Dutch Harbor, Unalaska, Deadliest Catch etc (Anchorage, Homer: home, rent, hotel)

[bellestaroftexas]

i am totally addicted to the show Deadliest Catch and TiVo every episode. i am just fascinated by the scenery and lifestyle, and now am dreaming about maybe taking a vacation to the area to see it all for myself! and having some great fresh alaskan seafood and meeting locals at the bar.
(i am in love with Johnathan, CPT of the Time Bandit....however, i would never leave Texas, but sure wouldnt mind meeting him and having a few cold ones with him!)
is Dutch Harbor a "vacation" spot with actual inns to stay in etc? what is there to do? is it safe for a single semi young female to travel on her own?
how would i fly to Dutch Harbor? does it involve hiring a bush pilot lol?
i am in Texas, by the way..............yeehaw!

[tablemtn]

There are regular commercial flights to Unalaska, which is a relatively large town for the area with numerous lodgings. The most popular tourist activity around town is hiking, since the views from the nearby peaks are great (when it isn't totally foggy). Be warned that inclement weather can hit at any time of year and delay flights for up to a week.

[mal_flisk]

The main hotel in Dutch is the Grand Aleutian, and Unalaska (Dutch) is not a big tourist attraction. Currently (this week) the airlines are not accepting reservations from out of staters, as there are so many people heading out for whatever reasons. We have a guy heading out through Dutch to Akutan, and he had to provide proof of residency for the flight.

[bellestaroftexas]

thanks yall. i have been researching online and wow....the area looks amazing. i am almost tempted to consider a travel assignment there (i am an Emergency Room Registered Nurse)............heck, it would only be 8-13 weeks assignment....i think i could live without Texas that long!!!

[Rance]

I was talking with my buddy today that just had a few drinks in Anchorage with Johnathan. I guess he cannot go anywhere these days and he's swamped with fans! He's been signing baby foreheads and womens chests and just getting mobbed at airports in the lower 48 (apparently Discovery sent him and another to a NASCAR race recently).
Let me do some checking...maybe I can set something up to meet him.

[mountain_time_Blues]

Originally Posted by mal_flisk

The main hotel in Dutch is the Grand Aleutian, and Unalaska (Dutch) is not a big tourist attraction. Currently (this week) the airlines are not accepting reservations from out of staters, as there are so many people heading out for whatever reasons. We have a guy heading out through Dutch to Akutan, and he had to provide proof of residency for the flight.

Alaska Airlines can do that? They obviously have a monopoly but is that legal?

[DannyL]

It's called supply and demand....and priority.
A yuppie from Santa Barbara who wants to pet a moose sometimes is not that important.

[Trigger23]

Originally Posted by bellestaroftexas

i am totally addicted to the show Deadliest Catch and TiVo every episode. i am just fascinated by the scenery and lifestyle, and now am dreaming about maybe taking a vacation to the area to see it all for myself! and having some great fresh alaskan seafood and meeting locals at the bar.
(i am in love with Johnathan, CPT of the Time Bandit....however, i would never leave Texas, but sure wouldnt mind meeting him and having a few cold ones with him!)
is Dutch Harbor a "vacation" spot with actual inns to stay in etc? what is there to do? is it safe for a single semi young female to travel on her own?
how would i fly to Dutch Harbor? does it involve hiring a bush pilot lol?
i am in Texas, by the way..............yeehaw!

Dutch Harbor, while beautiful (mostly), is mostly a crabbing town (or was when I lived there) It's a pretty expensive flight for a relatively poor payoff. I think you'd be better off going down to Homer or Seward for the weekend and going on an overnight Halibut charter (so you can catch 2x your limit). After that, i'd head north to the interior to check out the cool wilderness stuff (Matanuska Glacier, Denali National Park, etc)

[deerislesmile]

Check the town/island out on google earth... it doesn't look to be that much of a tourist attraction (well, at least before DC), but more so a fishing village.

[DannyL]

Even they admit it's a small drinking village with a fishing problem...