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TakeaTourUnalaskasimmensebeautyoffersmuchforthevisitortosee.Localtouroperatorsofferexcursionsbylandseaandairdesignedtofillanafternoonorseveraldays.LocallandtoursgenerallyincludestopsattheHolyAscensionRussianOrthodoxChurchmemorialParkWorldWarIIMuseumandMuseumoftheAleutians.IfyoureahistorybuffyouwillwanttotaketheWorldWarIItourthattakesyoutomanystopsfromthepastrelicsandoldmilitarysites.SeewhereWorldWarIIbunkersstillkeepawatchonthebeachfrontandweretheU.S.NavalAirTransportserviceoncewastheuniquemosaicfloorwiththeinsigniastillremains.CatchamarinetourandtryyourhandatcatchingtheworldsrecordhalibutorarrangetogobirdwatchingtoseetheWhiskeredAukletsortherareemperorgeesethatinhabittheislandsorjusttakeacruisearoundtheislandsonanicesummerday.ByairPenairwaywilltakeyouislandhopingtotheuniqueislandsofNikoiskiandAkutan.PhotobyRichByeUnbelievableFlowers10www.unalaska.info877.581.2612PhotosbyRichByeAleutianCottonGrassesandfoweringplantscovertheAleutanIslandsfromMayuntlSeptemberandtreesbarelygrowtotenfeettall.ThevarietyofthehundredsofplantsandtreesonUnalaskaIslandwillamazemostvisitorswhoareluckyenoughtovisitbetweenthemonthsofJuneandAugust.Startngatthebeachandreachingtheverytpsofthemountainstheabsolutegreenwillshocktheeye.Thewalkfromthebeachtothetpswillshowarichprogressionofplantssomeextremelysturdysomeincrediblydelicateallobviouslywelladaptedtotheenvironment.Habitatsincludethosenormallyfoundonmostislandscoastalbeachesmeadowsmarshessea-sideclifsfreshandsaltwaterlagoonsstreamslakeshigherslopesandhighrockyclifs.Byjusttakingaseatinthetundrayouwillsurpriseyoubythenumberofwildfowersmossesandgrasseswithinyourgrasp.Overseeingalloftheshowyplantactvityisthebeachryegrassasentnelofgreatstatureandelegance.HonckenyapeploideslocallyknownasScurvyGrasswastheplantthatsavedmanyaRussianexplorerfromcertaindeathasitprovidedhugeconcentratonsofvitaminCneededtokeepscurvyatbay.Itwasalsoagoodhealerforskinconditons.Seneciopseudo-arnicaorbeachsunfowerwascommonlyusedtohelphealwounds.ThetrioofumbelsmostcloselyassociatedonUnalaskaIslandLigustcumscotcumL.ssp.HulteniiBeachLovageAngelicaludicdaL.St.PaulPutchkiandHeracleumlanatumPutchkieachhasanedibleandmedicinalcomponentthemostsurprisingofwhichistheabilityoftheSt.PaulPutchkiplanttohealtheburngivenbythePutchki.ThemanyusesoftheAchilleaborealisYarrowfrombloodcoagulatortoblockerofthecommoncoldmakesonewonderabouttheuseofplantsasmedicinesandhowtheusescameabout.TheabsolutebeautyoftheorchidsonUnalaskaIslandincludingCypripediumgutatumLadysSlipperDactylorhizaaristataPurpleOrchidandthemorerarePlatantheratpuloidesBeringBogOrchidarenottobemissed.ThesweetsmellofthebloomingSanguisorbastpulataSitkaBurnetanditsequallysweetteafromtheleavescontrastswiththestnkyfragranceofFritllariacamschatcensistheChocolateLilyanditsedibleroots.Theberriesthatwegathereatandstoreeachyearhavevaluesthatgobeyondfllingthebelly.Outsideofthemedicinalusesjustthesimpleactofpickingberriesistherapeutctothesoul.Ourberriesincludethesalmonberryhighbushblueberrycrowberriesnagoonberryandthebogandmountaincranberries.Withtheadventofberryseasoninevitablycomesthefallcolorsasourmeadowsandmountainstakeonthetaskofshowingcolorsfromthepalestgreenstotheyellowsorangesandbrilliantreds.OntheislandofAmaknakthereareafewconiferoustreesgrowingremnantsoftheRussianperiod.Butthesetreessomeofthemestmatedtobetwohundredyearsoldrarelyreachaheightofeventenfeetandmanyofthemarestlllessthanfvefeettall.ThesetreeshadoriginallybeenbroughtfromSitkawheresummersreach14C.ThesummersinAleutanIslandsdonotgetwarmenoughtofavoragoodgrowthforthesetransplants.ThereisnothingquiteasuniqueorunforgetableasawalkthroughthemeadowstundraandmountainsofUnalaska.