos. Many tips and information for planning a trip to Alaska.

Visuals:

Well illustrated with images and detailed, color maps.

Contents:

• Introduction
• The land and the people
  • A rare rain forest
  • The glaciers
  • Native Alaskans
  • Native Traditions
  • The explorers' impact
  • New claims to southeast Alaska
• Ketchikan
• Wrangell
• Petersburg
• Juneau
• Skagway
• Haines
• Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
• Sitka
• Practical information
  • Animal and bird watching
  • Animal safety
  • Antiquities laws
  • Boating
  • Climate
  • Clothing
  • Festivals and annual events
  • Fishing
  • Flightseeing
  • Food
  • Getting around
  • Gold panning
  • Lodging & camping
  • Shopping
  • Survival
  • Time
  • Useful contacts
  • Recommended reading
  • Index

Author:

Ann Chandonnet

Claim to fame:

Ann is the author of more than a dozen books, including Gold Rush Grub, The Alaska Heritage Seafood Cookbook, and Alaska's Arts, Crafts & Collectibles. She has lived more than 30 years in Alaska, exploring it on foot and snowshoe, by air, and by water. She writes on lifestyles, food history and the arts for newspapers and magazines.

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