TravelTips24 : North America : United States of America : Alaska : Southcentral Alaska : Anchorage

Anchorage

Anchorage [1] is the largest city in Alaska, located in the Southcentral region. Anchorage is a cosmopolitan port city with a population of over 300,000. Anchorage is a municipality: essentially a combined city and county. The city itself defined by Muldoon Road to the east, Rabbit Creek Road to the south, and Cook Inlet to the north and west. Several small suburbs are within the Municipality of Anchorage, while physically outside the City of Anchorage.

Overview

Climate

Travel to Anchorage & Visa Requirements

Anchorage is served by most major American airlines. Air travel is the cheapest and most efficient form of transportation in and out of the state. Non-stop flights are available from Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Chicago, and Taipei year-round, and more locations in the summer. Many arriving and departing out-of-state flights are late-night "red-eyes," but there are often many daytime flights to and from Seattle. Anchorage recently completed extensive remodeling and construction at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport(IATA: ANC) (ICAO: PANC)[2] to help accommodate the upsurge in tourism (unofficial sources have estimated the numbers for 2004 at some four million tourists arriving in Alaska between May and September).

Anchorage is also accessible from the contiguous U.S. (locally referred to as "the Lower 48") and Canada via road. The Alaska Highway starts in northern British Columbia and terminates in Fairbanks. You can either get to Anchorage via the Parks Highway from Fairbanks or the Glenn Highway from Tok (the first major Alaskan town after crossing the Canadian border). The Seward Highway serves traffic entering Anchorage from the Kenai Peninsula to the south and its Alaska Marine Highway System terminals.

Make sure to pick up a copy of The Milepost, which is widely regarded as the premiere road guide for western Canada and Alaska. Most roads in these regions have small white posts every mile or so indicating the number of miles from the start of the road. The Milepost has extremely detailed route descriptions of all of the roads, pointing out everything from scenic viewpoints and campgrounds down to the names of small creeks the roads pass over. If you're flying in to Anchorage and then driving around the state, wait and pick up a copy of The Milepost at one of the local Costcos or WalMarts--the price there is around half of list price.

Many cruise lines provide transportation from their terminals to Anchorage and may even include tours or your return air travel out of the state.

Tours & Getting around Anchorage

While not nearly comparable to the size of major world cities, the developed part of the Municipality of Anchorage (the city itself is several thousand square miles, but much of it is uninhabited and mountainous) is fairly spread out and not very walkable--with the exception of the compact downtown area.

Most of Anchorage is built on a grid system laid out by originally by the railroad: numbered streets run east-west, starting at First Avenue in the extreme north of the city (at the Port and train depot) and ending up in the mid-hundreds at the south edge of town. Lettered streets run north-south, starting at A Street in the middle of downtown and going up to the west; east of A Street, the street names begin with sequential letters and are named after Alaskan cities and towns (Barrow, Cordova, Denali, etc.). This makes finding yourself on a map fairly easy, although the system gets less coherent outside of the downtown area. Note that the Seward Highway becomes Gambell and Ingra streets, while the Glenn Highway becomes 5th and 6th Avenues.

You'll often hear Anchorageites use the following terms when describing areas of town - these areas were originally separate communities that merged as the city grew:

  • Downtown--the historic core of the city located at the northwestern tip next to the waterfront; home to most of the tourist activities, gift stores, hotels, and the railroad depot
  • Midtown--the largely commercial area immediately south of Downtown roughly between 15th Avenue and Tudor Road (becoming more industrial south towards Dimond Boulevard)
  • South Anchorage--Dimond Boulevard and south. Largely suburban and residential with some major commercial development west of the Seward Highway.
  • West Anchorage--the area along the water southwest of Downtown, encompassing the historic Bootlegger's Cove residential area and the famous Earthquake Park
  • Spenard--smashed between Midtown and West Anchorage and spilling over and overlapping the boundaries a bit, it was formerly a separate city and catered to the racier aspects of Anchorage living. It's still a bit of a red-light district, especially along Spenard Road itself. Be careful at night. (The airport is at the extreme west end of the Anchorage peninsula and abuts the southwestern edge of Spenard.)
  • East Anchorage--everything east of the Seward Highway and north of Tudor Road. Mostly residential.
  • Hillside--part of South Anchorage, it's everything east of the Seward Highway and south of Abbott Road. Completely residential, and many homes there are on the ritzier side ($350k and up to over $1.5M, where the average home is about $220k). Anchorageites think of the Hillside like Angelenos do of Beverly Hills--if you own a home there, you must be doing well, even if the trees (or your snowmachine trailer) block your view of the lesser people below). Above the Hillside homes is the immense Chugach State Park, popular for easily accessible hiking. (The most-hiked mountain in Alaska, Flattop Mountain, is fairly easily accessed via the Glen Alps parking area at the top of Upper Huffman Road.)
  • Eagle River, Chugiak, Peters Creek--bedroom suburbs north of the city. Residential only, but provide access to the State Park, especially the Eklutna lake.
  • Bird, Indian, Girdwood--small communities south of the city along the Seward Highway. Very small, tourist service oriented.

