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Day Trips from Anchorage
The Anchorage Museum of History and Art
is at 121 West 7th Avenue (264-4326). This should be one
of your first stops after settling in. To get a
historical perspective, go to the second floor and visit
the Alaska Gallery, with dioramas showing Alaska's
progression from prehistoric archaeology to the pipeline
era. Other galleries include historical art, featuring
paintings by the famed Alaskan artist Sydney Laurence.
The Cook Inlet collection is another highlight.
The Heritage Library Museum is located in the
Bank of Alaska offices, at Northern Lights and C Street
(907) 365-2834. This free museum is a cornucopia of
Alaskan artifacts, books, newspapers from the early
1900s, and gold rush scenes on the original glass
photographic plates. There are more Sydney Laurence
paintings and collections of Native parkas and rare maps.
A browser could spend at least a day here.
Alaska Experience Center -- 705 W. 6th Avenue,
(907) 276-3730, is a 40-minute audio-visual show
projected on the inside of a dome, features panoramic
vistas with earthshaking sound and music. The attraction
also features an earthquake exhibit.
The Alaska Wilderness Museum (5th Avenue and I
Street), and the Alaska Wildlife and Natural History
Museum (4th Avenue and E Street), both feature
stuffed bears and other Alaskan animals.
Walking Tours: A self-guided walking tour
starts at the Log Cabin Visitor's Center where you get
your map. A guided tour is available from Historic
Anchorage, 542 West 4th Ave., on the second floor of City
Hall (562-6100). Tours depart Monday&endash;Friday at 10
a.m.
The Alaska Zoo is on O'Malley Road (346-3242).
This park features the animals of Alaska with a few
elephants and big cats. Although the 6 types of owls are
impressive, caged Alaskan animals provide a sad, silent
commentary. The kids will enjoy the zoo, but why not
visit the national and state parks, and see the animals
in the wild.
The Potter State Game Refuge hosts more than
130 species of waterfowl that visit or reside year-round
at this outstanding nature reserve. A board walk runs
over the large marsh. It's located south of Anchorage, on
the Seward Highway, the route to Portage Glacier and the
Kenai Peninsula.
Chugach State Park, a superb alpine wilderness,
is north of town, with impressive high meadows and peaks.
Day
Trips
An unusual day trip to Whittier has you driving
south along the Seward Highway (beside Turnagain Arm),
and then putting your car on an Alaska Railroad flatcar
for a 30-minute trip to Whittier, on Prince William
Sound. From Whittier, you can take a ferry to Valdez and
view a constellation of glaciers, including the Columbia.
If you're traveling along the Glenn Highway, you'll
see a large glacier across a valley. Viewing the
Matanuska Glacier provides a good day-trip from
Anchorage, with the additional benefits of visiting the
towns in the Matanuska and Susitna Valleys.
A 50-mile (80-km) day-trip offers an exciting drive
over Hatcher Pass to Independence Mine Historic State
Park. Drive from Anchorage on State Route 1 (Glenn
Highway) to the junction of the George Parks Highway
(Route 3). Take Highway 3 northwest to the junction of
the Fishhook-Willow Rd. (just past Willow), and turn
right (east). The historic mine is on this road beyond
Hatcher Pass (el. 3,886 ft.). After visiting the mine,
driving to Palmer and returning to Anchorage on the Glenn
Highway provides the second half of a fine loop drive.
Arts and Crafts
Craft work from across Alaska is available at
several shops, including Alaska Native Arts and Crafts
Showroom, 333 W. 4th Avenue; Gingham House, a Native
crafts workshop and store at K Street and 6th Avenue; and
Bering Sea Originals, Diamond Mall, 800 E Diamond
Boulevard, and Northway Mall, 3101 Penland Parkway. All
offer weaving, baskets, carvings and jewelry ($10 and
up).
Outdoor Adventure
Several special events are held during the long
Anchorage winter. The start of the Iditarod
dogsled race brings excitement to the city during the
first week of March. Fur Rendezvous, held in the second
week of February, includes trapper games, the world
dogsled championships and snowshoe softball. To obtain
information on wilderness adventure, visit the Log Cabin
Visitors Center. Brochures on several companies that
offer white water trips and wilderness experiences in the
area are available.
Where to Stay
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