Alaska

The largest state in the USA, Alaska is a sparsely populated land of immense natural beauty. At one-fifth the size of the lower 48 States, Alaska has 3 million lakes, over 3000 rivers, 17 of the USA’s 20 highest peaks, 100,000 glaciers and 15 national parks, preserves and monuments.
Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, is both a popular tourist destination and the center of commerce and transportation for the region; 40 per cent of the State’s population lives here.
Fairbanks, Alaska's second-largest city, situated at the northern end of the Alaska Highway, is a trade and transportation center for the Interior and Far North regions. From mid-May through to July, visitors can enjoy more than 20 hours of sunlight a day.

Alaska offers some of the most spectacular fishing in the world. Rivers, lakes and streams throughout the State provide the chance to hook trout (such as rainbow, cut-throat and steelhead), as well as other, more challenging game fish including arctic grayling and sheefish. Skiing is another popular option, but the official sport of Alaska is actually dog mushing. Visitors can take a team of spirited huskies on a sled-dog tour or watch the experts at work in one of the many annual sled-dog races.

The climate varies widely throughout the State. Anchorage’s summer weather is pleasant and the winters are mild. Fairbanks, the Interior and parts of the Bush region experience Alaska’s most extreme weather conditions with average temperatures ranging from 22ºC (72°F) in high summer to -28ºC (-19°F) in winter.
In the Anchorage area, a layered wardrobe is the best option, with alight jacket in summer and a warm coat in winter. Elsewhere, very warmwinter clothing is required in the coldest months. Lightweight clothingis advisable during the summer.

• Population

663,661 (official estimate 2005).

• Population Density

0.4 per sq km.

• Capital

Juneau.

• Time

Alaska (GMT - 9) in the greater part of the State; Hawaii-Aleutian (GMT - 10) west of 169° 30’. Daylight Saving Time is observed in the greater part of the State, but not west of 169° 30’.

• Nickname

The Last Frontier.

• Anchorage

Alaska’s largest city is both a popular tourist destination and the center of commerce and transportation for the region; 40 per cent of the State’s population lives here. Local wildlife museums include the Alaska Zoo, the Imaginarium, and Potter’s Marsh, where up to 130 species of waterfowl can be viewed from a boardwalk. Geographical reminders of the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake (North America’s strongest) can be seen at Earthquake Park, while admission to the Alaska Experience Center includes a film on this devastating event. A wealth of local history can be seen at the Heritage Library and Museum, the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, the Oscar Anderson House Museum, and the Alaska Native Heritage Center, situated some 10km (6 miles) east of the city. A short trip north of town leads to the Eagle River Visitor Center and the alpine beauty of Chugach State Park. Also north of the city, at Eklutna Village Historical Park, highlights include St Nicholas Russian Church and the brightly painted ‘spirit houses’. South of Anchorage, at Girdwood, visitors can try their luck by panning for gold nuggets at Crow Creek Mine.

• Fairbanks

Alaska’s second-largest city, situated at the northern end of the Alaska Highway, is a trade and transportation center for the Interior and Far North regions. From mid-May through to July, visitors can enjoy more than 20 hours of sunlight a day. Attractions range from the Alaskaland Theme Park to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Museum.
Throughout the winter, Fairbanks hosts world-class sled-dog races, ice-sculpting competitions and skiing events. The most sought after winter attraction, however, is the aurora borealis, which lights up the northern skies (best from December to March). A popular excursion is to the Chena Hot Springs resort, some 95km (60 miles) east of the city.

• Juneau

Juneau, Alaska’s third-largest city, is accessible only by sea or air. The city boasts excellent examples of original historic buildings and some fine museums, including the Alaska State Museum and the Juneau-Douglas City Museum. It is also famed for the great outdoors and its many hiking trails, as well as opportunities to view whales, bears and eagles.
From Juneau, a short flight can be made to view the nearby Mendenhall Glacier, located 21km (13 miles) from Juneau.

• Valdez

Situated on the edge of the Prince William Sound, Valdez is popular for the abundance of outdoor pursuits available (such as hiking, rafting and fishing). The most popular excursion is to Columbia Glacier, a 6km- (4 mile-) wide piece of ice, which is the fastest moving glacier in the world; it can be reached via day cruises, charter boat, flight-seeing tours and the State ferry.

• Denali

This stunning region offers a wide variety of activities including hiking, ice-climbing and wildlife viewing. Denali is an Athabascan name meaning ‘the high one’. At 6197m (20,331ft), Mount McKinley is the tallest peak in North America, and on a clear day it can be seen from Anchorage, 240km (149 miles) away. Denali National Park & Preserve is famous for panoramic views of Mount McKinley and the Alaska Range. A popular day excursion takes tourists on a shuttle bus through the wilderness to see caribou, grizzly bears, wolves and moose.

• Ketchikan

This city is famous for three things: salmon, totem poles and rain. Around 419cm (165 inches) of rain fall each year on this southeastern city. Visitors should not let this put them off, however, as it is here they will find the Totem Heritage Center, and the Saxman Totem Park, which contains the world’s largest collection of standing totem poles. The Totem Bight State Historical Park, with its collection of replica totem poles and a tribal house, overlooks the Tongass National Forest, the largest in the USA and home to more than 50 species of birds, mountain goats, orca whales and glacier bear. Excursions include a boat or plane trip into the Misty Fjords National Monument. The coastal rain forests and glacial fjords shelter many species of land animals and sea life.

• Kodiak

The principal town on Kodiak Island, this is the home of Alaska’s largest fishing fleet. The legacy of Russian influence can be found at the Baranov Museum, while the culture of the island’s native people can be explored in the little Alutiiq Museum. The Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge covers two-thirds of the island, offering a protected habitat for Kodiak brown bears, which are the largest carnivores in North America.

