• Alaska Native Heritage Center, 8800 Heritage Center Drive, Phone: (907) 330-8000, [7]. Summer (May 8-Sept 24) Every Day 9-6, Winter (Oct 29-Apr 16) Sat 10-5, General Admission Adults $23.50, Seniors/Military $21.15, Children (Ages 7-16) $15.95, Children (6 and under) free. This is much more than just a static museum of glass display cases. The various native Alaskan cultures are all represented in this center. A large stage holds native dance performances as well as other types of events for visitors. Behind the center, a short trail around the lake takes you to several stations that show aspects of life in each of the native Alaskan cultures with native guides with short demonstrations and happily answering questions. Back inside, many items such as artwork, kayaks and ulu knives are on display. A small theater runs various films and there is a gift shop (with a second location in downtown Anchorage).

• Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, 43 miles south of Anchorage on Seward Hwy (mile 79), Phone: (907) 783-2025, [8]. Apr-May 10-6, May-Sept 8-8, Sept-May 10-5, Adults $5, Children 4-12 $3, Seniors 55+ $3, Active Military w/ID $3, Max charge per vehicle $20. AWCC provides refuge for orphaned, injured or ill animals. Visitors drive through the park and see animals large fenced habitat areas including bears, eagles, elk, moose, bison, and more.

• Anchorage Museum of History and Art, 121 W 7th Avenue, Phone: (907) 343-6173, [9]. Summer (15 May-15 September) 9-6, open until 9 PM on Thursdays, Winter (16 September-14 May) Tuesday-Saturday 10-6, Sunday 12-5, closed Monday. Adults $8, 0-6 Free, 6-17 $2 donation, Seniors/Military/Students with ID $7. The Anchorage Museum of History and Art has various traveling exhibits from around the country and the world, and a variety of local art, including pieces from Sydney Lawrence and Ray Troll. The museum also features an extensive exhibit on Alaskan history, and an expansion to be completed in 2009 will feature a children's museum and part of a Smithsonian collection of Alaska Native art.

Anchorage is served by most major American airlines. Air travel is the cheapest and most efficient form of transportation in and out of the state. Non-stop flights are available from Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Chicago, and Taipei year-round, and more locations in the summer. Many arriving and departing out-of-state flights are late-night "red-eyes," but there are often many daytime flights to and from Seattle. Anchorage recently completed extensive remodeling and construction at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport(IATA: ANC) (ICAO: PANC)[2] to help accommodate the upsurge in tourism (unofficial sources have estimated the numbers for 2004 at some four million tourists arriving in Alaska between May and September).

Anchorage is also accessible from the contiguous U.S. (locally referred to as "the Lower 48") and Canada via road. The Alaska Highway starts in northern British Columbia and terminates in Fairbanks. You can either get to Anchorage via the Parks Highway from Fairbanks or the Glenn Highway from Tok (the first major Alaskan town after crossing the Canadian border). The Seward Highway serves traffic entering Anchorage from the Kenai Peninsula to the south and its Alaska Marine Highway System terminals.

Make sure to pick up a copy of The Milepost, which is widely regarded as the premiere road guide for western Canada and Alaska. Most roads in these regions have small white posts every mile or so indicating the number of miles from the start of the road. The Milepost has extremely detailed route descriptions of all of the roads, pointing out everything from scenic viewpoints and campgrounds down to the names of small creeks the roads pass over. If you're flying in to Anchorage and then driving around the state, wait and pick up a copy of The Milepost at one of the local Costcos or WalMarts--the price there is around half of list price.

Many cruise lines provide transportation from their terminals to Anchorage and may even include tours or your return air travel out of the state.

While not nearly comparable to the size of major world cities, the developed part of the Municipality of Anchorage (the city itself is several thousand square miles, but much of it is uninhabited and mountainous) is fairly spread out and not very walkable--with the exception of the compact downtown area.

