Welcome to Anchorage: 2014-2015

Transcription

Welcome to Anchorage!
The city of Anchorage is a great place to live, work and play!
Whether you are looking for great business opportunities, to
expand your employment horizon or enjoy a better quality of life, in
Anchorage you can have it all!
Anchorage continues to see steady growth in population,
employment and personal income. Our city has a strong and
thriving private sector. As of June 2014, our city is enjoying an
average unemployment rate of 5.3 percent, well below the national
average of 6.5 percent.
Do you Instagram? See how Anchorage residents are living life in
Anchorage by following the Instagram page AEDC has developed,
called I Love Anchorage. Each week a different Anchorage resident
shares through photos what life in Anchorage looks like for them. Go to your Instagram app or to
www.Instagram.com/iloveAnchorage to follow. Another way to see what life in Anchorage looks like
is to search the hashtag #iloveanchorage.
We are happy you are joining us; Anchorage is a wonderful place to call home. You will find a number
of resources in this guide to make your transition to becoming an Anchorage resident smooth.
Sincerely,
Bill Popp
President & CEO, Anchorage Economic Development Corp.
www.AEDCweb.com
Facebook.com/AEDCweb
Twitter.com/AEDC
Instagram.com/iloveanchorage
#iloveanchorage
Welcome to Alaska, “The Great Land”
As the president of the Anchorage Board of Realtors, it is my pleasure to welcome you
to Anchorage. Many years ago I vacationed here and was awestruck by how raw and
enormous the wildlife, mountains and oceans are just steps away from the downtown area.
I was also impressed with what it means to be an Alaskan. Like everyone else, I went
home and planned our move. My wife and I sold almost everything we owned and off we
went with our then-10-week-old son and 18-month-old daughter in tow. We settled in and
started a business. Nine years later, I can say it was the best decision of our lives. As my
predecessor stated, “Anchorage is known as a Big, Small Town.” We are big enough to
have and share spectacular cultural activities, a large business center, community events,
nightlife, etc., not to mention world-class outdoor activities, but small enough to know
your neighbors, establish lifelong friends, and develop personal business contacts.
There are so many opportunities available in Anchorage for the willing. Alaska truly is the
“Last Frontier.” Most businesses are still owned and operated by Alaskans.
The 900-plus members of the Anchorage Board of Realtors are experienced,
knowledgeable and professional; they are here to help you find a home of your dreams and
experience Alaska at its finest. We will help you in any way with your real estate needs.
I am honored to be asked to be one of the first to welcome you to our community. I
sincerely hope that you enjoy your stay and that you consider making Alaska your future
home. We welcome you with open arms.
Best of luck!
Mike Rasmussen
Rasmussen Properties
Anchorage Board of Realtors; President
8
WELCOME TO ANCHORAGE • 2014-2015
OUR
LOGO
BRAND
PRINT
SPECS
OUR
LOGO
BRAND
PRINT
SPECS
OUR EFFORTS
TO BRAND
OUR LOGOS
IT IS IMPORTANT
TO FOLLOW
LOGO SPECS
PRINT SPECS
ALL TIMES
IN OURIN
EFFORTS
TO BRAND
OUR LOGOS
IT IS IMPORTANT
TO FOLLOW
THESE THESE
LOGO PRINT
AT ALL AT
TIMES
Use ANYTIME
areneed
usedtowe ollow
need to
ollow
these
s ecs.
see
Patricia regarding
any uestions
Use ANYTIME
our logos our
are logos
used we
these
s ecs.
Please
seePlease
Patricia
regarding
any uestions
BENCHMAR
PUBLICATIONS:
BENCHMAR
PUBLICATIONS:
MARCOA
(ALWAYS
ALL CAPPED)
MARCOA
(ALWAYS
ALL CAPPED)
Y MWR
SD NASDYNA
MWR
AQP PUBLICATIONS
BOB ULIN’s
is to
NOT
to be used
AQP PUBLICATIONS
-- BOB-- ULIN’s
name name
is NOT
be used
• Name
must
be deleted
from
allboxes
staff boxes
and disclaimers
•
must Name
be
deleted
from all
staff
and disclaimers
• Ulin’s
Bob name
to be listed
anywhere
publications,
•
Bob Ulin’s
name
is not is
to not
be listed
anywhere
within within
publications,
mediamedia
and and
promotions
pieces,ads and/or
ads and/or
PROPOSAL
pieces,
etc. (bring
to Patricia’s
promotions
pieces,
PROPOSAL
pieces,
etc. (bring
to Patricia’s
attention
if otherwise
you any
havequestions)
any questions)
attention
if otherwise
and/orand/or
if you ifhave
•
• Publishing,
AQP Inc. (always
Inc. (always
include
the comma)
AQP Publishing,
include
the comma)
•
• (Inc.
(Inc.
Inc.
a period)
Inc.with
awith
period)
•
•
LU E LU
AFBE AFB
FORT FORT
NO
NO
OCEANA
OCEANA
AFB AFB
ENTURA
ENTURA
NA YNA Y
Include
MyBaseGuide.com
website
Include
MyBaseGuide.com
website
The Welcome to Anchorage Relocation Guide for
Newcomers is published and distributed by MARCOA
• Inc.
Publisher
name
bolded
bold) when
usedaddress
with address
info. (Arial)
(see below
examples)
Publishing,
Content
is general
information
and is when
•
Publisher
name
bolded
(Arial (Arial
bold)
used with
info. (Arial)
(see below
examples)
not intended as legal, medical, financial or tax advice,
copy
(Arial
/ publisher
does
not to
need
to be bold)
• does• it cover
Spine
copy
(Arial
/ publisher
name
does not
need
be bold)
nor
all Spine
the
region’s
complexities
and name
nuances. The publisher makes every effort to ensure
information is accurate but cannot be held responsible
for any consequences arising from errors, omissions
or opinions expressed herein. To report any discrepancies, please
• email [email protected].
BRAND
/ LOGO / DISCLAIMER FONT: ARIAL (Regular and Bold)
•
BRAND
/ LOGO / DISCLAIMER FONT: ARIAL (Regular and Bold)
• DISCLAIMER
FONT
point
size never
less than
6 points
• DISCLAIMER
SIZE:SIZE:
point
size never
less than
6 points
Article
contributions
andFONT
the appearance
of
advertising
within Disclaimers
publication &
does
not con• Disclaimers
Map
Directionals
a consistent
size
so when
viewed
together
there
is consistency
•
Mapthis
& Directionals
shouldshould
use a use
consistent
size so
when
viewed
together
there is
consistency
stitute endorsement by MARCOA Publishing, Inc.
• advertised
info.
this order
and abbreviated
exactly
as shown
here (example
is always
spelled
Everything
in
this always
publication
•
Address
info.Address
always
listed listed
in will
thisbeinorder
and abbreviated
exactly
as shown
here (example
Drive Drive
is always
spelled
out)
made available for purchase, use or patronage
• Phone
Phone
numbers
use dashes
not parenthesis
•
numbers
use
dashes
not
parenthesis
without regard to race, religion, gender, nationality,
• status,
Include
space
between
and Matt’s
age,
physical
handicap,
politicalwebsite
affili• marital
Include
space
between
website
and Matt’s
name name
ation or other nonmerit factor of the user, purchaser
•
Always
list
Matt
exactly
as
shown
here
(do
not replace
commas
with ampersands,
•
Always
list
Matt
exactly
as
shown
here
(do
not
replace
commas
with ampersands,
etc.) etc.)
or patron.
•
•
out)
Names
-- always
like shown
First (Arial)
Title Second
Names
-- always
list likelist
shown
aboveabove
NameName
First (Arial)
Title Second
(Arial,(Arial,
Bold) Bold)
AQPBENCHMARK
and BENCHMARK
DISCLAIMERS
include
MyBaseGuide
website
AQP and
DISCLAIMERS
include
MyBaseGuide
website
Welcome to Alaska.............................................10
RESIDENTIAL
DIRECTORY
DISCLAIMERS
RESIDENTIAL
DIRECTORY
DISCLAIMERS
Getting Here......................................................15
YELLOW
PAGES:
YELLOW
PAGES:
Municipality of Anchorage..................................21
• OPENER
OPENER
/ COPYRIGHT
HEADERS
(Regular
and Bold)
•
/ COPYRIGHT
HEADERS
FONT:FONT:
ARIALARIAL
(Regular
and Bold)
• Copyright
Copyright
yellow-page
headers
•
yellow-page
headers
(Arial / publisher
name
not
to be bold)
(Arial / publisher
name does
notdoes
need
toneed
be bold)
Employment & Economy....................................29
Housing & Real Estate. . ......................................36
USE
FOR MILITARY
PUBLICATIONS
WETHE
HOLD
THE COPYRIGHT
RESIDENTIAL
DIRECTORIES
NOT INCLUDE
MYBASEGUIDE)
USE FOR
MILITARY
PUBLICATIONS
WHEREWHERE
WE HOLD
COPYRIGHT
(NOTE: (NOTE:
RESIDENTIAL
DIRECTORIES
DO NOTDO
INCLUDE
MYBASEGUIDE)
© 2014 MARCOA Publishing, Inc.
8537 Corbin Drive, Anchorage, AK 99507
907-562-9300; Fax: 907-562-9311
Toll Free: 866-562-9300
www.marcoa.com
Matt Benedict, President, CEO
©
2014Fisher,
MARCOA
Publishing,
Inc.
© 2014
MARCOA
Publishing,
Inc.
Rachael
Senior
Managing
Editor
P.O.
Box
509100,
San CA
Diego,
CA 92150-9100
Cheryl
Chapman,
Editor
P.O. Box
509100,
San
Diego,
92150-9100
858-695-9600;
Fax: 858-695-9641
Stephanie
Art Director
858-695-9600;
Fax: Juarez,
858-695-9641
Toll
Free:
800-854-2935
David
Gates,
Project Sales Manager
Toll Free:
800-854-2935
Carol
Choi,
Advertising
Coordinator
Toll
Free
Fax:
800-660-8331
Toll Free
Fax:
800-660-8331
www.marcoa.com
www.marcoa.com
Cover Photography:
www.mybaseguide.com
www.mybaseguide.com
©iStockphoto.com/Christopher Boswell
Matt Benedict,
President,
Matt Benedict,
President,
CEO CEO
Education & Academics......................................42
Health Care.. ......................................................50
2014
AQP Publishing,
Inc.
Community & Recreation...................................64
© 2014 ©
AQP
Publishing,
Inc.
2014 Benchmark
Publications,
Inc.
© 2014 ©
Benchmark
Publications,
Inc.
Box 509100
P.O. BoxP.O.
509100
SanCA
Diego,
CA 92150-9100
San Diego,
92150-9100
858-530-3326;
Fax: 858-695-9641
858-530-3326;
Fax: 858-695-9641
www.benchmarkpub.com
www.mybaseguide.com
www.mybaseguide.com
www.militarynewcomers.com
907-562-9300;
Fax: 907-562-9311
907-562-9300;
Fax: 907-562-9311
Free: 866-562-9300
Toll Free:Toll
866-562-9300
email: [email protected]
www.AQPpublishing.com
www.mybaseguide.com
www.mybaseguide.com
Surrounding Area...............................................74
Matt Benedict,
President,
CEO
Matt Benedict,
President,
CEO
Advertiser Index.................................................78
Matt Benedict,
President,
CEO
Matt Benedict,
President,
CEO
CURRENT
Disclaimers
RE ISED
/ 9-6-13
FILE: FILE:
CURRENT
Disclaimers
RE ISED
/ 9-6-13
TO ANCHORAGE
• 2014-2015
9
LOCATION:
E //WELCOME
CTP
/ PRODUCTION
GRAPHICS
/ LOGOS
/ MARCOA
LOCATION:
M-DRIM-DRI
E / CTP
PRODUCTION
GRAPHICS
/ LOGOS
/ MARCOA
CURRENT
DISCLAIMERS
RE
ISED
FOLDER
CURRENT DISCLAIMERS RE ISED FOLDER
Welcome to Alaska
A
laska offers as much familiarity — cities, villages, stores, streets,
vehicles — as it does strangeness: breathtaking (yet deadly) wilderness and weather,
10,000-year-old Alaska Native customs
and traditions, a boom-and-bust history,
and days as long in summer as nights are
in winter. It’s a land of rugged individuals
with do-it-yourself attitudes.
Like the original inhabitants and later
the Russians who sold the land to the
Americans, visitors still hear and feel that
“call of the wild.” And the state’s motto,
“North to the Future,” promises potential
endless opportunities — economic, cultural, natural and recreational.
The state might prove near-inaccessible by
road, though by air, Seattle’s a mere 3 ½-hour
flight away. That distance from everywhere
else adds to the sense of solitude, adventure
and otherworldliness.
Despite the remoteness, jobs are plentiful, increasing steadily — with a few dips —
since statehood in 1959. Housing, education
and health care are modern, progressive and
family-oriented.
Landscape
Alaska is known for its mountains,
glaciers, rivers, forests, tundra, wildlife and wilderness. The National
Parks system has designated millions
of acres as parks, preserves, wild rivers, monuments and historic sites. In fact,
the state boasts seven of the 10 largest
national parks in the country: WrangellSt. Elias, Gates of the Arctic, Denali, Katmai,
Glacier Bay, Lake Clark and Kobuk Valley.
A complete list can be found at www.nps.
gov/akso/parks/index.cfm.
Fourteen separate mountain ranges divide
the state into four major river-drainage
systems. The Brooks Range runs east
and west, separating the Interior from
the northernmost Arctic. The Wrangell
Mountains help make Wrangell-St. Elias
National Park and Preserve in Southeast
the largest in the U.S. And the Alaska
Range, crowned by Denali, or Mount
McKinley, the highest point in North
America, adds spectacle and royalty to
Denali National Park and Preserve.
The state also has the nation’s two largest national forests: Tongass in Southeast,
at nearly 17 million acres, is one of the last
intact and pristine temperate rainforests;
and Chugach in Southcentral, at more than
5 million acres, has been enjoyed as a colossal
backyard with great recreational choices for
more than a century.
Expanses of tundra, muskegs — boggy
wetlands — and labyrinths of rivers and
lakes lace the landscape, limiting off-road
Photography provided by Visit Anchorage/Roy Neese
10 WELCOME TO ANCHORAGE • 2014-2015
travel on the ground but creating an intriguing puzzle when viewed from a plane.
BIG Alaska
Photography provided by Visit Anchorage/Jody Overstreet
The state covers 570,641 square miles.
That’s roughly one-third the size of the 48
contiguous continental states combined,
or 441 times the size of Rhode Island and
2.2 times the size of Texas.
As far as water, the Pacific Ocean, Gulf of
Alaska, Bering Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi
Sea and the Arctic Ocean lap more than
44,000 miles of shoreline. Alaska has some of
the wildest and most pristine sounds, bays,
rivers and lakes in the world.
Talk about privacy and solitude: The
population density averages slightly more
than one person per square mile (the Lower
48’s average is 87.4 people per square mile,
the U.S. Census says). And most Alaska
outdoor recreation is within walking distance or a short drive, if not just out the
back door.
Wildlife
Alaskans share their state with more than
40 species of land mammals, more than
30 species of marine mammals, more than
40 different kinds of fish and 501 species of
birds, plus a host of marine invertebrates and
a few frogs and toads but no snakes or other
reptiles. Sometimes the wildlife can seem altogether too close, such as when a moose lurches
across an icy road in front of a car, or a grizzly
confronts a jogger on a hiking trail.
Hunting and fishing
Alaska is a sportsman’s paradise. Hunters
pursue black bear, brown/grizzly bear, caribou, mountain goat, moose, Dall sheep, deer,
wolves, snowshoe hare, ptarmigan, grouse,
ducks, geese and other wildlife. Trapping is
also allowed for some species.
Rivers, streams and lakes — some yearround — abound with salmon, steelhead,
rainbow trout, Arctic char/Dolly Varden,
Arctic grayling, burbot, northern pike and
other finfish. Halibut entice saltwater anglers.
Find details on regulations, seasons, limits, trapping, hunter safety education and
restrictions at the Alaska Department of Fish
and Game website, www.adfg.state.ak.us.
Seasons
Summer offers almost endless daylight,
shirtsleeve weather and plenty of time to
grow vegetables, berries and flowers, or hike,
bike, kayak, canoe, camp, fish and otherwise
explore and enjoy the great outdoors.
Though bitterly cold, winter comes in a
close second in popularity among residents.
Sports and outdoor activities range from
WELCOME TO ANCHORAGE • 2014-2015 11
Welcome to Alaska
Alaska Facts
The 49th State . . . . . . Statehood granted
Jan. 3, 1959
Landmass . . . . 570,641 square miles, the
largest state
Highest point . . . . . . . Mount McKinley,
20,237 feet, highest point in
North America
Lowest Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sea level
Coastline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44,000 miles
Rivers . . . . . . . . . . . . More than 12,000
Lakes . . . . . . . . . . . More than 3 million
Capital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Juneau
Song . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “Alaska’s Flag”
Flower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Forget-Me-Not
Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sitka spruce
Fossil . . . . . . . . . . . . . Woolly mammoth
Gemstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jade
Mineral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gold
Motto . . . . . . . . . . “North to the Future”
Nickname . . . . . . . . . . The Last Frontier
Insect . . . . . . . . . . . . Skimmer dragonfly
Bird . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Willow ptarmigan
Fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . King salmon
Land Mammal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moose
Marine Mammal . . . . . . Bowhead whale
Sport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dog mushing
Holidays . . . . . . . . Alaska Day – Oct. 18;
Seward’s Day – last Monday in March
extreme to moderate: sledding with dogs,
toboggans or snowmachines, downhill and
cross-country skiing, snowboarding, skating, snowshoeing or ice climbing. During
the long, dark nights, the northern lights
dance across the starlit sky. Indoor activities
include hockey, basketball and volleyball.
A few clear days above 50 degrees signal
spring, and shortly thereafter the budding
trees explode into a green sheen of leaves in a
matter of days. Colorful flowers muscle out
of the defrosting ground, but blink, and this
season is gone.
Similar to spring’s brief reign, fall flashes
with orange, red and bright gold and then
the crisp, cool days give way again to wind,
snow and cold.
Alaska history
Alaska is young. In 2009, residents celebrated just 50 years of statehood. Long
before that time — 20,000 to 6,000 years
ago — indigenous peoples migrated from
Asia across the frozen Bering Sea just as
receding glaciers uncovered boreal tundra,
and forests began to take root. Alaska is
young geographically, too. After the dinosaurs died out, glaciers covered the land
and an estimated 100,000 of those glaciers
are still here.
Welcome to Alaska
The first inhabitants all those thousands of years ago fared better against the
harsh climate and conditions than their
descendants did with the Russians and
Americans who showed up in the 18th
century. Despite conflicts and cultural
impacts, Alaska Natives — those who survived — persisted and adapted.
In 1867, U.S. Secretary of State William
H. Seward purchased the territory from
Russia for $7.2 million, less than 2 cents per
acre. View the cancelled check used for the
purchase online at the National Archives,
www.ourdocuments.gov.
The gold rush in the late 19th century
brought a torrent of new residents avid for
quick riches. World War II generated more
arrivals because of the territory’s strategic
location, and the first road punched through
Canada to Alaska from the Lower 48 led to
still more expansion. Ever since, the military
has maintained a strong presence. A wealth
of natural resources eventually induced
Congress to admit the territory into the
Union as a state in 1959, and the discovery
of oil a decade later on state-owned North
Slope land underwrote that decision. As the
lumber and fishing industries have declined,
oil continues to line state coffers, though
production has been dropping.
As oil production falls, other energy
options — natural gas, wind, solar, geothermal, hydro, tidal — are under increasing discussion statewide, not only for money to run
state services but for jobs and resource conservation and in response to climate change.
In addition, as temperatures warm and
sea ice melts across the top of the globe,
opening shipping lanes through the
resource-rich Northwest Passage, Alaska is
becoming increasingly important from a
geopolitical standpoint.
Anchorage, for example, merged the Greater
Anchorage Area Borough with the City of
Anchorage and such communities as Eagle
River and Girdwood.
The remaining boroughs are either nonunified home-rule or second-class, with a
regional government that complements city
governments within borough boundaries.
The sole unorganized borough, called
simply the Unorganized Borough, covers
more than half the state’s land mass and has
13 percent of the state’s population divided
into 11 federal census areas. This borough
is neither a political subdivision nor a
municipal corporation but it delivers federal funds and state services with the help
of local officials. In 1991 and 1992, state
officials divided the Unorganized Borough
into 19 smaller boroughs, but none of
those has organized or incorporated.
One of the biggest influences on the evolution of present-day government occurred
in 1971 when President Nixon signed
the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
Basically, Native Alaskans gave up decadesold land claims in return for 44 million acres
of land and $963 million. The settlement
compensated Natives for the collaborative
Alaska 2013
Populations
Alaska’s population . . . . . . . . . . 735,132
Five Largest Boroughs
Municipality of Anchorage . . . . . . 300,950
Fairbanks North Star Borough . . . 100,436
Matanuska-Susitna Borough . . . . . 95,192
Kenai Peninsula Borough . . . . . . . . 57,147
Juneau City & Borough . . . . . . . . . 32,660
Ten Largest Communities
Anchorage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300,950
Juneau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32,660
Fairbanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32,324
Sitka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,020
Wasilla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,621
Ketchikan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,214
Kenai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7,452
Palmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,461
Kodiak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,423
Bethel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,363
– U.S. Census Bureau
Government
Supported mostly by oil revenue, Alaska
state government operates much as state governments do in the Lower 48, with a House
of Representatives and Senate, judiciary and
governor. The Statehood Act created a midlevel government — a borough — encompassing cities, towns or villages, and the state.
Boroughs resemble counties except for law
enforcement, which is either by local police
or state troopers.
Sixteen organized and one unorganized
borough cover more than 390 communities.
Anchorage, Juneau and Sitka are unified
home-rule boroughs, which consolidate all
the local governments. The Municipality of
Welcometo
toAlaska
Alaska
Welcome
Photography provided by Visit Anchorage/Nicole Geils
use of their lands and opened the way for all
Alaskans to profit from oil, one of the state’s
largest natural resources.
