Most of Alaska is on Alaska Standard time, which is four hours earlier than the East Coast and one hour earlier than the West Coast states. Following are temperatures and lengths of daylight in Anchorage during the summer months just to give you an idea of how different life is in The Great Land:

mid-May: average high temperature is 54 F with 17 hours of daylight. 
mid-June: average high temperature is 62 F with 19 hours 18 minutes of daylight. 
mid-July: average high temperature is 65 F with 18 hours 26 minutes daylight. 
mid-August: average high temperature is 63 F with 15 hours 50 minutes daylight. 
About one million travelers visit Alaska each summer, and over 80,000 arrive via the Anchorage Airport, which explains my emphasis on places to see in and around Anchorage. Also, I've lived in Alaska since 1968, most of that time in Anchorage. When entertaining folks from "Outside" (a local term for any state other than Alaska), we use Anchorage as a base and usually drive to points not too far away. 

Among the many things there are to do in Anchorage during the spring and summer are baseball, basketball, bicycling, boating, climbing, fishing, gold panning, golf, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, ice skating, river rafting, scuba diving, skiing, swimming, and target shooting. 

The Alaska Department of Tourism does a fine job for Alaska, and the folks who work there are eager to respond to requests for brochures and general information. They can be reached at (907) 274-3531. 

The area code for the entire state is 907, by the way, so all telephone numbers below are prefaced by that area code. For further information, visit the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau at: http://www.anchorage.net 

Sightseeing

Geographically, Anchorage sits in a bowl with Cook Inlet on one side and the Chugach Mountains on the other. The municipal boundaries encompass 1,955 square miles, which is almost the same size as the state of Delaware. 

Downtown Anchorage is on a grid, so it's very easy to find ones way around. East/west streets are alphabetical, while north/south streets are numbered. It is Alaska's hub and largest city, with a population of 260,000 people -- 40% of everyone in the entire state. Although not architecturally a pretty city, during the summer the Municipality of Anchorage does a spectacular job with its flower beds and hanging baskets, and rarely does anyone leave unimpressed. Much time could be spent simply walking around town and admiring the flowers. 

Alaska Botanical Garden 
Campbell Airstrip Road off Tudor Road 
265-3165 
While many states can boast of a botanical garden, most have not been created "from scratch," the way Alaska's has. The first garden beds, planted in 1992, are now mature. The Herb Garden is world class. Most visitors are truly amazed by the assortment of flowering plants that will grow in this extreme climate, as well as the intense, vivid colors in which the flowers express themselves. ABG is a "work in progress." You won't find many ornamental trees and shrubs yet, due to browsing moose in the area. The Garden is located in the midst of 110 acres of natural woodland. In keeping with its setting, there is a gorgeous 2 kilometer nature walk with interpretive signage on the garden grounds, so put on your walking shoes and insect repellent. The walk takes about 25 minutes. Free admission if you visit on your own. Donations accepted.

Alaska Native Heritage Center 
Opened May, 1999 
Phone: 800-315-6608 or 907-330-8000 
www.alaskanative.net 
Admission Cost: $20 

The center is located at the intersection of Muldoon Road and the Glenn Highway, 12 minutes from downtown Anchorage. Transportation is available from downtown hotels. 

It is located on 26 acres with lovely walking trails. A man-made pond behind the cultural center is surrounded by five traditional native village settings. Either a home or village lodge has been replicated in the style traditionally used in the villages of that particular tribe. Native plants from all around Alaska have been transplanted to the site. Signage is excellent. 

The native cultures explored are: Athabascan from the interior of Alaska, Yup'ik and Cup'ik from the west coast, Inupiaq and St. Lawrence Island Yupik of the north, Aleuts and Alutiiqs of the north Pacific, and Eyak, Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian from the southeast. As far as I know, there is no place else where one who is interested in the natives of Alaska can find so much information so easy to understand and digest. 

Inside the main building are multi-media interpretive exhibits, interactive displays, film and video presentations, craft studios where the visitor can watch a native craftsman work, and, of course, a gift shop. 