Anchorage's Ted Stevens International Airport is serviced by all of the major national rental car chains as well as a number of independents. A few companies have off-airport locations. Renting from these locations avoids the 11-12% airport concession recovery fee and $4.87 per day airport facility fee. If you're arriving in the summer, plan ahead, as most rental companies are pretty much sold out from mid-June through the end of August. In the summer, cars are often not available without reservations, and even if they are, be prepared to pay top-dollar for them, especially four-wheel-drive vehicles. Here are some of the car rental companies serving the Anchorage Airport:

Two main taxi companies serve the Anchorage area: Alaska Yellow Cab and Checker Cab; another company called Aurora Taxi seems to be making a growing appearance. The airport maintains a taxi stand on the arrivals level. As of late 2007, the municipality-set rate for all taxis is $2.00 for the flag drop and $2.00 per mile; the time-based rate is $.50 per minute. The average fare to downtown runs about $15 one way.

Many hotels offer also courtesy shuttle vans that stop at the airport near the taxi stand. Several courtesy phone banks are located inside the baggage claim areas.

If you're determined to save money, you can use the PeopleMover, Anchorage's bus system. [14] As of late 2007, fares are $1.75 per trip or $4 for a day pass. Most bus routes have one bus in each direction per hour, but some routes increase it to two buses per hour during peak times. Buses are frequently late. Route 7 of the PeopleMover, Anchorage's bus system, has a stop located at the far south end of the airport taxi stand area. Every hour, there is one bus going downtown and one bus going to the Dimond Center mall in south Anchorage. If you're riding the bus to the airport, note that only half of the trips on Route 7 stop at the airport, so look for the airplane icon on the bus route display.

Anchorage features an extremely well-developed bike trail system, with over 200 miles of developed trails (120 of which are paved) winding their way throughout the city's parks and three green belts. The popular Tony Knowles Coastal Trail parallels the waterfront from Downtown to Kincaid Park near the airport. Several companies offer bike rentals and trail tours. In the winter, many of the trails are groomed and used as ski trails.

Drivers tend to be aggressive in Anchorage year round, and many of the roads are heavily damaged by severe winter conditions and the use of studded tires. If you are visiting in winter and not used to driving in winter conditions, be very cautious, do not pass, keep excessive following distance, and allow plenty of time to stop. If it's snowing, no matter what time of the day, have your headlights on (the Seward Highway south of Anchorage requires headlights to be on at all times). Keep in mind that a roadway covered with black ice may look completely dry, but provide no traction whatsoever.