Most of Anchorage is built on a grid system laid out by originally by the railroad: numbered streets run east-west, starting at First Avenue in the extreme north of the city (at the Port and train depot) and ending up in the mid-hundreds at the south edge of town. Lettered streets run north-south, starting at A Street in the middle of downtown and going up to the west; east of A Street, the street names begin with sequential letters and are named after Alaskan cities and towns (Barrow, Cordova, Denali, etc.). This makes finding yourself on a map fairly easy, although the system gets less coherent outside of the downtown area. Note that the Seward Highway becomes Gambell and Ingra streets, while the Glenn Highway becomes 5th and 6th Avenues.

You'll often hear Anchorageites use the following terms when describing areas of town - these areas were originally separate communities that merged as the city grew:

• Downtown--the historic core of the city located at the northwestern tip next to the waterfront; home to most of the tourist activities, gift stores, hotels, and the railroad depot
• Midtown--the largely commercial area immediately south of Downtown roughly between 15th Avenue and Tudor Road
• South Anchorage--Dimond Boulevard and south. Largely suburban and residential with some major commercial development west of the Seward Highway.
• West Anchorage--the area along the water southwest of Downtown, encompassing the historic Bootlegger's Cove residential area and the famous Earthquake Park
• Spenard--smashed between Midtown and West Anchorage and spilling over and overlapping the boundaries a bit, it was formerly a separate city and catered to the more, er, racy aspects of Anchorage living. It's still a bit of a red-light district. Be careful at night. (The airport is at the extreme west end of the Anchorage peninsula and abuts the southwestern edge of Spenard.)
• East Anchorage--everything east of the Seward Highway and north of Tudor Road. Mostly residential.
• Hillside--part of South Anchorage, it's everything east of the Seward Highway and south of Abbott Road. Completely residential, and most homes there are ritzier ($350k and up to over $1.5M, where the average home is about $220k). Anchorageites think of the Hillside like Angelenos do of Beverly Hills--if you own a home there, you must be doing well, even if the trees (or your snowmachine trailer) blocks your view of the lesser people below). Above the Hillside homes is the immense Chugach State Park, popular for easily accessible hiking. (The most-hiked mountain in Alaska, Flattop Mountain, is fairly easily accessed via the Glen Alps parking area at the top of Upper Huffman Road.)
• Eagle River, Chugiak, Peters Creek--bedroom suburbs north of the city. Residential only, but provide access to the State Park, especially the Eklutna lake.
• Bird, Indian, Girdwood--small communities south of the city. Very small, tourist service oriented.

Anchorage's public transportation system does not cover the entire city, and some areas of town have less frequent bus service than others (See Peoplemover.Org for complete schedules & routes. Fares are currently $1.75 one-way). As such, most people who want to travel in and around Anchorage rent a car.

Anchorage's Ted Stevens International Airport is serviced by all of the major national rental car chains as well as a number of independents. A few companies have off-airport locations. Renting from these locations avoids the 11-12% airport concession recovery fee. If you're arriving in the summer, plan ahead, as most rental companies are pretty much sold out from mid-June through the end of August. In the summer, cars are often not available without reservations, and even if they are, be prepared to pay top-dollar for them, especially four-wheel-drive vehicles. Here are some of the car rental companies serving the Anchorage Airport:

• Alamo
• Avis
• Budget
• Dollar
• Enterprise
• E-Z Rent-A-Car Anchorage Airport [3]
• Hertz [4]
• National [5]
• Thrifty

Two main taxi companies serve the Anchorage area: Alaska Yellow Cab and Checker Cab; another company called Aurora Taxi seems to be making a growing appearance. The airport maintains a taxi stand on the arrivals level. As of late 2007, the municipality-set rate for all taxis is $2.00 for the flag drop and $2.00 per mile; the time-based rate is $.50 per minute. The average fare to downtown runs about $15 one way.

