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More than half of Alaska'a residents live in this recreational paradise. Here autumn puts on a gorgeous show. Anchorage, a square-mile repository of Alaska history, wilderness, glaciers, and wildlife, is the southern hub of a busy transportation network linking the diverse regions of Alaska. Only minutes away, Portage Glacier, Mount Alyeska, and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, offer limitless year round opportunities for enjoying the Alaska outdoors.
Scheduled and charter aircraft provide instant access to wilderness Anchorage's Lake Hood Air Harbor is the largest float-plane base in the world. The winter includes the exciting festival of Fur Rendezvous in February, the start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race the first Saturday in March and winterlong skiing, skating, sledding, dogsledding and performing arts opportunities.
North of Anchorage lie many historic communities. The first reached along the Glenn Highway is Eagle River.
Southcentral Alaska travel information including Travel Planning for your next Alaska vacation. Listing of Alaska travel services for Southcentral Alaska. A great travel guide for your next Southcentral Alaska vacation. Order free Southcentral Alaska travel.
The Native "spirit houses" and hand hewn Russian shrines found just a few miles beyond Eagle River at Eklutna should not be missed. Farms nestle under craggy mountains in the Matanuska Valley, a 20 minute drive beyond Eklutna. Alaska cruises and complete Alaska cruisetour vacation packages.
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Alaska's Stoney Creek Inn. Copper River Salmon Charters. King and red salmon fishing at it's finest in the Copper River valley near Gakona Alaska. Kenai River Sportfishing Lodge.
Experience world-class fishing on the Kenai River with our professional guides. Relax in our private cabins at night after a delicious meal. Kachemak Bay Wilderness Lodge. Alaska's premier wilderness lodge features a myriad of outdoor activities, fishing, fine cuisine and excellent lodging in stunning surroundings. Angels Rest Resurrection Bay. Incredibly charming modern waterfront cabins just south of Seward. These tiny homes away from home offer great views of wildlife and scenery!
Alaskan Angler RV Resort. Furnished cabins, modern RV resort, fish processing, and special package pricing make for a great Kenai Penisula fishing experience. Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge. As the only Alaska wilderness lodge within Kenai Fjords National Park, a stay here is sure to be a unique and memorable Alaska vacation experience. Guided inclusive vacation packages visit Alaska destinations like Fairbanks, Denali Park and Anchorage.
Alaska Internet Travel Guide. Browse hundreds of Alaska vacation options, request information Elias and enjoy glacier flightseeing along the way. Day and overnight packages. Guided wilderness adventure trips to Alaska's protected lands, including stays at our premier wilderness lodges, guided hiking, kayaking and rafting.
Sunny Cove Sea Kayaking. Alaska Visitor Industry Charit. The Alaska Native Heritage Center is the first-ever visitor attraction to share Alaska Native traditions through educational programs. Visitors enter the Center through the Welcome House, which has interpretative displays, a theater hosting a film presentation and daily performances of traditional Native dance troupes. A trail will introduce visitors to Native Tradition Bearers, artists and performers as they tour five village exhibits surrounding a lake on the acre campus.
At Crow Creek Mine, visitors can pan for gold as miners did nearly one hundred years earlier, or hike part of the famous Iditarod Trail, which linked the port town of Seward with interior towns and villages before the advent of rail and roads. Alaska is renowned for its outdoor life, replete with cool, clear air, breathtaking scenery and accessible wilderness.
Seasonal activities include wildlife photography, hiking and climbing, horseback riding, fishing, hunting, target shooting, boating, rafting, biking, camping, golfing, tennis, dog sledding, ice skating, skiing and snowmobiling. For Nordic skiing enthusiasts, Anchorage is among the top competitive venues in the world, having hosted U. Olympic trials for cross country and biathlon competitions.
More than parks offer a variety of trails and open spaces for all types of ski touring. Within the Municipality of Anchorage there are three downhill ski areas to accommodate alpine skiers at any level of proficiency. Fur-cloaked trappers and parka-clad Alaska Natives perched on the runners of birch dogsleds are the images most frequently envisioned by visitors when they think of Alaska.
