A Woman's Trip to Alaska

This is an incredible read as an inside look on what it was like for a woman in 1890 to travel from New York City, New York by Pullman to Tacoma, Washington to Chicago, a few National Parks, and to then board a steamer for a 12-day round-trip cruise to Alaska. The original photos and detailed descriptions of the people, places, and nature were enthralling.

One of my favorite things to do while reading this 1890 edition was to compare the historical photos with today's photos of Sitka, Muir Glacier, etc. The icebergs falling from glaciers was probably some of the first glimpses of global warming during the Industrial Revolution, but they just had no idea what was to come.

Some of the moments that pulled me out of the story was Collis' white privilege, classcism, and savior complex, which were very pronounced in a few places when meeting native tribes or when interviewing missionaries who headed Christian residential schools (extra cringey). She just overlooked the negative affects of Westernization and colonialism and didn't asked the deeper questions we're asking today.

Overall, what a fascinating glimpse into 19th century travel that any travel reader would probably enjoy.