Many hotels offer also courtesy shuttle vans that stop at the airport near the taxi stand. Several courtesy phone banks are located inside the baggage claim areas.

If you're determined to save money, you can use the PeopleMover, Anchorage's bus system. [6] As of late 2007, fares are $1.75 per trip or $4 for a day pass. Most bus routes have one bus in each direction per hour, but some routes increase it to two buses per hour during peak times. Buses are frequently late. Route 7 of the PeopleMover, Anchorage's bus system, has a stop located at the far south end of the airport taxi stand area. Every hour, there is one bus going downtown and one bus going to the Dimond Center mall in south Anchorage. If you're riding the bus to the airport, note that only one out of two trips on Route 7 stops at the airport, so look for the airplane icon on the bus route display.

Anchorage features an extremely well-developed bike trail system, with over 200 miles of developed trails (120 of which are paved) winding their way throughout the city's parks and three green belts. The popular Tony Knowles Coastal Trail parallels the waterfront from Downtown to Kincaid Park near the airport. Several companies offer bike rentals and trail tours. In the winter, many of the trails are groomed and used as ski trails.

Be cautious during any time of the year for, relative to areas outside of Anchorage, drivers may tend to be aggressive--even in the winter-time. During the summer months, the roads are usually in bad condition from all the wear and tear of the winter with tremendous ruts in the road caused by studded tires; try and stay out of those to avoid tearing the road (or your car's alignment) up any more. In the winter, roads can be totally covered in ice, snow, and black ice--an invisible ice that's extremely dangerous--although heavier-trafficked roads can actually be surprisingly dry if it hasn't snowed in awhile. Especially if you're not used to driving in winter conditions, drive the speed limit (or slower) in the winter and stay in the right-hand lanes unless passing. Tip: If it's snowing, no matter what time of the day, have your headlights on! (Also note the Seward Highway south of Anchorage requires headlights to be on at all times.)

• Anchorage Market and Festival, [10]. Saturdays & Sundays (mid May-mid Sept) at 3rd Ave. and E St. (10-6), Wednesdays (Jul-Aug) in the Northway Mall parking lot (11-5), free entry. Several hundred vendors offer all sorts of items in this large open air market. Items include fresh produce, fresh local seafood, prepared food, arts and crafts, souvenirs, etc. Some items could be found anywhere in the lower 48 but many items are truly Alaskan.
• Dimond Center, The largest mall in the entire State of Alaska. Dimond Center also features an ice rink, movie theaters, and a bowling alley.
• Fifth Avenue Mall, Usually considered Anchorage's nicest mall, it is attached to the original JCPenney Building and it also has skywalk access to the only Nordstrom store in Alaska. There are 2 parking garages which are connected to the mall, The old JCPenney's garage on 6th avenue, via Penney's; and the 5th Avenue Mall Garage between 5th and 6th avenue
• Boniface Mall Mostly empty and used by the Anchorage School District
• Sears Mall This mall is convenient to visitors getting on the Seward Highway; however, this mall is just like the mall in every other town in America. The Lenscrafters is the same as the Lenscrafters in any other city.
• Northway Mall
• Northern Lights Shopping Mall Strip mall
• Valley River Shopping Mall Strip mall in the bedroom community of Eagle River (about 10 miles north of Anchorage)
• University Plaza Mall

There are also myriad touristy gift stores downtown. Quality and selection varies.