Anchorage attractions and sightseeing

  • Alaska Native Heritage Center, 8800 Heritage Center Drive, Phone: (907) 330-8000, [15]. Summer (May 8-Sept 24) Every Day 9-6, Winter (Oct 29-Apr 16) Sat 10-5, General Admission Adults $23.50, Seniors/Military $21.15, Children (Ages 7-16) $15.95, Children (6 and under) free. This is much more than just a static museum of glass display cases. The various native Alaskan cultures are all represented in this center. A large stage holds native dance performances as well as other types of events for visitors. Behind the center, a short trail around the lake takes you to several stations that show aspects of life in each of the native Alaskan cultures with native guides with short demonstrations and happily answering questions. Back inside, many items such as artwork, kayaks and ulu knives are on display. A small theater runs various films and there is a gift shop (with a second location in downtown Anchorage).
  • Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, 43 miles south of Anchorage on Seward Hwy (mile 79), Phone: (907) 783-2025, [16]. Apr-May 10-6, May-Sept 8-8, Sept-May 10-5, Adults $5, Children 4-12 $3, Seniors 55+ $3, Active Military w/ID $3, Max charge per vehicle $20. AWCC provides refuge for orphaned, injured or ill animals. Visitors drive through the park and see animals large fenced habitat areas including bears, eagles, elk, moose, bison, and more.
  • Anchorage Museum of History and Art, 121 W 7th Avenue, Phone: (907) 343-6173, [17]. Summer (15 May-15 September) 9-6, open until 9 PM on Thursdays, Winter (16 September-14 May) Tuesday-Saturday 10-6, Sunday 12-5, closed Monday. Adults $8, 0-6 Free, 6-17 $2 donation, Seniors/Military/Students with ID $7. The Anchorage Museum of History and Art has various traveling exhibits from around the country and the world, and a variety of local art, including pieces from Sydney Lawrence and Ray Troll. The museum also features an extensive exhibit on Alaskan history, and an expansion to be completed in 2009 will feature a children's museum and part of a Smithsonian collection of Alaska Native art.

Anchorage city tours

Wildlife Viewing

The Anchorage area is home to moose, brown and black bears, Dall sheep, and many migratory bird species. A visitor should be able to find moose fairly easily by driving any neighborhood on Anchorage's Hillside (actually the foothills of the Chugach mountains). It is not uncommon to hear of bears being spotted in residential areas, but visitors who hope to see wild bears should plan excursions to either Denali or Katmai National Parks. Dall sheep, a species similar to the big-horn sheep found in the American Rockies, can usually be spotted by driving down the Seward Highway south of Anchorage. A good way to spot sheep is to notice congregations of other tourists photographing them. A good place to view waterfowl and eagles is Potter's Marsh, located immediately south of Anchorage on the Seward Highway.

Walking/Biking

One of the best places to walk or bike to get to know Anchorage would have to be the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. Awesome views. Starting from downtown, it's a well maintained 14 mile paved track around the coast, with housing developments and forests on one side, and the ocean of Cook Inlet on the other. You can come back via an inland loop right around the airport. This has some on-road sections, but takes you past Lake Hood, a busy and interesting seaplane base. It's a very popular track for bikers and joggers during the summer months. For a more challenging hike, drive east on O'Malley Road (south Anchorage) and follow signs for Glen Alps. There is a $5 day parking fee at the trail head. From this launching point there are numerous hiking options for all levels, including a climb up Flattop (Anchorage's most popular day-hike), the "ballpark", Hidden Lake, Ship Lake Pass, etc. There is also a mountain biking trail leading up towards Powerline Pass. This is a great place to see moose in the summer and offers the best view of the city of Anchorage within a 5 minute walk of the parking lot (parking is free if you stay 30 minutes or less). All the trails are well maintained and there is little risk of being lost in the immediate area, however, for the maximum experience it's a good idea to bring water and plan your hike with a great guide such as "55 Ways to the Wilderness", Southcentral Alaska or Chugach State Park editions, available online or at any local Alaskan bookseller.

  • Coastal Trail Rentals,LLC Located on the shore of the Lake Hood Seaplane Base near the Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage and minutes from the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. You get the lowest pricing on bike rentals in Anchorage beginning @ $15 as well as an opportunity to go on guided mountain biking or paved trail tours. This is the only place in Anchorage to rent an electric-assist equipped bicycle which are also used for their one-of-a-kind tour of the "Bird to Gird" trail. Tours also offered for Kincaid Park if you'd like to mountain bike in Anchorage with a guide familiar with this incredible trail system. (907) 301-2165 ...Complimentary airport shuttle to and from the Millennium Hotel by calling (907) 243-2300...
  • Downtown Bicycle Rental, Inc Located on 4th Avenue in downtown Anchorage two streets away from the start of the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. You can get great pricing on bike rentals as well as excellent suggestions and advice on bicycle and hiking routes in and around Anchorage.

