Anchorage Travel Guide

Anchorage Travel Guide

By far Alaska's largest and most sophisticated city, Anchorage is situated in a truly spectacular location. The permanently snow-covered peaks and volcanoes of the Alaska Range lie to the west of the city, part of the craggy Chugach Range is actually within the eastern edge of the municipality, and the Talkeetna and Kenai ranges are visible to the north and south. On clear days Mt. McKinley looms on the northern horizon, and two arms of Cook Inlet embrace the town's western and southern borders.

Anchorage Hotel Reviews
While other cities see new hotels pop up, seemingly, out of nowhere, the Anchorage hotel scene tends to stay rather consistent. Most of the major chains have a place in town, and there are some strong independents as well. If you're traveling without a car, consider staying Downtown, where the hotels are just steps away from shops and restaurants. Anchorage is also home to many B&Bs. Go that route if you want to hop right into learning about the Alaskan way of life—it's hard to find a local who doesn't have good stories to tell. For a listing of hotels, contact the Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau. Reservations are must for the major hotels, especially during the summer months.

Anchorage Sights
Anchorage is a pedestrian- and bike-friendly city. Downtown Anchorage's flower-lined streets are easily explored on foot, and several businesses rent bicycles. The grid plan was laid out by the Army Corps of Engineers, and streets and avenues run exactly east-west and north-south, with numbers in the first direction and letters of the alphabet or Alaska place-names (Barrow, Cordova, Denali, etc.) in the other. The only aberration is the absence of a J Street—a concession, some say, to the city's early Swedish settlers, who had difficulty pronouncing the letter. You'll need a car for longer stays, expeditions, and to reach some of the city's better restaurants without relying on taxis.