A Local's Guide To Bethel

DeeDee Jonrowe has raced in the Iditarod, Copper Basin 300 - which she won in 2011, Kuskokwim 300, Tustemena 200, Kobuk 440, and John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon. She also worked the IditaProject, an internet forum for the Bering Sea School District. In 2013, DeeDee was inducted into the Mushers Hall of Fame in recognition of her long and heroic career as an Alaska dog musher.

I first visited Bethel in 1973 while working for the Calista Native Corporation inventorying waterfowl in the region. I stepped off the bush plane and instantly fell in love with the small Alaska Native community. In fact, I ended up living there for 15 years, and started to dabble in dog mushing — something I never knew would lead to a full-time career.

What I love about Bethel is that you can actually see the culture in action. It's real life in Alaska with real Alaskans. You will see people working the nets and drying fish. It's a warm and friendly culture.

Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center and Museum

Bethel is rich in Yup'ik culture and the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center and Museum is a great way to learn about it, especially Yup'ik heritage and traditions. The museum is beautifully designed. To help preserve Yup'ik culture, it incorporates Yup'ik themes in the architecture—such as the ellanguatt, a double circle motif that represents the cosmos and earth. The museum houses a beautiful collection of Yup'ik traditional dress, instruments, and artwork and received an Honor Award of Excellence in Architecture from the Alaska Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Moravian Book Store

The Moravian Book Store is the only bookstore in a 200-mile radius of Bethel, so we were always thankful that it existed. It also happens to house an amazing collection of books about Western Alaska and a beautiful Alaska Native arts and crafts display. It's definitely a hidden gem.

Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge

The Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge offers an unparalleled landscape and wildlife viewing opportunities. The coastal portions of the refuge support large concentrations of waterfowl and shorebirds; inland river corridors provide habitat for moose and black bears; and the Kilbuck Mountains are home to brown bear, caribou, and occasionally wolves. The Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center is a great place to start a trip and offers a full range of refuge- and tundra-related wildlife books, resources and displays.

Kuskokwim 300

The Kuskokwim 300, or K300, is one of my favorite races, simply because of the amazing warmth, hospitality and energy of the community volunteers. I'm not alone in that thinking, as many of the world's elite mushers consider the K300 to be the greatest sled-dog race in the world.

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