Kotzebue Travel Guide

If your ever stuck in Kotzebue at the airport and want to wander, I recommend Arctic Blues Espresso it's only a few hundred feet from the aiport terminal! Nancy is very friendly and makes a super Mocha! There was Internet access there and a few gift items available to buy, and photo graphs from locals. Kotzebue is a small friendly town and everyone says hello to one another and most likely related to one another.

I was at a meeting in Kotzebue for 3 days, and someone was eatting chinese food, so in order for me to quench my craving for chinese food, I sought out the only restaurant in Kotzebue. The restaurant is family owned and runned, the mother Grace and her daughter emily served me Mongolian Beef and inquired of my visit in Kotzebue, and we shared stories of family members.

Favorite Dish: Mongolian Beef was fabulous, and she made it extra spicy as I requested, it came with steamed rice, and she did not have kimchee, so she improvised and served me fermented turnips along w/jalapenos. She was very accommodating and very friendly and sat at the table with me to talk about my work and my family and where I live.

Contrary to what I heard growing up, the people of Northern Alaska call themselves Eskimos. Inupiaq, Iñupiaq, or Inupiatun is the name of the language and they refer to themselves as Inupiaq interchangably with Eskimo. The Inuit are the peoples of Northern Canada and Greenland.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: May and first of June- it is break-up and usually foggy. dress warm
June till August: very nice 50-60 deg. 24 hour sun, it can be windy at times, not much rain.
August and September: Rainy
October thru April: dress in layers

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: please have adequate chronic medication for your trip, the local hospital is an indian health service hospital with a limited pharmacy- it is not a retail store.

I took this photo in Kotzebue on my search for coffee and came across the old Wien Air Alaska site, this is where my mother used to work back in the 1950's as a Customer service agent, it was a historical site, my Uncle also worked here as a baggage handler then moved to Anchorage and then on to Seattle where he retired, then Wien went out of Business, I don't recall what year that was.

Favorite thing: The only way to get to Kotzebue is by plane. Sure it's not a cheap adventure but if you want to learn something about the Inuits life and traditions this arctic community is definitely worth to visit.

There are packages available form Anchorage or Fairbanks including a guided tour.

The inuits live still today, with same traditions, weapons, tools, as they did hundreds of years ago. They need to live from seal and whale hunting, but that's the only way they can survive the despiteous nature. But their life is still in line with the nature.

The houses are built on stilts that can be adjusted, whenever the ground is moving because of the perma-frost.

Fondest memory: For me the most impressive memory about Kotzebue is, that the Inuits live still to today the same way the did hundereds of years ago, in line with the nature