The story is well-told in James Michener's novel Alaska. Living first in cabins with tent-tops, the colonists cleared the land, built their houses and farm buildings, and planted vegetables. Within five years, large harvests were realized and Palmer had become a growing town.
Roadside stands have fresh produce in season.
To reach Palmer, take the Glenn Highway which runs north from Anchorage to Tok. The Palmer Information Center provides all the information you need to see the valley, including a listing of farms, other at tractions, and tours of the Matanuska Valley. The Agricultural Research Station , in Palmer, has greenhouses and an arboretum. A mile south of town is the Alaska State Fairgrounds . The annual fair started as a harvest celebration dur ing the early years of valley farming.