ANCSA divided the land and money
among 200 villages and 12 Native-owned
regional corporations plus a 13th made up
of Natives living outside the state. Today
more than 246 federally recognized tribal
governments supervise the land.
The settlement and the eventual oil
revenue plus federal funds eliminated the
need for a statewide sales tax or personal
income tax, though a handful of communities, villages or boroughs have imposed
local sales taxes.
Alaska is unique among the states in
that it manages much of its natural wealth
under the Commons, a system based on
ancient British common law. The idea is
that benefits from commonly held properties should go to all instead of just a lucky
few, which is why each year, every qualifying man, woman and child in Alaska
gets a substantial check from the Alaska
Permanent Fund. The investment fund
was constitutionally established under the
revered Gov. Jay Hammond in 1976 from
the state’s share of oil profits flowing from
the North Slope. From its initial investment of $734,000 in 1977 — less than the
price of a single luxury home these days
— it had grown to approximately $53 billion on June 30 at the close of the 2014
fiscal year. In October 2014, the fund split
$1.2 billion in dividends among more than
640,000 qualifying applicants, $1,884 apiece,
according to Gov. Sean Parnell. The oldest
recipient was 109, he said, and the youngest were 26 infants born on Dec. 31, 2013.
The dividend varies every year depending
on how well the investments have performed, but over the past 30 years, it’s been
more than $1,000 for 15 times.
To learn more about the state’s government, boroughs, communities and villages,
visit www.alaska.gov.
Photography provided by Visit Anchorage/Frank Flavin
Getting Here
Land
First, find a big road map that includes
Alaska, Canada and the northern border
states of the Lower 48. Next, head north-bynorthwest toward Canada; there are dozens
of border crossings in Washington, Idaho,
Montana and points east. Whether starting
from Chicago or Seattle, allow plenty of time
for a long, slow, scenic drive. Most travelers
choose the Alberta to Alaska Highway route
or the British Columbia/Yukon route. Find
detailed information about driving routes at
www.northtoalaska.com.
Canada is big and most of the roads are
small, two-lane affairs, sometimes only gravel.
But getting here is half the fun. No matter which way you approach Alaska to get
to Anchorage, there will be plenty of natural
beauty and wildlife to be seen while staying
within reach of amenities necessary to make
the trip safe, comfortable and memorable.
You can travel north on the highways yearround, but the best time is from late spring
to early fall. More facilities are open then,
and there is less chance of encountering
adverse weather and temperatures. Wildlife
viewing is better in the summer too.
If you come in winter, beware of rapidly changing weather patterns and the
ferocious blizzards that strand unprepared
travelers every year. Be aware that in many
areas, your cell phone won’t work. An atlas
and up-to-date road maps for the states,
provinces and territories you’ll be traveling
through are vital for planning your journey
to your new home.
Alaska Highway
Once you get to Canada, make your
way to the Alaska Highway, which starts
in Dawson Creek in the northern part of
British Columbia. Stay on the Alcan, as
many northerners call it, until you get to
Beaver Creek, Yukon Territory, and cross
the border into Alaska. Keep going until
you reach Tok, where you’ll turn south and
arrive in Anchorage about six hours later.
Preparation is key since the journey north
by road from the Lower 48 is more than
2,000 miles — the ultimate North American
road trip, many call it. Plan for all contingencies and be sure your vehicle is in top
working order. If you load up with a lot of
weight, you may need to upgrade your shock
absorbers before the trip. Have extra oil, a
couple of spare tires, extra belts and lots of
gas money.
You’ll find a gas station about every
hour or so along most of the way. It’s a
good idea to stop when you are at half
a tank to take a break from driving and
fill up, not wait until you are running on
empty and there may be no gas station for
many, many miles. In Canada the price of
Road Conditions & Information
Alaska
In Alaska: 511
866-282-7577
511.alaska.gov
Alberta
877-262-4997
www.ama.ab.ca
British Columbia
800-550-4997
www.drivebc.ca
Yukon Territory
511 within Yukon
867-456-7623 outside Yukon
www.511yukon.ca
Getting Here
Welcome
to Alaska
gas, which is dispensed in liters, was more
than $5.60 per U.S. gallon in certain areas
in June 2014. There are 3.785 Imperial
liters to 1 U.S. gallon.
If it’s not winter, you could take camping gear and coolers to make a real adventure
out of the move. If it is winter, you’ll most
likely want to get a room at night and enjoy
a warm meal. Be sure to pack heavy winter
gear so you don’t freeze in case of car trouble.
Make sure your tires are suited to hazardous
winter road conditions.
Summer or winter, regardless of your
route, be sure to take along plenty of snacks
and beverages. Don’t forget your camera,
music and audiobooks because there will
be stretches without radio reception. If
you’re bringing children or pets, be sure to
have enough to keep them occupied: It’s a
long, long way. Drivers who sign up with a
roadside service such as AAA should make
sure long-distance towing is included.
Seatbelts are mandatory in both Canada
and Alaska. Car seats or booster seats are
required for children who are 8 years old
and younger or weigh less than 65 pounds in
Alaska and less than 80 pounds in Canada.
Be prepared to present your passport, driver’s license and proof of insurance; obtain
a Canadian insurance card from your U.S.
insurance firm. Drive with headlights on at
all times and watch out for wildlife.
Camping
If it’s not winter when you are traveling, you may want to take camping
gear and coolers to make a real outdoors
experience out of your move. See websites below for more information.
Alaska
www.alaskacampgrounds.net
www.alaskacenters.gov/
campgrounds.cfm
Cassiar Highway alternate route
If you head west from Prince George,
British Columbia, to New Hazelton,
British Columbia, you will find yourself
near the beginning of the Cassiar Highway,
an alternate route that hooks up with the
Alaska Highway near Watson Lake, Yukon
Alberta
www.travelalberta.us
British Columbia
https://secure.camis.com/discover
camping
Yukon
http://travelyukon.com/plan.
accommodations/camping-andrv-parks
Territory. The road has both advantages and
disadvantages over the Alaska Highway. A
minus: It’s not as upgraded or as well paved
as the Alcan. There are no passing lanes or
center stripe for much of the narrow, winding route. A plus: You’ll be deeper into the
backcountry of British Columbia and see
more wild rivers, canyons, glaciers, lakes
and pristine wilderness. You’ll also shave
150 miles off your route, but be careful
because gas stations and other resources are
few and far between. You’ll need to fill up
whenever you can. Some services close for
the winter months, so if you want to take
the Cassiar you should plan carefully and
find out where you’ll be able to get fuel
along this 450-mile stretch — before you
head out. Once you get to Watson Lake
you’ll be back on the Alaska Highway.
Travel west to Beaver Creek, cross into
Alaska and drive through to Tok. Then
turn south for Anchorage.
Sea
©Alaska's Marine Highway/Peter Metcalf
Some travelers choose a land/sea itinerary for the trip north. Travelers can hook
up with the Alaska Marine Highway from
Bellingham, Washington, or Prince Rupert,
British Columbia, and continue their journey to Alaska aboard ocean-going ferries. By
using the ferries, travelers can eliminate several hundred to a thousand miles of highway
driving, depending on the route. The water
way also affords ferry passengers an opportunity to take in the natural splendor of southeast Alaska and communities that can’t be
reached by road.
For most of the year, Bellingham-boarding
passengers can travel as far as Haines at the
northern edge of southeastern Alaska. From
there, Anchorage is a 700-mile drive by way
of a corner of western Canada and part of
the Alaska Highway. From June through
September, a ferry docks at Whittier, a
90-minute drive from Anchorage.
The ferries offer passage for vehicles and
people, although cabins must be reserved
many weeks or months in advance. If you
do not have cabin space on overnight trips,
you will go deck passage and may sleep in
lounge chairs or on the floor inside lounges,
or you may set up a small tent in some allowable spots. Public showers are available on
most ferries, as is cafeteria service. The cost
of meals is additional.
Pets with a valid rabies certificate and a
health certificate are permitted but will be
confined to your vehicle for the entire voyage, except when you are allowed on the
vehicle deck to exercise them during stopovers en route or at selected times while
underway. Access to vehicles is restricted
for most of the trip.
Ferries are not cruise ships. Ferry passengers do view the same scenery as the more
than 1 million cruise ship passengers every
summer, but the similarities end there. Wise
travelers bring coolers full of food and beverages, blankets, pillows, towels, their own
entertainment — and a camera to snap photos of whales, puffins, calving glaciers, other
marine life and the rugged coastline.
To make reservations and find schedules,
fares and other information, visit www.dot.
state.ak.us/amhs.
Photography provided by Visit Anchorage/Nicole Geils
Getting Here
coming from a rabies quarantine area or have
pets that cannot be vaccinated for rabies, you
must contact the State Veterinarian Office in
Anchorage at 907-375-8215 to get a permit
to bring the animal into the state.
If you are flying your pet to Alaska,
check with the airline to learn its regulations on pet travel. Small pets that can fit
in an under-the-seat carrier may be taken
on board, though with some restrictions.
Pets traveling in the lower hold of the
aircraft must be contained in an FAAregulation air kennel (no wire kennels
allowed) and be able to comfortably stand
up and turn around in the kennel. There
also may be seasonal restrictions.
Your veterinarian can provide more
information on travel, including whether
sedating your pet is advisable, and address
other health and safety concerns.
Canada
U.S. citizens will need a current passport
to cross the Canadian/U.S. borders. Entry
to Canada may be denied based on criminal records, including a DUI conviction.
All vehicles and travelers may be searched
at the discretion of customs officials. For
Air
If a cross-country road trip and border
crossings or sea/land options don’t appeal
to you, flying is likely your mode of choice,
as it is for most visitors. Flights from the
Lower 48 typically take a few hours, and
hundreds of flights are available daily to and
from Ted Stevens Anchorage International
Airport. Household goods and vehicles can
be shipped via road or sea.
Bringing your pet to Alaska
Those traveling with pets must have their
current shot records, including proof of
rabies vaccination, as well as a health certificate issued within 30 days of travel. If you are
Getting Here
Welcome
to Alaska
information visit www.cbp.gov or www.
canadawelcomesyou.net.
Children younger than 16 years old may
go through land and sea borders using a
U.S. birth certificate — the original certificate or a copy. Minors not accompanied
by both parents must carry a notarized letter from their legal guardian and/or the
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. and Canadian Citizens –
Single-Document Option
One of the following documents should
be presented to prove both identity and
citizenship:
• U.S. or Canadian Passport
• U.S. Passport Card*
• Trusted Traveler Cards (Global Entry,
NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST)*
• State- or Provincial-Issued Enhanced
Driver’s License (when available – this
secure driver’s license will denote identity and citizenship)*
•Enhanced Tribal Cards (when
available)*
•U.S. Military Identification with
Military Travel Orders
• U.S. Merchant Mariner Document
•Native American Tribal Photo
Identification Card
• Form I-872 American Indian Card
• Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
Card
* Frequent Land Border Crossers – To
expedite processing into the United States,
U.S. Customs and Border Protection recommends using one of the above asterisked documents.
Two-Document Option
All U.S. and Canadian citizens who do
not have one of the documents from the
list above must present both an identification and citizenship document from each
of the lists below.
Identification Documents*
• Driver’s license or identification card
issued by a federal, state, provincial,
county, territory or municipal authority
• U.S. or Canadian military identification card
* All identification documents must have a
photo, name and date of birth.
Citizenship Documents
• U.S. or Canadian birth certificate issued
by a federal, state, provincial, county,
territory or municipal authority
• U.S. consular report of birth abroad
• U.S. Certificate of Naturalization
• U.S. Certificate of Citizenship
• U.S. Citizen Identification Card
• Canadian Citizenship Card
• Canadian certificate of citizenship without photo
Procedures for Children
Children who are U.S. or Canadian citizens ages 18 and under will be expected
to present a birth certificate issued by
a federal, state, provincial, county or
municipal authority.
other parent granting permission to travel
into Canada.
Dogs and cats may accompany their owners across the border provided they are in good
health and have a current rabies vaccination
certificate signed by a veterinarian. A health
certificate issued not more than 30 days previously is also required. Both certificates must
clearly identify the animal(s) in your possession. You may not be asked to present these
certificates, but if you don’t when asked, you
may not be allowed to cross the border.
You may be asked for proof that you have
sufficient funds to travel through Canada.
Money will need to be converted from U.S.
currency into Canadian currency near the
border, on one side or the other. You will
usually get a better rate if you make your
exchange at a bank. Most major U.S. credit
cards are accepted for payment in Canada, and
you won’t have to worry about the conversion
rate. You should still take a good amount of
cash in case you end up stopping somewhere
that doesn’t accept credit cards. Go to www.
bankofcanada.ca/en/rates/exchform.html
for the current rate of exchange.
The U.S. State Department encourages all
Americans traveling outside the country to register at https://travelregistration.state.gov.
U.S. Consulates General in Canada are
located in:
Calgary, Alberta
615 Macleod Trail SE, 10th Floor,
403-266-8962
For an after-hours emergency or to report
the death or arrest of an American, call
403-266-8962, then press “0.” For faxes,
use 403-264-6630. The consular district
includes Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan
and the Northwest Territories, except for
Nunavut. Go to calgary.usconsulate.gov.
Vancouver, British Columbia
1075 W. Pender St.
For general information or emergencies, call 604-685-4311. For faxes, use
604-685-7175. The consular district includes
British Columbia and the Yukon Territory. Go
to vancouver.usconsulate.gov.
©iStockphoto.com/HannamariaH
Firearms
Canada has very specific instructions for
nonresidents who want to transport firearms into or through Canada, so be sure
to check with the Canada Border Services
Agency before traveling. Certain classes of
firearms are allowed but must be declared
for a fee of $25 per person for a 60-day registration permit.
You either must have a Canadian
Possession and Acquisition License (PAL)
or you must register your firearms at the
Canadian border. Completing a NonResident Firearms Declaration form before
you try to cross the border is easier and less
time-consuming. Call 800-731-4000 for a
Firearms Declaration Form.
All fully automatic weapons, all hand
guns, guns less than 26 inches in length and
pepper spray are prohibited in Canada.
Many people choose to ship their firearms to
Alaska rather than try to bring them through
Canada. Find more information at www.
canadawelcomesyou.net/firearms.html.
Know your destination –
country document requirements
It is strongly recommended that all travelers leaving the U.S. verify the specific
documentary requirements for their destination country. This information is available through www.travel.state.gov, or by
consulting with the embassy of the country
you are visiting. Travelers are encouraged
to visit www.cbp.gov for updates on travel
information.
Putting your move together
Once you’ve decided to make the move to
Alaska and have chosen your mode and route
of travel, the next thing to do is select a moving company for your household goods and
other items. Choose a company in your area
that you are comfortable with, and remember that price is only one factor.
Ideally, you want a company with a
national network and a good reputation.
You want one company that can pack up
your house and arrange for delivery of your
goods — intact — to your new home in
Alaska. Researching online will help you
locate information, but some phone and
legwork will be necessary to pick the right
mover. Get references and check them out.
Decide if you want the movers to pack.
It does cost more if you don’t do it yourself, but if you hire professional movers they
should be able to do a good job and save you
a lot of time and labor. Take photos of your
belongings in case of loss or damage. If you
decide to pack for yourself, it’s a good idea to
allow twice as much time to complete everything as you think you will need.
When the movers deliver your belongings,
check the shipment carefully and completely
for damaged or missing items. Write down
©iStockphoto.com/Rich H. Legg
Getting Here
anything awry, preferably in the presence of
the moving crew, and have them confirm
your findings. Refer to your photos and take
more photos of any damage. If you have to
seek compensation for damages from the
moving company, your written record and
photos will be essential. Be sure to inventory
everything before the move so you will have
your list and photos to use for verification
when your belongings arrive.
insurance must be in the driver’s possession
when operating a vehicle. Failure to present
proof of insurance could result in having
the vehicle impounded.
Alaska driving
Driver’s license & vehicle registration
Alaska law requires that you obtain an
Alaska driver’s license within 90 days of
arrival (30 days for commercial licenses),
and you must register your vehicles with the
state within 60 days of arrival. To obtain
an Alaska driver’s license, you will have to
provide your Social Security number, surrender your out-of-state driver’s license and
pass written, road, vision and alcohol/drug
awareness tests.
Registration of your vehicles will require
proof of ownership in the form of a title
and registration documents from the state
where you previously lived, along with
proof of insurance.
Alaska law requires vehicle owners to
maintain liability insurance for the following minimum amounts: $50,000 for bodily
injury or death of any one person, $100,000
for bodily injury or death for any accident,
and $25,000 for property damage. Proof of
Getting Here
Photography provided by Visit Anchorage/Ken Graham Photography
For more information, see the DMV website at doa.alaska.gov/dmv.
Summer roads
There’s more traffic in the summer, so
drive defensively and look out for people
on motorcycles and bicycles because they
may be hard to see. Drive with lights on at
all times of the year — other drivers can
see you better. On some roads, such as
the Seward Highway south of Anchorage,
driving with lights is mandatory. When it
rains, slow down; the roads will be slippery. Also, summer and road construction
go together in Alaska. Watch out for workers on the road and pay attention to heavy
equipment and signs; fines double in construction zones.
Winter roads
Winter driving in Alaska is a real challenge. The most important safety tip is
SLOW DOWN. Roads get icy, and speed
is the greatest contributor to the hundreds
of accidents on Alaska roads every winter. It
would seem obvious that it takes longer to
stop on icy roads, but many drivers apparently have to learn all over again every year
how to drive on snow and ice.
Front-wheel drive and four-wheel-drive
vehicles coupled with studded snow tires
go a long way to reduce white-knuckle
fever. Extra weight centered on the rear
axle helps with maneuverability; the
contents of sandbags or bags of kitty litter
used for weight can provide extra traction
when sprinkled on ice.
Keep whatever you need in your car to
get you through the night alive if you get
stranded. Weather changes quickly, or a
big moose can lurch in front of your vehicle without warning. Often you'll be far
from help. Carry low-temperature-rated
sleeping bags and blankets for everyone in the car. Always carry duct tape,
road flares, a flashlight, a first-aid kit, a
small tool kit and freeze-dried ready-toeat food. It will take longer to get where
you are going on winter roads and if you
encounter the notorious Alaska ice fog, so
plan accordingly.
People who’ve never driven on ice and
snow will need to learn how to handle it
when winter hits. Snow and ice greatly
reduce tire traction — your vehicle will go
a lot farther before it stops, whether you
have four-wheel drive or not. Most drivers
swear by studded tires.
When you brush the snow and scrape
the ice off your windshield, take time to
clean off the headlights and taillights and
rear and side windows too. In winter, especially with five hours or less of daylight,
clear vision and visibility in every direction
may save you from an accident.
Hitting a moose at any time is no joke.
Moose are particularly common in winter.
They hang around town where the snow isn’t
as deep and they go where they please to find
food: yards, gardens and roadsides. The long,
dark hours make moose harder to see, and
one can be right in front of your car in an
instant — they can move a lot faster than their
gangly legs suggest. The cardinal winter driving rule — SLOW DOWN — really does
apply if you want to avoid tangling with a
moose, which will wreck your car and ruin
the moose.
In Anchorage’s six-month winter, it can
get as cold as 30 degrees below zero during
a cold snap. A car needs to have an engine
block heater to plug in, or you’ll need to run
your car for a while every three or four hours
in such temperatures. Prepare with a highquality lightweight oil and antifreeze rated
to at least 50 below, and don’t let your gas
level drop below half a tank or your fuel line
may freeze shut. An emergency brake also
can freeze, so instead of setting it, leave your
vehicle in park, or in gear if it has a standard
transmission.
Before freeze-up and occasionally thereafter in winter, it’s a good idea to squirt
WD-40 into the door locks to ensure they
don’t freeze solid and lock you out of your
vehicle. A spritz of vegetable oil along
the door gaskets will keep the doors from
freezing shut, and carrying a can of de-icer
is always prudent.
Skin must be kept well covered, especially
hands. Frostbite is not something to fool
around with; neither is hypothermia. It’s
important to be prepared and not take risks.
Photography provided by Visit Anchorage/Rebecca Coolidge
Municipality of Anchorage
A
nchorage has the area and benefits
of a big city but with a small-city population.
The municipality extends some 50 miles
between Portage Glacier to the south and
Eklutna to the north, along the shores of
Cook Inlet’s Turnagain and Knik arms. It
includes the communities of Girdwood,
Indian, Eagle River, Eklutna and Chugiak.
Of the nearly 2,000 square miles encompassed by the municipality, only slightly
more than 10 percent is inhabited. Chugach
State Park, one of the nation’s largest, covers
40 percent of the borough. A mere sliver of
Chugach National Forest takes up another
half-million acres (the whole forest is as big
as New Hampshire). More than 134 square
miles within the municipality belong to the
military; the military presence numbers more
than 29,000 people, a little under 10 percent
of the total Anchorage population, with 12,000
of those in 2014 being active-duty personnel at
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
The city of Anchorage is cradled in a natural
bowl with mountains to the east, Turnagain
Arm to the south, Cook Inlet due west and
Knik Arm to the north. The municipality has
26 watersheds and many hundreds of creeks
within the urban area, making it perhaps
the top city for accessible streams and greenbelts; an interactive map is available at www.
anchoragewatershed.com. The municipality
maintains 250 miles of trails, 135 miles of
them paved, and greenbelts linking neighborhoods with surrounding natural open
spaces and wildlife habitat; 10,946 acres of
municipal parkland; 223 parks with 82 playgrounds; 110 athletic fields; five pools; and
11 recreation centers.
In September 2014, Outside magazine
ranked Anchorage as one of the nation’s
best outdoor towns — No. 4, behind only
Minneapolis, Provo, Utah and the winner,
Duluth, Minnesota — based on votes cast
by 1.5 million readers.
Demographics
Anchorage is home to 41 percent of the
population of Alaska. Those living elsewhere
in the state often consider Alaska’s largest
city a little crowded. But people arriving in
Alaska from cities elsewhere find Anchorage
far from jam-packed.
