Uniquely Alaska

Alaska has more than its share of odd and unexpected attractions, including the handful of offbeat destinations described below. This is just a sampling; see elsewhere in this book for infamous bars (such as the Red Dog Saloon in Juneau and the Salty Dawg Saloon in Homer) and Alaskan thrills, including the world-famous 1,100-mile-long Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Hammers in Haines

Alaska's most peculiar museum is owned by Dave Pahl, whose collection of more than 1,400 hammers is on display in the crowded little Hammer Museum (108 Main St., Haines. 907/766-2374. www.hammermuseum.org) in downtown Haines.

Last Train to Nowhere, Nome

Among Alaska's most interesting Bush settlements, Nome was founded following a major gold discovery in 1898, and is still home to summertime gold-dredging operations. During the gold rush, the Council City and Solomon River Railroad envisioned a rail system connecting Nome with the Lower 48 -- thousands of miles away. Construction only reached 35 mi before storms destroyed the tracks along the Bering Sea in 1907, and the project was abandoned. The company went under, but visitors marvel at the engines and several railcars rusting away on the tundra south of Nome.

North Pole, Alaska

The world's tallest St. Nick (40 feet in all his wooden splendor) welcomes you to Santa Claus House (101 St. Nicholas Dr., North Pole. 907/488-2200) in the town of North Pole just southeast of Fairbanks. Inside this large red-and-white store, kids can sit on Santa's lap any time of the year, while parents shop for all sorts of Christmas paraphernalia, from ornaments and musical CDs to certificates that grant you one square inch of land in the Santa Claus subdivision of North Pole. The town was started by Con Miller, who built a trading post here in the 1950s. He and his neighbors incorporated the new town as North Pole.

Surfing in Southeast

The remote town of Yakutat lies along the Gulf of Alaska halfway between Juneau and Cordova. It isn't a major tourist destination, but it does have the state's longest beach, a 70-mi stretch that starts just outside town. It's never crowded, but local surfers and beach bums ride the swells that roll off the Gulf of Alaska throughout the year. There's even a surf shop, aptly named Icy Waves.