Area Code -- All of Alaska is in area code 907. In the Yukon Territory, the area code is 867. When placing a toll call within the state, you must dial 1, the area code, and the number.
Automobile Organizations -- Auto clubs will supply maps, suggested routes, guidebooks, accident and bail-bond insurance, and emergency road service. The American Automobile Association (AAA) is the major auto club in the United States. If you belong to an auto club in your home country, inquire about AAA reciprocity before you leave. You may be able to join AAA even if you're not a member of a reciprocal club; the Alaska branch is AAA MountainWest (tel. 800/332-6119; www.aaa-mountainwest.com). AAA has a nationwide emergency road service telephone number (tel. 800/AAA-HELP).
Banks & ATMs -- There are banks and automated teller machines everywhere but tiny villages.
Business Hours -- In the larger cities, major grocery stores are open until late at night and carry a wide range of products (even fishing gear) in addition to food. At a minimum, stores are open Monday through Friday from 10am to 6pm, are open on Saturday afternoon, and are closed on Sunday, but many are open much longer hours, especially in summer. Banks may close an hour earlier and, if open on Saturday, hours are short. Under state law, bars don't have to close until 5am, but many communities have an earlier closing, generally around 2am.
Cellular Phone Coverage -- Pretty much every town that can be reached by road or ferry has cellular voice coverage, as well as some of the paved highways. That means the great majority of the people are covered and the great majority of the land is not. The largest provider is an Alaska company called ACS, which posts maps of its coverage area at www.acsalaska.com (click on "wireless.") I've found usable coverage is often less than what the companies claim, so don't bet your life on being able to make a call. In any event, if you plan to use your cellphone, check with your wireless provider to make sure it will work in Alaska and to find out just how badly you will be gouged on roaming charges.
Currency -- The most common bills are the $1 (a "buck"), $5, $10, and $20 denominations. There are also $2 bills (seldom encountered), $50 bills, and $100 bills (the last two are usually not welcome as payment for small purchases). Coins come in eight denominations: 1¢ (1 cent, or a penny); 5¢ (5 cents, or a nickel); 10¢ (10 cents, or a dime); 25¢ (25 cents, or a quarter); 50¢ (50 cents, or a half dollar); the gold-colored Sacagawea coin, worth $1; the presidential $1 coin; and the rare silver dollar.
Electricity -- As in Canada, the United States uses 110 to 120 volts AC (60 cycles), compared to 220 to 240 volts AC (50 cycles) in most of Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Downward converters that change 220 to 240 volts to 110 to 120 volts are difficult to find in the United States, so bring one with you.
Embassies & Consulates -- All embassies are located in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. Some consulates are located in major U.S. cities, and most nations have a mission to the United Nations in New York City. If your country isn't listed below, call for directory information in Washington, D.C. (tel. 202/555-1212) or log on to www.embassy.org/embassies.
Emergencies -- Generally, you can call tel. 911 for medical, police, or fire emergencies. On remote highways there sometimes are gaps in 911 coverage, but dialing 0 will generally get an operator who can connect you to emergency services.
Gasoline (Petrol) -- The cost of gasoline changes too quickly to make much sense to list in a book. You can find national and state price averages updated online daily at www.fuelgaugereport.com. Prices in Alaska vary by location: In Anchorage, they tend to be a little below the national average, while in rural areas they are well above it. As elsewhere in the U.S., taxes are already included in the price quoted or on the pump. One U.S. gallon equals 3.8 liters or .85 imperial gallons. Fill-up locations are known as gas or service stations.
Holidays -- Besides national holidays, banks and state and local government offices close on two state holidays: Seward's Day (the last Mon in Mar) and Alaska Day (Oct 18, or the nearest Fri or Mon if it falls on a weekend). National holidays, when many stores, restaurants, and museums close as well, include New Year's Day (January 1), Martin Luther King Day (3rd Mon in Jan), Presidents' Day (3rd Mon in Feb), Memorial Day (last Mon in May), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day (the 1st Mon in Sept), Columbus Day (the 2nd Mon in Oct), Veterans Day (November 11), Thanksgiving Day (the 4th Thurs in Nov), and Christmas Day (December 25).
