Seward’s Folly
– Jim Wirth
Photo by leezsnow
Alaska! Known to many as “The Last Frontier” and “Land of the Midnight Sun,” the Alaska territory was referred to as “Seward’s Folly” in 1867 during the battle between Secretary of State William H. Seward and the United States Congress over its purchase from Russia. It may have seemed “folly” at the time, but in hindsight it was $7.2 Million very well spent!
We’ve uploaded several of our Alaska videos to OpenRoad.TV this week: Alaska’s Glacier Bay & Whale Display, Alaska’s Kenai Fjords, Denali National Park, and America’s Northernmost Road. Find even more videos of adventure in Alaska on our Alaska Map.
During my own virtual exploration of Alaska this week, I came across three truly wonderful on-line journals. The first is a blog called Alaskology written by Steve Edwards, special sections editor at the Anchorage Daily News. Steve’s goal with Alaskology is to give readers a look at Alaska through local eyes, while bringing their attention to special events and vacation deals.
“Northern Girl” Angie M. is a self proclaimed “explorer of life – an avid lover of the outdoors and Alaska.” Angie regularly updates a journal on her site northerngirl.net with stories, useful information and stunning photographs of Alaskan wildlife, culture and events. Be sure to also check out Angie’s northerngirl.net photo gallery.
And last, but certainly not least, is a blog from 28 year old Jill in Juneau called “Up in Alaska.” Jill describes herself as “an Alaska journalist who likes to bicycle in horrendous conditions and eat goldfish crackers and Pepsi for breakfast.” Jill biked 100 miles yesterday. 322 miles so far this month. Jill biked 350 miles of the Iditarod Trail Invitational over seven days in February. Yep – Jill likes to bicycle. And as amazing as her bicycling feats may be, Jill tops it with the exemplary quality and style of her writing and photography. I can’t wait to see where the road… or should I say snow… takes Jill next.
March 22nd, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Thanks, Jim, for ferreting out these great sites and sources. All three are fabulous…..and lots of fun and valuable to explore. I love Alaska and Steve, Angie and Jill help bring it alive for me. I hope our own stories do, too, at least a little. And the photo you chose of the road towards Denali is excellent and evocative. On those clear days when the mountain is out, its scale is almost impossible to grasp. Down by Wonder Lake, near Camp Denali, the mountain mass rises about 18,000 feet directly in front of you. You see the whole thing without obstruction. I usually don’t believe my eyes. One last recommendation from me, if you’re interested in the issues of conservation in Alaska and want to connect with the terrific regional and local groups who are working hard to develop a sustainable future for the state, go to http://www.akcf.org. That’s the Alaska Conservation Foundation’s website, and a fine gateway to Alaska’s conservation community. I’m on the board…..and urge all of us to enjoy the great land and help protect it for future generations.