Hi guys, I used to work in northwest Alaska. Transport between Alaska and Russia in the northen regions has never really existed, at least not on any regular basis. There are several islands along the straits, the Little Diomedes if memory serves. While I was in Kotzebue, I watched a local program about a small ship reuniting long separated familes in the region of the Straits. The area is, of course, very remote. It is difficult to impress upon people the nature of a place like this. I flew bush planes up on northwest slope for 2 years. There are no hotels out this way. There is no tourist infrastucture. This isn't Prudhoe Bay, connected by a road. None of the villages are connected by roads. There can't really be a ferry- as there are NO roads. To get a vehicle from Anchorage to a village it must go by ship in the summer, or flown to a village by Alaska Airlines ($3,000usd+). This ain't Europe or the "lower 48." Leaving the Anchorage airport one day, I passed 2 hippy kind of dudes with backpacks sitting outside the airport. They were holding a sign that said "Nome." Once again folks, there are no roads connecting Anchorage to the northwest slope! I wonder if they're still sitting there, as many Alaskans have an interesting sense of humor. Some folks there refer to the lower 48 as: "outside." Ride safe- and good roads!
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