From: asbwc@acad2.alaska.edu (Brady W. Clark)
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Subject: Re: Anchorage, Alaska info needed
Date: 25 Aug 92 17:02:58 GMT
Organization: University of Alaska Anchorage

In article <1992Aug19.142618.3073@memstvx1.memst.edu>, usmalik@memstvx1.memst.edu writes:
> Hi,
> 
> I will be travelling to Anchorage, Alaska on the 28th of August for 3 days and
> I would like to know about hotels with reasonable rates to stay and what there
> is to see in Anchorage.  I do not know anything about Anchorage and I would
> appreciate if someone would tell me some of the site seeing areas of Anchorage.
> I don't think I have enough time to get the chamber of commerce to send me 
> some brouchoures (sp?).
> 
> Would appreciate the help.
> MM
> Memphis, TN
	Good luck finding a hotel.... My mother worked as a concierge this
summer for a major hotel, and even the motels in the red light district are
generally booked solid.  Her advice to people has been to look at bed &
breakfasts (there are many) as an alternative.
	You picked a good time to fly up here... The airport was closed all
last week because Mt. Spurr (a volcano 80 miles west of Anchorage) erupted and
dropped 1/4 in. of ash over the city.  Fortunately we got some rain and most of
it has washed away.  The airport was a tent city of stranded tourists last
week, though.
	There's lots to do up here.  Take a day trip down the Turnagain arm
(south of town) to Portage glacier (about 35 miles).  The Seward Highway, which
this trip follows, was recently named a national scenic by-way, and is, in my
own humble opinion, about the prettiest road trip you can ever take.  There are
several companies that offer tours going that direction, as well as north,
toward the Matanuska valley and Mt. Denali nat'l park.  If you rent a car, you
can drive up into the mountains (very literally, this is not an exaggeration)
without actually leaving town.  My own south Anchorage home is well into the
foothills of the Chugach mountains, and city streets go into the mountains up
to about the 2,400 foot level.  (Not bad considering that downtown Anchorage is
at sea level).  At the lower elevations, Potters marsh, along the entrance to
Turnagain arm in south Anchorage is a great bird viewing area (I spotted a bald
eagle just last week) and the Eagle River visitors center, located in Eagle
River, which is a suburb about 10 miles north of town, is a great place to spot
moose.
	You should have no problem finding things to do once you get here,
however, most of the people around here (especially in the tourist industry)
are very proud of the area and eager to show off. :)   Good luck!
-- 
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| Brady W. Clark -- University of Alaska Anchorage                           |
|    Internet   - asbwc@acad3.alaska.edu                                     |
|           or  - asbwc@acad2.alaska.edu                                     |
|    BITnet     - asbwc@alaska                                               |
|    SnailMail  - 1981 Commodore Drive, Anchorage, AK  99507-4528            |
|  Disclaimer: My "opinions" are my own...                                   |
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