Mark Adams, a travel
writer, was looking for a new adventure. One of the key moments in
deciding where to go was seeing a totem pole at a busy intersection
in Seattle, Washington. This pole was brought to the city after the
Alaskan voyage of Edward H. Harriman and his crew of natural
scientists in 1899.
Adams was taken by
the description of the Harriman voyage. Harriman, a railroad tycoon,
with the help of Merriam, editor of Forest and Stream, gathered a
stellar group of naturalists to explore the outer reaches of the
Alaskan wilderness from a steamship. The voyage was one of the major
expeditions to Alaska and produced a multi-volume work on the
terrain, animals, and vegetation.
Adams voyage
followed the Harriman route, but used the public ferry system, the
Alaska Marine Highway System. Like the Harriman expedition, he
encountered incredible scenery, unusual characters and wildlife,
including bears.
If you’re an
armchair traveler, this is an excellent book. Not only does it follow
the Harriman expedition, but Adams adds commentary from his adventure
and includes information on economic conditions, as well as the
history of the areas he visits. I particularly enjoyed his
description of glaciers and the fact that they were receding in the
1800’s well before our current climate crisis.
I received this book
from Dutton for this review.
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