Living Life in Alaska

Alaska is a wild place, and I don't just mean the animals. The people here are among the quirkiest on the planet, and I can say that with confidence. Nowhere else will you find women going to a gala in duct tape and blue tarp dresses, or men who think rust spots on their truck are cool. There are artists, bohemians, red-necks, greenies, hippies, conservatives… more stereotypes than I can shake a stick at, but one thing they all have in common: They are in love.

Alaska is a place that seduces you. Before you know it you're drooling on yourself, wondering why you're still here. Alaska is a brutal place… winters are long and dreadfully dark, people get moody, and the cold makes your nostril hairs freeze… yet, like all great loves, once you're hooked there is no going back. Alaskans develop a love-hate relationship with this place, I know I have. I enjoy winter (mostly because I like scarves), but I love summer. In summer, it's light out until 2am, it's warm and breezy, and you chow down on fresh salmon for free while the rest of the USA is paying a pound. Wildlife abounds year round in Anchorage… every neighborhood has a few of its own moose. If you are lucky you can see a birth every Spring.

Every summer, Anchorage sighs under the crush of tourists that visit my city. Anchoragites enjoy spending time making fun of the tourists walking around downtown in outfits that make them look like they are going to climb Mt. McKinley. Please, when you visit, dress normal.

When visiting Anchorage make sure you:
- visit the galleries downtown
- buy a fishing license
- drink Kaladi Bro. coffee
- eat at the Moose's Tooth Pizzeria
- go fishing
- see the museum
- peruse the Weekend Market on 3rd & E

There are other things to do in Anchorage, but you didn't come to Alaska to hangout in Anchorage. This city is merely a base camp for all the wonderful things to do in the Wilderness.

Quick Tips:

Save your dough on meals and eat in the midtown area, like all cities the downtown area has jacked up prices. Bring an all weather jacket along. Being on the sea leads to unpredictable weather. If you are coming in the summer, bring shorts. Sturdy shoes go a long way in this state. Stay at one of the many B&Bs in town. There is also a youth hostel, but book in advance. Lonely Planet guides are a good source of information. Before you go anywhere, visit the log cabin in downtown Anchorage (tourist info).

Best Way To Get Around:

The buses in Anchorage are reliable but infrequent. If you want to get around in this city rent a car, or if you are in good shape, rent a bike. Anchorage is very easy to navigate. The entire city is set out like a Cartisian square, the center line is C Street.

Beware of construction. The city is doing a major overhaul of the roads… it's going to last for years.

If you want a nice apartment during your stay in Alaska, don't stay here.

In my building, the first floor smelled like pot, the second like cat, and the third...well, I don't know because I was afraid to go up there. From the outside, it looks like a beautiful gated community, but it is only gated to keep the people in. The cops are over there every weekend, and I suspect they use the gates to trap fugitives. There is a guard shack out front, but never a guard, there is fresh paint outside, but never inside, and to top it all off a bike-seat kleptomaniac roams the grounds.

My roommates and I paid $850 per month, and beware...the model apartment they show you will not be like the one you move into. The one you move into will resemble a cave....from the '70s...with one opening window. The bathroom has no REAL door to speak of, just a flimsy accordion thing that partially closes. Each apartment has two bedrooms and a bath. Laundry facilities are downstairs.

You will always know your neighbor's business, whether you want to or not. The walls are so thin it is unavoidable....bring earplugs.

While Alpine apartments always have vacancies, search harder for a place to stay. It is worth it.

Bear Tooth Theater Pub, the baby brother of Moose's Tooth Pub and Pizzeria, serves some of the best microbrews in town. Alaskans take their libations very seriously and Bear Tooth Pub is just one of the many places you can get a tasty brew. Besides the beer, Bear Tooth also offers $3 movies, and I'm not talking about some dusted-off classic. The theater offers just-out-of-the-cinema blockbusters for the change you find in your couch.

Next door, Bear Tooth has a Bar & Grill serving up some healthful and diet busting grub. I highly recommend the fried portobello mushrooms, burritos, and apple ale. Dinner here will cost you between $10 and $30, depending what you indulge in.

Parking at the "Tooth" is a "Bear" so be creative and patient and Do Not Park Across the Street. If you park across the street you will have to pay $140 to get your car back from impound. They are really sneaky, so beware!

So, grab some buddies, arrive early, order some pizza and beer, and sit back and enjoy the show.

You want a little local flavor? The Saturday Market on 3rd and E Street—now known as the Anchorage Market—is the perfect place to find it. Shop for souvenirs, grab a bite or sit back and listen to local musicians. With over 300 vendors at the market includes many quirky local artists, traditional Native art, food vendors galore, fruits, vegetables, a fortune teller, and loads more. Though the market is not as large as what you will find in other cities on still gets the feel and rhythm of what city life is like here—intimate and relaxed.

In regards to food, don’t leave without eating a salmon quesadillas from Salmon Express. Coming from the main entrance, it is one of the first stalls on the right hand side. They are to die for. I go to the market every summer just to eat them.

The Weekend Market has been in Anchorage for 14 years and has become the mark for summer ever since. The best thing about is it’s free!

The market season is May 13 to September 10, open Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm.

After visiting the market, the downtown galleries are only a stone throw away so the Market is the best place to start a weekend excursion in Anchorage.

Where do Anchoragites go when they need a good read? Title Wave Books!

