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News Release

Families Find Big Wild Life in Anchorage, Alaska

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – June 15, 2007 – It’s easy to have quality family time in Anchorage, Alaska where bears, bison and beaches mix with salmon, science and scenery for an unforgettable family vacation experience. Anchorage is the perfect base camp for all-ages family fun. Easy access to unique indoor and outdoor adventure activities for children and adults make Anchorage an affordable vacation choice.

Meet a moose and behold a bear. See arctic wildlife at the Alaska Zoo or the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a 140-acre wildlife park just 43 miles south of downtown Anchorage.

Watch salmon swim upstream. Learn about the life cycle of a salmon and see it firsthand May through mid-September at the Fort Richardson State Fish Hatchery. Ship Creek in downtown Anchorage is the perfect spot to catch or watch huge kings or silver salmon swimming upstream to spawn.

Mush on! Experience the Iditarod with the Seavey family at the WildRide Sled Dog Show in an action-packed, laugh-out-loud, dog-powered performance in downtown Anchorage! After the show meet the dogs, mushers, cuddle some husky pups and get a picture with FlapJack, one of the stars in Disney’s “Eight Below.” Stars 20 sled dogs, 4 Iditarod mushers, including 2004 Iditarod Champion Mitch Seavey, and one polar bear.

Pan for gold. Venture into an original mining camp from Alaska’s early days and try your luck at Crow Creek Mine in Girdwood.

Take a self-guided trip through the galaxy. Start at a 12-foot diameter model of the sun that is the downtown launching pad for the city’s Light Speed Planet Walk (designed by a local high school student) and continue on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail for a walking tour -to light speed scale- of the solar system with interpretive signs ending 11 miles away with Pluto at Kincaid Park.

Hit the Mother Lode. Transport back to 1898 at the Bear Paw Mining Co. in the Bear Square in downtown Anchorage. Grab a “poke,” a gold pan and find some gold. Also at the Square stop at the Bear & Raven Adventure Theater to see the feature presentation, “The Amazing Trail,” jump on an authentic dog sled, hook into an Alaskan King Salmon or step aboard a hot air balloon and drift over the breathtaking beauty of Prince William Sound.

Stand inside a bubble. Explore The Imaginarium Science Discovery Center in the heart of downtown where kids can show their parents a thing or two about the principles of physics while playing with specialized toys, including the Bubble Station.

Peer inside a piece of the TransAlaska Pipeline. Visit the Anchorage Museum’s Alaska Gallery, an entire floor filled with dioramas depicting the state’s history (including the Pipeline) and offering a look at Alaska’s Native cultures. Buy the Alaska Culture Pass and also get admission and a free shuttle ride to the Alaska Native Heritage Center, where the whole family can listen to Native storytellers and see traditional dances and dwellings.

Wild Salmon on Parade. More than 30 wacky, wild salmon swim through downtown Anchorage from June to August. Hook a “walking tour” map from one of many downtown locations.

Make some waves at Goose or Jewel Lake supervised swim areas. Goose Lake has basketball courts, food concessions, picnic tables and fire pits and Jewel Lake offers covered picnic shelter with grills, softball field, volleyball, playground and beach.

Take a mouth-watering look at the world’s largest chocolate waterfall. See a 20-ft high milk chocolate wonder that would make Willy Wonka proud--at the historic log cabin store at the Alaska Wildberry Park and Village. Take a candy making tour or a walk along wildberry trail and stop to pet and feed four live reindeer.

Take your picture with a grizzly bear. Cross the street from the chocolate fountain and walk over to the Sourdough Mining Company family style restaurant, where kids of all ages can get up close and personal with a bruin (stuffed, of course) and enjoy a tale from Dusty Sourdough.

Camp out under the midnight sun. Bring a sleeping bag and tent and stop by the Alaska Public Lands Information Center downtown for information on where to camp in Alaska’s national and state parks. Explore Alaska’s public lands through wildlife and cultural exhibits, interactive videos and trip-planning information. Free movies and special programs.

Go on a treasure hunt. Grab a GPS, form a family team, and go geocaching to search out cached treasures throughout Anchorage and beyond. Developed by local seventh and eighth graders at Central Middle School, this takes a downtown walking tour to a whole new level. Find a list of coordinates and information at the Log Cabin Visitor Information Center at the corner of 4th Avenue and D Street in downtown Anchorage.

Make a splash at the Tropical Island in the Last Frontier. H2Oasis, Alaska’s only indoor waterpark and fifth largest in the United States!

Everything is blooming at the Alaska Botanical Gardens “Storytime in the Garden.” Pick up a “Discovery Duffel” for kids and trek the 1.1 mile nature trail.

Bird to Gird is a 6.5 mile bike ride (one-way) promises spectacular views of mountains, glaciers, the ocean and often eagles and beluga whales.

Batters up. Catch some of the best collegiate baseball in the country with the Anchorage Glacier Pilots and the Anchorage Bucs.

Score a hat trick. Watch the Alaska Aces, Alaska’s professional hockey league, take the ice from October to April.

Park this! Relive the Old West at Frontierland Park at 10th and E Street with a wagon and a teepee or blast off in a mini rocket ship in the space-themed Valley of the Moon Park at 17th and E Street.

Anchorage’s Backdrop. Chugach State Park, the third largest state park in the nation folds into the foothills of Anchorage and is packed with wildlife, wildflowers, mountain peaks, rivers, streams and more than 50 glaciers.

Sleep in a yurt. Eagle River Nature Center is a year-round attraction with scenic trails to walk or snowshoe. Keep eyes open for wildlife and resident beavers.

Take a hike. Rent a bike or take a walk along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and enjoy 11 miles of magnificent coastline with spectacular views of mountains and ocean. Trail ends at Kincaid Park, home of its own network of unpaved, wooded trails and world-class Nordic ski areas.

Go South. Head to Girdwood to hike Winner Creek, a 5.5-mile round-trip trail that winds through the temperate rain forest, following boardwalks and crossing several bridges. Use the hand-pulled tram to get a birds eye view of Glacier Creek.

Leave it at home. Tiny Tourist is an infant / toddler equipment rental in Anchorage to save you time and energy when packing for the last frontier.

Anchorage’s numerous free shuttles to many summer attractions make it easy to park the rental car and skip a cab ride for many activities. All the city’s trails are accessible from the city center or by public transportation. For more information or to develop half- or full-day itineraries, explore www.Anchorage.net or contact the Anchorage Convention & Visitor’s Bureau at (907) 276-4118.

The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau’s mission is to attract and serve visitors to the Municipality of Anchorage. ACVB’s marketing functions are funded by one-third of the bed tax collected by the lodging association. One-third goes to the Municipality’s general fund and one-third goes to the Dena’ina Civic & Convention Center construction project. ACVB receives no state or federal funds. For more information, explore www.Anchorage.net.

Media Contacts:

Shelly Wozniak
Public Relations Manager
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
swozinak@anchorage.net
(907) 257-2331 direct
(907) 250-5285 cell
(907) 222-3752 fax

Nance Larsen, APR
Vice President, Communications & Marketing Programs
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
pr@anchorage.net
(907) 276-4118
Explore www.Anchorage.net