My Trip to Barrow – Warning: this is LONG!

[TessM]

For all of you planning a trip to Barrow, or considering a trip to Barrow, here’s my experience. Not much gets posted on Barrow, so I thought I’d share as much as I can remember. I’m just sorry I didn’t get this posted earlier – and, I’m sorry this is SO LONG. I’ve included stuff that might seem to be minutiae about Barrow – but, if you’ve every tried to research it, you’d find, there’s not a lot of this written – at least, not that I found. And, along the way, I’ve included stuff on prices, taxis, cell phone coverage, etc.

 

I hope this is helpful to someone.

 

I spent two weeks in Alaska this summer starting in Barrow. On Tuesday, June 3rd, my plan was to fly from Bellingham, WA to Barrow. (Bellingham is located almost halfway between Vancouver and Seattle). When planning my trip, I was going to stop in Fairbanks first but the more I researched Barrow, the more I wanted to see. So,

Fairbanks was scratched and my overnight trip to Barrow became a three-day visit. My flight plan was: Bellingham to Seattle to Fairbanks to Barrow (and then a flight back to Anchorage for two days and the Alaska RR to Seward for my cruise on the HAL Volendam). As a treat to me, as on my trip I was celebrating my 50th birthday, I flew first class. And, to better understand my perspective, I’m female and I was traveling alone.

 

Tuesday, June 3rd – Getting to Barrow

 

As usual, plans eventually meet reality and my flight from Seattle to Anchorage was delayed so I was going to miss my connection in Fairbanks – the last flight to Barrow of the night. So, I did stop in Fairbanks and my overnight accommodations were courtesy of Alaska Airlines.

 

FYI – during my layover in Anchorage, I had the customer service desk put in writing that they would provide a hotel voucher in Fairbanks. Besides not wanting to pay for the hotel, (because I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t be charged for the hotel room waiting for me in Barrow –I wasn’t) I knew how difficult it would be to find a hotel in Fairbanks at the last minute. The nice gal at the Alaska Airlines counter in Fairbanks found something close to the airport with a free shuttle. River’s Edge Resort – a very nice place. My “room” was actually a cottage. Inside it looked just like a motel/hotel room, but all the rooms were completely separate units. It was very clean and actually a quite charming place. They have a restaurant on the premises that has deck seating overlooking the Chena River. I had a pleasant meal there and that helped ease my disappointment of not being in Barrow.

 

Denali was out the next morning and I thought that was a good omen. The shuttle driver was excited, as they hadn’t been able to see the mountain for a couple of days. The early morning flight was a cargo flight to Barrow via Prudhoe Bay. So, no first class section on the plane, but that was OK as the flight to Prudhoe was something I hadn’t planned – but, a cool experience all the same.

 

My first real good look at the Arctic Ocean was after we took off from Prudhoe Bay. Ice, ice, and ice everywhere you looked. The flight to Barrow was pretty short.

[TessM]

The Barrow “airport” departure/arrival gate is actually the Alaska Airlines building. In the terminal, someone was holding up a sign for the Alaska Airlines Tundra Tours. If you go on a one-day, or overnight, you are pretty much on this tour, no matter whom you book through. I wasn’t booked on the tour, so I had to wait for my luggage and take a cab to the hotel. If you’re on the overnight tour, you don’t need to wait around for your luggage it will be taken directly to the hotel for you. Passenger luggage takes a while as I suspect the priority is getting the cargo off the plane first. And, you’ll appreciate this when you sit down for your first meal at a restaurant.

 

From the airport to hotel, cab fare plus tip was around $7 dollars. I stayed at the Top of the World Hotel. There are really only three hotels, Top of the World, King Eider, and another called the Airport Inn, I think.

 

As you’ve probably heard before, Top of the World Hotel is not the Ritz, or even the Hilton, or even the Days Inn. But, this is Barrow, Alaska and your expectations should be set accordingly. I found the Top of the World hotel to be a very pleasant place to stay. I had an ocean view room! Of course, the Arctic Ocean was frozen over but it was a view of something I’d never seen before, and may never see again. The service was wonderful. The staff was very nice to me and very accommodating. Any problems I had, they resolved. Oh, and the blackout curtains worked just fine (an important factor in the land of the midnight sun).

 

Oh….and the view from this webcam, is from the top of a building just a block or two away from the hotel. Prior to my trip, I checked this site (at least) daily.