Ship Creek 
Located conveniently downtown. It's fun to take a quick look to see if the salmon are running up the fish ladders and to watch the locals try to catch a returning salmon. They're often more entertaining than the fish. 
No admission fee. 

Elmendorf State Fish Hatchery 
Post & Reeve (next to Ship Creek) 
274-0065 
See freshly-hatched salmon and all the other stages of salmon growth depending on time of year. 
No admission fee. 

McHugh Peak 
A 15-20 minute drive outside Anchorage, or about 30 minutes from downtown. It has a fantastic picnic area, a waterfall, great hiking trails and a spectacular view of the Inlet. Because of past bear problems, it is not recommended that hikers stray too far from the picnic area unless in a group of six or more (there are no known grizzly attacks on groups this size). This area was expanded and totally recreated during the Summer of 1998. Gorgeous. 
No admission fee. Take your own lunch. 

Fly by Night Club 
3300 Spenard Road 
279-7726 
"The Whale Fat Follies" at the Fly by Night Club is a wild and zany satire about the place least able to defend itself from criticism: Alaska. The show is made up of satire, songs, good muscianship and a slide show. See it near the end of your visit, when you'll understand all of Mr. Whitekey's skits and can laugh at Alaska and its residents that much harder. The show starts at 8:00 p.m. and people with reservations must show up at least 15 minutes early or lose their seats. Lasts about three hours with one break. While The Fly by Night Club specialize in Spam hors d'oeuvres, it also offers a plethora of other treats, which are all excellent. Thursday is nonsmoking night. 
Admission is $17. 

Gwennie's Old Alaska Restaurant 
4333 Spenard Road 
243-2090 
Gwennie's is historically very Alaskana and situated near the airport. Its upstairs used to be a brothel. Gwennie's provides good, basic food and an interesting, dated decor. 

Potter Marsh Bird Sanctuary 
Located just on the south outskirts of Anchorage. Viewing amenities have been added, so it's easy to watch for birds, mostly waterfowl, comfortably. During July you can catch sight of spawning salmon, as well. It's always windy, so dress for it. Binoculars recommended. 
No admission fee. 

Alaska Wild Berry Products 
5225 Juneau Street 
562-8858 
Popular for its one-of-a-kind chocolate waterfall, which is actually buckets 'o chocolate. If you're interested in watching things being made, there are large windows where one can watch candy being made with local berries, etc. Alaska Wild Berry Products is an Alaskan institution, and used to purchase berries and rose hips from locals for their candies. Located across from the Sourdough Mining Co. Restaurant, this chocolate factory is especially good for children and has a large assortment of gift items to take back to the Lower 48 for friends. 

Earthquake Park 
At the west end of Northern Lights Boulevard you can see what an earthquake can do from the bottom looking up. Clever park amenities were added summer of 1997, as well as very interesting interpretive signs. If you like to walk, the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail connects with the park. Take bug repellent and your camera. There's also a classic view of the whole of downtown Anchorage from the trail. 
No admission fee.

Glen Alps, Chugach State Park 
If you enjoy good views, wild looking alpine terrain, and hiking, you must visit this beautiful site overlooking Anchorage. Be sure to take bells to scare away any bears. A walk up to Hidden Lake, one of the more popular trails, is about four miles each way and crosses a stream. Dress in layers and take a lunch. 
Parking is $5. 

Tony Knowles Coastal Trail 
Anchorage has a lovely bike trail system. The 10 miles of Tony Knowles Coastal Trail is the most spectacular part of this system. Carved along the seacoast of Cook Inlet, you'll see locals enjoying walking, rollerblading, skating, bike riding. It's a happening place. Occasionally you can catch a glimpse of beluga whales in the Inlet. 

Golf 
For those staying around Anchorage with a relaxing, non-touring day, play a game of golf. Anchorage has seven public golf courses. Golf at O'Malley's on the Green, actually called Anchorage Golf Course, 522-3363; Moose Run Golf Course, at Ft. Richardson Army Base, 428-0056; Eagle Glen at Elmendorf Air Force Base; Russian Jack Springs, 333-8338; Tanglewood Lakes Golf Course, 345-4600; or, within an hour's drive of Anchorage proper, Settlers Bay Golf Club, 376-5466; Sleepy Hollow Golf Course, 376-5948; or the Palmer Golf Course, 745-4653. 

