Barrow is a one day trip, come in on the morning jet and leave on the evening jet. If you decide you MUST spend the night, stay at the airport inn. DO NOT stay at the Top of the World Hotel next to the bank.
I arrived in Barrow one January evening and finally escaped just under 3 years later. The average eskimo (Inupiat) displays their wealth by spreading it across their front yard. Watch out for native foods like Muk Tuk (raw whale blubber), Oonalik (Boiled whale blubber). Whaling season is late spring and early fall. If you are there in the middle to late summer the muk tuk is anything but fresh. Trust me, its tough enough to eat when fresh. Ogrook (bearded seal) is usually cooked and a pretty good meat. If someone offers you TuTu (caribou) make sure its been cooked, not prepared. Prepared means frozen raw and thinly sliced.
Trash disposal requires a person take the trash from their yard and place it in one of the 3 dumpsters placed on every street. The borough does a great job of emptying the dumpsters and taking it to the dump on the north side of town... However it requires some effort to actually take the trash to a dumpster.
Don't take any alcohol with you when you go. Barrow is "damp" which means alcohol can not be sold within the city limits and there are strict limits on how much can be brought in for personal consumtion. It also requires a permit. bootlegging is a felony.
Things to do in barrow:
Top of the World tours: all day bus tour of Barrow, including a stop at the Will Rogers/Whiley Post memorial, a tour of Illisagvik College, the native cultural center (worth an hour or two) Also a tour of the StukPak (grocery store) Hang on to your wallet.
Arctic Adventures: Tours of Point Barrow, Uses a couple of ford econoline vans with lift kits and 36" tires. Bunna, the lead tour driver is native and spent almost his whole life in Barrow. He is also a hell of a cribbage player....
Stay away from the guys doing point tours in the hummers, they sit too low to the ground and have lousy views.
Eat at Pepe's mexican reastruant. Its a step above Taco Bell, and not cheap. But you will meet Fran Tate who once gave Johnny Carson an Oosik (walrus penis bone) on live TV.....
If the Brower's Cafe is still open you get great views of the beach with your meal.
If you can get a feel for the old culture of the Inupiat Eskimo stick with it. Because almost all of that is gone. Spend a little money and purchase a handmade Baleen Boat or a seal skin hat.
good luck, what ever you do, dont get the erge to move up there......
I arrived in Barrow one January evening and finally escaped just under 3 years later. The average eskimo (Inupiat) displays their wealth by spreading it across their front yard. Watch out for native foods like Muk Tuk (raw whale blubber), Oonalik (Boiled whale blubber). Whaling season is late spring and early fall. If you are there in the middle to late summer the muk tuk is anything but fresh. Trust me, its tough enough to eat when fresh. Ogrook (bearded seal) is usually cooked and a pretty good meat. If someone offers you TuTu (caribou) make sure its been cooked, not prepared. Prepared means frozen raw and thinly sliced.
Trash disposal requires a person take the trash from their yard and place it in one of the 3 dumpsters placed on every street. The borough does a great job of emptying the dumpsters and taking it to the dump on the north side of town... However it requires some effort to actually take the trash to a dumpster.
Don't take any alcohol with you when you go. Barrow is "damp" which means alcohol can not be sold within the city limits and there are strict limits on how much can be brought in for personal consumtion. It also requires a permit. bootlegging is a felony.
Things to do in barrow:
Top of the World tours: all day bus tour of Barrow, including a stop at the Will Rogers/Whiley Post memorial, a tour of Illisagvik College, the native cultural center (worth an hour or two) Also a tour of the StukPak (grocery store) Hang on to your wallet.
Arctic Adventures: Tours of Point Barrow, Uses a couple of ford econoline vans with lift kits and 36" tires. Bunna, the lead tour driver is native and spent almost his whole life in Barrow. He is also a hell of a cribbage player....
Stay away from the guys doing point tours in the hummers, they sit too low to the ground and have lousy views.
Eat at Pepe's mexican reastruant. Its a step above Taco Bell, and not cheap. But you will meet Fran Tate who once gave Johnny Carson an Oosik (walrus penis bone) on live TV.....
If the Brower's Cafe is still open you get great views of the beach with your meal.
If you can get a feel for the old culture of the Inupiat Eskimo stick with it. Because almost all of that is gone. Spend a little money and purchase a handmade Baleen Boat or a seal skin hat.
good luck, what ever you do, dont get the erge to move up there......
