ANCHORAGE Nestled between the beautiful Chugach Mountains and the Cook Inlet in southcentral Alaska, Anchorage was originally intended as a railroad construction port for the Alaska Railroad. Today Anchorage is Alaska’s largest city, home to almost two-fifths of Alaska's population, and the business, cultural and distribution center of the state.
Amongst the great selection of attractions Anchorage has to offer are the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum , the Anchorage Museum of History and Art , Imaginarium: Science Discovery Center, the Oscar Anderson House Museum (the first wood-frame house in Anchorage), Wells Fargo Alaska Heritage Library & Museum, the Alaska Museum of Natural History and the Independence Mine State Historical Park celebrating the importance of gold in the history of Alaska.
Anchorage is also home to the impressive Alaska Native Heritage Center, a unique cultural site dedicated to educating visitors about Alaska Native groups. The Center presents programs in academic and informal settings, including workshops, demonstrations and guided tours of indoor exhibits and outdoor village sites.
With the largest float plane base in the world, Anchorage is also the ideal base for all sorts of flight tours from fishing excursions to wildlife watching.
Closer to home there is easy hiking and wildlife watching in the trails of Chugach Range, and a local trails such as the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, the Lanie Fleischer Chester Creek Trail, and the Campbell Creek Greenway, all enjoyed by residents and tourists alike.
GIRDWOOD
Nestled among the breathtaking Turnagain Arm and spectacular Mt. Alyeska, 36 miles south of Anchorage, Girdwood has evolved from a gold mining town into Alaska's only year-round resort community.
Situated on the southwest side of the Kenai Peninsula, overlooking Kachemak Bay and the Kenai Mountains, the seaside community of Homer is known as the Halibut Fishing Capital of the World and offers a wealth of fishing opportunities from halibut to salmon, from the boat or the bank.
But Homer is also known as an artisans community. Galleries and small artisan shops can be found everywhere.
KENAI
Located on the edge of the the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge near Seward and Homer and surrounded by spectacular scenery, Kenai offers visitors a wealth of wildlife, outdoor opportunities and a rich history of native and Russian settlements and culture.
The region is also rich in Gold Rush history. Visitors can raft down Sixmile Creek and see evidence of mining operations from days past.
The Kenai area’s growing reputation as a place of creative expression is well deserved as it develops visitor-friendly sites and centers. The Kenai Fine Arts Center, located in Old Town Kenai, provides studio space for members of the Peninsula Art Guild and the Kenai Potters Guild. The guilds host monthly art exhibitions, maintain an artist sales gallery, and offers a variety of art workshops for adults and children.
The Kenai Visitors & Cultural Center in Kenai features a large cultural room with wildlife displays, Alaskan videos, and staff who can provide information on all available activities and current happenings.
KENAI FJORDS NATIONAL PARK
A 580,000-acre park encompassing coastal lands on the southeastern side of the Kenai Peninsula with primary access via Seward.
FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE - National Parks:Kenai Fjords
LAKE CLARK NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve includes more than four millionacres stretching from the shores of Cook Inlet in South central Alaska, across the Chigmit mountain range and into Alaska’s western Interior.
FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE - National Parks:Lake Clark
PALMER
In the heart of the lush farmlands of the Matanuska Valley, the strong farming community of Palmer is most famous for the annual Alaska State Fair, best known for giant 60-pound cabbages that thrive in the long daylight hours of the midnight sun.
The area's famous oversized vegetables can also be seen at the Matanuska Valley Agricultural Showcase by the Palmer Visitor Center, a rustic log cabin in the heart of downtown Palmer.
Nearby, The Palmer Museum of History and Art exhibits artifacts from Palmer's past.
SEWARD
Named after William H. Seward, United States Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln, who successfully fought for the US purchase of Alaska from Russia, Seward is one of Alaska’s oldest and most scenic communities.
Attractions include the Alaska SeaLife Center (an aquarium located on the shores of Resurrection Bay) and The Resurrection Bay Historical Society/Museum which features exhibits about Seward and its role in Alaska's gold rushes.
The Chugach Heritage Center in Seward is a prime example of Alaska's expansion of Native culture showcases. The newly constructed center features a play, displays of traditional artifacts, art and a gift shop.
The town of Seward also marks the start of the Historic Iditarod Trail and is equally famous for its Fourth of July marathon, the halfway point of which is at the top of Mount Marathon.
SOLDOTNA
Located at the heart of the Kenai Peninsula, Soldotna offers a wide variety of year round attractions from fishing in the Kenai River, Cook Inlet and nearby lakes and streams to winter sports including snow machining and cross-country skiing.
The Soldotna Visitor Information Center, located on the banks of the Kenai River where the world record King Salmon was caught, has a photo display of the Peninsula, a wildlife collection, maps and gift shop.
TRANS-ALASKA PIPELINE
The impact of the 800 miles of 48-inch pipe on Alaska’s economic and social conditions has been enormous and is on many visitors’ "must see" list.
Construction of the $8 billion pipeline took place between 1974 and 1977. Slightly less than half of the pipeline is buried. The remaining pipe is on 78,000 aboveground supports, located 60 feet apart following a zigzag pattern to relieve stress from the traveling hot oil. Over 800 rivers and streams had to be crossed as well as three mountain passes.
Winding from the Arctic region of Prudhoe Bay to the ice-free port of Valdez, the pipeline is visible near Fairbanks, Glennallen, Delta Junction, Valdez and along the Dalton Highway.
VALDEZ
Located near the head of a deep fjord in Prince William Sound, Valdez is one of the most important ports in Alaska. It is the first stop for freight bound for the interior and the last stop for oil from the Trans-Alaska pipeline.
An outdoor adventurer’s paradise, Valdez offers hiking, jogging, mountain biking, or cross-country skiing along and past gold mining trails at Mineral Creek Canyon, and rafting in Keystone Canyon. Valdez also offers sightseeing of the marine life and glaciers, together with both deep-sea and freshwater fishing.
Valdez is also known as the "North Shore" of heli-skiing and is home to no less than five heli-ski operations.
WASILLA
Named after respected local Dena'ina Indian, Chief Wasilla, Wasilla lies an hours drive north of Anchorage between Lake Lucille and Wasilla Lake. The Dena'ina Indians called the area Benteh, meaning “Among the Lakes”.
Apart from the obvious and abundant attractions of scenery and wildlife, Wasilla’s main claim to fame is that it is home to the Iditarod Trail Committee.
Dog mushing is Alaska’s official sport, and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog
Race held every March is the longest, toughest test of a professional musher’s endurance. Visitors to Alaska don’t have to own a sled to check out the trails traversed by the mushers and their fleet of dogs. At the Iditarod Trail Headquarters in Wasilla tourists can stroll the famous trail or even take a sled ride with any number of tour operators offering summer and winter trips.
WRANGELL-ST ELIAS NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE
The nation’s largest national park, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is made up of 13 million acres in the eastern portion of Interior Alaska, along the Canadian border. Nearby communities include Glennallen, McCarthy, Copper Center and Chitina.
ABOUT US: Travel Tidings Alaska features vacation travel, hotel and cruise information for the cities and regions of Alaska (AK) such as Anchorage, Bethel, Denali National Park, Eagle River, Fairbanks, Girdwood, Gustavus, Haines, Homer, Juneau, Kenai. Ketchikan, Kodiak, Mccarthy, Moose Pass, Palmer, Seward, Sitka, Soldotna, Trapper Creek, Valdez, and Wasilla. For more information about this site, please contact us at info@traveltidingsalaska.com