Relative to the rest of the United States,
Anchorage’s population skews younger,
the average age hovering close to 33, versus 37.6. Among the states, Alaska had the
lowest percentage of population age 65 or
older (9 percent) in 2013, the U.S. Census
said, but the second-highest percentage of
total population under age 5 (7.5 percent),
bested only by Utah’s 8.8 percent.
Anchorage continues to increase in ethnic diversity; minorities accounted for 39.5
percent of the population in 2013, when
minority students made up 55 percent of the
48,000-pupil student body of the Anchorage
School District — and students spoke 91 different languages at home. After English, the
five most common were Spanish, Hmong,
Samoan, Filipino and Yup’ik.
Two-thirds of the Anchorage population is of working age, between 18 and 65.
School-age children come in at 17.7 percent, children under 5 account for 7.4
percent and seniors, 65 years of age and
older, make up 8.5 percent. Men held a
slight edge over women in numbers: 51.4
percent to 48.6 percent.
Getting around
Rush-hour traffic in Anchorage is heavy at
the beginning and end of the work day but
the rest of the time there is little to no congestion, and you can get just about anywhere
Welcome to Alaska
in the city in 15 minutes on dry roads. Allow
more time in winter on streets packed with
ice and snow, which slow traffic down.
People Mover, the Municipality of
Anchorage’s public transportation system,
has 52 fully accessible, state-of-the-art buses
that run from south Anchorage to Eagle
River on 14 routes, and in April 2014 alone
carried 348,748 passengers. There are a number of special services as well, among them
AnchorRIDES, a shared-ride service for
people age 60 and over and those whose disabilities prevent them from using the fixedroute buses. People Mover also collaborates
with the Anchorage Public Library for the
innovative and free Books on Buses program
that puts age-appropriate books on each bus
for little ones to enjoy while riding. And as of
summer 2014, commuters accessing www.
PeopleMover.org could have Google Maps
plan their trips for them in seconds.
Two roads lead out of town. The
Seward Highway heads south to the Kenai
Peninsula. The Glenn Highway goes north
for about 30 miles to a multi-million-dollar
interchange where travelers can pick up the
Parks Highway to Denali National Park
and Fairbanks; motorists also can follow
the Glenn Highway northeast to its Interior
connection with the Richardson Highway,
which also leads to Fairbanks, and to the
Alaska Highway, the route to Canada and
the Lower 48.
If you like to fly, Anchorage is the place
for you. In March 2014, Alaska had 8,066
active pilots, the FAA said, or about one for
every 91 residents, and 9,515 registered aircraft. Our airports accommodate planes of
every size and description. Whether from
the state-operated Ted Stevens Anchorage
International Airport with the adjacent Lake
Hood Seaplane Base or the municipalityoperated Merrill Field, you can be in the air
and on your way anytime.
And Alaskans fly a lot. The number of
annual enplanements here — 4.54 million —
is 6.2 times the state’s population, by an FAA
count. That compares with only 2.3 times the
population for all the other states.
Alaska Railroad
The state-owned Alaska Railroad
offers passenger service from Seward to
Fairbanks with stops in Anchorage, Wasilla,
Talkeetna, Denali National Park, Girdwood
and Whittier. The train goes to places
accessible only by rail, and because the state
is so beautiful and there is so much to see,
domed cars are available to maximize the
experience in the summer. Usually there are
Photography provided by People Mover
special deals, and don’t overlook the events
trains like the Alyeska Halloween Train, the
Fair Train, the Blues Train, Holiday Trains,
the Nordic Ski Train, the Great Alaska Beer
Train and the Easter Train. There’s also an
Aurora Winter Train on weekends between
Anchorage and Fairbanks for northern
lights watchers. Visit www.alaskarailroad.
com for more information.
Accommodations
Whatever you look for in a hotel can be
found in Anchorage — luxury, high-rise, historic, hotels that rent suites for the price of a
room and budget motels for families.
The best place to get a listing of available hotels and the city’s growing number of bed and breakfast establishments
is the Visit Anchorage website at www.
anchorage.net. The Anchorage Bed &
Breakfast Association has a website as well,
www.anchorage-bnb.com.
More communities
North of Anchorage and Eagle River are the
communities of Chugiak, Birchwood, Peters
Creek and Eklutna, which are mostly residential with an occasional church, restaurant,
bar, gas station or convenience store thrown
in. Bounded by the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet
on one side and steep mountains on the other,
the communities blend into each other as you
travel north on the Glenn Highway. Eklutna
Lake, another popular entrance to Chugach
State Park and the source of Anchorage’s toprated drinking water, is at the north end of
these communities.
Girdwood
Girdwood lies south of Anchorage,
though still within municipal boundaries.
This mountain community began as a gold
mining supply camp on the shores of Cook
Inlet’s Turnagain Arm and expanded when
the railroad came through in 1915.
After the 1964 earthquake swamped the
townsite, Girdwood picked up and moved 2.5
miles to higher ground up the valley, where
it is today. Now this world-class, year-round
resort community is home to people who love
the outdoors and mountain living. Anchorage
residents frequent Mount Alyeska, which has
benefited Olympic and recreational skiers
alike. Visit www.girdwoodchamber.com to
learn more.
Eagle River - Chugiak
Eagle River and nearby Chugiak are
often described as bedroom communities
for Anchorage, 10 miles and 20 miles north
of the city, respectively. There were more
than 35,000 residents in 2014, according to the Eagle River-Chugiak Chamber
of Commerce, and it’s a popular area for
Anchorage workers to live. No wonder: The
commute takes half an hour or less via a
limited access, multilane highway, so Eagle
River and Chugiak are close both to the amenities of Alaska’s largest city, and the wild.
Grocery stores, restaurants and serviceoriented businesses crowd Eagle River’s
main streets, making things easy for busy
residents. The swift, glacier-fed river the
town is named for tumbles through it
and offers opportunities for kayaking and
Municipality
of Anchorage
Welcome
to Alaska
rafting for the skillful, as well as streamside
activities such as picnicking and hiking.
Visit the Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of
Commerce at www.cer.org.
The first five families to settle in what
is now Chugiak chose “Chugiak” for their
town name because the Athabascan word
means “the place of many places,” and they
wanted a community that would welcome
everybody, wherever they were from. And
from then on, the community has been
known for its rugged individuals.
Anchorage history
Photography provided by Visit Anchorage/Wayde Carroll
Eklutna, at the northern edge of the
municipality, dates back at least 800
years. It is the oldest continually inhabited
Athabascan site in the vicinity of Anchorage
and is located at the junction of several traditional Alaska Native trails. Anchorage, however, is a product of the 20th century.
There was no white settlement in
Anchorage until the federal government
decided to build a railroad from Seward to
Fairbanks, Alaska’s largest community at the
time. Headquarters for the railroad were set
up at the boat anchorage near the mouth of
Ship Creek in 1915, and permanent wooden
structures started popping up within weeks.
The city incorporated in 1920.
Anchorage’s growth was tied directly to the
booms and busts in Alaska’s economy over
the next 75 years. After the railroad, the next
big boom was World War II, which saw the
construction of what were then Elmendorf
Air Force Base and Fort Richardson Army
Post northeast of the city center.
In 1959 the Territory of Alaska was
granted statehood and became the 49th state
of the United States.
Then the 1964 Good Friday earthquake
struck with a force of 9.2 on the Richter
scale, the second-largest earthquake in world
history. Since the quake’s epicenter was only
80 miles from Anchorage, there was massive structural loss — homes, commercial
buildings, roads, railroads, communication
equipment, airport control towers, utilities
and recreation spots were destroyed, disabled or damaged. The destruction caused
by the biggest quake ever recorded in North
America cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The only good things about the quake
were the resulting construction boom and
modernization of the city, and a new individual and collective awareness of needing to
be ready for earthquakes through building
codes, zoning, communications and personal
emergency preparedness.
Oil was discovered on Alaska’s North
Slope on state land at Prudhoe Bay in 1968.
This marked the beginning of an era of
growth — another big boom in a boom-andbust state. Nearly a billion dollars’ worth of
capital projects, a beautification program
and community planning were made possible by the flood of oil revenues into the
state treasury. Starting in 1960, with a big
boost from the trans-Alaska oil pipeline, the
population of Anchorage more than tripled
to surpass 300,000 in 2014.
Anchorage International Airport, formally
named Ted Stevens Anchorage International
Airport to honor the state’s long-serving U.S.
senator in 2000, also underwent significant
growth during this time. Anchorage’s unique
location between two continents has earned it
the nickname “Crossroads of the Air World.”
In 1971 Elmendorf Air Force Base
hosted a meeting between President
Richard Nixon and Emperor Hirohito
of Japan. The meeting was remarkable
because it was the first time in Japan’s
2,000-year history that the reigning monarch had traveled to foreign soil.
In 1973 the first modern Iditarod Trail
Sled Dog Race was held. The ceremonial
start in Anchorage is still broadcast annually
throughout the world.
By the end of the ’80s, Anchorage residents had witnessed vast improvement in
the city’s infrastructure and quality of life.
Three ski areas, more than 180 parks, 259
miles of maintained recreational trails, a
big new library, civic center, sports arena
and performing arts center were among the
developments.
Tourism and recreation became important elements in the modern Anchorage
economy, providing significant diversification from the basics of oil, construction and
air transportation.
Now into the second decade of the 21st
century, many consider Anchorage the best
place to live in Alaska. This 24-hour city
offers the benefits of a larger metropolis, a
highly valued, small-town-America quality
of life where an individual still can make a
difference, and the distinction of wandering
moose, bears and other wild critters as neighbors year-round.
Weather
Anchorage has an unfair reputation when
it comes to weather. There is a misconception that the city is a dark, cold place. But
Anchorage has a relatively temperate climate
similar to that of other northern cities of equivalent latitude near water, such as Stockholm,
Oslo, Helsinki and St. Petersburg. Summer
temperatures can reach into the 70s with the
average high being around 65 degrees from
spring through fall. Average winter temperatures are above zero, typically ranging
from 10 to 15 degrees at night and 20 to
25 degrees in daytime. The Pacific Ocean,
by way of the Gulf of Alaska and Cook
Inlet, keeps the temperature from getting
too extreme most of the time.
The record high in Anchorage was 86
degrees in 1993; the record low was 39
below zero in 1975. Cold snaps of a week
or more can push temperatures to double
digits below zero, but that usually happens only a few times over the course of a
winter. Often such a cold snap is followed
by a warm Chinook wind from the south
that melts the snow and jacks up the temperature until it’s almost balmy. Because
of those nights and days at less than 20
degrees, it’s advisable to have a block
heater on your car so it can be plugged
in. High winds come and go, particularly
in the Hillside neighborhoods of south
Anchorage and along the Chugach foothills in Muldoon. Sometimes it snows
in April or even May, the result of cold
northern winds. Sometimes it rains in
December and January when a Chinook
or “snow-eater” warms everything.
The weather may be unpredictable but
the daylight hours are not. During summer
solstice in June, there are 22 hours of functional daylight — you can drive without
lights or read a newspaper outside at 2 a.m.
In contrast, during December’s winter
solstice there can be as few as 5.5 hours
of daylight, with the lengthy darkness
mitigated to some extent by the brightening effect of snow. If you head north of
Anchorage, you’ll find more extreme conditions: much colder colds and hotter hots.
Big Wild Life
Anchorage’s slogan “Big Wild Life” can
mean something different to everyone, but in
this case we’re talking about the local fauna.
The Chugach Mountains are Anchorage’s
backyard and provide more than just spectacular views. They are home to wildlife
ranging from tiny songbirds to sassy ravens
to massive moose, which regularly wander
through Anchorage streets and yards. The
occurrence is so common that it’s almost
unremarkable — until you spot one browsing on your favorite ornamental shrubs.
Bears also come calling, and most residents
are bear-aware and take care to keep garbage
and pet food out of their reach. Foxes and
coyotes visit the greenbelts and when the
snowshoe hare population is high, you may
spot a reclusive lynx at Kincaid Park — where
even a wolverine, rarely seen by anyone anywhere, was spotted in 2010. Some winters a
small wolf pack is active in the area.
The source of all this wildlife is Chugach
State Park, the eastern border of the municipality. Access trailheads are on Upper
O’Malley and Upper Huffman roads; north
of town at the Eagle River Nature Center,
Hiland Road, Thunderbird Falls and
Eklutna Lake; and south of town at park
headquarters in the Potter Section House,
Indian Valley, Bird Creek and Girdwood.
The park offers a multitude of opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts. Hiking,
climbing, camping, kayaking, rafting,
mountain biking and wildlife viewing
are virtually unlimited in the summer
months. In winter, snowshoeing, crosscountry skiing, skating, skijoring and dog
mushing all have enthusiasts.
Municipality
of Anchorage
Welcome
to Alaska
Don't Feed Wild Animals
Alaska Statute 5 AAC 92.230 — Feeding of game
No one is allowed intentionally to feed a moose, deer, bear, wolf,
coyote, fox or wolverine (except under terms of a permit issued
by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game) or to negligently
leave out human food, animal food or garbage that would attract
any of these animals. Violations carry a $310 fine. In April 2010,
for example, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game fined a
man who lived in a remote Mat-Su cabin $20,000 for his ongoing
bear-feeding.
To avoid a ticket or bear encounters, put trash cans out the morning they’ll be picked up, not the night before, and use bear-proof
trash cans if you live near the mountains or bear trails. During spring
and summer, keep pet food, birdseed and feeders out of the reach
of bears. In nature, bears feed on salmon, moose and berries, not
kibble or pizza crusts.
Under Statute 5 AAC 84 - 5 AAC 92, though, food can be used
as bait to trap furbearers or to hunt black bears. Check with the
Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Bears and humans share space in the Anchorage bowl. In 2014,
there were 250 to 350 black bears and 65 brown bears living in
the Anchorage area, according to wildlife biologist Jessy Coltrane
of Fish and Game.
From June to July 2014, there were three grizzly attacks on joggers, two of them on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and one
south of town on the Penguin Ridge Trail. A black bear sow with
two cubs moved into the U-Med district in June; the trio stole lunch
boxes from children at a day camp at Alaska Pacific University and
gobbled up their snacks, and foraged the neighborhood garbage
bins for easy food for weeks until in mid-July, they went for a swim
in Goose Lake on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus. That
prompted calls from panicked human swimmers who had fled to
the snack bar. The sow was shot by the Department of Fish &
Game; her cubs were taken to the Anchorage Zoo pending transfer
to a new home at a Texas animal sanctuary.
In June 2013, an Anchorage police officer had to kill a grizzly
struck by a vehicle on the Glenn Highway right by the weigh
station. At least three black bears and one grizzly were working
trash cans in the Muldoon neighborhood around the same period,
Coltrane said.
In June 2012, a homeowner on Anchorage’s Hillside shot and
killed a young grizzly that had killed, partially eaten and cached
the family’s llama, Ande, a popular guest at children’s birthday
parties. Three other brown bears were shot and killed over the
summer, as well as four black bears, and three people were mauled,
two in Eagle River and one in Bird Creek.
In general, a bear can be shot and killed in defense of life and
property, but in those cases, the bear must be salvaged and turned
over to Fish and Game.
A moose, especially a mother moose with a calf or calves, is an
extremely dangerous animal. Every year five to 10 people are injured
by moose in Anchorage, on the trails or in neighborhoods, and two
people have been fatally trampled. Give all moose a wide berth.
Go to www.adfg.alaska.gov for detailed information about
dealing with wildlife, fishing, hunting, regulations, etc.
Photography provided by Visit Anchorage/Wayde Carroll
Basic services
Anchorage is a full-service city. A key
component of your relocation is connecting
to basic services, including getting utilities
hooked up at your new home. Much of the
legwork for this can be done online or by
phone before you arrive. If you’re working
with a Realtor to purchase or lease your new
home, he or she may help you with this. If
you’re on your own, the contacts for basic
services follow.
There are three local telephone companies
and several mobile and long distance carriers,
one main cable television provider, several
local television stations, many local radio stations, a daily newspaper, a number of weekly
newspapers, a monthly business magazine,
local police, state troopers and an exceptional
emergency responder system.
People Mover, the public transportation
bus system operated by the Municipality of
Anchorage, has an average daily ridership of
more than 14,000. Besides commuting by
bus, many people walk or ride bicycles to
work, play, run errands and shop — even
in winter.
Anchorage has a come a long way
since 1915, when President Woodrow
Wilson funded construction of the Alaska
Railroad, which planted its headquarters
at Ship Creek and generated a tent city.
Now, almost 301,000 people live within
the municipality.
Anchorage Museum
After more than two years of expansion
at a cost of $106 million the Anchorage
Museum at Rasmuson Center reopened on
May 30, 2009, with a full day of celebration. The museum’s sleek new design and
glass façade exemplify modern architecture
and an emphasis on experiential learning,
technology and interactivity. The museum gained 80,000 square feet during
the renovation, and additional resources,
the Imaginarium Discovery Center, the
Thomas Planetarium and the Smithsonian
Arctic Studies Center opened in 2010.
Though the museum does host traveling exhibitions, its focus is on collecting,
preserving, exhibiting and interpreting
art and cultural materials from Alaska and
Photo by Chris Arend Photography courtesy of Anchorage Museum
the circumpolar North. More than 20,000
pieces in the permanent collection track
backward from contemporary artwork to
objects from early inhabitants, with priceless Alaska Native collections making up the
bulk of the holdings.
Stop by the museum and enjoy its exciting
features firsthand, check out the classes and
programs for children, teens and adults, sign
up for an art tour, or visit online at www.
anchoragemuseum.org.
Anchorage Local Area Resources
EMERGENCY SERVICES
DIAL 911
ALL EMERGENCIES
MEA (Eagle River & north)
907-689-9600
www.mea.coop
Alaska Waste
907-563-3717
www.alaskawaste.net
LOCAL PHONE
Alaska Communications
(Anchorage & south)
907-563-8000
800-808-8083
www.alaskacommunications.com
NATURAL GAS
Enstar
907-334-7600
www.enstarnaturalgas.com
Anchorage Recycling Center
907-562-2267
GCI (Anchorage)
907-868-0316
800-800-4800
www.gci.com
MTA (Eagle River & north)
907-694-3211
800-478-3211
www.mtasolutions.com
WATER & WASTEWATER
AWWU
907-564-2700
866-650-2700
www.awwu.biz
GARBAGE
Alaska Waste
907-563-3717
www.alaskawaste.net
AT&T
907-264-7000
www.corp.att.com/Alaska
Anchorage Regional Landfill
& Solid Waste Services
907-343-6250
www.muni.org/sws
ELECTRICITY
Chugach Electric
(Anchorage & south)
907-563-7494
800-478-7494
www.chugachelectric.com
RECYCYLING
Alaska Metal Recycling/
Schnitzer Steel
907-349-4833
www.alaskametalrecycling.com
ML&P (Downtown Anchorage)
907-263-5340
888-999-5340
www.mlandp.com
Alaskans for Litter Prevention
& Recycling
907-274-3266
www.alparalaska.com
Green Star
907-278-7827
www.greenstarinc.org
Habitat for Humanity ReStore
907-272-0800
www.hfhanchorage.org
Solid Waste Services
907-343-6250
www.muni.org/departments/sws
Total Reclaim
907-561-0544
www.totalreclaim.com
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Anchorage Police Department
907-786-8900
www.muni.org/apd
Alaska State Troopers
907-269-5511
www.dps.state.ak.us/ast
FBI Alaska
907-276-4441
http://anchorage.fbi.gov
GOVERNMENT
632 W. Sixth Ave.
www.muni.org
State of Alaska
www.alaska.gov
U.S. Veterans Affairs
1201 N. Muldoon Road
888-353-7574
907-257-4700
www.alaska.va.gov
Driver's License & DMV
1300 W. Benson Blvd.
907-269-5551
www.doa.alaska.gov/dmv
POST OFFICES
800-275-8777
www.usps.com
NEWSPAPERS
Alaska Dispatch News
www.adn.com
Alaska Journal of Commerce
www.alaskajournal.com
Anchorage Press
www.anchoragepress.com
Chugiak-Eagle River Star
www.alaskastar.com
Turnagain Times
www.turnagaintimes.com
Municipality
of Anchorage
Welcome
to Alaska
Employment
& Economy
Dena’ina Center
The Dena’ina Civic and Convention
Center is center stage in the heart of
downtown Anchorage. The convention
center increased Anchorage’s capacity for
civic and convention events by more than
300 percent. Paired with functionality is
an awareness of Anchorage’s unique natural surroundings where the breathtaking
Chugach Mountains can be appreciated
from a glass viewing area. The convention
center opened on Oct. 18, 2008, with a
public celebration. By the end of 2012,
the economic impact for conventions and
meetings in Anchorage had set a one-year
record: almost $105 million from 765
gatherings attended by a total of 119,600
people, according to Visit Anchorage.
The center’s 200,000 square feet can
be adapted to national conventions, trade
shows, expositions, conferences, seminars, meetings, touring concerts and even
Rotary Club luncheons and weddings. Fall
2014 saw Senshi-Con, the Alaska anime
convention; the International Shotokan
Karate Federation convention; Mexican
Independence Day festivities; a Little Texas
concert; the Oxygen & Octane Expo for
adventurers; the holiday Arts & Crafts
Emporium; and the annual Christmas
Village, to name just a few. Also, there’s
catering. In an online posting, one visitor
noted that food at the 2014 Iditerod Mushers
Banquet was “plentiful and delicious.”
Stop by and see the Dena’ina Center, or
visit online at www.anchorage.net.
Photography provided by Jason Sellars, STG Incorporated
Employment & Economy
A
laska’s economy tends to be more
stable than that of other states, partly because
major economic drivers (energy, mining,
fisheries) usually stay in demand but also
because of a high federal presence. Federal
spending directly supports more jobs for
Alaskans than any private industry, including energy, and it’s been the largest employer
since territory days. The population is small,
but federal spending looms large because
of the large military presence, huge federal
land holdings, federal health care and other
programs for Alaska Natives and continuing construction of basic infrastructure. As
federal spending cuts deepen, however, the
belt-tightening effects are expected to ripple
through other economic areas.