Ski/Snowboard

  • Alyeska Resort located in Girdwood about 40 miles south of Anchorage on the Seward Highway is Alaska's largest alpine (downhill) ski resort. Alyeska often has the highest annual snowfall of any ski area in North America and has a wide array of intermediate and expert terrain. Beginner terrain is fairly limited, but Alyeska has a fairly good ski and snowboard instruction program so it is not a bad place to learn.
  • Hilltop Ski Area is located in south Anchorage about 15 minutes from downtown. It is a fairly small area in the Chugach foothills with one chairlift and a surface lift and exclusively beginner terrain.
  • Alpenglow at Arctic Valley is a volunteer operated resort with two chairlifts and a T-bar. While the terrain is not as steep as some of the expert-only terrain at Alyeska, it is not for beginners and the snow is often windblown and hard. Alpenglow offers free lift tickets for volunteers, and thus is a great option for ski bums and budget travelers.
  • Hillberg Ski Area is located on Elmendorf Airforce Base to the north of downtown Anchorage, and is technically open to the public. Civilians who don't have authorization to enter the base must be signed in and escorted by someone who does. Hillberg has only beginner terrain, but tends to have shorter lift lines than Hilltop making it a better option for people who can get access.
  • Chugach Powder Guides offers helicopter and snow-cat skiing in the Chugach mountains with a professional guide for advanced intermediate to expert skiers and boarders.

Rugby

Anchorage has three mens' rugby teams that play from April to September. Want to pick up a game while you are here or join a team? http://www.birdcreekrfc.com/ or http://www.thunderbirds.20m.com

Anchorage souvenirs & shopping

  • Anchorage Market and Festival, [18]. Saturdays & Sundays (mid May-mid Sept) at 3rd Ave. and E St. (10-6), Wednesdays (Jul-Aug) in the Northway Mall parking lot (11-5), free entry. Several hundred vendors offer all sorts of items in this large open air market. Items include fresh produce, fresh local seafood, prepared food, arts and crafts, souvenirs, etc. Some items could be found anywhere in the lower 48 but many items are truly Alaskan.
  • Dimond Center, The largest mall in the entire State of Alaska. Dimond Center also features an ice rink, movie theaters, and a bowling alley.
  • Fifth Avenue Mall, Usually considered Anchorage's nicest mall, it is attached to the original JCPenney Building and it also has skywalk access to the only Nordstrom store in Alaska. There are 2 parking garages which are connected to the mall, The old JCPenney's garage on 6th avenue, via Penney's; and the 5th Avenue Mall Garage between 5th and 6th avenue
  • Boniface Mall Mostly empty and used by the Anchorage School District
  • Sears Mall This mall is convenient to visitors getting on the Seward Highway; however, this mall is just like the mall in every other town in America. The Lenscrafters is the same as the Lenscrafters in any other city.
  • Northway Mall
  • Northern Lights Shopping Mall Strip mall
  • Valley River Shopping Mall Strip mall in the bedroom community of Eagle River (about 10 miles north of Anchorage)
  • University Plaza Mall

There are also myriad touristy gift stores downtown. Quality and selection varies.

Anchorage Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Budget

  • Arctic Roadrunner, two locations, 5300 Old Seward Hwy, (907) 561-1245, and 2477 Arctic Blvd, (907) 279-7311. An Alaskan institution and consistently voted Anchorage's best burger. Kitschy Alaskana on the walls, including plaques and portraits of longtime Alaskans and longtime Arctic Roadrunner customers. Also try the halibut burger and homemade onion ring pieces. Cash only; "no checks since 1972."
  • City Diner Run by local celebrity "Chef Al" Levinsohn, famous for his other restaurant in town (Kincaid Grill). City Diner has some of the best sandwiches in town; the monte cristo is to die for and the sliders are amazing.
  • Gwennie's An Alaskan institution; must be seen to be understood. Down home Americana meets Alaska (think sourdough pancakes and reindeer sausage). Extremely touristy but also popular with the locals for good prices and big portions. Old-time Alaskan rusty things hanging on the walls.
  • Taco King/Burrito King, four locations: 113 W Northern Lights Blvd # D, (907) 276-7387; 3561 E Tudor Rd, (907) 868-761; 1330 Huffman Rd # C, (907) 336-5601; and 111 W 38th Ave, (907) 569-2900. 10a-10p. Possibly the best (and fastest) Mexican food in Anchorage (not saying a whole lot, but it holds its own against places closer to the border) and with insanely great (for Alaska) prices if you get the right thing. $6-8.

    This page was last edited at 00:22, on 24 December 2008 by Chris Luth. Based on work by Lorne, Wikitravel user(s) Hayfield and Biggie54, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.

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