 

http://www.gi.alaska.edu/snowice/sea-lake-ice/barrow_webcam.html

 

After I checked in, I went out exploring. Pepe’s North of the Border (Mexican restaurant) is next door to the hotel so I stopped in for lunch. I had lunch at Pepe’s each day I was there – mostly just out of convenience. As you’ve undoubtedly heard, meals are on the expensive side as is most everything in Barrow. I think I paid around $27 (including tip) for lunch the first day - but, only $22 and $16 the next two days. And, yes, I met Fran Tate and Joe the Waterman.

 

I packed some energy bars and had those for breakfast each day so I can’t provide any info on breakfast prices. Dinners were around $25 to $40 dollars – but I believe you could probably find cheaper. Keep in mind that Barrow is “damp,” so while prices may seem high especially when multiplied by the number of travelers in your group, if you typically order a cocktail and/or wine with your meal, you won’t need to include that $$ in your budget.

 

FYI – I have Sprint and I got digital roam service in Barrow.

 

Taxis are readily available and safe and convenient. But, after lunch, I took off on foot. Right up the street from the hotel is the Police Department, the bank (Wells Fargo), the Presbyterian Church, a convenience store and the hospital. Wells Fargo has an ATM right outside the lobby. And, the convenience store (I can’t remember the name of it) has a nice selection of items. It was fun to see what they had and the prices. – But, I’ll cover that in more detail a bit later.

 

After exploring the immediate area, I went back to the hotel and scheduled the “Tundra Tours” tour for the next day. Then, I set off walking in search of the library (to use the Internet). The weather was partly cloudy and cool. I was wearing a fleece vest and a light sweatshirt and I was fine. I had brought “warmer” clothing but I didn’t need it the first day. The library is in Browerville next to the Heritage Center and across the street from the grocery store.

 

On my walk over to the library, I was pleased and a bit surprised at the number of people (Inupiat) that stopped to talk to me. I was also surprised to see some of them wearing parkas, as it didn’t seem that cold to me. Oh, but the parkas I saw were beautiful! I saw an elder checking out of the Top of the World hotel earlier that morning and he had on the most gorgeous looking parka. He looked ready for a photo shoot. I later learned that the hood of his parka was trimmed with wolf, which is typical for men.

 

One gal was walking in the opposite direction and when we got within speaking distance, she stopped and pointed to the sun. There was a ring around it and she started telling me of a story her father told her when she was a little girl. When I complimented her on her parka, she spent several minutes explaining all the different kinds of fur and how she had it made. And, this happened throughout my visit to Barrow. Inupiat women would come up to me and start talking. It wasn’t something I had expected, but it was wonderful how open and engaging they were. I have to say, this was specific to Inupiat women. I was not approached by any Inupiat men, or any non-Inupiats either. Barrow’s population is about 65% Inupiat – the other 35% is a mix of almost any other race you can think of.

 

The library is nice and there are several computers available to use (go to the front desk to sign up – even if there is no wait). The computers are also used by the college that is just a block across the street. The library is in the same building as the heritage center. The Heritage Center is wonderful but I won’t say too much about it as almost everyone who goes to Barrow, goes on the same tour that includes the Heritage Center. But, I will say that I loved my visits there (this day and the next). I sat in the lobby for a while and people-watched and chatted up a few of the locals. They are very proud of the center, as well they should be. Although I didn’t get to see the blanket toss, the children dancing was a real highlight. And, you are REQUIRED to dance – but, don’t worry about that. It’s a lot of fun and by the time you get called on to dance, you’ll be a willing participant.

 

Before heading back to the hotel, I stopped by the grocery store. Make sure you go there – they sell a lot more than just groceries. It is interesting to see what they have available. There’s a deli and a pizza counter –if you are looking for a “relatively” cheap meal. There were houseplants for sale (just like a “normal’ grocery store) but they looked pretty sad – more like they were ready to be discarded, not sold. But, when you consider the distribution problem they have (everything has to be flown in) everything you see and the prices begin to make sense. Milk was $9.89 a gallon and the price of eggs was about $1.00 per egg.

 

But, do check out the “souvenir” section of the store. They have some items on consignment. I purchased some baleen at what turned out to be a good price. The gal at the checkout counter and the gal waiting in line behind me (both Inupiat) were amazed at what a good price it was. I paid $15 for a piece that was about 22” long. Whether it was a good price or not, I liked it.