The petroleum industry is the secondbiggest sector of Alaska’s economy and was
associated with almost 44,800 direct and spinoff jobs in 2013, says the Institute of Social
and Economic Research at the University
of Alaska Anchorage. Economist Scott
Goldsmith of the Institute estimates that the
federal government generates about a third
of all jobs in Alaska, oil and gas create about
another third, and all the other industries
combined make up the final third. Other top
growth areas include fisheries, health care,
tourism, mining and timber. In June 2014,
374,075 workers made up Alaska’s labor
force, according to the Alaska Department of
Labor & Workforce Development, and the
unemployment rate was 6.3 percent.
Among industries, petroleum and
international air cargo have had the biggest impact on Anchorage. Ted Stevens
Anchorage International Airport ranked
sixth worldwide for volume of cargo handled in 2013, has had about 5 million passengers pass through every year for the past
10 years and has the world’s largest and
busiest floatplane base. Air carriers stop to
refuel, change crews and perform maintenance when flying between the Lower 48,
Russia and Asia. FedEx Express and UPS
Airlines operate major international cargo
hubs at the airport. The airport is responsible for approximately 15,577 airport
and community jobs — 1 in 10 jobs in
Anchorage — and brings in more than
$1 billion annually, airport officials say.
Anchorage is a hub for much of the
business conducted in the state. The
Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce
Development reported the total nonfarm
wage and salary jobs in Anchorage at 158,000
in 2014. This data does not include the selfemployed, fishermen or domestic workers.
Nor does it include the more than 13,000
active-duty military personnel assigned to
installations in Anchorage.
Personal income in Anchorage totaled
$16.3 billion in 2012, the U.S. Bureau for
Economic Analysis said, and preliminary
state figures suggest it surpassed $17 billion in 2013. In 2012, Anchorage’s median
household income was $76,495, 4 percent
higher than the statewide average ($69,917)
Welcome to Alaska
and 44.2 percent higher than the U.S. average ($53,046), the U.S. Census says.
In 2013, the online magazine Kiplinger.
com named Anchorage the ninth-best city
in the nation to live in. Anchorage has had a
budget surplus for five consecutive years, and
in 2013 Standard & Poor’s raised its bond
rating to the highest level, AAA.
For 2014, Forbes.com ranked Anchorage
No. 57 among U.S. cities that are “Best
Places for Business and Careers” and
No. 13 for job growth; a year earlier,
the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial
Activity found Alaska to be the fourth-best
state for entrepreneurs.
Anchorage has added jobs every year
for the past two decades, except for 2009.
Anchorage’s unemployment rate in July
2014 was 5.6 percent, well below the
national average of 6.2 percent. The expectation for 2014-15 is for slow but steady job
growth, though the city still will be a highly
competitive market for job seekers and finding work will require perseverance.
In May 2013, workers in the Anchorage
Metropolitan Statistical Area had an average (mean) hourly wage of $25.87 compared with $22.33 nationally, the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics said. This may
seem high but must be weighed against
the high cost of living. The Council for
Community and Economic Research
pegged the cost of living in Anchorage at
26 percent higher than the national average in 2013, with housing 55 percent
above the national average. Shelter is in
short supply and rent especially is rising,
up 4.3 percent in 2014 over the previous year: Anchorage had the third-highest
median monthly rent in the state, $1,178.
Rent for two-bedroom apartments, the
most common size, averaged $1,331 per
month. Almost everything Alaskans eat,
drink, wear, live in or use must be shipped
here, and given the state’s remoteness,
shipping charges bump prices for necessities to levels that may stun newcomers.
According to the Anchorage Economic
Development Corporation’s “3 Year
Outlook” for 2014, Anchorage netted
300 new jobs in 2013 with strong gains in
the private sector offset by cuts in federal
and local government positions: Last year
new Anchorage private-sector jobs actually
totaled 1,100, but 800 public-sector jobs
fell to budget cutbacks, dragging down the
gain. In the first six months of 2014, the
Photography provided by Jason Sellars, STG Incorporated
Today’s job market
Anchorage economy added 12,000 privatesector jobs, many in retail as new stores
opened, but since 600 more government
jobs were eliminated, the net gain was only
600 new positions, the AEDC calculated.
The Alaska Department of Labor &
Workforce Development expects oil, gas
and mining to be the biggest drivers of job
growth in 2014, followed by retail, health
care and professional business services; construction, finance, manufacturing and information services should remain stable. On the
upswing: leisure and hospitality.
The AEDC projects Anchorage economic
growth at a stable 1 percent annually for each
of the next three years.
Where the jobs are
Previously strong growth in Anchorage’s
health-care sector is expected to moderate in
2014, though demand for treatment closer
to home will continue to encourage expansion in treatments previously available only
in the Lower 48. Additionally, population
increases and some federal grants for nonprofit health care providers are contributing
to the sector’s growth, the Alaska Department
of Labor & Workforce Development says. In
2013, health care added about 200 jobs, up
1.1 percent, and 2014 is likely to continue
this upward trend. However, since federal
dollars have been paying a third of Alaska’s
health care bills, cuts in federal funding could
change this picture dramatically; effects of the
Affordable Care Act also are a wild card.
The leisure and hospitality industries
staged mild turnarounds in 2013-14, thanks
to an uptick in out-of-state tourism. Between
May 1, 2013, and April 30, 2014, Alaska had
a record-setting 1.96 million visitors. Three
new hotels were in the works for Anchorage
in 2014, and Holland America docked cruise
ships in the city four times over the summer,
bringing 1,000 tourists each time.
Anchorage’s wholesale and retail trade sectors grew in 2014, boosted by a new Cabella’s,
Bass Pro Shop, Natural Pantry, Walmart
(2013) and a Fred Meyer expansion.
Professional and business services generated more jobs than any other sector
in 2013, says the Alaska Department of
Labor & Workforce Development, and
the demand for engineering firms, legal
services, tech support, employment agencies,
janitorial businesses and refuse services
should stay strong.
In transportation, air passengers at Ted
Stevens Anchorage International Airport
Employment
& Economy
Welcome
to Alaska
Photography provided by Scott Gagne, STG Incorporated
passed the 5 million mark in 2013, but economists are keeping an eye on the continuing
downturn in international air cargo, which
can be attributed to weakness in China’s
economy, shaky finances in Western nations
and fighting in the Middle East. In 2013, air
cargo volume fell to 2.67 million tons from
2.72 million tons the previous year, and the
AEDC forecasts about 2.65 million tons for
2014. The amount of transit cargo passing
through the airport edged up .04 percent
in 2013 but improved 6.2 percent from
January through March of 2014 over 2013’s
first quarter. Transit cargo makes up about
70 percent of the airport’s cargo total, so the
numbers are significant.
Civil construction, with road extensions
and upgrades and military projects, still
underpin the construction sector and government will remain an important source
of construction project funding, though
not as big a player as in the past. Permits
for residential, commercial and government
buildings in 2013 were valued at $631 million, 41 percent higher than in 2012. From
January to June 2014, residential building
permits were up 16 percent ($107 million in 2014 versus 2013’s $92 million);
commercial permit values slid 23 percent
($190 million, 2014, versus $247 million,
2013) and government permits, excluding transportation and military projects,
rose 56 percent ($72 million, 2014, versus
$46 million, 2013), the AEDC said.
An extremely tight housing market is
expected to drive new residential construction through 2014. Commercial and
government building permit applications
for 2014 include an ML&P plant ($18 million), a Girdwood School K-8 expansion
($12 million); Home2Suites ($12 million);
Dimond Center ($4 million); and the
Eklutna Water Treatment Plant ($3.5 million), the AEDC said.
Growth is anticipated in the oil and gas
industry in 2014 — about 500 jobs — due
to increased activity in Cook Inlet and on
the North Slope after Alaska changed its oil
tax structure. Several proposals are in the
works to get Alaska’s abundant supplies of
natural gas to market, ranging from a pipeline to Canada, to trucking, to a different
pipeline carrying liquefied natural gas to a
Southcentral processor for the Asian market.
Federal employment in Anchorage has
declined by more than a thousand jobs over
the past few years, with 700 alone lost since
2013 and no end in sight. Military-related
spending is likely to decline as well. Joint
Base Elmendorf-Richardson has laid off
civilian employees, and the Army Corps
of Engineers is adjusting to the new reality
of an Alaska that has substantial military
infrastructure yet reduced federal dollars to
support it. The Municipality of Anchorage
has been downsizing its workforce, as has the
Anchorage School District, the largest local
government employer, which took a big hit
of 500 jobs in 2013, the Alaska Department
of Labor and Workforce Development
said, and was looking at another 219 in
the 2014 school year due to budget shortfalls and declining enrollment, though
reshuffling funds had mitigated the more
recent cuts temporarily.
Despite challenges, the general outlook for
Anchorage over the next three years remains
positive. Population passed 300,000 in 2013,
employment and personal income continue
to rise, construction is strong, the energy
sector has been expanding and most other
sectors are improving or holding steady.
Job search
Unemployment rates in Anchorage and
Alaska alike have been significantly lower
than those in the Lower 48 in the recent past,
so fewer workers leave for greener pastures.
In addition, because Anchorage’s economy
is relatively stable, more people looking for
work come to here to seek their fortunes, so
competition for openings is intense.
It’s wise to have secured a job before coming; the move is costly, and being stranded
without resources in Alaska can be a personal disaster. Various entities have online
resources that you can utilize for longdistance job hunting, such as such as the
Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, the
Municipality of Anchorage, the State of
Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce
Development and the Alaska Dispatch
News. Craigslist is another tool for job seekers, as are many of the other recruitment sites
such as careerbuilder.com or monster.com:
www.anchoragechamber.org/cms
www.muni.org/pages/default/aspx
www.labor.state.ak.us
www.jobs.state.ak.us
www.adn.com
www.anchorage.craigslist.org
www.careerbuilder.com
www.monster.com
It’s prudent to scout the area before you
relocate — one trip for exploring the city,
housing, professional networking and
informational interviews, and a second
trip dedicated to interviews with potential
employers and recruitment agencies.
Although not ideal, you can also reach
prospective employers online. If you are
communicating with them via email or
letter, be sure to let them know when you
will be relocating. Some employers may be
willing to conduct initial screening over the
phone or by video conference.
If the date you planned to move is approaching but you don’t have a job lined up, you may
want to consider temping as a way to get your
foot in the door, though competition for these
jobs also is extremely competitive.
Don’t be conned by sites that make you
pay for job listings. You can contact the
Better Business Bureau for information
about a specific company. For more information on finding work in Alaska, take
advantage of the State of Alaska’s Alaska Job
Center Network at www.jobs.state.ak.us.
program offers courses and resources for
women and men as they start and expand
businesses in Alaska.
The Alaska Procurement Technical
Assistance Center, part of a program created by the U.S. Department of Defense,
works to increase private-sector business
participation in the government marketplace
with seminars, counseling, market research,
technical support, a national network of procurement specialists and collaboration with
such entities as the Alaska Small Business
Development Center, the Associated General
Contractors of Alaska, the Minority Business
Development Center and the UAA College
of Business and Public Policy.
Self-employment
Business climate
Being an entrepreneur is a distinction
thousands of people in Anchorage share.
There are several organizations in place to
help ensure successful business start-ups
and operations. The Alaska Small Business
Development Center has an office in
Anchorage and an informative website with
links geared toward operating a successful
business. The YWCA operates a women’s
finances program, which was designated by
the U.S. Small Business Administration as
Alaska’s only women’s business center. The
Anchorage has an attractive business
climate with a talented workforce and an
exceptional quality of life. The Anchorage
Economic Development Corporation
is the area’s leading organization for job
attraction, retention and creation, with a
vision of expanding and diversifying the
Anchorage economy. The AEDC partners with government, education and
other business development organizations
in Anchorage and throughout Alaska to
strengthen the economy.
Entries have either their headquarters or largest work site in Anchorage; all have more
than 1,000 employees.
Alaska Airlines
Air carrier
www.alaskaair.com
CH2M Hill
Oil field services
www.ch2m.com
Alaska Native Tribal Health
Consortium (ANTHC)
Hospital/medical center
www.anthc.org
ConocoPhillips
Oil and gas extraction
www.conocophillips.com
Providence Health & Services
http://alaska.providence.org
Southcentral Foundation
www.southcentral
foundation.com
FedEx
Air freight/courier service
www.fedex.com
Walmart/Sam’s Club
Grocery/general merchandise
www.walmartstores.com
Fred Meyer
Grocery/general merchandise
www.fredmeyer.com
Source: Alaska Department
of Labor & Workforce
Development, Research and
Analysis Section
ASRC Energy Services
Oil field services
www.asrcenergy.com
BP Exploration Alaska
Oil and gas extraction
www.bp.com
GCI Communications
Communications
www.gci.com
Carrs/Safeway
Grocery
www.carrsqc.com
NANA Management Services
Catering/lodging/security
www.nmsusa.com
Alaska Department of Commerce,
Community and Economic Development
www.dced.state.ak.us
Alaska Department of Labor
& Workforce Development
www.labor.state.ak.us
Alaska Dispatch News
www.adn.com
Alaska Industrial Development
& Export Authority
www.aidea.org
Alaska Job Center & ALEXsys –
Alaska’s Job Bank
www.jobs.alaska.gov
Alaska Procurement Technical
Assistance Center
(government contract help)
www.ptacalaska.org
Alaska Small Business Development Center
www.aksbdc.org
Alaska State Chamber of Commerce
www.alaskachamber.com
Anchorage Chamber of Commerce
www.anchoragechamber.org
Anchorage Economic Development Corp.
www.aedcweb.com
Major Anchorage Employers
Alaska USA Federal Credit Union
Financial services
www.alaskausa.org
Resources
Better Business Bureau
www.alaska.bbb.org
Buy Alaska
www.buyalaska.com
Institute of Social & Economic Research
www.iser.uaa.alaska.edu
Made in Alaska
www.madeinalaska.org
www.muni.org
State of Alaska
www.alaska.gov
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
www.dot.state.ak.us/anc
U.S. Small Business Administration
www.sba.gov
World Trade Center Alaska
www.wtcak.org
YWCA Women’s Business Center
www.ywcaak.org
Y MWR
SD NASDYNA
MWR
AQP PUBLICATIONS
BOB ULIN’s
is to
NOT
to be used
AQP PUBLICATIONS
-- BOB-- ULIN’s
name name
is NOT
be used
• Name
must
be deleted
from
allboxes
staff boxes
and disclaimers
•
must Name
be
deleted
from all
staff
and disclaimers
• Ulin’s
Bob name
to be listed
anywhere
publications,
•
Bob Ulin’s
name
is not is
to not
be listed
anywhere
within within
publications,
mediamedia
and and
promotions
pieces,ads and/or
ads and/or
PROPOSAL
pieces,
etc. (bring
to Patricia’s
promotions
pieces,
PROPOSAL
pieces,
etc. (bring
to Patricia’s
attention
if otherwise
you any
havequestions)
any questions)
attention
if otherwise
and/orand/or
if you ifhave
•
• Publishing,
AQP Inc. (always
Inc. (always
include
the comma)
AQP Publishing,
include
the comma)
•
• (Inc.
(Inc.
Inc.
a period)
Inc.with
awith
period)
•
LU E LU
AFBE AFB
FORT FORT
NO
NO
OCEANA
OCEANA
AFB AFB
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON
I
ENTURA NA Y
JBER ENTURA NA Y
• Include
Include
MyBaseGuide.com
website
MyBaseGuide.com
website
ANCHORAGE
•
•
Publisher
name
bold) when
usedaddress
with address
info. (Arial)
(see below
examples)
Publisher
name
boldedbolded
(Arial (Arial
bold) when
used with
info. (Arial)
(see below
examples)
•
•
copy (Arial
/ publisher
does
not to
need
to be bold)
Spine
copy Spine
(Arial
/ publisher
name name
does not
need
be bold)
• BRAND
BRAND
/ LOGO
/ DISCLAIMER
FONT:
ARIAL
(Regular
and Bold)
•
/ LOGO
/ DISCLAIMER
FONT:
ARIAL
(Regular
and Bold)
• DISCLAIMER
size never
less than
6 points
• DISCLAIMER
FONTFONT
SIZE:SIZE:
pointpoint
size never
less than
6 points
• Disclaimers
Map & Directionals
& Directionals
a consistent
size
so when
viewed
together
there
is consistency
•
MapDisclaimers
shouldshould
use a use
consistent
size so
when
viewed
together
there is
consistency
•
•
info. always
this order
and abbreviated
exactly
as shown
here (example
is always
spelled
Address
info.Address
always
listed listed
in thisinorder
and abbreviated
exactly
as shown
here (example
Drive Drive
is always
spelled
out) out)
Phone
numbers
use dashes
not parenthesis
Phone
numbers
use dashes
not parenthesis
•
•
•
•
•
•
Include
space
between
website
and Matt’s
Include
space
between
website
and Matt’s
name name
Always
listexactly
Matt exactly
as shown
here
(do
not replace
commas
with ampersands,
Always
list Matt
as shown
here (do
not
replace
commas
with ampersands,
etc.) etc.)
•
•
Names
-- always
like shown
First (Arial)
Title Second
Names
-- always
list likelist
shown
aboveabove
NameName
First (Arial)
Title Second
(Arial,(Arial,
Bold) Bold)
AQPBENCHMARK
and BENCHMARK
DISCLAIMERS
include
MyBaseGuide
website
AQP and
DISCLAIMERS
include
MyBaseGuide
website
RESIDENTIAL
DIRECTORY
DISCLAIMERS
RESIDENTIAL
DIRECTORY
DISCLAIMERS
YELLOW
PAGES:
YELLOW
PAGES:
• OPENER
OPENER
/ COPYRIGHT
HEADERS
(Regular
and Bold)
•
/ COPYRIGHT
HEADERS
FONT:FONT:
ARIALARIAL
(Regular
and Bold)
• Copyright
Copyright
yellow-page
headers
•
yellow-page
headers
(Arial / publisher
name
not
to be bold)
(Arial / publisher
name does
notdoes
need
toneed
be bold)
USE
FOR MILITARY
PUBLICATIONS
WETHE
HOLD
THE COPYRIGHT
RESIDENTIAL
DIRECTORIES
NOT INCLUDE
MYBASEGUIDE)
USE FOR
MILITARY
PUBLICATIONS
WHEREWHERE
WE HOLD
COPYRIGHT
(NOTE: (NOTE:
RESIDENTIAL
DIRECTORIES
DO NOTDO
INCLUDE
MYBASEGUIDE)
2014 MARCOA
Publishing,
Inc.
© 2014 ©
MARCOA
Publishing,
Inc.
P.O.
Box 509100,
San CA
Diego,
CA 92150-9100
P.O. Box
509100,
San Diego,
92150-9100
858-695-9600;
Fax: 858-695-9641
858-695-9600;
Fax: 858-695-9641
Toll800-854-2935
Free: 800-854-2935
Toll Free:
Toll
Free
Fax: 800-660-8331
Toll Free
Fax:
800-660-8331
©www.marcoa.com
2014 MARCOA Publishing, Inc.
www.marcoa.com
8537
Corbin Drive • Anchorage, AK 99507
www.mybaseguide.com
www.mybaseguide.com
907-562-9300, Fax 907-562-9311
Toll Free: 866-562-9300 • www.marcoa.com
Matt Benedict,
President,
Matt Benedict,
President,
CEO CEO
Matt Benedict, President, CEO
These maps cannot be used for legal purposes, especially
for determination of public access adherent to sale or
transfer of real estate where official government plat maps
must be used to verify any traffic ways shown on this map.
MARCOA Publishing, Inc. assumes no responsibility in cases
of misrepresentation by others of map data not confirmed by
actual surveys.
2014 Benchmark
Publications,
Inc.
© 2014 ©
Benchmark
Publications,
Inc.
Box 509100
P.O. BoxP.O.
509100
SanCA
Diego,
CA 92150-9100
San Diego,
92150-9100
858-530-3326;
Fax: 858-695-9641
858-530-3326; Fax: 858-695-9641
www.mybaseguide.com
www.mybaseguide.com
Matt Benedict,
President,
CEO
Matt Benedict,
President,
CEO
2014
AQP Publishing,
Inc.
© 2014 ©
AQP
Publishing,
Inc.
8537Drive,
Corbin
Drive, Anchorage,
AK 99507
8537 Corbin
Anchorage,
AK 99507
907-562-9300;
Fax: 907-562-9311
907-562-9300;
Fax: 907-562-9311
Free: 866-562-9300
Toll Free:Toll
866-562-9300
www.mybaseguide.com
www.mybaseguide.com
Matt Benedict,
President,
CEO
Matt Benedict,
President,
CEO
CURRENT
Disclaimers
RE ISED
/ 9-6-13
FILE: FILE:
CURRENT
Disclaimers
RE ISED
/ 9-6-13
LOCATION:
M-DRI
E
/
CTP
/
PRODUCTION
GRAPHICS
/ LOGOS
/ MARCOA
LOCATION: M-DRI E / CTP / PRODUCTION GRAPHICS
/ LOGOS
/ MARCOA
CURRENT
DISCLAIMERS
RE ISED
FOLDER
CURRENT
DISCLAIMERS
RE ISED
FOLDER
Housing & Real Estate
O
nce you decide to move to
Anchorage, the next big decision is where in
the area to put down roots. Housing is varied
but an affordable place to live can be hard to
find because Anchorage has one of the tightest housing markets in the country.
With more hopeful home-buyers than
sellers, properties in the mid-price range
were not staying on the market long at midyear. At the end of June, the number of
homes for sale was 17.4 percent below last
year’s levels, but the comparable sale price
was 6.86 percent higher. Given the demand,
almost a quarter of the homes sold for their
listed price or higher due to bidding wars.
That said, there are almost 30 neighborhoods in the municipality with many styles
of homes, so house hunting can be a real
adventure that ultimately pays off. There are
single-family homes, townhouses, condos
and lofts, new construction, resale homes,
properties with ocean views, mountain properties, cabins in the woods, even historical
residences in the downtown and Spenard
areas, and former old-time homesteads.
