Photo by David Gilomen

“I think a banana is a good gift,” a rafting guide told me.  The more I listened to Alaskan guides, the more I realized that food is an issue in those parts.  Transportation costs make food pricey up north, and customs regulations much compound the problem.  Another guide talked about buying berries in Canada and having to pull over and finish eating them before she reached the border.

A camper I know was so disgusted at having to give up her oranges “to protect Alaska’s citrus orchards” that she smuggled a few tomatoes through the next checkpoint.  I would never do anything like that, of course, but I crammed every ounce of meat I could into our freezer and cooler before we left home and prowled grocery store isles for markdowns along the way.
A Skagway guide nailed the situation with this tip on the best place to eat thereabouts:  “On your cruise ship.”