Anchorage Story Ideas
There’s an Anchorage Story Waiting to be Told
Anchorage Makes Room for Visitors
With a new convention center, nearly 600 additional hotel rooms, a generous expansion to the Anchorage Museum, and a host of new products and services, Anchorage is well positioned for growth in the visitor industry. Already a popular visitor destination, the city continues to expand its infrastructure, increase its services, and infuse its already top-notch brand with more things to see and do while in Alaska’s largest urban playground.
Alaska’s Largest Museum adds Exhibit Space
The Anchorage Museum, in downtown Anchorage, re-opens this summer after a $100 million expansion. The expansion, which doubles the museum’s exhibit capacity, began in August of 2006 and opens May 30, 2009. The new wing, with its shimmering glass façade, is flanked by a two-acre outdoor birch forest and will provide ample space to collect and exhibit Alaska’s cultural treasures. The expansion also allows the museum to bring home to Alaska more than 600 important Alaska Native artifacts from the Smithsonian Institution.
The state’s largest museum is the perfect place to begin exploring downtown Anchorage. 2009 summer exhibits include:
- Alaska Statehood 50th Anniversary exhibit (June – mid-Sept)
- Gold Exhibit (June and July), and the
- Art Potpourri (July), Alaska artisans at work. There is an opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind items at this popular exhibit.
Make a day of it. Discover the permanent exhibits within the Alaska Gallery; walk through Art of the North, a wide-ranging collection of art that reflects Alaska and the circumpolar north. The Chugach Gallery, on the fourth floor of the new wing showcases stunning panoramic views of the Chugach Mountain Range.
The museum’s restaurant, Muse, features delicious, fresh Alaska fare. The museum gift shop has expanded and includes an excellent selection of Alaska art, books, jewelry and more. www.anchoragemuseum.org
Urban Ice Just a Short Drive from Downtown
Burying an ice axe into a translucent, frozen waterfall is a great start to an Alaska winter adventure. Though many of the sport’s coveted waterfalls are remote and difficult to reach, several picturesque and technical climbs are within a short drive of downtown Anchorage. Rent gear by the day, including crampons, an ice axe and a helmet. Prefer a guided experience? There are a number of certified, Alaska guides available to lead a climb on a beginner’s slope, or to scale a completely vertical technical climb. All gear, transportation and instruction are included.
Ice climbers are often seen right on the edge of the award-winning, scenic Seward Highway, just fifteen minutes south of town. Though cars are whizzing by below, the climbers remain focused, belaying one another over the large bulges of blue ice along the craggy mountainside above the highway. The fat ice beckons. Come join the fun. www.alaskaiceclimbing.com
Anchorage: Cross Country Skiing Heaven
Imagine gliding across a groomed trail taking in the view. The sun reflects off the white snow. Trails crisscross the entire city, weaving in and out of town, through tunnels, under bridges and across scattered stands of evergreens. Cross country ski 50K worth of trails without crossing street traffic. Ski along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, which hugs the water’s edge. Push past Westchester Lagoon, where ice skaters glide on the frozen lagoon’s plowed surface. Stop here and head back toward downtown or go on to Kincaid Park, a municipal park with 1,400 acres of rolling, forested hills. The chances of spotting a moose are greatest here. Rest a minute at Kincaid Park’s chalet, and then glide back the 11 miles (almost 7K) to downtown Anchorage for a fabulous meal. Anchorage restaurants, though classified as fine dining, are very casual. No tie and jacket are required.
Want to compete in the Tour of Anchorage? This premier ski marathon is part of the American Ski Marathon Series and is North America’s longest running and largest citizen’s racing and touring series. http://www.tourofanchorage.com
Make Tracks in Anchorage
Hop on board the Alaska Railroad this summer for a true Alaska experience. Whether as an independent traveler or a cruise passenger looking for a pre- or post- experience, the Alaska Railroad is flexible enough to fit any schedule. Take the plush route with the railroad’s Gold Star Service aboard a $3.5 million luxury domed car, relax in reclining, forward facing chairs with large picture windows while cruising past some of the world’s best vistas, or take the adventure route. Get onboard in Anchorage, and head south on the Coastal Classic, or ride the rails to Spencer Glacier. Disembark the train and board a boat, gently floating in Spencer Lake right up to the glacier’s face. Professional guides are on board. The railroad provides rain gear and rubber boots, plus a deli-style boxed lunch. Guests will be back in downtown Anchorage by day’s end. www.alaskarailroad.com
Miles of Trails before I Sleep
Anchorage has more than 250 miles of multi use trails. Whether hiking, biking, or cross country skiing, trailheads and access points are available throughout the city. If you have some time in Anchorage, take a day hike. Grab a map and go on your own, or stop in at the Log Cabin and Visitor Information Center and book a guide. There are a lot of trails within an hour of downtown. The extended daylight of summer provides ample opportunity for out and back day hikes. Adventurous types who don’t mind a little scrambling over loose rock will enjoy the trail to Flat Top Mountain. It provides the best panoramic views of Anchorage and the surrounding area. Flat Top is the most climbed peak in all of Alaska. Just three miles roundtrip, it has an elevation gain of 1,000 feet. The peak is at 3550 ft and provides great vistas of the entire area, including North America’s highest peak, Mount McKinley to the north. Hike Flattop in August and discover wonderful, plump, sweet blueberries available for the picking.
