STANTON PATTY
	The pre-frozen and pre-made banister for the Aurora Ice Hotel near Fairbanks is in place. The tourist attraction is expected to open New Year's Eve.

Alaska town aims to hook more tourists with free fish
Each summer, about 8 million pink salmon swim into Valdez waters, but the run of tourists has been dwindling.  [12:00 a.m. Mar. 28, 2004]

Rugged roads of the far north
Two roads with hair-raising reputations — the Top of the World Highway and the Dempster Highway in Canada's Yukon Territory — are unforgettable trails for travelers venturing into the spectacular Far North.  [12:00 a.m. Feb. 13, 2004]

Your road-trip guide to Alaska's natural wonders
Incongruous as it may seem, given its vast, rugged, unpopulated wilds, Alaska is a land of honored highways, yielding some of the most spectacular scenery in the United States to those who venture forth.  [12:00 a.m. Feb. 13, 2004]

Bears, bald eagles and ball-peen hammers in Haines
"It's fair to say that we have some of Alaska's most unusual visitor attractions," says Michelle Glass, executive director of the Haines Convention and Visitors Bureau. But because Haines is not on itineraries for most of the cruise ships touring Southeastern Alaska, this town of 2,800 welcomes fewer tourists than a freeway-hugging Wal-Mart.  [12:00 a.m. Feb. 13, 2004]

Some no-drive ways to see Alaska's beauty
Some families bound for Alaska may do just fine on the days-long drive it takes to get there. Others may be driven to mayhem. It's almost a 2,500-mile drive from Seattle to Anchorage — and Anchorage is just a starting point for exploring Alaska.  [12:00 a.m. Feb. 13, 2004]

Gliding with growlers in changing waters of Prince William Sound
The Columbia has many claims to fame. It's one of the world's speediest glaciers, it's the size of Los Angeles, and it mothered the iceberg that sent the Exxon Valdez off course and into environmental infamy. But the 400-square-mile field of compacted snow is also notable for the kayak-friendly waters where it meets the sea.  [12:00 a.m. Feb. 13, 2004]

A five-hour tour of the largest state
Alaska has more than 570,000 square miles. I had five hours. I had arrived in Anchorage for a seminar, but my real aim was to get as close as I could in my limited nonwork time to the wild part of Alaska.  [12:00 a.m. Feb. 13, 2004]

Web sites for Alaska vacation planning
It might have more scenery than you can pack into a lifetime, plus endless opportunities for recreation in the great outdoors. Luckily, Alaska has plenty of Web sites to help you choose the places you want to visit first and start making arrangements.  [12:00 a.m. Feb. 13, 2004]

Are you a mosquito magnet? You learn quickly in the Arctic
While others worried about big bears or blown tires, I focused my tundra tension on something considerably smaller: bugs that bite.  [12:00 a.m. Feb. 13, 2004]

Alaska's first ice hotel set to open
Alaska's ice hotel is "on" again. Construction of the Aurora Ice Hotel at Chena Hot Springs Resort, 60 miles north of Fairbanks...  [12:00 a.m. Dec. 26, 2003]

Trip to the Arctic Circle features awesome scenery
I had flown through forest-fire smoke in a tiny prop plane, been jostled along a gravel road on a bus and battled hordes of relentless mosquitoes — just to step across the Arctic Circle... [12:00 a.m. Aug. 24, 2003]

Fortress of the Bears: Safety in numbers on Pack Creek adventure
At one brown bear per square mile, Admiralty Island, now a national monument, has among the densest concentrations of grizzlies anywhere... [12:00 a.m. June 15, 2003]

Home port: Seattle strikes gold on Alaska cruises
Seattle long has been a marine gateway to Alaska, starting with fortune-seekers who stampeded onto Alaska-bound ships during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush. This summer, the city is striking a different type of gold, thanks to a dramatic growth in cruises to Alaska from Seattle...  [12:00 a.m. May 4, 2003]

Related stories:

Finding the right ship and the right price

Alaska ferry: It's not a cruise
Some call the Alaska ferry, heading north to Alaska from Bellingham, the Poor Man's Cruise. My family and I made the journey last August. We had a good time. But we can tell you... [01:35 p.m. Feb. 18, 2003]

Related stories:

If you go: Ferry facts

Exploring the Aleutians aboard the 'Trusty Tusty'
Scott Skonberg smiles as the Alaska ferry Tustumena tosses like a rocking cradle on the North Pacific. "Going home," he says, gulping the salt air. "It's time to go fishing again... [12:00 a.m. Feb. 16, 2003]

Related stories:

If you go: Aleutian ferry

How to plan an Alaska adventure
Want to plan a trip to Alaska? Here's how to get information...  [01:44 p.m. Feb. 18, 2003]

Celestial gift wrapped in ribbons of light
It's tourism on the night shift. Travelers huddle on an icy hilltop at midnight, searching the sky for what Japanese visitors call "Alaska's miracle," the aurora borealis —... [12:00 a.m. Feb. 16, 2003]

Cruising for a deal: High capacity may mean low prices to Alaska
Stand by for bargains. Some of the cruise lines serving Alaska already are offering rock-bottom fares for passengers willing to make early bookings for the 2003 season. But those travelers who... [12:00 a.m. Feb. 16, 2003]

Polar bears lure adventurous tourists to remote Barrow on Arctic Ocean
Bunna Edwardson loaded the last of his passengers into a Ford van, pointed it toward a strip of gravel that passes for a road and broke into a toothy grin. "Let's go see some polar... [12:00 a.m. Feb. 16, 2003]

More travel headlines