Buying a home
Buying a home in Alaska is an investment in your future. There are subdivisions
under construction if you are looking for a
new home and existing homes are for sale as
well, from fixer-uppers to homes in immaculate condition.
Hundreds of properties are listed on the
Alaska Multiple Listing Service website. Many
local Realtors and homebuilders have their
own websites as well, and you can also find
free real estate magazines at local retailers.
Find a house that suits your family’s
needs, personality, financial situation and
goals. Make sure your Realtor is working
exclusively for you as your buyer’s agent.
Southern commute
Increasing numbers of new homes
are being built south of Anchorage off
the Seward Highway along Cook Inlet’s
Turnagain Arm. In and around Indian,
Bird Creek and Girdwood, upscale neighborhoods are sprouting up for people who
don’t mind the drive and want to live
south of the city.
Eagle River
Ten miles north of downtown Anchorage,
just off the Glenn Highway, you’ll find Eagle
River. Typical neighborhoods near downtown Eagle River offer single-family homes
on lots ranging from a third to a half acre.
Head farther away from the urban center
and the lots get bigger, with many larger
than an acre.
Outlying Eagle River are the residential
communities of Hiland Mountain, Eagle
River Valley, Chugiak, Birchwood, Mirror
Lake and Peters Creek, where homes and
yards tend to be significantly larger still, and
more remote and secluded.
Zero-lot-line homes, townhouses and
condos are becoming increasingly available
in Eagle River, but large single-family homes
are the norm, and many have fantastic views;
they also tend to be less expensive than their
Anchorage counterparts.
Many people find the 25 parks in the
area conducive to year-round recreation
and wildlife viewing. The largest of these is
the half-million-acre Chugach State Park
bordering the eastern boundaries of the
entire municipality of Anchorage, including Eagle River.
Stunning views, crisp mountain air and
less densely populated neighborhoods make
the Eagle River area the choice for many
homebuyers and business owners. An active
Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of Commerce
promotes the growing business community.
The Anchorage School District has a dozen
K-12 schools in the area, including two
high schools. Post-secondary institutions are
locally handy as well. Several medical clinics
and private practitioners in many disciplines,
including dental and optical providers, are
available to residents, and veterinarians
provide care for the thousands of pets and
hundreds of horses in the area. Recreational
and leisure activities are abundant, and people from all over the state attend the annual
Bear Paw Festival.
Eagle River and the surrounding areas are
a great place to settle for those who want
proximity to the city without living there.
Anchorage housing market
Once you decide to buy a home, your next
choice involves where to live, and Anchorage
and its nearby communities offer options for
every lifestyle and budget. They include:
• Family-friendly, eclectic and established
neighborhoods
• Gated communities
•Master-planned communities (from
$120,000 to more than $2 million for the
most exclusive)
• Suburban living with such features as air
strips and hangars, stables and horse trails,
water access and boat docks
• Resort-style living
• Near-town bungalows
• Senior living communities
• High-rise, mid-rise and apartment living
• Neighborhoods/communities with parks,
golf courses, swimming pools, fitness
and recreation facilities, lakes, fishing,
extensive hike and bike trails, waterfront
homes, heavily wooded communities and
tree-lined streets
The local housing market is one of the
healthiest in the country. You will find
in Anchorage a robust market and heavy
competition for homes in the $150,000 to
$350,000 price range.
basketball court, a sauna, hot tub and indoor
swimming pool, four bedrooms, 4½ baths, a
barn/shop and a generator.
What can you expect to pay for a home?
According the Alaska Multiple Listing
Service, in June 2014 the average sales price
for an Anchorage single-family home was
$359,186, up from $345,816 in the same
month in 2013. The average sales price
for condos dipped a bit to $198,880 from
2013’s $199,341.
As of August 2014, 81 single-family
homes were on the market in the $300,000
to $350,000 range. Most had three bedrooms and 2½ baths and averaged 1,400 to
1,680 square feet.
On the moderate end, $279,500 would
purchase a wood-frame two-story reverse
with 1,924 square feet, four bedrooms, two
baths, an outside hot tub, an inside Jacuzzi,
an open living room and kitchen, a deck, two
birches spaced for a hammock, a storage shed
and a large blooming white crabapple tree in
the front yard on almost a quarter-acre lot in
West Anchorage.
At the high end, $995,000 would purchase a 6,228-square-foot Hillside home,
with views, on just under an acre adjacent
to private parkland with a tennis court, a
Financing your home
The Anchorage area avoided the burst
housing bubble by keeping subprime lending at bay and by borrowers using state
programs such as the Alaska Housing
Finance Corporation to fund their home
loans. Despite the lack of mass foreclosures
and plummeting home values, Anchorage
homebuyers are still subject to new federal
and national banking legislation, regulations
and requirements to finance a new home.
To finance a home in Anchorage, expect to
have a minimum credit score of 650.
The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation
is homebuyer-friendly and has loan programs
available for most qualifying individuals,
including second- or third-time borrowers.
For more information about this state housing agency, visit www.ahfc.state.ak.us.
Credit report
When you apply for a home loan the
mortgage company will order a credit
report. You can get a free report to find out
in advance what your credit report says about
your finances.
Housing to
& Alaska
Real Estate
Welcome
To order your free annual report from one
or all three of the national consumer reporting companies, visit www.annualcredit
report.com or call toll free 877-322-8228.
For more information on credit reports,
visit www.ftc.gov/credit.
Home loan application checklist
1Photo ID, such as a driver’s license or
passport
1 Social Security number
1 Residence addresses for the past two years
1 Names and addresses of your employers
over the past two years
1 Your current gross monthly salary
1 Recent statements with names, addresses,
account numbers and balances on all
checking, savings, investment, pension
and retirement accounts
1 Recent statements with names, addresses,
account numbers, balances and monthly
payments on all open loans and credit
cards
1Addresses and loan information for all
real estate owned
1 Estimated value of furniture and personal
property
1 W-2s for the past two years and current
paycheck stubs
1Copies of all court decrees affecting
financial status, e.g., divorce decrees,
child support documents, etc.
1Verification of any child support
payments
VA or military programs
1 DD 214, if a veteran
1 Form 22, if National Guard
1 DD 1747 – Off-Base Housing
Authorization, if active duty
1 Certificate of Eligibility, if active duty
Self-employed individuals
1 Personal tax returns for the past three
years
1 Current income statement
1 Balance sheet
All Borrowers
1 Explanation of any irregularities on your
credit report
$$$$$$
$$$
Housing to
& Alaska
Real Estate
Welcome
Renting
Rental tips
There are a few things you will want to
know before signing a lease — be sure to
check the following:
• How much advance notice must you give
before moving out?
•Are there security deposit refund
restrictions?
• What is the owner’s obligation for repairs
and maintenance?
• Who will take care of yard duty, snow
removal and cleanup?
• Are there stipulations regarding subleasing, pets or the number of people allowed
in the unit?
©iStockphoto.com/Nina Shannon
Renting in Anchorage is a way to learn
more about the community and determine where you might eventually decide
to purchase a home, though new residents
often are unprepared for the high cost of
Anchorage housing.
Average rent in 2014 for a single-family
three-bedroom home was $1,942, and for
a two-bedroom apartment, was $1,331,
according to the 2014 Rental Market Survey
by the Alaska Department of Labor and
Workforce Development, Research and
Analysis Section, and the Alaska Housing
Finance Corporation. Utility costs are elevated, too; there’s no toughing out sub-zero
temperatures, and many landlords do not
include utilities in the rent.
Pet deposits also are high — if a renter
with pets can find the rare landlord who will
take them at any price.
At mid-year, the vacancy rate in Anchorage
was a bare 3.2 percent, the survey reported,
and that means that even a pricy rental can
be hard to find. Of the 8,389 rentals surveyed, only 269 were vacant.
• Which utilities and services will the
owner pay?
• Ask the manager to write and initial all
changes and additions to the lease before
you sign it, and be sure to keep a copy for
reference.
After you sign a lease or rental agreement,
you should:
• Be sure you know who will manage your
rental, where the rent is to be sent and
who to call for repairs and maintenance.
• Make a checklist and take photos of the
condition of the rental unit and any furnishings when you move in. Sign it, have
the apartment manager sign it and keep a
dated copy. This will be important when
you move out.
Your Home 101
The Alaska Craftsman Home Program
has many free, informative classes to help
homeowners, especially those new to
Alaska. Anybody can sign up. The classes in
Anchorage are held at 3400 Spenard Road,
upstairs in Suite 9.
A few of the subjects are: “How to
Choose a Contractor”; “Plugging Into
Energy Savings”; “First Steps: Building
Science Basics”; “Finding and Fixing Air
Leaks”; “Ice Dams”; Energy Savings With
Lighting and Appliances”; “Heating and
Hot Water Choices”; “Evaluating Doors
and Windows”; Insulating for Savings
and Comfort”; and “Healthy Indoor Air
Through Ventilation.”
Go to www.achpalaska.com or call
907-258-2247 for details and to register.
Cold Out, Heat In:
Making It Happen In Your Home
Alaskans preoccupied with keeping their
houses warm as cheaply as possible during
the dark days of below-zero readings have
lots of help available, including the state-run
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, the
Alaska Craftsman Home Program operated
by a building industry alliance to promote
energy-efficient housing, and the Cold
Climate Housing Research Center, a nonprofit developed by the Alaska State Home
Builders Association on the University of
Alaska Fairbanks campus.
All offer programs, classes and services
that are either free or carry a nominal charge.
Since Alaskans have some of the highest
costs for energy in the U.S., it makes sense
to reduce energy use as much as possible,
whether it’s something as simple as calking around doors and window frames or
as elaborate as installing a new state-ofthe-art high-efficiency Energy Star-rated
heating system.
See an overview video from the National
Association for State Community Services:
“A Tale of Grandma’s House,” at www.
youtube.com/watch?v=jgnzdrC8AJ8.
Changes have to be thought through and
balanced for a home’s living environment
to work.
An energy audit is a good start. A certified home energy rater can determine where
a home is leaking heat and cold and suggest
improvements, then re-evaluate it to see
how much difference the changes made.
The homeowner must pay upfront for the
modifications but may qualify for reimbursement up to $10,000 from the Home
Energy Rebate Program. Details are on the
AHFC website at www.afhc.us/energy/
weatherization_rebates.cfm.
Other AHFC programs include newhome rebates for those who buy a newly
built, energy-efficient 5 Star Plus house,
energy loans, and free weatherization for
qualifying homeowners.
Housing Resources
Alaska Association of Realtors
www.alaskarealtors.com
Alaska Craftsman Home Program
www.achpalaska.com
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation
www.ahfc.us
Alaska Multiple Listing Service
www.alaskarealestate.com
Alaska State Home Building Association
www.buildersofalaska.com
B
C
©iStockphoto.com/Hillary Fox
s
Anchorage Apartments for Rent
www.ApartmentFinder.com/Alaska/Anchorage-Apartments
Anchorage Neighborhoods Division
www.muni.org/departments/health/services/neighborhoods/
pages/default.aspx
Cook Inlet Housing Authority
www.cookinlethousing.org
National Association of Realtors
www.realtor.com
Veterans Affairs
www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans
©iStockphoto.com/Justin Horrocks
NeighborWorks Anchorage
www.nwanchorage.org
Education & Academics
ducation is a major priority
throughout Alaska, and Anchorage, at
more than 300,000 residents, is a perfect
example: three universities, several private
computer and business career schools, and
many specialized vocational and technical
centers and training facilities.
In 2014, the National Education Association
put Alaska fourth nationwide for what it
spent per student — $18,192 — in Fiscal
Year 2012-13. In the area of hands-on education, the Construction Users Roundtable,
a national trade group, has twice honored
Alaska Construction Academies as a leader
in workforce development. And in general
education attainment, only 8 percent of
residents age 25 and older failed to complete high school, compared with almost
14 percent nationally.
Anchorage School District
5530 E. Northern Lights Blvd.
Anchorage, AK 99504
907-742-4000
www.asdk12.org
Photography coourtesy of Anchorage Museum
E
The Anchorage School District boasts more
than 100 public schools and programs serving more than 48,000 students in grades K
through 12. Many of the schools are relatively
new and feature state-of-the-art technology.
Here’s the breakdown:
Preschool sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Elementary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Middle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
High . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Specialized programs and schools . . . 57
Charter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
ASD students frequently score above the
national averages on standardized tests. The
district is diverse, reflecting the nature of the
community, with 93 languages spoken in
students’ homes. Minority students compose
more than half the student population, and a
2013 University of Alaska study determined
that Anchorage high schools are the most
diverse in the nation. That diversity continues in the number of specialized programs
with a variety of educational styles, although
a lottery system is used for programs with
more interest than open seats. Parents may
apply for waivers to place their children in
any ASD school outside their neighborhood
boundary, but whether they are accepted will
depend on available space.
In terms of enrollment, ASD is one of the
100 largest school districts in the nation. And
parents and concerned residents regularly
voice their views in district decisions.
ASD specialized programs
ABC schools, sometimes called “backto-basics” programs, feature a structured
curriculum, character development, firm
discipline and regular homework. These
schools include Birchwood K-6, Northern
Lights K-8 and Northwood K-6.
Eight charter schools offer alternative teaching methods and more educator
independence than regular public schools:
Alaska Native Cultural Charter School,
Pre-K-8; Aquarian, K-6; Eagle Academy,
K-6; Family Partnership, K-12; Frontier,
K-12; Highland Tech, 6-12; Rilke Schule
German School of Arts & Sciences, K-8;
and Winterberry, K-8.
Education
&&Academics
Education
Academics
Central Middle School of Science is for
students and parents who believe in a rigorous academic program that emphasizes math
and hands-on science.
World language immersion programs
instruct with a bilingual format:
• Spanish at Chugiak Elementary, Mirror
Lake Middle and Chugiak High, and at
Government Hill Elementary, Romig
Middle and West High schools.
• Russian at Turnagain Elementary, Romig
Middle and West High schools.
• Japanese at Sand Lake Elementary, Mears
Middle and Dimond High schools.
• German at Rilke Schule, a K-8 charter
school.
Foreign Language in the Elementary
School (FLES) includes a language and culture class one or two times each week:
•Chinese — Scenic Park Elementary
School
• Spanish — Aquarian Charter School
• Yup’ik — Alaska Native Cultural Charter
School
King Career Center offers vocational and
technical training for high school students
in 26 occupations, including the Anchorage
Construction Academy.
The Montessori method is used at Denali
Elementary.
Open optional programs teach in a selfdirected, informal atmosphere through
cooperative group learning, hands-on activities and traditional classwork at Willard
L. Bowman (K-6), Chinook Elementary
(K-6), Chugach Optional (K-6), Eagle
River Elementary (K-6), Polaris (K-12) and
Susitna Elementary (K-5).
The highly gifted program challenges the
intellectually or academically gifted through
enrichment (grades 2-6), individualized
acceleration (at Rogers Park Elementary
School), middle school and the mentor program. Individualized and accelerated classes
are offered at Romig Middle School and
West High. The focus is on providing individualized services.
Multisensory Instruction is offered at
Baxter Elementary (K-6), Orion Elementary
(K-3), Rabbit Creek Elementary (1-2) and
Hanshew Middle (7-8).
The Specialized Academic Vocational
Education (SAVE) program is for students
who are at risk of dropping out and/or have
fallen behind in credits.
Continued on page 46
Continued from page 43
Photography provided by Visit Anchorage
The Anchorage Vocational Academic
Institute of Learning (AVAIL) program
emphasizes pre-employment skills and
obtaining a high school diploma for students
who have dropped out of traditional school.
Benny Benson/SEARCH for middle
and high school students emphasizes strict
discipline and attendance for students
with a part-time job or attending the King
Career Center.
School-within-a-School, or SWS, emphasizes each student's responsibility to develop
curiosity, self-reliance and productivity.
• The World Discovery Seminar at Chugiak
uses a Socratic-based learning technique
that focuses on classical historical and literary materials rather than textbooks.
• East has two: Elitnaurvik for Alaska
Native students and a School-Within-aSchool program.
• The Seminar School at Service is founded
on the principles of Socratic questioning
and the examination of great works of
writing.
• West has two: School Through the Arts
and the International Baccalaureate.
ASD iSchool is an online program that provides high school students with opportunities
to earn credit through online course work.
Dimond, Eagle River and South high
schools have Engineering Academies for prospective engineers.
The Biomedical Academy at Service
High School and Medical Academy at
Bartlett High School prepare students for
health care careers.
Service High’s Leadership Academy is
centered on the Navy JROTC program and
focuses on academic excellence, community
service and leadership training.
The International Baccalaureate, a
demanding, international K-12 approach
building global perspectives and intercultural
understanding, is available at Romig Middle
School and West High School.
Special Education Services districtwide are
for students with disabilities who need specially designed instruction.
The Alaska State School for the Deaf and
Hard of Hearing is for students who wish to
take advantage of its unique curriculum.
Crossroads accommodates pregnant and
parenting students.
Private schools
According to Private School Review,
more than 3,000 students in grades K
Education
& Academics
Education
& Academics
through 12 attend more than 25 private
schools throughout the area. Additionally,
many private schools offer specialties such
as Slingerland, college prep and language
immersion programs.
Eight schools constitute the Alaska
Association of Independent Schools.
Members are Anchor Lutheran School,
Anchorage Montessori School, Anchorage
Waldorf School, Holy Rosary Academy,
Lumen Christi Jr./Sr. High School, Pacific
Northern Academy, Grace Christian School
and Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton School. For
detailed information about the schools, go to
www.akais.org.
Anchorage Christian Schools has the
second-highest enrollment among the
private schools. Find more information at
www.acsedu.org.
Other private faith-centered schools
include Atheneum School, Banner Christian
Academy, Eagle River Christian School,
Faith Evangelical Lutheran, Gateway School,
Heritage Christian School, North Anchorage
Christian Academy, St. John’s Orthodox
Christian, True Vine Christian and World
Harvest Christian Schools.
Search for specific school information at
the National Center for Education Statistics
website: www.nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/
privateschoolsearch.
Postsecondary
Homeschooling
University of Alaska Anchorage
3211 Providence Drive
Anchorage, AK 99508
907-786-1800
www.uaa.alaska.edu
The largest university in the state with
more than 18,000 students, UAA has several
colleges and schools, including the College
of Arts & Sciences, College of Business &
Public Policy, College of Education, College
of Health, School of Nursing, School of
Though not as prevalent in Anchorage
as in more remote rural areas of Alaska,
hundreds of parents here choose to homeschool their children. Two charter schools
in the Anchorage School District, Family
Partnership and Frontier, focus on support
of homeschooling. Family Partnership
offers a customized-to-each-student flexible mix of home study, online courses,
correspondence, small classes, private
lessons and college classes. Frontier supports full-time homeschooling families
with assistance in developing individual
learning plans, evaluating learning styles,
matching students with appropriate curricula and schoolwide events.
The Chugach School District offers an
Anchorage homeschool extension. Find
more information at www.chugachschools.
com/home_school.
The Galena School District IDEA homeschooling program has an Anchorage office
as well. Go to www.ideafamilies.org for
more information.
Alaska Pacific University
4101 University Drive
Anchorage, AK 99508
907-564-8210
www.alaskapacific.edu
This private college affiliated with the
Methodist Church emphasizes active
learning in its liberal arts and professional
programs. With a small student body, APU
attracts self-motivated, adventure-seeking
students. Academic disciplines include
business administration, counseling psychology and human services, education,
environmental science, liberal studies and
outdoor studies.
The university also offers campus undergraduate studies and an early honors program
for high school seniors with distinguished academic records.
For adults balancing family and work
responsibilities, APU features a degreecompletion program in accounting, business,
health or human services. The Rural Alaska
Native Adult distance-education program
allows students to complete their degrees
while working and living in their hometowns. Six graduate programs also offer
degrees in business administration, environmental science, counseling psychology,
education and outdoor and environmental
education.
Engineering, Community & Technical
College and the University Honors College.
Academic programs are plentiful and
include undergraduate certificates; associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees;
doctoral programs in collaboration with
UA Fairbanks; occupational endorsements; post-baccalaureate certificates;
and graduate and post-degree certificates. Students can also study at campus
extensions in Kenai (four sites), Kodiak,
Mat-Su, Prince William Sound (three
sites), Chugiak-Eagle River and Joint Base
Elmendorf-Richardson.
UAA strives to provide academic programs
that meet the needs of the state workforce
with, for example, associate and bachelor’s
programs in construction management to
meet a growing need in the construction
industry. Expanding the nursing program to
address the shortage of registered nurses is
another example of the university constantly
increasing offerings to provide an educated
workforce for the state.
Athletic programs include men’s and
women’s basketball, volleyball, crosscountry, track and field, gymnastics,
hockey and skiing teams.
A pre-eminent competitive program at
UAA is the Seawolf Debate Team, the only
intercollegiate forensics program in Alaska.
The team competes in the World Universities
Debating Championships, and in 2013 was
12th in global rankings.
Charter College
2221 E. Northern Lights Blvd., Ste. 120
Anchorage, AK 99508
907-277-1000
www.chartercollege.edu
This private, independent, for-profit institution of higher education offers an alternative
for both young and mature students seeking
to better their social and economic conditions.
To that end Charter offers associate and bachelor’s degrees as well as certificate programs
in health care, business, criminal justice, construction management, hospitality, paralegal
studies, the trades, vocational training and
information technology. Since the programs
are time- and cost-efficient, dedicated students
can earn a bachelor’s degree in 30 months.
Wayland Baptist University
7801 E. 32nd Ave.
Anchorage, AK 99504
907-333-2277
www.wbu.edu/ak
Since this private college is designed
for working adults, most classes meet
in the evenings and on weekends.
Undergraduate majors include Christian
ministry, business administration and
science with a focus on occupational education or interdisciplinary studies. The
master’s programs offered are elementary
and secondary education, counseling, history, English, management, and business
administration, plus two programs available online only: Master of Divinity, and
public administration.