A second hike, Winner Creek Trail, is flat and easy to manage. Located just 45 minutes south of Anchorage in the town of Girdwood, the trailhead is just east of the chateau-style Hotel Alyeska. Out and back is about five miles. The trail runs through the Chugach National Forest and has very little elevation gain. There are dense stands of Spruce, lush fern and Devils Club. Part of the trail is on a raised boardwalk, with the rest of the trail being packed dirt. Two bridges cross Winner Creek, plus there is a unique hand-powered tram that carries passengers, one or two at a time, across the glacial-fed, roaring waters of Winner Creek Gorge. After an hour’s hike, enjoy a plethora of options for refreshment including a big, hulking cinnamon roll from a local bakery, a drink and a view at any of the award-winning restaurants at the Resort, or pick up a gourmet slice of pizza at a local haunt on the drive back to town.
Gone to the Dogs
Experience all 1,049 miles of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race in one action-packed, laugh-out-loud, dog-powered performance in downtown Anchorage. The Seavey family guides visitors through the history of sled dogs - from transport to sport – telling their real stories from the trail, and demonstrating the incredible power and athleticism of their Iditarod champion sled dogs, in this hilarious family-oriented show. After the show, meet the real Iditarod dogs and mushers, cuddle some adorable husky puppies, and get a picture with Flap Jack, one of the stars in Disney's Eight Below. Eat dinner with Dallas Seavey, the youngest musher to ever run the Iditarod. Enjoy the entertainment while feasting on an Alaska sized meal featuring roast beef, herb-baked chicken breast, Alaska grown potatoes, fresh vegetables and delicious desserts.
Heli-skiing in the Last Frontier
Just 40 minutes from downtown Anchorage is the intimate ski-town of Girdwood. Strap on a pair of rented Solomon® downhill skis and board a helicopter bound for nearby Chugach Mountain Range, where 700,000 acres of mountainous terrain await. Gentle bowls, giant, mountain faces and massive glaciers call adventurers to ski hard. From mid-January with 9.5 hours of daylight, through April, with 14 hours of daylight, there’s plenty of light to take skiers from the first run of the day to the very last. Highly trained professional guides with extensive Alaska experience accompany intimate groups of up to five people for a full day of heli-skiing. A one-day package includes up to 10 vertical runs of 16,000 to 20,000 ft. on a base of 600 inches of pristine Alaska powder.
Food with a View
Feast on wild Alaska salmon and shellfish harvested from the pristine, icy waters off Alaska’s coast. Gaze off the rooftop deck at the waters of the Cook Inlet. Enjoy thick fillets of fresh-caught Alaska halibut blackened, or coated in macadamia nuts with a generous side of mango salsa. Feel the excitement as a pod of white beluga whales show up, as if right on cue. Cut into the biggest, most tender pepper steak with a savory peppercorn sauce. Look out at the foothills of the Chugach Mountain Range. A commotion at the next table brings guests to their feet as a customer spots a black bear from the large picture window of the restaurant. This is Anchorage dining at its best. Whether a four diamond, award-winning restaurant, a local brewpub with tasty halibut tacos, or a café serving fresh, locally- grown greens and spicy scallops, there’s something for every palette and every budget. Many of Anchorage’s eateries come with a view. Spot soaring eagles from a wrap-around deck amid a stand of Spruce trees; catch a glimpse of a moose down by a creek while enjoying a basket of beer-battered halibut. Anchorage’s extended summer daylight has many benefits. Guests bask in the sun’s rays on restaurant decks and patios deep into the night; Alaska farmers and local chefs take advantage of the long days by growing many of the fresh herbs and vegetables used in the daily specials. From down home reindeer stew to Asian-fusion sea scallops with wasabi, to authentic Greek dolmades, to traditional Italian preparations using fresh, wild Alaska mushrooms, Anchorage’s dining scene is topped only by its breathtaking views.
Dinner Plate Dahlias and Bunches of Baskets
Anchorage is known as the “City of Flowers” during the summer season. Though visitors don’t come specifically for the flowers, they are treasured for their unexpected appearance on nearly every street corner. Each summer the city plants more than 400 flowerbeds and installs hanging baskets at 81 sites. Greenbelts are scattered throughout the city.
Walking in downtown area, beginning with the Log Cabin and Visitor Information Center, visitors are impressed with the size, color and variety of flowers planted. Beautiful and hardy perennials, enormous dinner-plate sized dahlias and colossal cabbages are planted around the Log Cabin and onto the grounds of Historic City Hall. At Town Square, in the center of downtown, visitors take pictures of each other in front of a big, hulking flower rather than the traditional wildlife shot.
Continue your walk through downtown and be amazed by the number, size and color of the flowerbeds at the Anchorage Museum. Walk to the Rose Centennial Garden, the northernmost municipal rose garden, located at Delaney Park. Its four entrances are at the cardinal points of the compass. The garden has displayed incredible and fragrant blooms since its opening in 1967.
Visit the Alaska Botanical Garden consisting of 110 acres of "boreal forest", with approximately 11 acres of cultivated gardens and interconnecting nature trails.
Residents also get involved in the City of Flowers though their own forays into the planting season. Hanging baskets and artfully constructed flowerbeds dot many of Anchorage’s neighborhoods. In July, the Anchorage Garden Club hosts tours of some of these private gardens.
Though rugged terrain and vast wilderness are what draw visitors to Alaska, Anchorage’s incredible flowers are an unexpected and welcome treat.
For more on Anchorage adventures, attractions and activities, explore www.Anchorage.net and www.GoAnchorage.net
Media Contact:
Rebecca Coolidge, Public Relations Specialist
(907) 317-5887, pr@anchorage.net
