Wondering what to
do with a day in Anchorage? Here are some helpful ideas
but there
is so much to do that it is better if you have more than one day. |
| |
| 1. It is best
to rent a car to get around. They can be as little as $40 a day. To take cabs
all day would cost a lot more. With the sun coming up in the very early am and
setting around midnight there is a lot to see. |
|
| 2. Take a
walking tour of downtown. With just a two hour tour you will get to see why almost
500,000 people call this home. To arrange a guided tour talk with your hotel concierges
and the tour operators. |
|
| 3. Visit the
Native Heritage Center. Here you will get to see firsthand the culture and beliefs
of our Natives. Enjoy the Native dances, story-telling, sings, representations
of homes, huts and their villages. See the spectacular art work and artifacts
of the different Native Cultures. |
| |
| 4. Take a
tour of the Anchorage Museum of Art and Natural History. Our museum is world class.
From the historical displays to the current works of art, you could easily spend
the whole day there. |
| |
| 5. Visit the
Alaska Railroad Museum. Here you will get to see how significant the railway system
was to developing Alaska and how it protected us in WWII. |
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| 6. Ship Creek
Salmon Run. In season this waterway is full of salmon and fisherman. It is a sight
to see them fighting their way up stream. |
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| 7. If you
are interested in gift shops and antique stores there is an assortment for you
along Fourth Ave. As you stroll along the Avenue there are great shops and when
you get hungry there is an assortment of great places to eat all around you. |
|
| 8. Anchorage
Performing Arts Center. Located in the middle of the hotels and downtown this
is a great opportunity to take in one of the short features about wolves, glaciers
or the northern lights. |
|
| 9. Experience
the great Alaska Earthquake of 1964. Stop at the Experience Theater and see the
movie and experience the feeling of the earthquake that made world history and
changed Anchorage and Alaska forever. |
|
| 10. Eagle
River Nature Center. A short drive north and you can enjoy a nature hike, an interpretive
tour of the center or just the great outdoors and the chance to see some of the
wildlife. |
|
| 11. Flattop
Mountain and Lookout. Drive up O'Malley Road and follow the signs. In just a 10
minute stroll you will get to see the best lookout of the city and the surrounding
200 miles. If you are up for more of a challenge try the climb to the top of the
mountain. |
|
| 12. Potter's
Marsh. As you head south of Anchorage just outside the city is Potter's Marsh
and Nature Preserve. As you walk along the boardwalk you will be immersed in the
middle of ducks, geese, waterfowl and an occasional moose.. |
|
| 13. Beluga
Point. In just a 10 minute ride south of Anchorage you can park and look out at
the water at high tide and watch for the white backs of the Beluga whales. If
you turn around and look at the mountains behind you see if you can see some of
the Dahl Sheep that like to hang out there |
|
| 14. The Alaska
Zoo. Here you will get to expand your knowledge of the Arctic wildlife. With the
zoo small enough to cover in a short time there is still a wide variety of animals
to see. |
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| 15. Take a
stroll along the Tony Knowles Trail. This is a fully paved trail that winds along
the Cook Inlet shorelines around Anchorage. You can rent a bike or just walk along
this 11.5 mile trail. |
|
|
16.
Earthquake Park. Located at the halfway mark of the Tony Knowles trails. Here
you will get to see some of the devastation from the earthquake and the tides.
|
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| 17. Lake Hood.
At the entrance to the International Airport is the largest float plane "lake-port"
in the world. Park behind the Dept. of Transportation along the "runway"
and with the planes land and take off. |