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Alabama

Alabama, which means ‘tribal town’ in the Creek Indian language, offers mountains, lakes, caverns, woodland and beaches. Montgomery was the first capital of the Confederacy, and the First White House of the Confederacy, home to Jefferson Davis, first President of the provisional Government. Alabama played a key role in the American civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr first preached at the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church in Montgomery, a National Historic Landmark, and sites commemorating the struggle can be found across the State.
Mobile is a major seaport. The city is famed for its diverse architecture resulting from English, French and Spanish rule, notably in the Church Street Historic District. Alabama was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 but much of the infrastructure and attractions have been repaired and are open to visitors.

• Population

4.56 million (official estimate 2005).

• Population Density

33.6 per sq km.

• Capital

Montgomery.

• Time

Central (GMT - 6). Daylight Saving Time is observed.

• Nickname

The Heart of Dixie.

• Date of admission to the Union

14 Dec 1819.

Troy, United States

TroyFest is an arts and crafts festival held on the main square in downtown Troy. A variety of exhibitors with differing styles, all of them local artists,...

Weather

Hot and humid in summer months. Mild in winter months and cooler in the mountains. Temperatures range from a January high of 10°C (50°F) and a low of 0°C (32°F) to a July high of 33°C (90°F) and a low of 21°C (70°F).
Lightweight cotton clothes and rainwear. Warmclothing for evenings in the spring and autumn, during the winterseason and in mountain areas.

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Las Vegas

Las Vegas (often informally abbreviated to "Vegas") is the most populous city in the state of Nevada, United States, and a major vacation, shopping, entertainment, and gambling destination. It was established in 1905 and officially became a city in 1911. It is the largest U.S. city founded in the 20th century.
The name Las Vegas is often applied to the unincorporated areas of Clark County that surround the city, especially the resort areas on and near the Las Vegas Strip. This 4½ mi (7.2 km) stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard is mostly outside the Las Vegas city limits, in the unincorporated town of Paradise.
The center of gambling in the United States, Las Vegas is marketed as The Entertainment Capital of the World, also commonly known as Sin City, due to the popularity of legalized gambling, availability of alcoholic beverages at any time (as is true throughout Nevada), and various forms and degrees of adult entertainment. The city's glamorous image has made it a popular setting for films and television programs.

Las Vegas (English: "The Meadows" or "The Grasslands") was given its name by Spaniards in the Antonio Armijo party, who used the water in the area while heading north and west along the Old Spanish Trail from Texas. In the 1800s, areas of the Las Vegas Valley contained artesian wells that supported extensive green areas or Meadows (Vega in Spanish), hence the name Las Vegas. John C. Frémont traveled into the Las Vegas Valley on May 3, 1844, while it was still part of Mexico. He was a leader of a group of scientists, scouts and observers for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. On May 10, 1855, following annexation by the United States, Brigham Young assigned 30 Mormon missionaries led by William Bringhurst to the area to convert the Paiute Indian population. A fort was built near the current downtown area, serving as a stopover for travelers along the "Mormon Corridor" between Salt Lake and the briefly thriving Mormon colony at San Bernardino, California. Las Vegas was established as a railroad town on May 15, 1905, when 110 acres (44.5 ha) owned by Montana Senator William A. Clark's San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City Railroad, was auctioned off in what is now downtown Las Vegas. Las Vegas was part of Lincoln County until 1909 when it became part of the newly established Clark County. Las Vegas became an incorporated city on March 16, 1911 when it adopted its first charter.



Las Vegas is one of the most dynamic cities in the world, "reinventing" itself as a gambling mecca, family destination, capital of hedonism ("What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas"), or hotspot for dining and shopping over the years. Several events stand out as turning points:

• The floods of 1955, 1984, 1999, and 2003.
• Establishment of Las Vegas as a railroad town (May 15, 1905).
• Legalization of gambling (March 19, 1931).
• Completion of Hoover Dam (October 9, 1936).
• Opening of Bugsy Siegel's Flamingo Hotel on what would become the Las Vegas Strip (December 26, 1946).
• The first Strip property "The El Rancho" was consumed by fire on July 17, 1960.
• Atmospheric nuclear testing (1951 to 1962).
• Elvis Presley returns to live performances in August 31, 1969 by opening the International Hotel MGM Grand Hotel fire the worst disaster in Nevada history on (November 21, 1980).
• Opening of the Mirage which began the era of megaresort casinos on (November 22, 1989).
• The Dunes became the first Strip property to be imploded on October 27, 1993.
• 100th birthday, or Centennial, of Las Vegas (May 15, 2005).

Las Vegas' climate is typical of the Mojave Desert, in which it is located, marked with hot summers, mild winters, abundant sunshine year-round, and very little rainfall. High temperatures in the 90s °F are common in the months of May, June, and September and temperatures normally exceed 100 °F (38 °C) most days in the months of July and August, with very low humidity, frequently under 10%. The hottest temperature ever recorded is 117 °F (47 °C) set twice, on July 19, 2005, at McCarran International Airport and July 24, 1942, at present-day Nellis Air Force Base. Winters are cool and windy, with the majority of Las Vegas' annual 4.49 in (114 mm) of rainfall coming from January to March. Winter daytime highs are normally around 60 °F (16 °C) and winter nighttime lows are usually around 40 °F (4 °C). The coldest temperature ever recorded is 8 °F (-13 °C) set on January 25, 1937, at present-day Nellis Air Force Base. Showers occur less frequently in the Spring or Autumn. July through September, the Mexican Monsoon often brings enough moisture from the Gulf of California across Mexico and into the southwest to cause afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Although winter snow is usually visible from December to May on the mountains surrounding Las Vegas, it rarely snows in the city itself.

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