Have you ever wondered how it would be to lose into the magic of Anchorage? Enjoy its soothing breeze and level up your vibration! Enveloped with the Chugach Mountains, Anchorage is the biggest city and commercial area in Alaska. Defused with a modern style, this city has upgraded itself after the 1964 earthquake and tsunami. This city draws urbanities’ attention of urbanites with its bouquet of culture.
However, one thing that attracts the tourists and residents the most is its free access to the wild landscapes. This Anchorage jaunt involves places such as Denali National Park and the fjord-Riddle Coast. One of the easiest to reach is the Mount Alyeska Resort. You can relish the year-round skiing, the famous portage glacier and the peninsula of Kenai.
Anchorage has been Alaska’s central traffic hub, welcoming various international airlines in their world’s most extensive seaplane base. The railroad of Alaska runs through Anchorage, connecting its picturesque culture with the region’s rich history. Let us dive deeper into the rich culture of Anchorage.
SHOOT THE BREEZE AT ALASKA NATIONAL HERITAGE CENTER
Make the Hawaiian airlines reservations and travel to your favorite destination Alaska without burning a hole in your pocket, you can not miss exploring its cultural heritage. To begin with, the Alaska National Heritage Center is ideal. You can get a pretty good idea about the 11 Indigenous groups of Alaska. You can kick start from these locations and move forward with the rest of the destinations in the city. Six traditional residents envelop the Turkana lake at the Heritage Center. Each village offers different artifacts and beautiful experiences.
You can participate in the cultural dance, games and art contents and having a well-versed guide can be a treasure. This center depicts the regional and local artwork in a section called “hall of cultures”, and also a theater presents educational movies and series all day long.
If you wish for further tour elaboration, you can opt for a guided Anchorage City Tour and receive a great insight into the city defining culture. This is a two-hour tour that stops at specific landmarks and spaces representing biodiversity. This is an easier way to explore the city rather than doing it on your own.
ENJOY YOUR WHITTIER DAY CRUISE
Spellbinding glaciers at the tidewater merge with the flow of Prince William Sound, also the dangling glaciers resting on the peaks. Witness this magic on an afternoon cruise. You are most likely to meet seals, sea birds, otters, and, if lucky enough, even whales. If you are fond of calmness, you can catch the morning train departing from downtown Anchorage via picturesque landscapes into Whittier. You can hop back to Anchorage after the dinner cruise. You can even buy snacks on the train if you wish to.
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You can experience the best of all the landscapes if you have your car. You can stop at multiple locations and capture the beauty of the scene, such as Turnagain Arm and Portage Glacier Road. Begich Boggs Visitor centre is the place for you if you have a keen interest in the glaciers, climate, wildlife, and salmons. After crossing the 2.5-mile memorial tunnel of Anton Anderson, you will see yourself in Whitter. This one-way tunnel, platforming cars and trains, follows a strict schedule for crossing the same.
PLAN A TOUR TO THE MATANUSKA GLACIER
After just a 2.5 hours drive from Anchorage, you will encounter the welcoming Matanuska Glacier and enjoy a day full of adventure sports such as Ice Climbing, River Rafting etc. drive through the beauty of Matanuska Glacier state to 101 Mile, sit back and capture pictures at the recreational sites of Matanuska Glacier state. You can grab a meal at a nearby restaurant. On the other hand, you can visit a private road near the glacier for only $30 per person. Now you can either initiate exploring it all by yourself or hire a guide if you are not confident enough.
You can pick your adventuring experience via a set of guided activities even if you do not have any previous experience. River rafting at the Matanuska River and a guided trek on the glacier can give a good idea of its icy surface, fissures and pools. Even kids can perform some of them.
THE BEAR VIEWING
One of the wildest and astonishing trips you can take is the bear viewing. Fly to the city passing the cook inlet, the congregated area of brown bears where they meet up and get fat together before their hibernation. You do not have to worry much about them chasing you; salmon consumes them entirely. Therefore, they pay no attention to humans! It is so exciting to watch them fishing, playing and training their cubs on their home ground. Enjoy your day starting and ending on a float plane to either Lake Clark National park or Katmai National Park. View the braids of glaciers, volcanoes and biodiversity like all sheep, whales or moose. It will cost you around $700 per person.