Anchorage Construction Academy
8005 Schoon St.
Anchorage, AK 99518
907-222-0999
www.alaskaca.org
CEE is a nonprofit tuition-based vocational school that teaches commercial
truck driver, hazardous materials and construction technology courses.
The academy offers free basic construction training for adults age 18 and older.
Courses may include basic carpentry,
plumbing, electricity, drywall finishing,
stick welding, blueprint reading and construction math. The coursework includes
health and safety and other certifications.
So trainees can continue their regular
jobs while learning skills for a new career,
experts offer hands-on courses in the
evenings and on Saturdays. Class size is
limited, and entry is competitive.
Libraries
Libraries connect people all over
the state and have services for everyone. Almost every town has a library, as
does nearly every school. Many belong
to the Alaska Library Network, alaska
librarynetwork.org, for coordination
and exchange of materials and services.
The Alaska State Library in Juneau, www.
library.state.ak.us, serves all libraries and
the public with its collections, catalog and
strong Internet presence.
Its Anchorage branch contains the
Talking Book Center and other services.
SLED, the Statewide Library Electronic
Doorway, www.sled.alaska.edu, was
developed by the Alaska State Library and
University of Alaska libraries as a public
service collection of useful Internet links
and resources for use by all Alaskans.
Alaska Career College
1415 E. Tudor Road
Anchorage, AK 99507
907-563-7575
www.alaskacareercollege.edu
This academy offers training and education in tourism, aviation, business and
health care careers. The administrative
and instructional staff includes qualified
professionals with years of educational
and practical experience. Programs provide individual attention and hands-on
training.
Anchorage Municipal Libraries
Anchorage maintains a first-rate municipal library system, with the Z.J. Loussac
Public Library as the centerpiece. For
more information go to www.muni.org/
departments/library/pages/default.aspx.
Center for Employment Education
520 E. 34th Ave.
Anchorage, AK 99503
907-279-8451
www.cee.ak.net
Z.J. Loussac
3600 Denali St.
Anchorage, AK 99503
907-343-2975
Chugiak-Eagle River
12001 Business Blvd., Suite 176
Eagle River Town Center
Eagle River, AK 99577
907-343-1530
Gerrish (Girdwood)
250 Egloff Drive
Girdwood, AK 99587
907-343-4024
©iStockphoto.com/Andrew Rich
Mountain View
120 Bragaw St.
Anchorage, AK 99508
907-343-2818
Muldoon
Muldoon Town Center
1251 Muldoon Road, Suite 158
Anchorage, AK 99504
907-343-4223
©iStockphoto.com/alvarez
Education
& Academics
Education
& Academics
Anchorage School District Libraries
The Anchorage School District serves
more than 48,000 students with libraries at
84 sites. ASD libraries contain 1.2 million
items, have 84 professional librarians and
coordinate and exchange information and
items with each other, the municipal, state
and university libraries and other libraries
around the state. For more information go
to www.asdk12.org/libraries.
political, cultural and economic development of Alaska.
The library is also a Cooperating
Collection of the Foundation Center,
New York, and a select depository for
publications from the U.S. Government
Printing Office. The Alaska Resource
Library and Information Services, better
known as ARLIS, and the Alaska Moving
Image Preservation Association also maintain holdings here.
UAA/APU Consortium Library
Anchorage, AK 99508-4614
907-786-1871
www.consortiumlibrary.org
The University of Alaska Anchorage
and Alaska Pacific University share the
Consortium Library, an architectural accomplishment and an intellectual treasure with
930,000 volumes and 20,000 videos and
films. Other resources include the Alaska
Collection, the Alaska Medical Library and
an archive of records documenting the social,
U.S. National Park Service
605 W. Fourth Ave., Suite 105
Anchorage, AK 99501
907-644-3661 or 866-869-6887
www.alaskacenters.gov
The Alaska Public Lands Information
Center is a repository of information about
the state’s public lands, people, natural
resources and recreational opportunities.
Arctic Studies Center
625 C St.
Anchorage, AK 99501
907-929-9207
www.mnh.si.edu/arctic/htm/alaska.htm
The center in the Anchorage Museum
at Rasmuson Center is part of the
Smithsonian Institution’s National
Museum of Natural History and offers
a wealth of information about Alaska’s
diverse Native cultures through exhibitions, lectures and workshops.
Health Care
©iStockphoto.com/STEEX
G
ood health and regular visits to
health care providers allow you to better enjoy
work, travel and leisure time. Anchorage offers
a full range of health care services.
vaccination history. Check with your health
care provider for details or visit www.epi.
alaska.gov/immunize.
Bring your records
Your health care providers may refer you
to counterparts in your new community.
Like most professionals, they have extensive
networks of contacts throughout the country that could include colleagues, classmates
or conference attendees. Hospitals also offer
referral services.
Your new physician will need to know
your medical history, so visit all your
health care providers a few weeks before
moving. Explain that you are moving and
request copies of medical records for every
member of your household. If you have
already located providers in Alaska, you
can sign a release to have the records sent
directly to them.
If you have children, bring their immunization records with you. No child can
register for classes in the Anchorage School
District without proof of immunizations,
though exemptions may be granted for
medical or religious reasons. The number
of doses and type of vaccine required vary
depending upon the student’s age, grade and
Referrals
numbers and claim forms. Also remember
that many health insurance plans require
preferred or network providers. Contact the
plan administrator before leaving to find out
provisions for coverage while traveling and
after you arrive.
Traveling tips
Medications
If you are taking prescription drugs, ask your
physician for extra medication to allow yourself
time to find a new provider and renew prescriptions. Pharmacies are plentiful in Anchorage;
many are open seven days a week.
For most people, moving to Alaska is a long,
long journey, so a little planning for health care
problems can pay big dividends if something
goes wrong on the way. Don’t forget a good
first-aid kit and keep it in your vehicle even
after you arrive. It never hurts to be prepared.
For a complete list of items to include in your
first-aid kit, visit www.redcross.org and click
on Plan & Prepare at the bottom of the page
to help you protect yourself and your family
against almost any contingency.
Health insurance
Medical facilities
While en route to Alaska, make sure
you have access to insurance cards, phone
An array of medical specialists and services
contribute to the quality and availability of
Health Care
health care in Anchorage. Three acute-care
hospitals, one long-term acute-care hospital,
one military hospital and two psychiatric hospitals are almost continuously expanding in
size and scope. In addition, outpatient surgery
centers, a host of clinics and hundreds of private practice providers offer their services.
Anchorage is the medical hub for the
state. As the local health care community
adds better technology and more highly
trained personnel, the need for out-of-state
treatment is dwindling.
Providence Alaska Medical Center
Providence Alaska Medical Center has a
long history in the state, beginning when
the Sisters of Providence arrived in Nome
in 1902 during the Gold Rush. These days
Providence is the state’s largest private
employer with more than 4,000 workers in six communities — Anchorage, the
Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Kodiak Island,
Seward, Soldotna and Valdez. Its hospital
in Anchorage is the largest in the state and
provides comprehensives services, advanced
medical equipment and treatment systems:
a cancer center, a children’s hospital, a heart
and vascular center and a maternity center,
along with family medicine, emergency care,
guest housing, imaging and laboratory services, and surgery. The Providence campus is
constantly changing and expanding. Its newest offerings include a Senior Care Center for
patients 55 and older that welcomes clients
on Medicare; and a new 85,782-square-foot
Maternity Center — opening in phases — to
include a Mother-Baby Unit with spacious
private rooms; expansion and modernization of the Newborn Intensive Care Unit; a
Prenatal Unit for high-risk pregnancies; and
a Labor & Delivery Unit to provide care for
mother and baby during birth.
Providence is recognized as a teaching
hospital for the University of Washington
School of Medicine.
Alaska Regional Hospital
For more than 40 years Alaska Regional
has fulfilled the state’s medical needs, constantly improving the scope of its services
and skills. In 1994, Alaska Regional joined
with HCA for access to the advanced medical resources of one of the nation’s largest
health care providers. The hospital is also
the state’s designated Shriners clinic, which
means monthly immunization clinics for
schoolchildren. Other services include free
prostate cancer screenings, health education seminars and support groups for cancer
Health Care
Welcome
to Alaska
and stroke survivors. Alaska Regional has an
orthopedics and spine center, cancer care,
the state’s first Joint Commission-certified
Primary Stroke Center, a cardiovascular
wellness center, maternal and child services,
robotic surgery and a sleep disorder testing
service, among its many resources.
Alaska Native Medical Center
As an acute, specialty, primary and
behavioral health care provider, Alaska
Native Medical Center (ANMC) offers
broad-based medical services to Alaska
Natives and American Indians living within
the state. The center is Alaska Native
owned and managed through a partnership between the Alaska Native Tribal
Health Consortium and Southcentral
Foundation. The 150-bed hospital’s medical specialties include a pediatric intensive
care unit, teleradiology, perinatology,
expanded day surgery and extensive primary care services. ANMC is also the only
certified trauma center (Level II) in the
state and the only hospital in the state to
receive Magnet Status from the American
Nurses Credentialing Center, an accolade earned by fewer than 7 percent of
American hospitals. The teaching hospital
draws medical students and residents from
around the globe.
Care for veterans
The Alaska VA Health Care System and
Regional Office offer primary, specialty and
mental health outpatient care to veterans,
who can also receive inpatient services at
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and certain community hospitals.
The facility has an extensive homeless
veteran service consisting of a 50-bed domiciliary residential rehabilitation treatment
program, veterans industries, a 24-bed
compensated work therapy transitional
residence program, and a VA-supported
housing program and outreach. The
health care system is affiliated with the
University of Alaska Anchorage, the
University of Washington and the Alaska
Family Practice Residency Program.
Long-term care
St. Elias Specialty Hospital is a long-term,
acute-care hospital, the only facility of its kind
in Alaska. The hospital is Medicare certified
and accredited by the Joint Commission and
has 60 beds, the majority of them in private
rooms, and state-of-the-art equipment to care
for extended inpatient acute care.
For information about assisted living homes
and nursing homes, contact the Office of the
Long Term Care Ombudsman in Anchorage
at www.akoltco.org, 907-334-4480 or toll
free, 800-730-6393.
©iStockphoto.com/Bonnie Jacobs
Health Care
©iStockphoto.com/scanrail
community health center and is still the
busiest in Alaska, serving more than 14,477
patients through 44,128 visits in 2013. The
clinic accepts all patients: insured, uninsured or on Medicare; in 2013, ANHC
provided $7.8 million in charity care to
uninsured and low-income residents.
From its new health center, ANHC offers
45 exam, procedure and medical consultation rooms organized around three medical
pods, each of which can support five fulltime medical provider teams; a 10-chair
dental clinic; and a lab with X-ray and mammogram services. In 2013, the center was
accredited as a Level 2 Patient Centered
Medical Home by the National Association
of Quality Assurance.
Health Care
Marketplace Exchanges
With passage of the Affordable Care Act,
marketplace exchanges were established to
help people find quality health coverage if
Health care providers
Anchorage-area health care providers have
private practices in disciplines and specialties
across the medical, dental and vision spectrum. Group practices, specialty, walk-in and
urgent-care clinics are dispersed throughout
Anchorage, Eagle River and Girdwood, and
all the hospitals have extended campuses
that include diagnostics, primary care and
specialty clinics.
Medevac services
Two local medevac companies can fly to the
Lower 48 and internationally so patients can
receive medical care at their facilities of choice.
LifeMed Alaska operates through a
partnership between Providence Health
& Services Alaska and Yukon-Kuskokwim
Health Corp. and flies more than 3,000
missions every year. The statewide critical care air ambulance fleet includes
Learjet 35As, a King Air B200, a Cessna
208 Grand Caravan and two A-Star helicopters. LifeMed is also the only service
that includes neonatal and high-risk
obstetric transports.
LifeFlight Air Ambulance, based at Alaska
Regional Hospital, can taxi its fixed-wing
King Air B200 aircraft right to the hospital
door, saving patients precious time.
Mental health
Two inpatient facilities offer intensive
residential treatment: Alaska Psychiatric
Institute and North Star Behavioral Hospital.
Many clinics and agencies throughout the
city help individuals and families.
Community health
The Anchorage Neighborhood Health
Center, whose original handful of clinicians
began serving Anchorage out of a trailer in
1974, has grown over the years into one of
the state’s largest, most comprehensive primary care medical and dental practices. The
center moved to sleek, expanded Midtown
quarters in 2012. It was the state’s first
Health Care
Welcome
to Alaska
they are uninsured, or have insurance and
want to look at other options. With one
Marketplace application, individuals can
determine if they can get lower costs based
on their incomes, compare coverage options
side-by-side and enroll.
Those living in Alaska should use this website: www.healthcare.gov. Click on “Get
Insurance” for a prompt, then type in “Alaska”
for the next steps to apply for coverage, compare plans and enroll. Specific plans and
prices became available Oct. 1, 2013, when
Marketplace open enrollment began. Coverage
began Jan. 1, 2014, and open enrollment for
2014 ended March 31, 2014. The proposed
open enrollment period for 2015 runs from
Nov. 15, 2014, to Feb. 15, 2015.
Living with and caring for pets
in Alaska
Having pets where there’s six months
of winter means you have to consider
weather and climate when you bring pets
along with you. Dogs are favorite animals
here for hiking, hunting and mushing,
but hard snow and ice can cut up a dog’s
paws badly so booties are in order for long
treks in winter, and a jacket may be, too.
Dogs need housing, especially those with
thin coats, and plenty of water (not snow
or ice) is essential. Fleas, ticks and heartworm aren’t big problems, although dogs
can tangle with moose, bears, beavers, porcupines and eagles with nasty results.
Anchorage has several dog parks where
you can let your dog run — the leash law
applies everywhere else. A dog license and
up-to-date shots are a must, and cleaning up after your dog during walks also
is a must to keep pathogens out of the
water system: The Anchorage Waterways
Council has a strong “Scoop the Poop”
initiative. Cats and small dogs should live
indoors — owls, eagles and other raptors
find them tasty snacks outdoors at any time
of year. Horse lovers can use the extensive
trail system for riding; however, other trail
users such as skiers, bicyclists, walkers and
runners have to be considered. Anchorage is
rat-free and health authorities want to keep it
that way, so pet rats are NOT allowed.
Anchorage has plenty of veterinarians —
two 24-hour pet emergency facilities, several
animal clinics and treatment centers, and
many vets in private practice. Whether you
have dogs, cats, horses, llamas, birds, fish or
an exotic reptile, a veterinarian is available.
Several businesses in Anchorage offer
pet boarding, sitting and day care, grooming, obedience training and dog walking.
Besides veterinarians, the following organizations can be helpful in adoptions, shots and
spay/neuter.
www.friendsofpets.org/programs.htm
www.muni.org/departments/health/admin/
animal_control
www.alaskaspca.org
www.akdogandpuppyrescue.com
©iStockphoto.com/Jeanell Norvell
Health Care
Anchorage Health & Family Resources
EMERGENCY SERVICES
DIAL 911
ALL EMERGENCIES
MEDICAL
Anchorage 24-hour emergency
suicide & crisis hotline
907-563-3200
Alaska Children’s Services
907-346-2101
www.akchild.org
Alaska Department of Health &
Social Services
907-465-3030
www.hss.state.ak.us
Alaska Family Medicine Residency
907-561-4500
http://Resnetfammed.washington.
edualaskafpr
907-563-2662
www.anmc.org
Alaska Native Tribal Health
Consortium
907-729-1900 or toll free
855-882-6842
www.anthc.org
Alaska Psychiatric Institute
907-269-7100
www.hss.state.ak.us/dbh/API
Alaska Regional Hospital
907-276-1131
www.alaskaregional.com
LifeFlight Air Ambulance
(Medevac service)
800-478-9111
In Anchorage 264-2388
ER VHF Radio SB 130.45
Merrill Tower SB 118.7 ATIS 123.7
Alaska VA Health Care System
907-257-4700 or 888-353-7574
www.alaska.va.gov
Alaskan AIDS Assistance
Association (Four A's)
907-263-2050
www.alaskanaids.org
Anchorage Community
Mental Health Services
907-563-1000
907-563-3200 (24-hour crisis)
www.acmhs.com
Anchorage Department of Health
& Human Services
907-343-6718
www.muni.org/health/
index.cfm
Anchorage Neighborhood
Health Center
907-743-7200
www.anhc.org
St. Elias Specialty Hospital
(acute long-term care)
907-561-3333
www.st-eliashospital.com
Anchorage Pediatric Group
907-562-2423
www.apgkids.com
Summit Family Practice
907-272-3366
www.summitfamily.com
Denali KidCare
State of Alaska health
insurance program for children
& teens (with income guidelines)
907-269-6529 • 888-318-8890
www.hss.state.ak.us/dhcs/
denalikidcare
Thread — Connecting early
care & education to Alaska
Anchorage Lead Office
907-265-3100 or 800-278-3723
www.threadalaska.org
Health North Family Medicine
907-561-1195
www.hnfmedicine.com
Hope Community Resources Inc.
907-561-5335 or
800-478-0078
www.hopealaska.org
Hospice of Anchorage
907-561-5322
www.hospiceofanchorage.org
LaTouche Pediatrics
907-562-2120
www.latouchepediatrics.com
Medical Park Family Care
907-279-8486
www.mpfcak.com
National Alliance on
Mental Illness
907-277-1300 or 800-478-4462
www.nami.org/sites/alaska
National Multiple Sclerosis
Society Greater
Northwest Chapter
907-562-7347 or 800-344-4867
www.nationalmssociety.org/
aka/home
Northern Smiles Orthodontics
907-212-3151
www.provimaging.com
Providence Alaska Medical Center
907-562-2211
www.alaska.providence.org
CHILD AND SENIOR CARE
Daycare Resource Connection
A Resource for Parents and
Providers
www.daycareresource.com/
alaska.html
CHIROPRACTIC CARE
True Life Chiropractic
907-433-9973
www.chiropracticak.com
DENTAL/ORTHODONTICS
Alaska Center for Dentistry
907-562-2512
www.alaskacenterfor
dentistry.com
Alaska Dental Group
907-562-6648
www.alaskadentalgroup.com
btyDENTAL
907-333-6666
www.btyDENTAL.com
Coombs Orthodontics
907-563-3015
www.coombsorthodontics.com
Family First Dentistry
907-562-2820
www.familyfirstdentistry.com
Oral Surgery Associates of Alaska
907-561-2697
www.oralsurgeryalaska.com
Providence Imaging Center
907-212-3151
www.provimaging.com
Pediatric Dental Associates
907-522-1991 or 907-522-1567
Toll free 888-522-1991
www.akpediatricdental.com
Southcentral Foundation
907-729-4955 or 800-478-3343
Hotline: 877-837-4251
www.southcentral
foundation.com
HEARING SERVICES
Alutiiq Hearing Services
907-558-3655
www.alutiiqhearing.com
Health Care
Welcome
to Alaska
Earthquakes
The Alaska Earthquake Information
Center, noting that “great” earthquakes
stronger than a magnitude 8 have hit
Alaska on an average of once every 13
years since 1900, suggests that in addition to the Red Cross list each homeowner include:
• Fire extinguisher (Class ABC, which can
be used safely on any type of fire)
• Pipe wrench and adjustable wrench for
turning off gas and water mains
Go to www.aeic.alaska.edu and click on
“Earthquake Preparedness” for full information on how to ride out a big one safely.
The Sunshine Vitamin
Getting Enough
The limited daylight and bitter cold during Alaska’s long winters can result in a
health problem that few may think about: a
vitamin D deficiency. The so-called Sunshine
Vitamin is important because it has a role in
building strong bones, preventing premature
aging, promoting the normal function of the
immune system, inflammatory response and
muscle function, reducing the risk of falls in
people over 60 and possibly limiting the risk
Health Care
or effects of osteoporosis, the European Food
Safety Authority says. As far as the healthy
bones claim goes, the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration agrees.
Foods such as shitake and button mushrooms, alfalfa and fatty fish like salmon,
tuna, mackerel, herring, catfish and sardines,
eggs and cod liver oil are rich in vitamin D,
but the skin also can make its own in the
presence of sunlight, which is why vitamin
D is called the Sunshine Vitamin.
The most recent federal dietary research
on vitamin D (2011) found that overall, no
general deficiency existed in the U.S., and
further, that claims for benefits other than
for bone health, though plausible, had not
been proved. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines
vitamin D review committee ended by raising the recommended daily dose and its
upper limits, but only slightly, to 600 IU per
day for those between 1 and 70 years old,
with a high of 4,000 IU per day for those
between 9 and 71 years old, respectively.
Research continues around the world on
the Sunshine Vitamin, due in large part to
a report by Dr. Michael Holick, an endocrinologist and vitamin D researcher at the
Boston University School of Medicine, who
presented data in 2007 linking higher blood
levels of vitamin D and sun exposure with
declines in the risk of rheumatoid arthritis,
heart disease, depression, cancer, Type 2
diabetes, falls and broken bones, and with
stronger mental and muscle function.
He and other researchers concluded that
low vitamin D levels were implicated in a
multitude of chronic health problems. Many
felt that the recommended intakes should
be raised significantly and now believe that
additional studies will result in the government revising its assessment.
So given current research, what should
Alaskans with their limited winter daylight do?
First, it’s good to understand that the
Dietary Guidelines are “population wide”
recommendations, says Leslie Shallcross, MS
RDN LD and associate professor of extension (University of Alaska Fairbanks) for the
Cooperative Extension Service in Anchorage,
which promotes the well-being of residents
with, among other things, information on
food safety, preservation and nutrition.
Alaska in winter has far less sunlight than
anywhere in the Lower 48, so many Alaskans
are at greater risk of vitamin D deficiency.
Adults should find out where they stand
by having their vitamin D levels checked,
especially in winter and especially older
adults, who are at greater risk from falls
and fractures. Health fairs many times offer
low-cost vitamin D screening, or medical
providers can include it in routine blood
work. After the test, it’s a good idea to ask
if vitamin D supplements would be a good
idea for you and what the appropriate dosage would be to reach a healthy blood level.
The vitamins are not expensive, but you
also should consider how much vitamin D
you already may be getting from fortified
foods and multi-vitamins.