Budget

• Arctic Roadrunner, two locations, 5300 Old Seward Hwy, (907) 561-1245, and 2477 Arctic Blvd, (907) 279-7311. An Alaskan institution and consistently voted Anchorage's best burger. Kitschy Alaskana on the walls, including plaques and portraits of longtime Alaskans and longtime Arctic Roadrunner customers. Also try the halibut burger and homemade onion rings. Cash only; "no checks since 1972."
• City Diner Run by Chef Al, famous for his other restaurant in town the Kincade Grill. City Diner has some of the best sandwiches in town; the monte cristo is to die for and the sliders are amazing.
• Gwennie's An Alaskan institution; must be seen to be understood. Down home Americana meets Alaska (think sourdough pancakes and reindeer sausage). Extremely touristy but also popular with the locals for good prices and big portions. Old-time Alaskan rusty things hanging on the walls.
• Taco King and Burrito King Possibly the best fast Mexican food in Anchorage (not saying a whole lot, but it holds its own against places closer to the border) and with insanely great (for Alaska) prices if you get the right thing.
• The Lucky Wishbone An Anchorage standard famous for their pan-friend chicken but also serving one of the better burgers in town.
• Tommy's Burger Stop 29th ave & Spenard. Routinely voted the best burgers and philly sandwiches in Anchorage.
• White Spot Cafe, 109 W 4th Ave (4th and A), (907) 279-3954. The place is not much more than a small kitchen and a counter with room for 10 patrons. Arguably better burgers and definitely better halibut sandwiches than Arctic Roadrunner. Study the menu carefully before daring to order, or Sheri will put you in your place. The food is way worth the attitude, though.

Midrange

• Bear Tooth Theatrepub, 1230 W 27th Avenue, (907) 276-4200, [11]. A wonderful pizza location, similar to the Moose's Tooth described below (although the menu differs a bit). It also features a movie theater in which you can eat dinner (they deliver it right to your seat) and imbibe from the wide selection of microbrews and wines. It mainly plays arthouse films and those that have been released for some time. The attached Bear Tooth Grill offers very different but equally delicious choices in a more traditional bar/grill restaurant setting.

• Cafe Savannah, 508 W 5th Avenue (6th and E), (907) 646-9121. This is a small Spanish tapas restaurant downtown with a very good and reasonably-priced wine list. There are hot and cold tapas dishes as well as typical entrees. It's close to the Performing Arts Center.
• Glacier BrewHouse, 5th Ave between H and G St, (907) 274-BREW, [12]. A very popular place to eat in downtown Anchorage. Wide selection of food, impressive selection of beers from their brewery. Hard to go wrong with this one if you're looking for a place to eat downtown.

• Moose's Tooth Pub and Pizzeria, 3300 Old Seward Hwy near New Seward and 36th, (907) 258-2537, [13]. Brews their own beer and makes some fantastic pizza (all-ages welcome). Good atmosphere and walls covered with memorabelia about Alaska and beer. Can be busy. Frequently has outdoor concerts during the summer on the first Thursday of every month ("first tap" is age 21+). Must-go if you like beer. Has vegetarian selections. Medium prices; it's possible to save by splitting a large pizza. Menu and beer list online.

• Simon and Seafort's, 420 L Street (end of downtown near the coastal trail), (907) 274-3502, [14]. Semi-fancy seafood restaurant and bar. On the expensive side, but it's worth it to get some of the best seafood in Alaska (and being Anchorage, there's no dress code). They also have excellent non-seafood selections and a great lunch menu. You can also see the sunset over the water by the window. Menus online.
• Solstice Bar & Grill, 720 West 5th Avenue (between H and G Streets), (907) 276-7676, [15]. While not as popular as Glacier BrewHouse, Solstice Bar & Grill offers meals of a similar quality for a slightly cheaper price. Located in the lobby level of the Westmark Hotel (almost directly across from the BrewHouse), this restaurant can get quite busy during the summer breakfast and dinner times, as Westmark plays host to a number of cruise line guests (its parent company is Holland America Line).
• Southside Bistro, 1320 Huffman Park Drive (in the far south end of town), (907) 348-0088, [16]. Fresh seafood and innovative preparations of meats and lighter fare make this a great stop for those heading south or those wanting to get away from the hustle of the touristy areas. Bar with microbrews and a good wine list.
• Snow City Cafe, 1034 W 4th Avenue (907) 272-2489, [17]. Open for breakfast and lunch only, except on Wednesdays when there is an excellent Irish jam (and sometimes dance!) from 7-11pm. There is often a long wait for a table and for good reason, food is fresh and affordable, breakfast is available all day and there are plenty of hearty fares for the health-conscious. If you're not health-conscious, the macaroni and cheese is to die for!

