If you thought the miners from the gold rush era got all the gold in Alaska, think again. You can still find "color"—traces of gold—if you know where to look, and some private miners are still sluicing or panning away in search of that elusive fortune. Make the most of your visit by first exploring the history of Alaska's early gold rush communities in local museums, then bellying up to water troughs where you can pan for your own share of the gold; you get to keep whatever you find.