You may think that living here means eagles and moose become ho-hum. You are wrong. People often ask me what it’s like to live in Anchorage, and there’s no easy way to put it. It’s just like living in any other great city, until it isn’t. And when it isn’t, you are simply left in awe. I’ll give you an example.
One morning not too long ago I woke up, flipped the coffee pot on, grabbed the leash and let the dog out. As I walked through my neighborhood in the predawn hours, trying to shake the sleep from my head I glanced up at the starts. And there it was, a ghostly green ribbon of light coursing through the sky; the northern lights over my house in midtown Anchorage. I guess that’s as good a metaphor for life in Anchorage as any: wonderful city living punctuated by moments of inspiring and unparalleled natural beauty.
I’ve lived in a lot of places, and I’ve never had the kinds of experiences I do every day in Anchorage. I can walk four minutes and hop on a trail that gives me access to 135 miles of outdoor recreation; my long runs and cross-country ski jaunts never cross traffic. I can survey the surroundings from a mountain peak, and decide which of the five microbreweries I’m going to stop at on the way back. Where else could I kayak a glacial lake and still make it back to town in time for a dinner of pad thai? Where else could I circle the tallest peaks of the continent by day and be in my seat when the theater curtain rises that night? Is there anywhere else I could watch moose calves grow into massive bulls over the seasons, all from my living room couch?
Come visit. You’ll see it all for yourself. While you’re up, ask an Alaskan why they came to Anchorage in the first place. If they haven’t lived here their whole life, odds are the story starts with “I came up thinking I would only stay for a bit” and ends with “and I’ve never left.” It is the in-between time of those two timeframes that draw people, whether for a visit or for the rest of their lives: unequaled outdoor adventures, great food, good beer, friendly people, all in a fantastic city in the heart of Alaska.
By Jack Bonney, Public Relations Manager, Visit Anchorage