Check out the Recommended Dietary
Allowances for how much can be taken safely
daily, and enjoy whatever bright brief sunny
days the winter may bring.
What the CES can do for you
The Cooperative Extension Service in
Anchorage is a great place to get advice about
both the Anchorage big picture (think water
quality or, specifically, sanitation if your new
Anchorage home has a septic tank or outhouse) and little snapshots, such as identifying
the insect spitting on your plants. (Spittlebugs.
Send them flying with a blast from the hose.)
Most CES services are free. Experts are
on hand daily to answer questions about
nutrition, food safety and preservation
Health Care
Welcome
to Alaska
(preventing botulism, how to can a
moose), what to eat and not to eat in the
wild (“Wild Edible and Poisonous Plants of
Alaska”), to support entrepreneurial and
community partnerships, to diagram safe
drinking water and private water systems,
to provide informal education programs
for young people from drumming to
robots, and to coach classes in the Tufts
University StrongWomen program.
CES also helps with 4-H, and teaches how
to keep you and your children warm, how to
build a greenhouse and how to be a Master
Gardener, from beginning to advanced. In
the evenings the place is usually hopping
with classes and seminars.
The list of publications at hand is staggering: more than 300, plus 16 DVDs, free or
at a nominal charge. There are five alone for
living safe in Alaska, among them “Cold Can
Kill: Hypothermia,” “Winterizing Your Car
and Camper” and “Cold Hurts: Frostbite,
Frostnip and Immersion Foot.” Most titles,
of course, are less dire and range from beekeeping to cooking around the campfire with
the kids.
The 2014 catalog and other CES updates
are available online at www.uaf.edu/ces/
media. Quite a few of the brochures can
be printed as PDFs. Hook up with CES on
social media as well — Facebook site: www.
facebook.com/AlaskaExtension; Twitter
site: https://twitter.com/UAFExtension;
YouTube site: www.youtube.com/user/
UAFExtension; and Pinterest: www.pinterest
.com/uafextension.
The CES in Anchorage, an educational service of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture under the direction, in Alaska,
of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, is at
1675 C St. Call 907-786-6300, or check
out its website, www.uaf.edu/ces/districts/
anchorage.
Staying warm
Alaska winters beckon cross-country skiers, snowboarders, dog mushers, ice fishers,
snowshoe fans and all manner of enthusiasts
into their white glitter, but enjoying them —
and surviving — depends on staying warm,
especially for children and older people.
Hypothermia claims lives every year, and
frostbite costs people their ears, their noses,
their feet, fingers and thumbs. Don’t gamble
with the cold. It always wins.
Warm garments keep your body heat close
to your skin, where you need it, and headgear is
vital since half your body’s heat is lost through
Health Care
your head. Your neck, armpits, sides of your
chest and the groin area also are big heat losers. A thick hat, hood or both plus a substantial
woolly scarf or neck warmer is the way to go.
Wind sucks body heat away from you. A
blustery wind can make 20 degrees feel like
15 below zero, what’s called wind chill. If
you’re wet or sweaty, you’ll also get cold
much faster, and some wet clothes won’t
hold body heat.
A single layer of garments won’t keep you
nearly as warm as layers so adapt your choices
to the activity: walking or skiing? Chopping
wood or quiet contemplation? And whatever
you select should keep out water and wind.
“Wet” is a conduit for cold.
Your clothes should be clean. Sweat and
dirt don’t hold heat, and Gore-Tex won’t
keep you dry if it’s dirty.
Think of three basic layers, like a sandwich — first, middle and outside — every
time you go out. Long underwear of wool
or wicking polyester, not cotton, goes on
first. Even if they get wet, wool and polyester will keep you warm. Cotton won’t. Next
come thick, loose clothes of wool or fleece
— shirts, sweaters, vests, pants — to hold
in your body heat. Lastly, an outside layer to
protect everything under it from rain, wind
or snow. It can be nylon, canvas, rubber or
Gore-Tex. A thick coat or parka is always a
good idea.
If you’re sitting still outdoors, hunting or
ice fishing, for instance, add snow pants or
wear a snowmachine suit. If you’ll be sitting
for a long time, take thick blankets or a foam
cushion to slow heat loss.
If you’re active, select coats and pants with
zippers or vents, and open them to let warm,
wet air escape. If you get too warm, open
your coat, but be sure to take a coat with you
to put on when you stop moving.
A poncho isn’t a good idea in freezing
Alaska rain or snow. Ponchos are too loose
for this climate; they let body heat get away.
Wear a raincoat instead. Rain pants will keep
your legs dry, and pants with a bib that covers your chest will keep you warmer.
Mittens are warmer than gloves because
your fingers cozy up to each other, and
mittens can be layered, too. If you must
use your fingers, wear heavily insulated
gloves, then draw mittens over them when
you’re done.
Wear layers of socks, a thin layer of wicking polyester next to your skin and then
thick wool or fleece socks pulled over them.
Change to dry socks when your feet get wet
or sweaty.
Health Care
Welcome
to Alaska
Boots should have cleated or rough soles
for traction because smooth bottoms will
send you skidding on ice and snow. Some
boots have warm innersoles; others have
sheepskin linings. They should be waterproof, or sprayed with waterproofing spray
once you get them home.
Children need the same warm clothes
that adults do, and they should be taught
how to wear and care for them. Sometimes
the little ones get cold but are so involved
in what they’re doing they don’t tell anyone. When they run and play, they get
hot quickly, but when they stop, they
get chilled just as quickly, so teach them
layer magic: how to take off layers and put
them back on as needed. Sew their mittens
to the ends of a long string and pull the
string through the sleeves of the coat so
they don’t get lost. Coats and boots that
are too tight, that the child has outgrown,
won’t hold heat. And be sure to make sure
others can see your child. Winter days and
evenings are dark, so select light-colored
clothes and add reflective tape.
Babies need extra care. If they’re too
hot, they’ll be red and fussy, but if they’re
too cold, they don’t shiver like adults but
instead will have cool hands and feet and
turn lethargic. If a cool baby seems to have
no energy, it may be in danger. Always use
a hat or warm hood because babies have
no hair to insulate their heads, and share
your body heat by carrying the baby close
to you. Warm the car seat in the house
and cover it or the stroller with a blanket
to trap warm air, with an opening so fresh
air can reach the baby’s face.
— Source: Literacy Council of Alaska and
Alaska Sea Grant College Program, distributed by the Cooperative Extension Service,
Anchorage
First-aid kits
Alaska’s harsh climate, vast distances and
low population mean that residents need to
take steps personally to keep themselves and
their families safe. Well-stocked first-aid kits
are good places to start. Some motorists use
an easy-to-carry tackle box but a waterproof
bag will work too.
In the Car
In Winter
1 Snow shovel
1 Traction sand or cat litter
1 De-icer
Health Care
Always
1 First-aid manual
1 2 absorbent compress dressings
(5 x 9 inches)
1 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
1 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)
1 1 roller bandage (3 inches wide)
1 1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)
1 5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches)
1 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)
1 2 triangular bandages
1 5 antibiotic ointment packets
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
5 antiseptic wipe packets
2 packets of aspirin
1 blanket
1 breathing barrier (one-way valve)
1 instant cold compress
1 pairs non-latex gloves (large)
2 hydrocortisone ointment packets
Matches
Scissors
Tweezers
Oral thermometer (non-mercury,
non-glass)
Community & Recreation
A
lthough Anchorage is a small city,
it’s the biggest one for 2,000 miles. In
addition to being a hub for transportation,
business, health care, government, education and finance, it has more local options
for entertainment and recreation than most
cities of comparable size in the Lower 48.
Remoteness means that Alaskans create
their own groups, with many opportunities to
enjoy or even be part of theater, live music,
art shows, festivals and sporting events. Local
offerings range from curling to quilting — and
a bit of everything in between. The downtown
area has a strong showing of art and special
events every month on First Friday, and the
Alaska Center for the Performing Arts regularly presents top Broadway shows, operas
and live music. At an Anchorage Symphony
Orchestra concert, you can see diamonds and
furs, mukluks and Carhartts — a fair example
of how Alaskans appreciate and participate in
arts, sports and recreation.
Besides the amount and quality of local
creative talent, Anchorage audiences are large
enough and sophisticated enough to attract big
names in entertainment. Artists from around
the country come here to perform, from rock
concerts to classical ballet. The film industry
has become more interested in Alaska over the
years, and that occasionally brings an influx of
famous faces into the Anchorage bowl and a
chance to be an extra on a movie set.
No matter what kind of recreation you
enjoy, you will find it on some level in
Anchorage. Resources such as the Alaska
Dispatch News, Anchorage Press and Visit
Anchorage all provide regular listings of
goings-on around town.
Theater
Alaska Center for the Performing Arts
621 W. Sixth Ave.
907-263-2900
www.myalaskacenter.com
Four venues of varying size with a spectrum of live entertainment. The website has
a Coming Events calendar with information
on theaters around Anchorage, including
special events (click on “by Date”). Eleven
resident companies call the center home.
Anchorage Community Theatre
1133 E. 70th Ave.
907-344-4713
www.actalaska.org
Learn the art and craft of theater via educational classes and participation in local
plays. Anchorage Community Theatre gives
local talent a chance to shine in its seasonal
productions.
Anchorage Opera
1507 Spar Ave.
907-279-2557
www.anchorageopera.org
The Opera’s season includes performances
from around the globe. Both individual and
season tickets are available.
Bear Tooth Theatrepub
1230 W. 27th Ave.
907-276-4200
www.beartooththeatre.net
Enjoy second-run movies for just $3.50 as
well as independent and art house films. The
Bear Tooth hosts a “First Tap” party each
month with hand-crafted beers, as well as
live concerts and an award-winning menu.
Cyrano’s Theatre Company &
Off-Center Playhouse
413 D St.
907-274-2599
www.cyranos.org
Photography provided by Visit Anchorage/Frank Flavin
Anchorage Folk Festival
www.anchoragefolkfest.org
This annual festival is free, runs two weeks
in January and features more than 120 acts
in singing, dancing, storytelling and more,
with workshops for musicians and dancers
of all ages and abilities.
Anchorage International Film Festival
111 W. Ninth Ave.
907-338-3761
www.anchoragefilmfestival.org
Founded in 2001, this is the only multigenre international film event in the state. It
is held in December during the winter solstice — its motto is “Films Worth Freezing
For” — and showcases Alaska filmmakers at
their best.
This independent and highly creative resident theater company features a new play
every month. Founded in 1995, it shows
unusual flair, and works hard to nurture
regional talent.
Anchorage Fur Rendezvous
400 D St., Suite 200
907-274-1177
www.furrondy.net
Each February, this 79-year-old 10-day
event is one of the largest winter carnivals in North America. Fur “Rondy” features a parade, snow sculptures, World
Championship Sled Dog sprint races, the
Alaska Native arts and crafts show, juried
exhibits, fireworks, a carnival, outhouse
races, the Yukigassen Championships (a
blend of capture the flag, paintball and a
snowshoe fight), snowshoe softball and the
Running of the Reindeer.
University of Alaska Anchorage
Theatre and Dance
907-786-1766
http://theatre.uaa.alaska.edu
University students and UAA professors
produce four plays on the main stage and
several student-directed second-stage programs each year.
Celebrations and annual events
Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Festival
William A. Egan Civic &
Convention Center
www.auroraproductions.net/beer-barley.
html
Indigenous World Film Festival
Alaska Native Heritage Center
8800 Heritage Center Drive
907-330-8800
www.alaskanative.net
This two-day event, held at the Alaska
Native Heritage Center in January or
February, screens indigenous films from
around the world. See shorts, documentaries,
animated and feature films. Meet the filmmakers, actors and other participants at the
festival’s opening reception.
Duct Tape Ball
www.ducttapeball.org
Each year this black tie and duct-tape
gala benefits local nonprofits with the
tackiest of all balls of wearable duct-tape
creations, 400 duct-tape tree frogs (once)
and the ever-popular duct-tape pirate
ships and full-size duct-tape African animals. Elephants. Gorillas. Sticky Giraffes.
Oh my.
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
Race Headquarters
2100 S. Knik-Goose Bay Road
Wasilla, AK 99654
907-376-5155
www.iditarod.com
View the ceremonial start in Anchorage
of this world-renowned 1,150-mile sleddog race to downtown Nome on the first
Saturday of March.
The Great Alaska Sportsman Show
Sullivan Arena
1600 Gambell St.
907-562-9911
www.auroraproductions.net/sportman.
html
The 21th edition of this annual fourday fishing, hunting, camping and outdoor
sports show is scheduled April 2-5, 2015,
and can provide information on everything
you could need for an outdoor adventure.
Photography provided by Visit Anchorage/Rebecca Coolidge
Alaska Native Playwrights Project
8800 Native Heritage Center Drive
907-330-8800
Each year’s program runs from intense
January tutorials to November readings with
the goal of training Alaska Native writers
in theatrical forms. Selected plays from the
program have been performed in Anchorage,
Valdez, Los Angeles and San Diego.
Brewers’ bounties are vast and varied every
January at this celebration of all things fermented. The event combines general sessions
and special connoisseur events for those who
enjoy libations.
Celebrate the 4th of July all day long at
Delaney Park Strip starting with a pancake
breakfast followed by a parade, musical
entertainment, games, food and of course,
fireworks to light up the night,
Music in the Park
Peratrovich Park
4th Avenue and E Street
www.anchoragedowntown.org/category/
events/music-in-the-park
Boogie to free one-hour noon concerts
downtown weekly on Wednesdays and
Fridays throughout June, July and August.
Arctic Thunder Open House
www.jber.af.mil
www.alaskaairshow.org
Check out this two-day biennial summer
staple of fighter jets streaking across the sky,
simulated assaults, parachute drops and aerobatic aircraft.
Three Barons Renaissance Fair
3400 E. Tudor Road
907-868-8012
www.3barons.org
Alaska Botanical Garden
4601 Campbell Airstrip Road
907-770-3692
www.alaskabg.org
Visit arctic horticulture and native plants
throughout the summer at this 110-acre
spruce and birch woodland and the glories
of 1,100 hardy perennials and 150 native
plant species in a formal herb garden, alpine
rock gardens, a wildflower walk, peonies
galore, a new Anchorage heritage garden,
the Shop in the Garden nursery, classes
and walkabouts, docent tours, the Spring
Garden Conference, Midsummer Gala
in the Garden, Garden Fair and a Secret
Garden series of summer tours.
Alaska Scottish Highland Games
Alaska State Fairgrounds
Palmer, Alaska
www.alaskascottish.org/games
Join the gathering of the clans for the hammer throw, caber toss, piping, drumming,
dancing, sheepdog competitions, historical
re-enactments, pipe bands and vendors at
the Palmer State Fairgrounds in late June. In
some categories, kilts are required.
Independence Day Celebration
Delaney Park Strip
www.muni.org
Bear Paw Festival
Eagle River, Alaska
www.bearpawfestival.org
The Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of
Commerce presents this fun-filled annual
summer festival 15 minutes from downtown Anchorage with a Grand Parade,
races, food, art exhibits, a motorcycle
show, a dog and owner look-alike contest,
the ice cream eating competition, a quilt
display and auction, the Vegetable Derby
and the Odor Eaters Rotten Sneaker contest (the winner gets to go to New York for
the nationals).
Great Alaska Salmon Bake and Fly-by
Alaska Aviation Museum
4721 Aircraft Drive
907-248-5325
www.alaskaairmuseum.org
This yearly mid-July salmon bake with
live music, a beer garden and vintage aircraft from across Alaska is held at the Alaska
Aviation Museum, which marked 100 years
of Alaska aviation in 2013.
Photography provided by the Alaska Botanical Garden
Farmers Markets
www.anchoragefarmersmarket.org
www.anchoragemarkets.com
www.spenardfarmersmarket.org
www.southanchoragefarmersmarket.com
www.thecentermarket.com
Shop for fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs and
flowers at open-air markets in downtown,
Spenard, and east and south Anchorage.
Many booths also sell artwork, food, artisanal breads, crafts and other wares, along
with live music throughout the summer and
early fall.
Artists and crafters show off their skills
and talents at Tozier Track off Tudor Road
the first two weekends in June. Period dress,
though optional, is abundant, and entertainment is nonstop.
Girdwood Forest Fair
Girdwood, Alaska
www.girdwoodforestfair.com
Just 36 miles from Anchorage in the funky
resort community of Girdwood, this annual
July event plays host to artists, crafts and
exotic food booths as well as constant live
performances from some of the best bands
in the state. Free admission
Greek Festival
2800 O’Malley Road
907-344-0190
www.transfiguration.ak.goarch.org/
Greekak
In August, this three-day annual celebration
(free parking and admission) comes alive with
Greek musicians, food and dancing at Holy
Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church
along with church tours, Greek cooking demonstrations, a silent auction and raffle, plates
of Greek food filled with moussaka, pastitsio,
lamb and stuffed grape leaves, and lavish
desert tables groaning with sweets from classic baklava to coconut ravani (Spartan-style
coconut cake) to loukounades — hot honey
puffs with cinnamon and nuts.
Alaska Railroad
327 W. Ship Creek Ave.
907-265-2494
www.alaskarailroad.com
The state’s only rail system offers special
annual theme rides including the Fair Train,
the Blues Train, the Great Alaska Beer Train,
the Alyeska Mystery Train, the Aurora holiday trains — meet the Easter Bunny! — and
the Nordic Ski Train to backcountry north
of Talkeetna. And get a shot at catching the
northern lights on the Aurora Winter Train
to Fairbanks on winter weekends.
Make It Alaskan Festival
Sullivan Arena
907-279-0618
www.makeitalaskanfestival.com
Since 1989 this three-day event takes place
at the Sullivan Arena in October and offers
hundreds of booths selling Alaskan-made
products and crafts from honey to handmade
knives to log homes.
crafts and Alaska gifts alongside holiday food
and entertainment at The Holiday Food
& Gift Festival, Christmas Arts & Crafts
Emporium or Christmas Village.
Family attractions
New Year’s Eve Fire & Ice Extravaganza
Town Square
www.anchoragedowntown.org
Revelry begins at 4 p.m. at Town Square
with family entertainment, jugglers, silk
acrobats, a light show, music and food and
later, a fireworks spectacular.
Alaska Zoo
907-346-2133
www.alaskazoo.org
For more than 40 years, the Alaska Zoo
has given refuge to orphaned, injured and
captive-born animals. Watch the polar bears
splash, bark with the harbor seals, enjoy a
cup of coffee at the snack bar or check out
one of the many tours and special events held
on the premises.
Holiday Markets
www.anchoragemarkets.com
A great way to get holiday shopping done
in one spot, Anchorage’s holiday markets are
held at different locations and times during
November and December. Enjoy unusual
H2Oasis
907-522-4420
www.h2oasiswaterpark.com
Alaska’s only indoor water park can provide hours of fun for families and children.
Alaska State Fair
2075 Glenn Highway
Palmer, AK 99645
907-745-4827
www.alaskastatefair.org
The last blast of summer at the Palmer
Fairgrounds brings with it exhibits of worldfamous giant vegetables and jaw-dropping
flower gardens, nonstop entertainment, concerts, quilt shows, farm animals and a petting zoo, food, vendors, the Backhoe Rodeo,
the Beard & Mustache Contest, the Moose
Calling Competition, the Lumberjack Show,
and rides and fun for the whole family.
Ride the “Master Blaster” or the wave pool,
float the lazy river or host a birthday party or
other event.
Imaginarium Discovery Center
Anchorage Museum
625 C St.
Anchorage, AK 99501
907-929-9200
www.anchoragemuseum.org/expansion/
imaginarium.aspx
Part of the Anchorage Museum downtown, the Imaginarium Discovery Center
is a hands-on science center for children
of all ages. Explore the worlds of physics,
space and earth sciences with fun, interactive exhibits.
Outdoor recreation
Golfing
Moose Run Golf Course
27000 Arctic Valley Road
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
907-428-0056
www.mooserungolfcourse.com
Anchorage Golf Course
907-522-3363
www.anchoragegolfcourse.com
Bicycling
www.arcticbike.org
www.mountainbikeanchorage.com
www.alaskadirtdivas.blogspot.com
The city boasts hundreds of miles of trails
to bike, many of them paved and lighted, all
with spectacular scenery.
Boating
www.kck.org
Water abounds for almost every craft,
paddle and skill level. Contact the Knik
Canoers and Kayakers for detailed information and locations.
Bird watching
Alaska has at least 501 naturally
occurring species in 64 families and 20
orders. For lists of what to look for, visit
www.uaf.edu/museum/bird.org or http://
ebird.org/content/ak.
Fishing
Slam’n Salm’n Derby
www.anchorage.net/articles/ship-creekslam-n-salm-n-derby
Cast a line into Ship Creek for the annual
king salmon derby every June to benefit the
Downtown Soup Kitchen.
For detailed sport fishing information,
visit the Alaska Department of Fish &
Game’s website at www.adfg.alaska.gov.
Catch a wave
Predictable bore tides along Turnagain
Arm and Knik Arm offer unusual surfing
opportunities. See the Alaska Public Lands
Information Centers website for tips about
bore tides: www.alaskacenters.gov/bore
tides.cfm.
With the right tide and wind conditions,
Turnagain Arm also affords exceptional
windsurfing for seasoned surfers. A favorite spot is Windy Point, but make sure you
know what you’re doing before crossing
the tracks and scrambling over the rocks to
chance cold and silty Cook Inlet, which has
the second-highest tides in the world and
where hypothermia and the quicksand-like
mudflats pose real dangers.
Running
www.anchoragerunningclub.org
www.alaskamountainrunners.org
Dozens of races are held each year for all
skill levels, from walking to qualifying for the
Boston Marathon to major charity events.
For instance, the annual Anchorage Run for
Women raises money to fight breast cancer,
and it’s just one of a host of similar initiatives. Training grounds include the hundreds
of miles of trails in and around town. Check
out the regularly updated runners’ calendar: www.muni.org/Departments/parks/
Documents/2014RunnersCalendar.pdf
(includes some 2015 events).