Anchorage Museum of History and Art 
121 West 7th Avenue 
343-4326 
Located downtown near Nordstrom, Anchorage's only "fine" department store. The museum has a very educational and interesting permanent exhibit about the history of Alaska and its native cultures in the second floor gallery, and a series of rotating exhibits and permanent Alaska landscape paintings on the main floor. Eat at its cafe, which serves excellent and creative lunches, and visit its great gift shop. 
Admission is $5. 

Alaska Zoo 
4731 O'Malley Road 
346-3242 
Just in case you haven't seen enough wildlife on the loose, the Alaska Zoo is open from 9 to 6 seven days a week. There are many indigenous animals on view--all saved as orphans or injured animals in the wild. The zoo also boasts rare Siberian tigers, but the musk-oxen are probably the rarest animals here, so don't miss them. 
Admission is $7. 

Flightseeing 
Don't overlook the possibility of arranging a flightseeing day for yourselves. There are many pilots in the business to show you as much of Alaska as you're prepared to pay to see. Alaska Air Taxi, 243-4439, www.alaskaairtaxi.com for example, has a number of tours of the Anchorage bowl and wildlife in the Chugach Mountains. Flying over Mt. McKinley is the experience of a lifetime. Call around for particulars. This is only one outfit of many. 

Rasmussen Museum 
301 West Northern Lights 
276-1132 
The Rasmussen contains a small historical art collection located in the National Bank of Alaska building, lobby level, at the corner of C Street and Northern Lights. 
No admission fee. 

Leaving Anchorage proper, there are more things to see and do..... 

Eklutna Village Historical Park 
688-6026 
This is an old Russian Orthodox cemetery with above ground burial houses and a church. It is newly restored and fenced with a gift shop specializing in Russian Orthodox crafts. It's about a 20-minute drive north from downtown Anchorage and a good side-trip if you're on your way to see the sights in Palmer or the Matanuska Valley. 
Admission is $3.50. 

Knik Glacier Flightseeing 
See dall sheep, goats, moose, bears and blue glaciers. $75 each passenger with Sound Aviation, 229-7173. 

Girdwood 
45 minutes south of Anchorage, Girdwood is the home of Mount Alyeska, a ski resort. It's not cold enough in the summer to ski, but you can take the 6 minute tram ride ($16) to the top of the resort for spectacular views, a gourmet meal or just a burger. The Bake Shop, ground level, boasts wonderful soups and special cinnamon rolls. During the summer, in July, Girdwood hosts a fun weekend Forest Fair. 

Seven Glaciers Restaurant 
Sophisticated restaurant near top of Alyeska ski mountain in Girdwood. Take tram up to the restaurant for $16 and spend about $45 for dinner. The lift fee is taken off your meal tab. Named such because you can literally see seven glaciers from its windows, the views are surpassed only by the beautifully presented cuisine. 

Alyeska Chair lift 
A summer ride to the top of Mt. Alyeska. About $20. 

Rafting 
Extreme whitewater. Operated by Class V (Tommy Moe's a partner in this outfit) at 783-2004. This three canyon run is 4-5 hours of rafting for $125, with the option of taking a one canyon run for two hours for $60, or a two canyons for 3 hours at $85. 

Portage River salmon bake 
Class V. Scenic float trip followed by dinner. 4-5 hours. $55. 

Crow Creek Mine 
278-8060 
If the weather happens to be good, spend a delightful day gold panning for $5; sightseeing without panning for gold is only $3. Squat by a cold water stream with a gold pan and soak in the ambiance of Anchorage's history. There's something so intriguing about it, I had to literally drag my visiting brother away from the stream after he was afflicted with gold fever.

Portage Glacier and Begich-Boggs Welcome Center 
During the summer you can take a Grayline boat ride up to the glacier for $20. Every 30 minutes, the Welcome Center shows a 20 minute film about glaciers and how they were formed. Learn about the elusive ice worm. 
Admission is free.

