Alaska Odds and Ends - Rivendell

I've been to Alaska four times now, and each time I have an identical thought when I round some bend in the road and see an awesome vista of mountains and glaciers and blue water.  Peter Jackson could have filmed Lord of the Rings here.  Alaska is basically Middle Earth.

The works of modern man are few and look to be just hanging on in the face of the harsh, majestic forces of nature.  They appear ancient after just a few years.  Here is a carved totem that would not be out of place in Gondor, if the parking lot and houses were photoshopped out.

Of course, I am not the only person who feels this way....

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Addendum:  the essential Roadside America site tells me that the large wooden figure is part of the Whispering Giants series of sculptures by an artist marvelously named Peter Wolf Toth.  One is to be found in all 50 states and in several Canadian provinces.