 

When I started my walk, it was partly cloudy but by the time I got to the grocery store, it had become overcast and the wind had kicked up a notch or two and it was a bit cooler. Apparently, (and, as I was told) there are always taxicabs lined up on the side of the store. I just walked over and got in the first cab in line and rode back to the hotel. I think the cab fare with tip was $8 – maybe less.

 

When I got back to the hotel, I noticed a large gathering across the street and I was told I could just walk over and join in but I wasn’t so sure I would have been welcome so I didn’t check it out. Btw…I would have been welcome and if I didn’t get a second chance the next day to experience this “gathering” I would still be kicking myself. – More on the “gathering” on Day 2.

 

I met up for dinner with a guy (non-Inupiat) I had met on another Alaska board. He invited a friend and his SO to join us. It was a terrific evening. I heard stories of Alaska and the politics of AK and Barrow and they answered some of my crazy questions. All in all, it was a wonderful experience. Plus, I got a real tour of Barrow. We drove out to Freshwater Lake, all around Barrow and Browerville and even to the football field, as this is something I wanted to make sure that I saw. (It’s on the tour, but I didn’t know that yet.) They have blue turf now and it’s up year-round. It’s built on a sandy portion of land near the shore, so they don’t have to worry about permafrost issues. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=tundra

 

We also drove past houses and it was pointed out how to spot a whaling captain’s house. (Just look for lots of boats and equipment in the yard). Because we chatted so much at dinner, by the time we started out on the drive it was close to midnight. But, because of the continuous daylight, you’d never know that. It was easy to lose track of time.

 

A caveat to the land of the midnight sun: except for the first day when it was partly cloudy during the afternoon, during most of my visit, it was overcast. So, while you could see where the sun was in the sky, it would have been much lighter out at night if the weather had been better.

[TessM]

Tundra Tours starts at the airport so I rode with the guide (Mona) to pick up the arrivals. We had a total of 13 on our tour. Two couples from the east coast, one couple from the Midwest, a couple from Poland and another couple from Columbia. The couple from Columbia stayed overnight. The others were all just on day visits from Anchorage or Fairbanks.

The tour was pretty much as advertised so I’ll just add some of the things I wasn’t expecting and the one BIG thing that we just lucked into.

The tour covers “The Fur Shop” which also has a souvenir shop. Granted, while most us don’t frequent fur shops, this was interesting in that this shop sold furs that were used for the Inupiat parkas and other clothing items that are necessary to keep people warm in the cold Arctic. It was really an eye-opening experience. Oh, and the fur shop also doubles (triples?) as the town dry cleaners.

The Tundra tour goes to Point Barrow but, it only goes to the point where the road ends. In order to go to the northern most point, you need to schedule a separate tour (the Tundra Tours guide can help you with that). I went with a different tour operator out to the point and saw where the Chukchi and Beaufort seas meet. I was scheduled to do this other tour on Friday, but there was a funeral scheduled for Friday. An elderly Inupiat women had died and almost the entire community would be at her funeral – so, not much else would be going on.

So, I left the Tundra tour after the Heritage Center (along with the two couples from the east coast) and took the separate tour and met up with Tundra Tours later. The other couples had planned to do a toe-dip in the Arctic at the point, so I joined in. I’m sure the natives think we are all silly, but how could we pass up the chance? Even with my shoes/socks off and after I had gotten into the water and got the requisite pictures snapped, it wasn’t anything like a bone-chilling experience. The east coast crew brought a couple of towels to dry off with so we were all taken care of and we were all happy with that lifetime experience.

After stopping at a few places for photos, we joined back up with Mona (Tundra Tours). Remember I mentioned the “gathering” the previous day across from Top of the World hotel? Well, another one was scheduled for that afternoon and Mona was including it in the tour.

I’m sorry to say, I can’t remember the name of this celebration and, I’m pretty sure I couldn’t spell it correctly even if I could remember. But I had noticed several boats out on the ice (near the shore, but still on the ice) with a mast and flag on each of them. What I found out is that this signifies a boat that actually got a whale. These boats are kept on the ice, until a celebration is held to bring them in. I’m sure I’m not doing justice to this event, but trying my best to just describe what I saw and what was explained to me.

