Anchor-Town

Looking back at Anchorage from Earthquake Park, the magestic Chugach mountains  in the background.                 Photo by Judi Hussain

I may be a minority of one, but I LIKE Anchorage. Before Gayle and I visited  in September, 2011, I'd heard it wasn't a pretty city. To me, it's lovely for a couple of reasons.

We were there in the middle of September, and the streets were filled with flowers, both planted and in baskets. I love flowers of all shapes, sizes and colors, and there were profusions in bloom. Besides that, Anchorage is an eminently walkable city. Contrary to Outsiders' perceptions, downtown ANC is flat and at sea level. That means those of us living at 3,000 feet really notice the elevation difference. It's quite possible to cover a lot of ground in a short time and not even feel tired.

Gayle and I stayed at the Westmark Hotel, so when I noted that the Road Scholar program would be housed there, I was really pleased, because I knew we were in the center of the action. Honestly I didn't realize just how central we'd be until we got info on the Iditarod Ceremonial Start. But that's a story for another post.

Just four or five blocks from the Westmark is the Anchorage Museum, a must-see if you're ever in ANC. The displays of Native art and culture must rank among the best in the world.

If you have a hankering to shop, the Fifth Street Mall provides a wide selection of stores. Nordstrom's is just across the street. The Denai'na Center, where the Mushers' Banquet is held, is two blocks down. Across the street is the People Mover, the public transit system. It's a great place to know about, but one you might not want to frequent after dark. Just sayin'.

Another block down is Oomingmak, the Native-operated store that specializes in products made of musk-ox wool, the warmest fabric known. The fabric weighs nearly nothing yet a neck warmer made of it keeps you toasty. It isn't inexpensive, though, because it takes time and talent to be able to weave it.

Fourth and D, where the Ceremonial Start begins, is two blocks up and two blocks over. And while you're walking there, you can stop by the Alaska Public Lands Building, operated by the National Park Service, and view their exhibits or watch a film about the sled dogs of Denali National Park.

The streets are lined with art galleries and trinket shops, a buyer's paradise, especially if you're lucky enough to be in the city on First Friday, which we were. On First Friday most of the galleries, book stores and gift stores stay open late, offer samples of wine and hors d'oeuvre and other treats, all aimed at enticing you to purchase. Both Jon Van Zyle, the official artist of the Iditarod, and Albert Lewis, who created the phenomenal Born to Run: Athletes of the Iditarod, had exhibits that evening.  We didn't manage to get to either one because we decided it was a must to go see the Ice Sculptures on display down at Shipyard Park.