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Southeast Alaska - also known as the panhandle - is archetypal Alaska; an awesome six-hundred-mile-long tableau of fjords, mountains, glaciers, a thousand islands, and thick conifer forests lining the Inside Passage . All of its communities have their economic base in lumber, fishing and tourism and are set amid magnificent scenery. The state's southernmost town, Ketchikan , rich in native heritage, makes a pretty introduction, tiny Wrangell emits a pioneer air, while Sitka retains a Russian influence. Further north are swanky Juneau , the capital; Haines , with its mix of old-timers and arty newcomers; and Skagway , thoroughly redolent of the old gold-mining days. You could spend months exploring here, but most are content to focus on the highlights, particularly the towns of Sitka and Skagway, and Glacier Bay National Park , an expensive side trip from Juneau that penetrates one of Alaska's most stunning regions. The region's first settlers, the Tlingit ( Hlin-git ), were joined somewhat violently by Russian expansionists at the end of the eighteenth century. A steady stream of freelance profiteers, keen on tapping the region's gold, fur, fish and lumber, soon followed, and today its small communities resound with tales of endurance, folly and cruelty. With no roads connecting towns, by far the best way to travel is by ferry , though at some stage make sure you take a floatplane ride. For a true outdoor adventure, you can rent a cabin in the huge Tongass National Forest - which encompasses most of southeast Alaska - for around $35 per night; details from the visitor centers in Juneau and Ketchikan, or through the NRRS reservation service ( ).
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