I’m going to guess that you know that the whales are butchered and given out to the entire community. The whales feed the entire community, not just those in the whaling party. Well, at this celebration, the whaling captain feeds the community and the menu was duck soup (I didn’t try the soup – but, it looked tasty). They also handed out Eskimo doughnuts. These were really very tasty although my stomach was bit upset as I guess it wasn’t quite ready for anything cooked in seal oil. I was trying to mingle around the area and I can pretty much safely say that those of us on the tour were the only non-Inupiat in attendance.

Next up on the menu was served by women carrying around white 5-gallon buckets. Two women for each bucket and each woman was wearing blue rubber gloves. It was "Mikiaq,” which is a mixture of fermented whale skin, blubber, meat and blood. YUM! Ok, maybe “YUM” is a bit strong, at least to the non-Inupiat in the crowd. Then I noticed that everyone had brought along a ziplock bag. They would open up the bag, and the gals would reach into the buckets and fill up the bags using their hands. I could tell that this was something that most in the crowd were looking forward to. After this, either the celebration was over, or it was time for our tour to end, or both. Before leaving I did get a chance to meet the whaling captain. I would guess he was in his mid-30s, nice looking and with an attractive wife and family. Having never met a whaling captain before, I have to admit, he certainly carried himself as a leader in the community. I consider myself very lucky to have experienced such an event.

Before going back to the hotel, Mona stopped by the grocery store as it doubled as a tour stop (which really it is as it is pretty fascinating) and a place to grab a bite to take on the plane ride home.

Back at the hotel, Mona cut up a bit of the Mikiaq (very small pieces – which was appreciated) and let us try it. I was looking forward to trying it – just for the experience. I think eventually we all tried a bit of it. Unlike Mona, just a taste was enough for us. I don’t think anyone went for a “second helping.” The front desk clerk mentioned that she craved Mikiaq when she was pregnant but she was living in Anchorage and couldn’t get any.

The tour concluded, Mona drove the others back to the airport. I had dinner and an early bedtime as I was exhausted.

[TessM]

I spent most of Friday going back to some of the places I’d been to on Wed/Thurs that I wanted to see again. Plus, I got some cash at the ATM and finally checked out the convenience store as I had noticed where it was but hadn’t gone in before. It really looked like your typical convenience store with the usual high prices which really didn’t seem that high compared to the high prices at the grocery store.

Because of the funeral, there was quite a bit of activity at the hotel. There were quite a few people that had flown in from the surrounding villages to attend the funeral that was held just a block up at the Presbyterian Church. The lobby of hotel seems to always have quite of few people coming and going that aren’t necessarily staying at the hotel. Nothing nefarious however, just more like a center of community life.

After checking out of my hotel room, I put my luggage in a storage room and didn’t need to meet up with bags again until I was in the Alaska terminal in the check-in line.

Again, while reading a book in the lobby, I was approached by an Inupiat woman who was with her sister from Wainwright who had flown in for the funeral. She just started chatting with me about how and where they grew up. Maybe it’s my white hair, or maybe because I was a woman traveling alone. I didn’t see anyone approach the two couples from Pennsylvannia sitting next to me. Whatever, the reason, I appreciated getting to know these woman and hearing their stories.

Because I had taken the tour on Thursday, I got a free shuttle ride to the airport along with the Friday’s tour group (there were no overnights in Friday’s group). There was so much more I could have experienced in Barrow, but I’m glad for what I got to see in the three short days I was there.

If you get the chance, go to Barrow even if it’s just for a day. But, if at all possible, stay longer. My best memories (beyond seeing the Arctic Ocean) will be of the people I got to meet.

[CowPrincess]

Tess M, thank you so much for that glimpse of Barrow. Your tone conveys true reverence, appreciation and affection. You brought tears to my eyes.

[msmoger]

Even though I'm not going to Barrow (this year), I have to say this has been the BEST review I've read. Thank-you!! You have inspired me. I loved the ESPN video. I think I may have to start following the Whalers. :D

 

THANKS!!!

[amyk757]

TessM,

 

This was a great review of Barrow. Clearly you enjoyed your time there and it came out loud and clear in your review. You brought your experiences to life for me!

[Micki Dee]

Tess M,

 

Thanks for your review of Barrow! My DH and I are planning an overnight visit to "The Land Of The Midnight Sun" at the end of our Alaskan cruisetour next May. It's one of the things that my DH is really looking forward to doing. He too, checks out the web cams daily, and after reading your review, he is more excited than ever to get to Barrow! I just wish we were going tomorrow!

