Nome Tourist Attractions
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The port of Nome, situated some 500 mi. west of Fairbanks on the Seward Peninsula (Bering Sea), can be reached only by air. Founded by gold-diggers in about 1900, during the gold rush, it is the economic and commercial centre of north-western Alaska; gold panning is now only a show for tourists. Nome is the end point of the 1049 mi. Iditarod dog-sled race from Anchorage, lasting from two to four weeks, run annually in March. The Eskimo villages in the surrounding area can be visited either by air or by hired car.
Bering Land Bridge National Preserve
Bering Land Bridge National Preserve is all that is left of this ancient bridge between Asia and the Americas. Most of this land bridge lies beneath the Chukchi and Bering Seas.It was across this Bering Land Bridge, also called Beringia, that humans first traveled from Asia to populate the Americas. Animals and plants also migrated whenever ocean levels fell enough to expose the land bridge. Archeologists agree that this was occurred about 13,000 years ago.
St Lawrence Island
St. Lawrence Island is located in the Bering Sea south of the Siberian coast, it is closer to Russia than to the mainland of Alaska. The island is home to a variety of birds and wildlife, as well as a small Eskimo population. There is one unofficial landing strip and two helipads on the island. Most visitors arrive by cruise ship.St. Lawrence Island was first occupied about 2,000 to 2,500 years ago by coastal people. The island has no trees, only woody plants known as the Arctic Willow.
Carrie M. McLain Memorial Museum
The Carrie M. McLain Memorial Museum features exhibits on the history and culture of the Bering Strait Eskimos and the history of the Nome gold rush.The museum features a photography display, "Millennial Faces", created by George Sabo, a Nome photographer. Other exhibits include aviation, and the history and culture of Nome.
Little Diomede Island
Little Diomede Island, in the Bering Strait, is just across the date line from Russia. This very remote and small island is home to about 200 native Alaskans. The only village is on the western shore of the island, just 2 1/2 miles from Big Diomede Island, Russia.Local residents are known for their ivory carving.
