Barrow may not be at the end of the earth, but it is unquestionably at the northern end of the States. This is hardcore land of the midnight sun, with the sun remaining above the horizon from May 10 to August 2.

In such a remote place visitors are not surprised to find whale bones leaning against walls or seal meat drying on racks outside bunker-like houses. This town of 4,351 people, more than 60 per cent of whom are Inupiat Eskimos, maintains a balance between the modern a traditional.

Inupiat Heritage Centre displays artefacts and offers traditional craft demonstrations. Affiliated with the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park is Massachusetts, the museum centres on whaling. Millions of birds, including snowy owls, nest and breed around Barrow, and polar bears roam the area.