ANCHORAGE TRAVELOGUE

ANCHORAGE TRAVELOGUE

by Craig VanTrees – October 2002

I took the trip to Alaska the first weekend of October 2002 because this time officially marks the beginning of fall for Alaskans. (And this time of the year is the optimum for fall foliage viewing.) I wanted my first time to be devoid of gawking tourists, inflated prices, and obnoxious RV’s blocking my view of the terrain. I was not disappointed! My stay was roughly 3 days & 3 nights. It takes about 7 hours to fly to Anchorage, AK from Atlanta, GA; but with my connection in Salt Lake, it took 8. Although I did some previous research on Alaska, I didn’t want to stay for a long period of time in case it was a disappointment. How I wish I’d planned a week or two to explore!

Note on Alaskan weather – it was in the 40’s and 50’s during my stay in Anchorage. The weather constantly changes from rainy to sunny, so it’s best to bring layered clothing and rain protective gear. As Anchorage (and cities like Juneau in the temperate rain forests of the Inside Passage) borders the Pacific Ocean, it has a mild maritime climate: cold in the summer and warm in the winter. In fact, their winters are milder than cities like Indianapolis, IN; Duluth, MN; and Denver, CO.

Day 1 – Friday: explore Anchorage. With a population of roughly 300,000 people, Anchorage is surprisingly compact. Due to regulations and the fact that the government owns most of Alaska, there just isn’t much land available for cities to sprawl like they can in the “lower 48.” I found it easy to walk around Anchorage. They have malls and regular businesses just like anywhere else. It was clean, safe, and scenic with the panoramic view of the Alaskan range in the horizon.

Given my jet lag, I ended the day early in a local pub and met many interesting natives. By the end of the night, everyone had suggestions as to where I should go and what I should do. I also learned all the things that the web sites and brochures forgot to mention about Alaska. More on this later.

Day 2 – Saturday: Through the Kenai peninsula to Seward. The Kenai (pronounced “keen-eye” peninsula) is the large mass of land directly south of Anchorage. The drive from Anchorage to Seward was gorgeous. In fact, I stopped many times along the way to grab some pictures and absorb the surroundings. Most of this area is fjords, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, marshes, glaciers, forests, ocean, and snow capped mountains. Basically, it’s a wet, green playground for those with an adventurous spirit. If you don’t like the outdoors, then there’s probably not a place in Alaska for you.

I saw a lake fed by a river that immediately grabbed my attention. Never have I seen water of this color. It was a chalky turquoise (closer to blue, though) that was extremely clear. As I approached Seward, I saw signs for Exit Glacier. I opted to hike up to the glacier, witnessing glacial silt and primary succession revealed by glacial recession. Seeing the glacier, I realized that the blue water I’d admired earlier was a product of glacial melt.

Then dinner in the town of Seward--Seward is a quaint town bordering the Pacific Ocean. I had locally caught Halibut and decided to head back to Anchorage as the sun was starting to set. Once again, I checked out the pubs in Anchorage to hear some more juicy, local gossip.

Day 3 – Sunday: souvenir shopping and the sojourn to Matanuska glacier. I spent most of Sunday morning looking for Christmas gifts in Anchorage. It’s not hard to find a place for souvenirs, but it is difficult to find reasonably priced native Alaskan arts and crafts. After 3 hours, I did find such a place, and I decided to drive to Matanuska glacier for my last sight-seeing fling. The locals said the glacier was about an hour and a half north of Anchorage on highway 1, before the Alaskan pipeline crossing. Although I looked everywhere, I saw no grand Matanuska glacier. I did see huge glacial melt rivers and lakes, but I never saw a sign or a place to park. The drive, however, was worth it. I crawled over steep mountains and had sunny views of unspoiled wilderness. I drove back to Anchorage just in time to witness the most unusual sunset that I’ve ever seen.

One last final stop in the pubs: I reflected on all that I witnessed during such a short trip. Although friendly, I learned the locals do not care much for tourism or tourists. And I understand why: there are not many roads in Alaska. During the summer the residents are forced to endure thousands of gigantic RV’s strolling down their highways. As the roads are narrow and twisting, it is hard to pass and visibility is low.

The roads may be few, but land is more scarce. I heard numerous complaints of the government owning all the land in Alaska. Every year there is a lottery, and a few lucky citizens are presented with the opportunity to buy land from the state. Of course, there is no sprawl and little light pollution, but people are forced to live real close to each other. Another item the brochures forget to mention is the weather. It rains often in Anchorage, but the rain is gentle and slow. There can be clouds and mist, but if you drive 5 miles in any direction it could be sunny. The locals will be sure to tell you how Anchorage is in “the bowl” meaning that it traps all sorts of weather. Despite the difficulty that nature presents, Alaska is majestic place. I plan to visit again to see more of America’s “final frontier.”