by A kayaker in Juneau asks where Santa’s house is, why Juneau has no roads in, and how remote Alaskan towns get supplies
A Letter to Santa from Juneau, Alaska
Dear Santa,
Hi Santa! My name is Aurora and I am 8 years old. I live in Juneau, Alaska, our state capital, tucked between tall mountains and the sea, with glaciers nearby. I love kayaking and watching for whales. My question is: where is Santa Claus’s house? My geography question is: why can you only reach Juneau by boat or plane? And my social studies question is: how do people in remote Alaskan towns get their food and supplies? Thanks, Santa!
Love, Aurora (age 8)
Santa’s Reply
Ho ho ho, hello Aurora! A whale-watching kayaker with the loveliest name asks a cozy question. My house is at the North Pole, way up at the very top of the world. It is a snug, warm home attached to my busy workshop, with a crackling fireplace, Mrs. Claus’s kitchen forever smelling of fresh cookies, and the reindeer stables out back. Some kind folks in Finland’s Lapland say I keep a house there too, and I am happy to let them share. But my true home is the snowy North Pole, not so very far from your own Alaska.
Your geography question: reaching Juneau
Your own Juneau is special because you cannot drive there. It is surrounded by steep mountains and deep water, with no roads connecting it to the rest of the state, so the only ways in or out are by boat or by airplane. That makes it one of the most unusual capital cities in the whole country. Read more at National Geographic Kids.
Your social studies question: getting supplies in Alaska
In remote parts of your own Alaska, where there are no roads, people rely on small bush planes and boats to bring in food, mail, and supplies. Pilots called bush pilots are skilled at landing in tiny, faraway places. This clever system keeps even the most distant communities connected and well stocked, no matter how wild the land around them. Explore more at Britannica Kids.
Watch for a whale for me, Aurora. Yours warmly from the North Pole, Santa Claus.