Anchorage also offers sports fans the opportunity to watch some of the highest quality athletic events anywhere in the world from the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race to collegiate volleyball, basketball and hockey. Extolling the unique aspects of frontier life, this event celebrates the camaraderie of the Last Frontier.
Two weeks of festivities include authentic Native Alaskan blanket toss, Native arts, river ice bowling, the Frostbite foot race and a host of other wacky events. Anchorage lies in close proximity to several locations for trophy-class salmon and trout fishing, including the nearby Susitna River drainage. This area is known worldwide for its tackle-busting king salmon and anglers often return with fish weighing in excess of 65 pounds.
The dates for are June , from 6am to 11pm, closing at noon the final day with award ceremony following. The derby is a fundraiser for the Downtown Soup Kitchen, with lots of great prizes and fun for all ages. Saltwater fishing for halibut, salmon and ling cod is outstanding and easily accessible from nearby Homer on the Kenai Peninsula or Whittier and Seward on Prince William Sound.
Non-resident fishing licenses are available from the Department of Fish and Game, or from many local hotels, sporting goods stores and air taxis. There are many rafting adventures awaiting the Anchorage visitor. The thrill of shooting a narrow canyon, or the tranquility of floating down Old Man River are both just a short distance from your hotel. Alaska travelers are demanding value from their vacations, and Anchorage offers tremendous opportunities to see and enjoy Alaska on a budget. Here are some free or low-cost attractions found in the Anchorage area: Birds of Alaska, wolverines, wolves, brown, black and polar bears, moose, musk oxen, caribou and many other Alaska animals share space with exotic creatures including amur tigers, Bactrian camels, and yaks.
In the summer months a guided, behind the scenes tour is offered daily through the grounds, with even closer looks at some of the animals. The Zoo also has a coffee shop and small gift store. The museum also presents a full calendar of public programs and art classes. Beginning life as a public-private partnership to celebrate the th anniversary of the purchase of Alaska from Russia, the Anchorage Museum opened its doors in with an exhibition of 60 borrowed Alaska paintings and a collection of 2, historic and ethnographic objects loaned from the local historical society.
The Imaginarium Discovery Center houses an interactive science center offering hands-on exhibits for visitors of all ages to explore earth, life and physical sciences, as well as the TOTE KidSpace where children through the age of 5 and their parents can explore art, history and science through play. The Thomas Planetarium hosts educational, entertaining films, and presentations that explore the night sky.
Noon - 6 PM Closed on Mondays. Founded in , Alaska Wild Berry uses only wild-harvested berries and carries hundreds of varieties of chocolates, as well as jams and jellies, syrups and sauces, exotic meats and cheeses, smoked salmon and halibut, Alaska books and DVDs, gift packages, Native Ulu knives and an array of canine cookies.
Enjoy live entertainment, including singing, dancing and fiddling, in the gift shop and take a tour of the candy kitchens. The excitement is tangible as the dogs bolt through the streets to begin their quest in the Last Great Race, which relives the life-saving efforts of mushers to transport serum to the town of Nome when it was struck by a diphtheria epidemic in the early s.
A Cessna can carry 2 or 3 passengers and gear, while a PA carries only one passenger but is best suited to short, rough landing areas. There are quick commuter flights to Kenai and Homer. This would be a fun section of bigger stronger water to finish your trip with. Lower Skilak Lake Campground. Top Reasons To Go. King and red salmon fishing at it's finest in the Copper River valley near Gakona Alaska.
The course includes a full marathon, half marathon and 5K run. Anchorage RunFest With a marathon, half marathon, 5K and one-mile run, this event takes place in August along one of the most scenic routes of any national race.
The Tour of Anchorage A winter tradition for cross-country skiers of all abilities. More than 1, participants annually make this March event the second largest ski marathon in the nation. Grandview Experience A tour offered by the Alaska Railroad that transports passengers to the remote and majestic Grandview Glacier. Passengers can opt to disembark right after viewing the glacier and river raft the remaining portion of the trip to Seward.
GCI Great Alaska Shootout One of the premier collegiate basketball tournaments in the country takes place annually during the Thanksgiving holiday. Alyeska Blueberry Festival At scenic Mt. Alyeska in September, this annual event celebrates one of the most important factors of Native Alaska life - berries.