BETAKE YOURSELF TO ANCHORAGE MUSEUM AT RASMUSON CENTRE
You can get a variety of Indigenous historical artifacts in this glass-fronted building of Alaska. It features various travelling displays all across the world. Go to the first floor and step into the Spark!lab. It displays various researches and technologies put forward by young researchers. The permanent base holds the art of the North. It is a great outing idea for families.
You can get other visual entertainments such as cosmos oriented educational films and other movies focusing specifically on human wellness and the environment.
RIDE A BIKE ON TONY KNOWLES COASTAL TRAIL
Cutting the Anchorage shoreline short by 11 miles, the coastal walking and biking trail will take you to the southwest from downtown. You can start the route from the oldest home of the city, Oscar Anderson House, to the earthquake park. You can even feel how the earthquake would have swallowed stretches of shoreline.
Sightsee wildlife such as moose and beluga whales at the famous routes. The route will guide you to the city’s most defining landscapes, such as Denali and the Chugach Mountains and the downtown skyline.
Go for the most renowned method to cross the trial, i.e., through a bicycle. If you do not have a two-wheeler, you can also rent a bike at affordable rates.
TRY FLY-IN FISHING
Your Alaskan trip is incomplete if you don’t try Fly-in fishing for salmon or trout. Look out on the Anchorage to Matanuska ravine and enter the back country’s prime fishing spots. Don’t sweat if you have never experienced it before; you can still enjoy it. Just follow the guided options coming in handy with the fishing gears, and you are good to go already! If you decide to make this trip independently, you can bring your equipment.
VISIT THE CHUGACH STATE PARK
It is one of the largest parks in the US. Blanketed by 700 miles of astonishment, this rough geography accommodates wolves, bears, lynx, moose etc. people usually visit here for hiking, skiing and camping.
Its borders include the east meeting the ocean at several points. Destinations such as Chugach National Forest draws tourists to its Portage Glacier.
TOUCH THE SKY WITH RUST’S
Rust’s Flying services has been in the field since 1963, providing sightseeing tours on their seaplane to national parks and some nearby glaciers. It’s quite an institution in the area. This plane will take you to the fishing lodges in the remote regions of Alaska.
If you ornate a romantic fantasy of being on a plane with “the one”. You are seriously going to love it! Russ’s flight experience is no less than sightseeing. Departing from the lake hood, the world’s biggest seaplane base of seaplanes. You can hop right into the Alaskan Aviation Heritage Museum.
VISIT ALASKA WILDLIFE CONSERVATION CENTER
Let Allegiant airlines book a flight and take you to Alaska at an affordable fare so you could reach this place in an hour from southeast of Anchorage. The wildlife sanctuary accommodates unwell or orphaned animals from the area. Often letting them stay permanently. You can tour this area throughout the year and observe bison, owls, elk, moose, eagles, lynx and wolves.
The NGO takes the initiative in researching these animals and enlightening the general people about the wildlife in Alaska. It offers volunteer opportunities that are best for people who wish to enhance their conversational efforts. If interested you can take various classes, tours and other programs.
Don’t think twice and book a guided tour and make sure it has round trip transportation services. There are various services like Wilderness, Wildlife, and Glacier services, making sure you get the most out of your tour and take you to different picturesque spots. The proficient narration is easy to grasp and make sure you do not miss out anything.
Conclusion
Through this blog’s medium, we compiled the top ten things to do in Anchorage, such as visiting the Alaska National Heritage Centre, day cruise, touring to Matanuska Glacier and so on. These are the things you just can’t afford to miss. Each holds a unique essence, which is more than enough to make you feel fulfilled. Apart from this there are various parks you can visit such as wildlife parks which even offer volunteer opportunities to people looking to enhance their conversational skills. One of the most interesting things you can do is fly-in fishing or take Rust’s flying services, this can even serve your romantic fantasies.