This place is an eclectic mix of new and used books, all arranged in a orderly fashion just like Borders or Barnes & Nobel's. What I love about this place is I can walk out with books, movies and CDs without ever laying down any cash. This is possible because of their ingenious idea of trading in books for store credit. All you have to do is bring in your old books, CDs and movies and Title Wave will give you the option of cash or store credit. I prefer credit… it helps to curb my bibliophile tendencies.

This place is huge! With over a half a million books, in addition to wacky gifts, they also boast an impressive Alaskan book collection. There is enough info here to get you started on any trek in Alaska.

Here is there info:

In Anchorage and outside the United States
(907) 278-9283.
Toll Free in the US
1-888-598-9283
24-hour fax:
(907) 278-7323

Hours of Operation
Monday - Thursday:
9:00am - 9:00pm
Friday & Saturday:
9:00am to 10:00pm
Sunday:
11:00am to 7:00pm

Book Intake Hours
Monday - Saturday:
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday:
11:00 AM 6:00 PM

Well, summertime is upon us here in Alaska and that means indulging in one of Alaska's great pastimes: Fishing. For the cost of a fishing license anyone can go try their luck in one of the many muddy riverbanks and catch $500 worth of fish. However, there's fishing and then there's Fishing...Today I leave the city and head south on the New Seward Highway to a little community called Whittier. Whittier is not much to look at, but it is a favorite jumping off point for wildlife tours and the weekend boater who doesn't want to waste their time driving for hours hauling a boat.

To reach Whittier you have to drive through a narrow hole in the mountain. It will cost you about $12 toll depending on the size of your vehicle, but make sure you check the tunnel schedule before you go. The tunnel is a single lane road that alternates inbound and outbound, if you arrive too early or late you are bound to get stuck waiting. If you suffer from claustrophobia close your eyes as you pass through. This tunnel is no joke, it is extremely narrow, dark, and leaky. You feel like you are in a mine shaft, which is not far from the truth.

Upon arrival in Whittier you need to park your car...the lot is located on your right, over the railroad tracks. After paying the lot attendant resist the temptation to walk back the way you drove. There is a secret underground tunnel the locals use. Upon leaving the dirt parking lot turn right and walk, after a while you will see a covered sidewalk on your left hand side....get on it and follow it under the railroad tracks. It should spill you out near the launch ramp. Congratulations! You just saved yourself 20 minutes walking.

After you get out of the harbor pop a Dramamine or two because the waters are going to get rough. Before you enter any of the passages you must travel through the "Washing Machine". This is where all the waters converge, so hold on tight. Once you reach your fishing destination bait your hook and let it drop. Whitter, depending on the time of year, is full of halibut, silver salmon, ling cod, and a variety of prehistoric looking rock fish.

If you decide to stay the night, camping spots are plentiful, but claim a spot early. Be aware of the tides before you make camp. You don't want to wake up ankle deep in water or with you boat dry docked on the rocks.

The wildlife in Prince William Sound will amaze you. Whales, otters, and eagles get up close and personal. The landscape is also a glory to behold. Twenty-six glaciers call Prince William Sound their home.

So, come! The beauty of this place overwhelms you. It grabs you, reels you in, and never lets you go.

The Eagle River Nature Center is a great place to day hike and offers routes ranging from easy to moderately strenuous. You may also opt to hike all the way to Girdwood, about a 24 mile hike...the trail head begins here.

This place is teeming with life, so be careful...There is an active beaver dam which is delightful to watch in the evening. They even offer guides to go with you if you desire a more informational hike. However, as I said before, this place is teeming with life, so be careful. The last time I went on a hike my husband and I were following fresh bear tracks the entire way, so be prepared. I say this not to frighten you but to help you realize how wild Alaska can be.

The Eagle River Nature Center also offers cabins and yurts, available for public rental. They are absolutely wonderful and are very well kept, they cost $65 per night. The yurts are by the rivers and the cabin is by the lake. For further information go to the nature center's website: www.ernc.org/Rentals/cabin.html

Parking at the nature center will cost you $5 per day, but it is well worth it because of the excellent upkeep of the trails.

If you choose to go, I advise to bring the following items:
Mosquito repellent
Snacks
Bear spray or appropriate firearm (longer hikes)
Sturdy hiking boots (waterproof)
Water-proof windbreaker
Dress in layers
Camera

Please be vigilant about your trash and respect the wild animals.

If you visit Alaska in the month of August you are here at the height of berry picking season. Blueberries and raspberries abound! You can find them everywhere... yesterday I ran right into a raspberry bush with berries the size of globe grapes. Low-bush blueberries take a little more energy to find, but a short ride into Arctic Valley and a hike up a hill will land you in the middle of blue heaven. The higher you go the more you find.

For picking low-bush blueberries I recommend taking a local. But if you are unable to find an Alaskan to drag along with you just have someone point you in the direction of Arctic Valley and you will find plenty of Alaskans there. Help is needed to identify the elusive bush. Be careful not to confuse the crow berries with the blueberries....or you will be in for a nasty surprise.

Like I said, raspberries are everywhere...go for a walk, you are bound to find something. If all else fails, open up the phone book and find a local U-pick farm.

When berry picking I recommend wearing clothes you will never wear again. Long sleeves and pants for raspberries and a blue jeans and a t-shirt for blueberries. If you are headed to Arctic Valley bring bug repellent...you will thank me later.