Anchorage Travel GuideSituated between the alpine slopes of the Chugach Mountains and tranquil Cook Inlet in South Central Alaska and under the watchful gaze of Mount McKinley, North America's tallest peak, Anchorage is Alaska's largest city with a resident population of more than 280,000. Cool, short and vibrant summers punctuate Anchorage's snowy winters. The departure point of most southbound cruises, Anchorage sits north of the actual departure ports of Seward and Whittier. Most cruise lines will offer transportation from the airport to the port of departure. In summer, Anchorage is alive with flowers and alit with thousands of lights at night. The downtown area is very popular and often crowded with tourists and those awaiting departure for cruises. Due to its proximity to active volcanoes, Anchorage is infrequently dusted with volcanic ash. As recently as 1998, Mount Spurr, 78 miles north of Anchorage, erupted and deposited about 3 millimeters of ash on the city. Anchorage's city limits overlap the Chugach State Park, a wild, alpine region to the city's north. As a result, an urban wildlife population flourishes and visitors from the surrounding wild areas often frequent the city. More than 300 bears live in the area, both black and grizzly, and are often sighted in downtown Anchorage. Dall sheep can often be seen along the Seward highway. The moose population in the area increases in the winter months and often becomes a hazard to drivers. Anchorage was established in 1914 as a railroad construction port for the Alaska Railroad and quickly became a city of tents. The economy of the area centered around the railroad until the 1930s when air travel and the military became important. On March 27, 1964, Anchorage was shaken by a massive 9.2 earthquake that lasted 5 minutes and nearly devastated the city. 115 Alaskans were killed and rebuilding the city dominated what was left of the 60s. Alaska took its place on the map in 1968 when oil was discovered in Prudhoe Bay and the resulting oil boom helped grow Anchorage into the city it is today. Anchorage is the starting point of the "Last Great Race on Earth," the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. This race commemorates one of the last great frontier epics, The 1925 Serum Run, when nineteen teams of dogs and their drivers delivered a 20 pound cylinder of diphtheria serum to epidemic stricken Nome in 127 and one-half hours through bitter cold and hurricane force winds. Today's race does not follow the actual trail taken by those intrepid mushers of 1925. However, in 2001, a 95 year old pioneer reenacted the actual 674 mile run, symbolically transporting a vial of diphtheria serum, and stopping along the way for an education drive about vaccinations. ANCHORAGE QUICK STATISTICS Metro Area Population: 360,000 ANCHORAGE VISITOR INFORMATION The Log Cabin Visitor Information Center The Anchorage Chamber of Commerce READ UP ON ANCHORAGE Anchorage Daily News ANCHORAGE SIGHTSEEING Alaska Center for the Performing Arts Alaska Public Lands Information Center Alaska Railroad Depot Anchorage Museum of History and Art Imaginarium Old City Hall Oscar Anderson House Museum Resolution Park Ship Creek Tony Knowles Coastal Trail Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum Alaska Botanical Garden Alaska Heritage Library and Museum Alaska Native Heritage Center The fjord, Turnagain Arm, just south of Anchorage, has some of the highest tides in the world. ANCHORAGE HOTELS AND LODGING Anchorage B&Bs - (listing of member B&Bs) Anchorage Hilton Anchorage Marriott Downtown Anchorage Westmark Hotel Springhill Suites by Marriott Anchorage Hotel Comfort Inn Ship Creek Inlet Tower Hotel & Suites Sheraton Anchorage Hotel Captain Cook Extended Stay Deluxe Anchorage - Downtown Voyager Hotel Copper Whale Inn Oscar Gill House Dimond Center Hotel Hampton Inn The Hotel Alyeska Millennium Anchorage Hotel Mahogany Manor B&B 15 Chandeliers Bed & Breakfast Courtyard by Marriott Long House Alaskan Hotel Parkwood Inn The Carriage House Merrill Field Inn Camai Bed & Breakfast Qupqugiaq Inn From Anchorage, you can see six mountain ranges - the Chugach, Kenai, Talkeetna, Tordrillo, Aleutian and Alaska mountain ranges. ANCHORAGE FOOD AND DRINK Bernie's Bungalow Lounge Chilkoot Charlie's Club Paris F Street Station Rumrunners Snow Goose Restaurant Glacier BrewHouse F Street Station Arctic Roadrunner Downtown Deli Sacks Cafe Sweet Basil Cafe Crow's Nest Restaurant Corsair Restaurant The Marx Brothers Cafe New Sagaya's City Market Snow City Cafe Kumagoro Club Paris Peanut Farm Sports Grill Gwennie's Old Alaskan Restaurant The Bake Shop Double Musky Inn Twin Dragon Mongolian Bar-B-Q Charlie's Bakery & Dim Sum Fu Do Seven Glaciers Kincaid Grill Jen's Restaurant Southside Bistro Bombay Deluxe Restaurant CampoBello Bistro Villa Nova Mexico in Alaska Moose's Tooth Pub & Pizzeria Organic Oasis Middle Way Cafe & Coffee House Mount McKinley (20, 320 ft.), the tallest mountain in North America, is 130 miles north. INTERNET ACCESS Z.J. Loussac Public Library Dark Horse Coffee Kaladi Brothers ANCHORAGE TRANSPORTATION City Bus: People Mover - Phone: (907) 343-6543 Other Bus service: Alaska Direct Bus Lines, Inc. - Phone: (907) 277-6652 Alaska-Denali Transit - Phone: (907) 273-3331 Greyline Alaska - Phone: (800) 544-2206 Homer Stage Line - Phone: (907) 563-0800 Train Service: The Alaska Railroad Taxis: Yellow Cab - Phone: (907) 222-2222 ANCHORAGE AIRPORT Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport FISH AND GAME Fish & Game Department FOREST SERVICE State & Private Forest Service HOSPITALS Alaska Regional Hospital Providence Alaska Medical Center
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