Much of the state of Alaska is located above the Arctic Circle. The farthest north is the Arctic Coast, best known for its importance in the oil industry. The Western Arctic region, a bit farther south, is home to coastal cities that front the Bering Sea. Both areas are remote, filled with wildlife and offer insight into Alaska's native populations. Hotels in these Arctic regions tend to be rustic, but comfortable. Black-out curtains are nearly universal -- it's hard to sleep when the sun never sets for a good part of the year.
The town of Barrow is an Eskimo community on the northern edge of Alaska. Sitting above the Arctic Circle, the sun rises in mid-May and doesn't set until the beginning of August. The reverse is true in winter when the stars fill the skies for close to three months. Appropriately named, the Top of the World Hotel, only a half mile from the Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport, is surprisingly modern. Offering 330 rooms, a gift shop and an on-site restaurant, the only true hint that you are in the Arctic is the stuffed polar bear that greets you in the lobby. Another option in Barrow is the motel-like King Eider Inn that offers kitchenette suites.
Deadhorse is a community created for and by the oil industry. The town is built on tundra, so that any structures, most of which are prefab, must be built on gravel pads to prevent shifting. To visit Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean, visitors must be part of a tour group or carry a special permit. Both areas sit above the Arctic Circle at the end of the 414-mile-long Dalton Highway that runs between this tundra outpost and the city of Fairbanks, Alaska. The Prudhoe Bay Hotel is in Deadhorse and is a sort of one-stop shop. The prefab complex complete with 1960s-style design offers modestly furnished rooms, a gift shop, ATM machine, restaurant and a car rental outlet. The surrounding area is open and flat, and in winter, usually buried under snow. Visiting wildlife include Arctic fox, caribou, musk ox and bears.
(ref 1 and 3)
Alaska once belonged to Russia, so it's not really surprising that Kotzebue, which is 26 miles north of the Arctic Circle, has a Russian name. Otto von Kotzebue first landed in the area in 1816 and found a thriving Inupiat Eskimo population. Today these native people make up 80 percent of the town's local residents. Walk along Shore Avenue -- a strip of gravel roadway the runs along the shoreline -- and you find salmon drying in the sun and fishing boats pulled out on the beach. The Nullaguik Hotel, right across from the Post Office on this gravel road, offers modern hotel rooms, a gift shop and an on-site travel agency. The Niggivik Restaurant serves everything from Canadian bacon to a New York steak, and overlooks Kotzebue Sound.
One of Nome's claims to fame is being the finish line for the Iditarod Sled Dog Race that starts 1,049 miles to the south in Anchorage. Other than that one week or so in March, Nome is a quiet waterfront Arctic town on Alaska's northwest coast. During the short Arctic summer, fishermen come to try their luck in the Bering Sea and the various streams and rivers that lead to the ocean. East of town are miles of tundra, home to wolves, musk oxen, grizzly bears and caribou. Hotels are scarce, but one, the Aurora Inn & Suites is a bit of a surprise. Located on Front Street, this waterfront property has a Victorianesque look. Two round turret structures, each with peaked roof and bay windows house upscale rooms with kitchenettes, and one-bedroom executive suites. A guest sauna, car rental office, wireless Internet access and laundry room are available on-site. Subway and the Polar Cafe are nearby.
