Anchorage
The City of Lights and Flowers
General Information
Other Name: Municipality of Anchorage , District: Alaska, State: West, United States of America
Area: 0 -
Languages Spoken: English
Long Distance Code: +1 907
Importance: -
Best Time to Visit: May to August and -
International Access: -Description
Anchorage is a consolidated city-borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is Alaska`s largest city and constitutes more than 40 percent of the state`s total population. Anchorage has been named All-America City four times, in 1956, 1965, 1984/85, and 2002, by the National Civic League. Anchorage is located in South Central Alaska. It lies slightly farther north than Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki and St. Petersburg. It is northeast of the Alaska Peninsula, Kodiak Island, and Cook Inlet, due north of the Kenai Peninsula, northwest of Prince William Sound and Alaska Panhandle, and nearly due south of Mount McKinley/Denali. The city`s seacoast consists mostly of treacherous mudflats. Newcomers and tourists are warned not to walk in this area because of extreme tidal changes and sticky mud. A diverse wildlife population exists in urban Anchorage and the surrounding area. Approximately 250 black bears and 60 grizzly bears live in the area. Bears are regularly sighted within the city. Moose are a common sight.Location
In the Southcentral region.Climate
Subarctic climate
The Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum is ideally located on the south shore of Lake Hood, the world''s busiest floatplane lake. It''s a tribute to Alaska''s colorful bush pilots and their faithful planes - housed inside are 25 planes along with historic photos and displays of pilots'' achievements, from the first flight to Fairbanks (1913) to the early history of Alaska Airlines.
The Alaska Native Heritage Center is spread over 26 acres, and has a theater and exhibition space devoted to the history, lifestyle and arts of Native Alaskans. In open studios, artists carve baleen or sew skin-boats, and surrounding a small lake in the center are five replica village settings - Athabascan, Yupik, Inupiat, Aleut and Tlingit/Haida.The centre''s main museum houses exhibits on traditional arts and sciences - including kayaks and rain gear that rival whatever hikers are using at Denali National Park. It also features various dance and singing performances. Outside, examples of typical structures from the Aleut, Yupik, Tlingit and other tribes are arranged around a picturesque lake.
The unique wildlife of the Arctic is on display at the Alaska Zoo, the only zoo in North America that specializes in northern animals, including three species of Alaskan bears, snow leopards, Amur tigers and Tibetan yaks.
If you''re not ready to be face-to-face with the grizzly wilds, grab a latte and stroll over to this city park, known locally as the ''Park Strip''. The greenbelt is a good place for a lie-down on a warm afternoon.
This already impressive museum, a showcase for the state''s history, art and indigenous culture, is undergoing a total renovation that will almost double its size when it''s finished in 2009. It will have glass walls housing exhibits, large windows framing views of Anchorage and an observation area where visitors can gaze at the Alaska Range.Known as the ''Painter of the North'', Sydney Laurence (1865-1940) is given due honour here. His most impressive work, a painting of Mt McKinley, is the centrepiece of the historical art collection; there is also a room devoted to oils by the artist, who divided his life between panning for gold and painting.
The kids will love Alaska Wild Berry Products. Inside the sprawling gift shop is a chocolate waterfall; outside there''s a short nature trail that leads to a handful of reindeer that kids can feed and pet.