Geocaching
www.geocachealaska.org
Grab a GPS, go online for coordinates and
waypoints and then head out on an adventure to find hidden geocaches. Don’t forget
to bring something to leave behind.
Hiking
www.alaskahikesearch.com
Hiking in Alaska often means climbing.
Around Anchorage, with the Front Range
of the Chugach Mountains out the back
door, you need to be prepared. Check out
Bill Davidson’s hiking and backpacking trail
guide website with its many Anchorage and
Mat-Su area hikes, plus good advice in his
education section about how to do it safely.
The new Alaska Outdoors Supersite
(www.alaskaoutdoorssupersite.com) covers everything from the state’s diverse regions
to activities to gear reviews to artisans to
coming back alive.
More than a dozen books also detail
trails, with authorship ranging from such
Alaskans as Helen Nienhueser and Bill
Sherwonit to international publishers like
Lonely Planet and FalconGuides. The
public library is a good place to start (ask a
Photography provided by Visit Anchorage/Tom Bol
Dog Parks
www.muni.org/Departments/parks/
Pages/DogParks.aspx
The city has designated several off-leash
dog areas. See the municipality’s Animal
Care and Control website for maps, rules
and regulations.
librarian for help), browse the local bookstores or see what sporting goods stores or
outfitters have on their shelves.
Obtain area maps from the USGS Alaska
Science Center in Glenn Olds Hall, 4210
University Drive, on the Alaska Pacific
University campus. Call 907-786-7000 or
go to http://alaska.usgs.gov or www.alaska
geographic.org for more information.
Climbing
www.mtnclubak.org
The Mountaineering Club of Alaska sponsors year-round outdoor activities, teaches
mountaineering skills and promotes safety
on the state’s mountain ranges. If you want
to go into backcountry and high-country
Alaska, this is a good organization to learn
from on how to do it right.
www.skiarctic.net
www.anchoragenordicski.com
For downhill skiing, check out Alyeska
in Girdwood, Hilltop Ski Area in the city,
or Alpenglow and Arctic Valley a few miles
north. Hundreds of miles of groomed and
sometimes lighted cross-country ski trails
wind throughout the area. And Turnagain
Pass on the way to the Kenai Peninsula offers
some of the world’s best backcountry skiing.
The great outdoors
Know what you’re doing before venturing into nature. Check posted information
about weather conditions or bear sightings.
Be sure to take along bear spray and bells,
insect repellent, maps, a camera and preferably a companion. Here are a few sources to
bone up on the do’s and don’ts of enjoying
and surviving wild country.
Alaska Department of Fish & Game
www.adfg.alaska.gov
Alaska Division of
Parks & Outdoor Recreation
www.dnr.alaska.gov/parks
Alaska Avalanche School
www.alaskaavalanche.org
Alaska Avalanche Information Center
www.alaskasnow.org
Anchorage Parks & Recreation
www.muni.org/departments/parks
Alaska Public Lands Information Centers
www.alaskacenters.gov
Bureau of Land Management
www.blm.gov/ak/st/en.html
National Park Service
www.nps.gov/akso/index.cfm
NOAA Weather Service – Alaska Region
www.arh.noaa.gov
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
www.fws.gov
USDA Forest Service
www.fs.usda.gov
Chugach State Park
www.dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/chugach
The third-largest state park in the U.S.,
a half-million acres, borders the city on the
east and offers a backyard of opportunities to
hike, mountain bike, camp, climb, raft, ski,
snowshoe, snowmobile and view wildlife.
Four trailheads also give access to an extensive trail system, campgrounds, picnic areas
and public use cabins.
Orienteering
www.oalaska.org
The Arctic Orienteering Club is an active
orienteering community that sponsors activities year-round.
Skiing and Snowboarding
www.hilltopskiarea.org
www.alyeskaresort.com
Walking
www.anchorageplanetwalk.org
In 2011 Anchorage’s extensive network
of trails won the city a Prevention magazine
accolade as one of the top walking cities in
the U.S. For a themed amble, visit the Light
Speed Planet Walk along the Tony Knowles
Coastal Trail; the scale model demonstrates
place and size in the solar system. Begin at
Sun Station on the corner of Fifth Avenue
and G Street.
Parks and Trails
www.muni.org/departments/parks
Almost 11,000 acres of municipal parkland, 223 parks, 250 miles of trails and
greenbelts link neighborhoods with surrounding natural open spaces and wildlife
habitat. And don’t forget the 110 athletic
fields, five pools, 11 recreation centers and
82 playgrounds.
Wildlife viewing
Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge
The Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge
stretches 16 miles from Point Woronzof
southeast to Potter Creek. It includes
Potter Marsh between the old and new
Seward highways. Construction of the
Alaska Railroad embankment in 1917 created the marsh.
The tidal flats, marsh communities and
alder-bog forest support a great number
of different birds — at least 130 species.
View peak concentrations during spring
migration from late April through midMay when waterfowl pause on their way to
breeding grounds to the north and again in
late July and August when shorebirds begin
to prepare for their migration to southern
wintering grounds.
Waterfowl
The most conspicuous and well-known of
the nesting water birds is the lesser Canada
goose, one of five subspecies of Canada goose
found in Alaska. As many as 15 to 20 nesting
©John Hyde, Alaska Division of Tourism
pairs provide summer entertainment with
their rowdy “gosling nurseries.”
Other water birds include mallards, northern pintails, northern shovelers, American
wigeons, canvasbacks, red-necked grebes,
horned grebes, yellowlegs and northern
phalaropes. Arctic terns and mew gulls also
frequent the marsh as do Northern harriers
and bald eagles and, during migration, trumpeter or tundra swans, snow geese, short-eared
owls and an occasional pair of Pacific loons.
Mammals
Moose feed on the marsh’s aquatic or
shrubby vegetation. Muskrats build “pushups,” piles of vegetation for feeding and
resting. An old beaver lodge marks the presence of the buck-toothed critters. Other
residents include coyotes, least weasels, mink,
snowshoe hares, red squirrels, voles and
shrews, with infrequent visits from lynx, river
otters, red fox, and black and brown bears.
and interpretive signs along the Seward
Highway give wildlife enthusiasts excellent
vantage points for viewing and photography. However, when near the highway,
viewers must always take extreme care with
traffic traveling at high speeds.
To protect wildlife privacy during summer
months, boardwalks and roadsides restrict
visitor activities to observing juvenile fish or
adult chinook, coho and pink salmon as they
return to Rabbit Creek to spawn. Above all,
avoid feeding the wildlife.
In the fall, waterfowl hunters access the flats
through Johns and Oceanview municipal parks.
To ensure wildlife viewing opportunities
and public safety, portions of the refuge,
including Potter Marsh, are closed to hunting. Safety precautions on the tide flats are
also essential. Incoming tides are high and
move faster than a person can run. Unwary
adventurers have gotten fatally stuck in the
bottomless mud of Turnagain Arm.
Winter freeze-up often brings a windslicked ice surface for skaters and model
airplane enthusiasts.
— Source: Alaska Department of Fish &
Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation at
www.adfg.alaska.gov
In the grandstand
Sullivan Arena
The Alaska Aces (www.alaskaces.com)
compete on the ice of this 6,251-seat venue.
The Aces play professional hockey in the
ECHL, an AA league, and frequently sell out
the arena. Call 907-258-2237
The University of Alaska Anchorage
Seawolves play host to nationally ranked
college basketball teams in the Great Alaska
Shootout every Thanksgiving. Call 907786-1250 or go to www.goseawolves.com
(click on “Great Alaska Shootout”) for more
information.
The UAA Seawolves also use the Sullivan
for hockey, and compete as well in basketball, volleyball, track and field, skiing
and gymnastics. Call 907-786-1293 or
go to www.goseawolves.com for more
information.
Alaska Fighting Championship holds
mixed martial arts events monthly each winter. Call 907-351-8184 or go to www.
Alaskafighting.com for more information.
Mulcahy Stadium
www.alaskabaseballleague.org
www.glacierpilots.com
www.anchoragebucs.com
Fish
Campbell Creek, Rabbit Creek, Little
Rabbit Creek and Little Survival Creek flow
into Potter Marsh and support populations
of pink, coho and chinook salmon and Dolly
Varden char. An ideal mix of fresh and salt
water combined with a nutrient-rich environment make Potter Marsh an important juvenile
fish-rearing area. Salmon fry, sticklebacks and
sculpins and even an occasional Arctic grayling
provide food for summer birds.
Campbell Creek also supports rainbow
trout, coho salmon and toothy northern
pike, which were illegally introduced in summer 2000.
Public use and access
Thousands of people view wildlife
at Potter Marsh each year. It is easily
the city’s most popular wildlife haven.
Parking areas, an elevated boardwalk
Museums & cultural centers
Alaska Aviation Museum
4721 Aircraft Drive
907-248-5325
alaskaairmuseum.org
Alaska Law Enforcement Museum
245 W. Fifth Ave., Suite 113
907-279-5050
www.alaskatroopermuseum.com
Alaska Heritage Museum
301 W. Northern Lights Blvd.
907-265-2834
www.wellsfargohistory.com/museums/
museum_anchorage.html
Alaska Museum of Science and Nature
201 N. Bragaw St.
907-274-2400
www.alaskamuseum.org
Six teams make up the Alaska Baseball
League from June through August. The
Glacier Pilots and Anchorage Bucs are the
home teams in one of the best wooden-bat
collegiate summer leagues in North America.
Egan Center
www.thursdaynightfights.com
Local boxers spar weekly throughout the
winter at Thursday Night at the Fights.
The Anchorage Sports Association
(www.anchoragesports.com) organizes
adult softball, volleyball and basketball,
as well as youth softball and YMCA
basketball.
The Anchorage Hockey Association
teaches character, teamwork, skills and
fun in the largest and most comprehensive youth hockey program in Anchorage.
AHA is online at www.anchoragehockey.
pucksystems.com.
Curling
www.anchoragecurling.com
Brooms, big curling stones, special shoes,
no referees and lots of “gentlemen’s courtesies” — all on ice! Check out “Dare to
Curl 101,” the Anchorage Curling Club’s
7-minute introductory curling video. It’s a
far cry from hockey.
Check www.akswimming.org for links
to local swim clubs — “Too fast to freeze.”
8800 Heritage Center Drive
907-330-8000
Oscar Anderson House Museum
420 M St.
907-274-2336
www.anchorage.net/museums-cultureheritage-center/oscar-anderson-housemuseum
©Alaska Division of Community and Business Development
Play hard or go home
Anyone 18 years old or older can skate
in the Anchorage Adult Hockey League.
Contact the League at 907-274-5715 or
www.aahl.net.
Cook Inlet Soccer Club has the most comprehensive soccer program in Alaska, offering
recreational, intermediate and competitivelevel soccer for ages 4 to 18. Soccer has become
more and more popular with all age groups
locally. Visit https://ciscsoccer.org or www.
socceralaska.com or www.anchorage
youthsoccer.org for more information.
Craft Shop
4315 Diplomacy Drive
907-563-2662
www.anmc.org/auxiliary/anmc-craft-shop
Anchorage Fire Department Museum
100 E. Fourth Ave.
907-267-4936
Imaginarium Science Discovery Center
625 C St. (inside the Anchorage Museum)
907-929-9200
www.anchoragemuseum.org/expansion/
imaginarium.aspx
Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center
625 C St.
907-929-9200
www.anchoragemuseum.org
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog
Race Headquarters
2100 S. Knik-Goose Bay Road
Wasilla, AK 99654
907-376-5155
www.iditarod.com
Museums Alaska
Find information on all of the museums
in Alaska (locations, hours of operation,
collections, exhibits and links) at the
statewide museum association website:
www.museumsalaska.org.
Surrounding Area
Northbound
www.alaskavisit.com
Just an hour or two north of Anchorage
are recreational opportunities in the towns
of Wasilla, Palmer, Big Lake, Houston,
Willow and Talkeetna. The many lakes and
rivers along the way offer a wealth of fish,
and be sure to keep your eye out for wildlife. There is plenty of fun to be had in these
Matanuska-Susitna Borough communities
known as “the Valley.”
This pioneer community northeast of
Anchorage is the Matanuska-Susitna Borough
seat. In addition to a quaint downtown that’s
worth exploring, Palmer hosts the Alaska State
Fair from late August through early September,
Palmer
www.cityofpalmer.org
www.palmerchamber.org
www.matsugov.us
Photography provided by Visit Anchorage/Nicole Gails
Wasilla
www.wasillachamber.org
www.cityofwasilla.com
Northwest of Anchorage is Wasilla, home
of the world-renowned Iditarod Trail Sled
Dog Race Headquarters and the world’s longest snowmachine race, the Iron Dog. The
community is an entrepreneurial and agricultural hotbed.
the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning
Center, the renowned Alaska Plant Materials
Center, which trials plants for the far north,
and the Reindeer and the Musk Ox farms. Or
catch a speedway race during the summer.
Surrounding Area
Hatcher Pass
www.dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/
indmine.htm
Accessible from Palmer or Wasilla, Hatcher
Pass Road is great for spring wildflower viewing or cross-country skiing at Hatcher Pass/
Independence Mine State Historical Park.
The park has two historic gold mining sites
that were active from 1909 to 1924 and 1937
to1941. Trails, campsites, scenic views and an
abundance of wild blueberries make this spot
popular in the summer.
Big Lake
www.biglakechamber.org
Just off the Parks Highway, about an hour
out of Anchorage, this lake is a great place
to boat, water ski, Jet Ski, hike, photograph
and bask in the summer sun. Winter presents world-class opportunities to dog sled,
snowmachine, cross-country ski, ice fish,
snowshoe and ice skate.
for mountaineers from around the world
to scale Mount McKinley and, at the confluence of two rivers, home to memorable
fishing, rafting adventures and flightseeing.
Southbound
Denali National Park
www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm
Four or five hours north of Anchorage
on the Parks Highway, this six-millionacre national park embraces Mount
McKinley, the crown jewel of North
American mountains, wildlife viewing and
incredible wilderness scenery.
Like most anywhere in Alaska, mountains and rivers abound to the south, but the
ocean adds a new element in Prince William
Sound, Resurrection Bay, Cook Inlet and
Kachemak Bay. And don’t forget glaciers
spilling into the sea, ice caves, tidal pools,
marine mammals, sea birds, saltwater fishing, kayaking, cruises and unlimited daylight
for summer adventures.
Talkeetna
www.talkeetnachamber.org
A two-hour drive north of Anchorage,
this rustic community boasts great views
of Denali, craft shops and art galleries and
notable annual events such as the Talkeetna
Bluegrass Festival, the Talkeetna Bachelor
Society Auction with its Wilderness Woman
Contest, Talkeetna Winterfest and summer’s
Moose on Parade. It’s also the staging point
Whittier
www.whittieralaskachamber.org
www.whittieralaska.gov
www.fs.usda.gov
This western gateway to Prince William
Sound 60 minutes south of Anchorage has
North America’s longest shared tunnel for
rail and vehicle traffic. Glacier tours and
other outdoor adventures are available
each summer in Whittier. Just past the
Nancy Lake
www.dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/nancylk/
nancylk.htm
www.dnr.alaska.gov/parks/cabins
The Nancy Lake State Recreation Area,
just beyond Big Lake on the Parks Highway,
is yet another recreational paradise. Enjoy
fishing, hiking and canoeing, or rent a public
use cabin for the weekend.
Surrounding Area
Photography provided by Visit Anchorage
tunnel’s entrance at the end of Turnagain
Arm in Chugach National Forest is the
Begich Boggs Visitor Center at Portage
Glacier, well worth the five-mile swing off
the Seward Highway.
Kenai Peninsula
www.kenaipeninsula.org
This weekend destination overflows
with volcanoes, glaciers, wildlife, rivers, lkaes, fishinig, rafting, wilderness
adventure — a great place to learn about
clamming in Alaska and combat fishing.
www.prattmuseum.org
The fishing village and arts hotspot —
known as the Cosmic Hamlet by the Sea —
rests at the end of the road, or spit, where land
ends and sea begins. Each May the community
hosts the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival; in
June, the Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference
brings together Alaska and Outside writers.
Other theatrical and fishing events happen
throughout the year. The Pratt Museum is a
must-see for any visitor.
Homer
www.homeralaska.org
www.akms.com
©Alaska Division of Tourism
Kenai
The City of Kenai, population 7,218
in 2014, lies along the salmon-rich Kenai
River where it empties into Cook Inlet.
The town’s deep Denai’na and Russian
roots blend colorfully with a U.S. presence
that began as Fort Kenay in 1869. The
salmon bonanza is still a financial driver,
but oil and gas strikes in Cook Inlet and
tourists drawn by fishing, recreation, Kenai
Old Town, sweeping vistas that include
two live volcanoes and, increasingly, the
arts and education, factor in as well.
Seward
www.sewardak.org
A seaside town about three hours south
of Anchorage at the head of Resurrection
Bay, Seward provides access to Kenai
Fjords National Park and is the home of
the Alaska SeaLife Center and the grueling
Mount Marathon Race. Intriguing shops
and eateries line downtown streets, and
visitors can enjoy beachcombing, fishing
and wildlife viewing.
Index of Advertisers
10th & M Seafoods............................................................ www.10thandmseafoods.com .................................................................................... 68
ABC Motorhome................................................................ www.abcmotorhome.com ........................................................................................... 71
Alaska Center for Dentistry................................................ www.alaskacenterfordentistry.com ............................................................................. 52
Alaska Dental Group.......................................................... www.alaskadentalgroup.com ..................................................................................... 59
Alaska Premier Real Estate............................................... www.alaskapremierrealestate.com ............................................................................ 38
Alaska Regional Hospital................................................... www.alaskaregional.com ............................................................... Outside Back Cover
Alaska State Troopers........................................................ www.alaskastatetrooper.com ..................................................................................... 30
Alutiiq Hearing Services........................................................................................................................................................................................... 55
Anchorage Chrysler Center............................................... www.anchoragechryslercenter.com ........................................................................... 22
Anchorage Pediatric Group, LLC....................................... www.apgkids.com ...................................................................................................... 53
Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility.............................. www.awwu.biz ............................................................................................................ 41
Apartment Finder............................................................... www.apartmentfinder.com .......................................................................................... 38
Best Western Golden Lion Hotel....................................... www.bestwesterngoldenlion.com ............................................................................... 19
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska..................................... www.bbbsak.org ......................................................................................................... 49
bty DENTAL........................................................................ www.btydental.com ..................................................................................................... 60
Coombs Orthdontics.......................................................... www.coombsorthodontics.com .................................................................................. 58
Conrad-Houston Insurance................................................ www.chialaska.com .................................................................................................... 40
Dwell Realty....................................................................... www.Alaskarealestate.com ........................................................................................ 39
Family First Dentistry......................................................... www.familyfirstdentistry.com ...................................................................................... 54
Frontier Charter School...................................................... www.frontierk12.org ................................................................................................... 43
GCI..................................................................................... www.gci.com .............................................................................................................. 25
Grace Christian School...................................................... www.gracechristianalaska.org ................................................................................... 46
Great Land Realty.............................................................. www.greatlandrealty.com ........................................................................................... 41
Hacienda/La Cabana Restaurants........................................................................................................................................................................... 67
Health North Family Medicine............................................ www.hnfmedicine.com ............................................................................................... 60
Holy Rosary Academy....................................................... www.hraak.com .......................................................................................................... 47
Kendall Auto Group............................................................ www.kendalltoyotaofanchorage.com ................................................ Inside Front Cover
LaTouche Pediatrics, LLC.................................................. www.latouchepediatrics.com ...................................................................................... 56
Larry Imm and Christa Hardwick....................................... www.alaskanperformance.com .................................................................................. 37
Medical Park Family Care.................................................. www.mpfcak.com ........................................................................................................ 57
Mehner Weiser................................................................... www.mehner.com ....................................................................................................... 11
Michael & Decker Real Estate........................................... www.homealaska.net ................................................................................................... 1
Municipal Light & Power.................................................... www.mlandp.com ....................................................................................................... 13
Municipality of Anchorage Solid Waste Services.............. www.muni.org/sws ..................................................................................................... 39
NMS Lodging..................................................................... www.yourplacetostayinak.com ................................................................................... 17
North Country Stoves, Inc.................................................. www.northcountrystovesinc.com ............................................................................... 40
Northern Smiles Orthodontics............................................ www.northernsmilesorthodontics.com ........................................................................ 56
Oral Surgery Associates of Alaska.................................... www.oralsurgeryalaska.com ............................................................ Inside Back Cover
Pacific Northern Academy................................................. www.pacificnorthern.org ............................................................................................. 43
Partycraft............................................................................ www.partycraftak.com ................................................................................................ 73
Pediatric Dental Associates............................................... www.akpediatricdental.com ....................................................................................... 61
People Mover..................................................................... www.peoplemover.org ................................................................................................ 63
Providence Imaging Center............................................... www.provimaging.com ............................................................................................... 51
Raven Correspondence School......................................... www.ravenschool.com ............................................................................................... 43
S & P Certified Car Care, LLC........................................... www.spcertfiedcarcare.com ........................................................................................ 17
State Farm Tom Plooy....................................................... www.statefarm.com .................................................................................................... 13
SubZero............................................................................. www.subzerovapor.com ............................................................................................. 69
Summit Family Practice..................................................... www.summitfamily.com .............................................................................................. 58
True Life Chiropractic......................................................... www.chiropracticak.com ............................................................................................. 61
Weidner Property Management......................................... www.weidner.com ...................................................................................................... 39
Wrightway Auto Carriers.................................................... www.wrightwayautocarriers.com ............................................................................... 14
OBC
51690
Alaska Regional
Full pg

Welcome to Anchorage: 2014-2015

Transcription

Similar documents

Kodiak YoungLife - Young Life Alaska

Anchorage School District - Stephen F. Austin State University

DEADLINE: FEB. 3, 2016

July 28-August 4, 2016 - 4 Seasons Vacations, Inc

NEWS OF THE WEIRD CALENDAR

Quarter 2016 Newsletter - Alaska State Home Building Association

Issue 3 - hccmca

QuickTrans