[CC Help Michell]

Tess, it was as fun and interesting reading your review as it was talking to you about your trip to Barrow while we were on the Volendam! :) Glad you made it home safely, and thanks for taking the time to post such a great, detailed review. I've put a link to it in my "favorite places" for when we return by land. It was nice to meet you, and we enjoyed our whale watch and name that tune games with you... have a great rest of the summer. ;)

[Daphne0218]

Tess,

Thank you for the wonderful review of your trip to Barrow. I felt as if I were walking beside you as I read of your trip. I am visiting Barrow in August following my Princess cruise and I am looking forward to the trip- more so than the cruise. While we are only going up for the day, this will be my parents third trip to Alaska and we wanted to do something special this trip. Thank you again for sharing your experience.

[SweetpeaOne]

Really enjoyed reading your story. Thanks for sharing...

[cruisernh]

Thanks Tess you are right not much is written about Barrow. Wow I knew it would be expensive but I guess with the limitations they have it is understandable.. Can't wait we will be there on the 18th of July!

[Krazy Kruizers]

WOW -- thank you so much for taking the time to write about your trip to Barrow -- I enjoyed reading it.

 

Great report.

[mtwingcpa]

Thanks for that great review! I've been thinking about Barrow for the past couple of years and will probably try to go there next summer.

[TessM]

Thanks for all the great comments.:) I guess I was able to convey how special this trip was and how much I enjoyed it. It took me a while to get around to writing this, but when I did it just sort of flowed out of me. For my 50th birthday, I wanted to go somewhere special (and different) and my trip to Barrow accomplished that goal.

For those of you thinking of Barrow, or planning to go, here are a few things I did before I went that helped.

1. Read “The Sounder” – that’s the local paper. It’s published every Friday.

http://www.alaskanewspapers.com/arcticsounder.asp

2. Listen to KBRW – public radio in Barrow. I got a few people in my office hooked on this. It’s fascinating because the music they play is SO diverse. If you think about it, they have this one radio station that needs to cover the musical tastes of everyone in the community. To say the play list is eclectic, is putting it mildly.

All public announcements are read in English and then Inupiaq. They also read the classifieds, which is really interesting (babysitters wanted, items for sale – and those items could be anything). Plus, they broadcast town meetings, sporting events, etc. They also have a feature (the name escapes me) where they read local, personal messages. So, if someone’s brother is out hunting, and he needs to get back because an out of town family member just came to visit, they’ll relay that message.

http://www.kbrw.org/

KBRW’s weekly schedule: http://www.kbrw.org/Schedule%20AM.pdf

I highly recommend a few books:

“Gift of the Whale: The Inupiat Bowhead Hunt, a Sacred Tradition” by Bill Hess

“Fifty Years Below Zero: A Lifetime of Adventure in the Far North” by Charles Brower

“Tacos on the Tundra: The Story of Pepe’s North of the Border” by Lyn Kidder

All of these are available at Amazon and I found the first two at my local library.

I still need to go back to Barrow at least twice. I’d really like to go back in summer when the ice is out so I can become a “Polar Bear.” And, I need to go in the winter (probably Feb) to see the Northern Lights and possibly see a real polar bear – although, I know I’d be really lucky to get to see a bear.

Princess – Yes, indeed, reverence, appreciation and affection are among my feelings for the town and people of Barrow.

Michael – I’m glad you liked the ESPN angle. I’m a college football fan and I remember when that article was first published. At the time I first read it, I would never have suspected that I would end up seeing that football field.

Michele– I’m sure you’ll have a great time next May. Maybe you’ll be there in time to see a whale being brought in. That would be such an incredible thing to see.

CruiserNH/Daphne – I hope you enjoy your July/August trip. You’ll be able to do something I didn’t get to. I really would like to join the “Arctic Ocean Polar Bear Club” but too much ice in early-June for that. A toe-dip was all I could get in early-June. But, that’s a wonderful thing about Barrow, even though I didn’t get that particular experience, I got something different and totally unexpected.

Michell – I’m so glad our paths crossed this summer. I really enjoyed spending time with the two of you. You are such a fun couple! You’re part of what made that cruise special for me. I hope we run into each other again sometime.