Splurge

• Crow's Nest, 4th and K (top floor of Hotel Captain Cook), (907) 276-6000, [18]. AAA four-diamond rating and Wine Spectator awards. Seafood, "French and American" cuisine. View of entire city and Chugach Mountains. Definitely a splurge. Wine sommelier on staff; 10,000 bottle cellar. Dress code: Business casual. Good place to impress a date.
• Jens', 701 W 36th Ave (in a strip mall at 36th and Arctic next to a Scandinavian furniture store), (907) 561-5367, [19]. A superb menu of Alaskan seafood with a twist, Danish specialties, and French classics that changes daily. Bar and good wine selection.
• ORSO Ristorante, 5th Ave between H and G Streets, (907) 222-3232, [20]. Located right next to and owned by the same company as Glacier BrewHouse, this restaurant offers higher-priced meals inspired by traditional Italian fare. Located in the same block as a number of art galleries and smaller boutique shops, one can keep occupied while waiting (which in the summer season, is typical).
• Ginger, 425 W 5th Ave, (907) 929-3680, [21]. New restaurant. Trendy, modern, upscale dining. Sort of an Asian-Alaskan fusion, with things like wasabi mashed potatoes. Extensive saki list. Try the fries for an appetizer; they're freshly made and delicious.

In Girdwood (45 minutes south):

• Double Musky Inn, Mile .3 Crow Creek Road. (907) 783-2822, [22]. The Double Musky has Alaska's best cajun cuisine with a local seafood slant. They have a "rustic yet formal" (but still no dress code) atmosphere. It is a great place to take a date, not just for the great food but also for the beautiful drive south along the coast. Also very warming after a day at the local Alyeska Ski Area.

Anchorage has many, many bars. Bars must close by 2:30 AM Monday-Friday and 3:00 AM Saturday and Sunday under municipal law. Bars can stay open until 5:00 AM in the cities of Wasilla, about 45 minutes north. Anchorage also probably has more micro-breweries per capita than anywhere else.

Beginning July 1, 2007, all bars and restaurants in Anchorage are non-smoking.

• Bernie's Bungalow Lounge, 626 D Street (between 6th and 7th; across the street from Nordstrom's entrance), (907) 276-8808, [23]. This is a fashionable and friendly "martini-and-cigar" type of place. Good place to sit outside on the lawn in the summer, or to go upstairs to the Paradise Room for a fancy place to have a drink (although the upstairs is often booked for private gatherings). It's popular with well-dressed young people and businesspeople (during the daytime). The evening crowd is generally younger and the bar is embracing a larger hip-hop crowd. Usually busiest after midnight.
• Chilkoot Charlie's, 1071 W 25th Avenue (in Spenard), (907) 279-1692, [24]. This is the largest bar within about 1,400 miles (2200 km). It's a huge spot that is always busy on weekends. The outside facade is deceptively small - there is a map on their website to navigate through all 10+ bars. There is usually at least one band playing every night (and usually a cover charge). Popular place to pick up dates, if you can hear above the noise.
• Darwin's Theory, 426 G St, (907) 277-5322. A quintessential "dive bar," Darwin's is popular with the locals. If you're interested in avoiding the generic tourist watering holes, Darwin's will wet your whistle. It's just a basic corner bar.
• Humpy's Great Alaskan Alehouse, 610 West 6th Avenue, (907) 276-BEER, [25]. Humpy's has dozens of beers on tap and a great pub food selection (esp. seafood) until midnight. It's popular with just about everyone. Beer-battered halibut -- yum!
• Also see "Glacier BrewHouse" and "Moose's Tooth" under "Eat."