The USA paid more for the construction of Central Park (1876, $7.4 million), than it did for the purchase of the entire state of Alaska (1867, $7.2 million).
This Small Town in Alaska Won’t See The Sun Again Until Late January
Alaska is a place of extremes. There are some of the most beautiful vistas you’ll ever see there, but all that beauty is accompanied by harsh, unforgiving weather that takes no prisoners. It’s definitely not a place for the faint of heart.
Photo Credit: YouTube
The intense Alaskan winters attract a specific type of person – you need to be rugged and tough to make it out here. And there is one town that has it extremely tough, even by Alaskan standards. The town of Utqiaġvik (formerly called Barrow) was plunged into darkness on November 18, and the sun won’t rise again there until January 23.
That’s 65 days without sunlight for the northernmost town in America.
Photo Credit: Twitter, weatherchannel
The period of constant darkness is known as “polar night.” Weather.com describes the phenomenon like this: “From mid-November through late January, the sun doesn’t rise north of the Arctic Circle due to the tilt of the Earth away from the sun’s most direct radiation.” Utqiaġvik is north of the Arctic Circle and has a population of just over 4,000 residents.
Photo Credit: Twitter, Brimshack
Let’s just hope we don’t have some kind of 30 Days of Night situation.
Think you’d be able to hack it in Utqiaġvik?
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7 Fascinating Facts About Alaska
Alaska has been a U.S. state for less than 60 years, but the territory has a long and fascinating history.
Take a look at these facts about “the last frontier.”
1. That’s a lot of space
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2. Lots o’ land
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3. Wow!
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4. Knitting, anyone?
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5. Hey, why not?
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6. Sounds like a good deal
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7. Time to cool off
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A section of passenger railroad…
A section of passenger railroad in Alaska called the Hurricane Turn. Rather than making scheduled station stops, it operates as a flag-stop meaning passengers in this remote area can simply wave the train down to stop. It’s one of the last true flag-stop trains in the U.S. 00
Carl McCunn, a wildlife photographer arranged…
Carl McCunn, a wildlife photographer, arranged to be flown out to remote Alaskan wilderness but forgot to schedule when he’d be picked up. He wrote of a plane spotting him stranded, in his excitement he accidentally gave the pilot an “All is well” signal, his diary was found with his body. 00
The least-visited national park in the U.S….
The least-visited national park in the U.S. is the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in Alaska, which lies entirely north of the Arctic Circle and has “no established roads, trails, visitor facilities, or campgrounds.” 00
Reindeer aren’t native to Alaska. Sheldon Jackson…
Reindeer aren’t native to Alaska. Sheldon Jackson purchased them from Siberia to help with the food shortages in the late 1800s. He brought in 16 and by the late 1930s there were 640,000. 00
A giant snowman named Snowzilla is created every year…
A giant snowman named Snowzilla is created every year in Anchorage, Alaska. In 2008, the city attempted to stop the creation of Snowzilla, and on Christmas morning there were sign-carrying snowmen “protesting” that attempt in front of city hall. 10
Liquor sales in Alaska aren’t allowed…
Liquor sales in Alaska aren’t allowed on Election Day until the polls close.
The Alaska Railroad still allows passengers…
The Alaska Railroad still allows passengers to wave a white cloth along the route and the train will stop to pick them up.