Legal Aid -- If you are pulled over for a minor infraction (such as speeding), never attempt to pay the fine directly to a police officer; this could be construed as attempted bribery, a much more serious crime. Pay fines by mail, or directly into the hands of the clerk of the court. If accused of a more serious offense, say and do nothing before consulting a lawyer. Here the burden is on the state to prove a person's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and everyone has the right to remain silent, whether he or she is suspected of a crime or actually arrested. Once arrested, a person can make one telephone call to a party of his or her choice. International visitors should call their embassy or consulate.
Information Bureaus -- The Alaska Travel Industry Association, 2600 Cordova St., Suite 201, Anchorage, AK 99503 (tel. 907/929-2842; www.travelalaska.com), is the state's official visitor agency. It sends out printed information, but refers questions to visitor bureaus in individual towns. The largest of these is the Anchorage Convention and Visitor Bureau; otherwise, see the beginning of each town section in this book. For outdoor recreation, the Alaska Public Lands Information Centers are centralized sources of information on all government lands, which include some 85% of the state. The centers, located in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Ketchikan, and Tok, are operated cooperatively by many land agencies, including the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service. The Anchorage center is at 605 W. 4th Ave., Suite 105, Anchorage, AK 99501 (tel. 907/271-2737; www.nps.gov/aplic); the Fairbanks center is at 250 Cushman St., Suite 1A, Fairbanks, AK 99701 (tel. 907/456-0527).
Liquor Laws -- The minimum drinking age in Alaska is 21 and ID is frequently checked. Most restaurants sell beer and wine, while some have full bars that serve hard liquor as well. Packaged alcohol, beer, and wine are sold only in licensed stores, not in grocery stores, but these are common and are open long hours every day. Open containers of alcohol are not allowed in your car or, with few exceptions, in any public place outside a bar or restaurant. Don't even think about driving while intoxicated, which in Alaska carries mandatory jail time for the first offense. More than 100 rural communities have laws prohibiting the importation and possession of alcohol (this is known as being "dry") or prohibiting the sale but not possession of alcohol (known as being "damp"). With a few exceptions, these are tiny Bush communities off the road network; urban areas are all "wet." Of the communities featured in this book, Kotzebue and Barrow are damp, and the rest are wet. Before flying into a Native village with alcohol, ask about the law or go to www.dps.state.ak.us/abc and click on "Local Option Restrictions." Bootlegging is a serious crime and serious bad manners in Alaska Native communities that are trying to address the damage of alcohol abuse.
Mail -- You can send mail from your hotel or the post office. Mail in the United States must have a five-digit postal code (or ZIP code), after the two-letter abbreviation of the state to which the mail is addressed. You can receive mail addressed to you at "General Delivery" at the post office.
Maps -- For most of the popular areas, I recommend the excellent trail maps published by Trails Illustrated, part of National Geographic (tel. 800/962-1643; www.maps.nationalgeographic.com). They're sold in park visitor centers, too. The maps are printed on plastic, so they don't get spoiled by rain; however, they don't cover the whole state. For detailed topographic maps covering all of Alaska, the U.S. Geological Service is still the only place to go. Their maps sales office in Anchorage (a fascinating place for anyone interested in cartography) is on the campus of Alaska Pacific University, in the Earth Science Information Center, at 4230 University Dr. (tel. 907/786-7011).
Newspapers -- The state's dominant newspaper is the Anchorage Daily News (www.adn.com); it's available everywhere but is not always easy to find in Southeast Alaska. Seattle newspapers and USA Today are often available, and in Anchorage you can get virtually any newspaper.
Passports -- For Residents of Australia: You can pick up an application from your local post office or any branch of Passports Australia, but you must schedule an interview at the passport office to present your application materials. Call the Australian Passport Information Service at tel. 131-232, or visit the government website at www.passports.gov.au.
For Residents of Canada: Passport applications are available at travel agencies throughout Canada or from the central Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G3 (tel. 800/567-6868; www.ppt.gc.ca). Note: Canadian children who travel must have their own passport. However, if you hold a valid Canadian passport issued before December 11, 2001, that bears the name of your child, the passport remains valid for you and your child until it expires.
