I read many regional magazines because they are easier for writers to break into publishing. I haven't been to Alaska (and my budget may never get me there), so I can't really write from experience. But many of these types of magazines feature historical articles and that is something I CAN do. So I've picked up this magazine a few times.

The first impression I get is that this magazine is not really a travel magazine per se. There are several articles on wildlife and landscapes. But though the article may tell you where the wildlife can be seen or where the landscape photo was taken, it does not give you contact phone numbers, web sites, chamber of commerce info, outfitters, or anything else. (Maybe they just don't want us up there!! :-)) At any rate, the article doesn't seem to be written for the purpose of attracting tourist attention but just appreciation for what is there.

There are also several articles about people. These are ordinary people like you and me. It might be an article about someone who has an unusual job or someone who has been able to accomplish something neat against overwhelming odds. There are also articles on the native people there, such as Eskimos. The articles do not emphasize or even mention the negative, such as poverty, but emphasize the positive, such as how these people preserve their traditions such as story-telling or herbal remedies. These are important stories that should be told.

Another aspect of the magazine I like is that there are no articles about cities or any of their attractions. This is not just because there aren't many, especially of any size. But it is to encourage people to look beyond their front door and see a whole new world out there. I laugh when I see tourist brochures that list big shopping malls as a tourist attraction. What? Do you go on vacation to go shopping??? You won't get any of that in this magazine.

I also enjoy the historical articles. They could probably do a little more in this area. Alaska has a longer history than most people think. Native peoples have lived there forever. Plus there is some interesting Russian history. The more recent history of the gold rush and "black gold" is also very interesting. And of course environmental issues abound in Alaska.

About the only negative criticism I have about this magazine, which is counting greatly against it, is the number of ads. This magazine has only 80 pages. Counting up the ad pages, a whopping 36 of them have full or partial ads. About two-thirds of those are full page ads. This is nearly half the magazine! Fortunately it is only $2.95 single issue price, but still. I feel that is too much to pay for such small amount of content.

I will probably still pick it up on occasion though, because, as an amateur photographer I do enjoy looking at the pictures. And maybe sometime I'll be inspired to write some historical story.

Recommended: Yes