Musk Ox Farm
Mile 50.1, Glenn Hwy.
Palmer 
745-4151 
45 miles from Anchorage. They give an excellent guided tour for 30 minutes and this is probably the only chance you'll have to get acquainted with a musk ox--ever, unless you go to the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage. A small selection of products made from musk ox wool offered for sale. Musk ox kiviut (wool) is supposed to be the world's warmest fiber. 
Admission is $7. 

Denali National Park Flightseeing 
If you're stuck in Anchorage at the airport for several hours, you can go to Merrill Field, where small plane companies offer 2-1/2 hour flightseeing tours of Denali (Mt. McKinley to you), approximately $165 per person. It's the trip of a lifetime feeling like a gnat swarming around the tallest mountain in North America. 

Maybe not four star, the following still offer either good or interesting food or ambiance. 

The Downtown Deli & Cafe 
525 West 4th Avenue 
(907) 276-7116 
This is a sandwich shop begun by Tony Knowles, who just happens to also be Governor at the moment. Located right downtown across from the Old City Hall Building on Fourth Avenue, the deli boasts about their sourdough pancakes, New York style pastrami sandwiches, and local treats, such as reindeer sausage. You'll pay about $6.50 for a sandwich and a drink. 

Humpy's Great Alaskan Ale House 
610 West 6th 
276-2337 
The first of many recent additions to Anchorage's pub scene, Humpy's is located across from the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts building. If you enjoy beer, it offers 36 on tap--more than any other bar in Anchorage. They serve good pub grub and don't over charge for it. Their cheeseburger is $6.95, as is our favorite, their halibut burger, which is dipped in an ale batter and deep fat fried. 

Sacks Cafe 
625 West Fifth Avenue 
276-3546 
Classy, small, contemporary restaurant in the heart of downtown Anchorage, directly across from the Performing Arts Center. Sacks provides a varied menu of healthfully prepared (don't expect fried), and unusual, adventurous food. Their dinner service is professional and they use nothing but the best ingredients. Expect to pay around $18.50 for a moderately sized entree, and about $7 extra for one of their very interesting salads. Lunches are slightly more economical and casual. Easy to walk to if you're staying at a downtown hotel. They stay open till 11 p.m. weekends. 

Simon & Seaforts Saloon & Grill 
420 L Street 
274-3502 
Owned by the same restaurant company that runs Palomino's in San Francisco and Minneapolis and Clinkerdagger's in Spokane, Simon's is one of Anchorage's more popular restaurants, located very close to the Captain Cook Hotel. A wait in their saloon is almost always required, even with reservations. Very cordial staff is most eager to please, serving the best hot cracked wheat sourdough bread I've ever eaten. Simon's shellfish entrees, such as Sizzled Seafood Stew with Orange Herb Aioli, average $20, with King Crab being considerably higher ($37). The Peppercorn Crusted New York Steak with Sherry Demi-Glace and roasted mushrooms is $25. Enjoy Simon's fabulous view of Cook Inlet through its large windows for less if you order Oven-Roasted Chicken Dijon ($16). Don't forget to save room for Simon's Burnt Cream ($4.95) for dessert. Many of their recipes are available upon request. 

Sourdough Mining Company 
5200 Juneau Street 
563-2272 
You'll need transportation to reach Sourdough south of downtown Anchorage, but once there, you'll savor the feel of a rustic mining operation -- unpolished wood floors, high, open ceilings, player piano. Sourdough Mining Co. has great hush puppies, ribs, beef and pork. Food is moderately priced. Its most popular meal, a half rack of baby back ribs with corn fritters and sourdough break, is $14.50. By the way, it's located across the street from Alaska Wild berry Products, so you can do two tourist things at once if you go early enough in the day! 

Katsura Teppanyaki 
Alyeska Resort 
754-2237 
A must if you're in Girdwood. This is one of Anchorage's newest restaurant additions, added a couple of years after the Japanese-owned Alyeska Prince Hotel opened in 1994. Although small, the teppanyaki bar is very elegant and unlike any other restaurant in Anchorage. For between $35 and $55, you'll be served a salad, appetizer, entrČe, dessert and tea. The food is extremely fresh, cooked right before your very eyes.