For Residents of Ireland: You can apply for a 10-year passport at the Passport Office, Setanta Centre, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (tel. 01/671-1633; www.irlgov.ie/iveagh). Those under age 18 and over 65 must apply for a 3-year passport. You can also apply at 1A South Mall, Cork (tel. 021/272-525) or at most main post offices.
For Residents of New Zealand: You can pick up a passport application at any New Zealand Passports Office or download it from their website. Contact the Passports Office at tel. 0800/225-050 in New Zealand or 04/474-8100, or log on to www.passports.govt.nz.
For Residents of the United Kingdom: To pick up an application for a standard 10-year passport (5-yr. passport for children under 16), visit your nearest passport office, major post office, or travel agency or contact the United Kingdom Passport Service at tel. 0870/521-0410 or visit its website at www.ukpa.gov.uk.
For Residents of the United States: Starting in 2008, you will need a passport to reenter the U.S. from Canada, even by road. You can apply for a passport at many post offices. Before you go, get the requirements at the U.S. State Department website www.travel.state.gov/passport, or call their National Passport Information Center (tel. 877/487-2778).
Taxes -- As of this writing, there is no state sales tax, but most local governments have a sales tax and a bed tax on accommodations.
Telephone -- I am assured that all major U.S. calling cards will work in Alaska, but this certainly hasn't been the case in the past. To make sure, contact your long-distance company, or buy a by-the-minute card. They are sold in convenience stores and are often the cheapest way to call home for international visitors. Local calls made from public pay phones usually cost 25¢. In smaller Alaska communities, you may have to wait for the person you are calling to answer before quickly putting the money in the phone.
Time Zone -- Although the state naturally spans five time zones, in the 1980s Alaska's middle time zone was stretched so almost the entire state would lie all in one zone, known as Alaska time. It's 1 hour earlier than the U.S. West Coast's Pacific time, 4 hours earlier than Eastern time. Crossing over the border from Alaska to Canada adds an hour and puts you at the same time as the West Coast. As with almost everywhere else in the United States, daylight saving time is in effect from 2am on the second Sunday in March (turn your clocks ahead 1 hr.) until 2am on the first Sunday in November (turn clocks back again).
Tipping -- Tips make up a major part of the compensation for many service workers. To leave no tip in a restaurant is socially unacceptable and leaves your server unpaid. To leave a small tip is a powerful indication of displeasure for bad service; to leave no tip suggests you don't know any better.
In restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, tip your server 15% to 20% of the check, depending on the quality of service. Tip bartenders at least 10% to 15% (a dollar or more per drink is customary), tip checkroom attendants $1 per garment, and tip valet-parking attendants $1 each time you get your car. Tipping is not expected in cafeterias or fast-food restaurants where you order at a counter. In hotels, tip bellhops $1 per bag and tip the housekeeper at least $1 to $2 per day. Tip cab drivers 15% of the fare and tip hairdressers and barbers 15% to 20%. Do not tip gas-station attendants and ushers at movies and theaters.
Visas -- For information about U.S. Visas go to www.travel.state.gov and click on "Visas." Or go to one of the following websites:
Australian citizens can obtain up-to-date visa information from the U.S. Embassy Canberra, Moonah Place, Yarralumla, ACT 2600 (tel. 02/6214-5600) or by checking the U.S. Diplomatic Mission's website at http://usembassy-australia.state.gov/consular.
British subjects can obtain up-to-date visa information by calling the U.S. Embassy Visa Information Line (tel. 0891/200-290) or by visiting the "Visas to the U.S." section of the American Embassy London's website at www.usembassy.org.uk.
Irish citizens can obtain up-to-date visa information through the Embassy of the USA Dublin, 42 Elgin Rd., Dublin 4, Ireland (tel. 353/1-668-8777) or by checking the "Consular Services" section of the website at http://dublin.usembassy.gov.
Citizens of New Zealand can obtain up-to-date visa information by contacting the U.S. Embassy New Zealand, 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington (tel. 644/472-2068) or get the information directly from the website at http://wellington.usembassy.gov.
