Anchorage in May...
Gunter
my name is Gunter, I'm from Belgium and I will be visiting Anchorage soon
(end of May, for a conference in the Hilton). I will be staying for a week
or so after the conference and so I was wondering whether anyone could point
me to things I have to see or do in that short time... preferrably in the
neighbourhood of Anchorage as I will not have much time at my expense...
I would like to see the Aurora Borealis: is that possible that time of year
near Anchorage..? What is the weather like at the end of May.?
Also: how about the night life in Anchorage? Are there any clubs / nice bars
where I can meet some young people (I'm 25)..?
Any advice & web links wellcome...
Kind regards,
Gunter
bookburn
"Gunter" <gvanu...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:a3ln8m$qap$1...@snic.vub.ac.be...
I'm not 25 and too square to hang with internationals, but I
would suggest a couple nightclubs with local color, like the Fly
By Night Club and Chilkoot Charlie's. Gwennies Old Alaska
Restaurant is also a museum and well worth a visit. You might
like the atmosphere at some of the pubs along 4th Avenue where
off-duty airlines crews socialize. For Native crafts, see the
museum of history and art shop downtown and the qiviut hand-knits
across from the bus depot. Also across from the bus depot is the
Alaska Experience Theatre, offering a large screen film. The
only French fare I can think of is the French Oven, offering
croissants, bread, and pastries.
May should be good weather, so I suggest renting a bicycle at The
Bicycle Shop. There is a log cabin on 4th Avenue downtown where
the Chamber of Commerce will give you a map of bicycle paths all
over Anchorage and the nearby Coastal Trail. You could spend an
afternoon peddling to the University of Alaska, Anchorage, campus
to see what the coeds looks like and head into one of the
department offices to see what prospects are there.
Bon voyage, bookburn
>
>
>
The Hateful Donut
May is the second best time of year to visit Anchorage (provided it's late
May, last year, it snowed a couple of inches on May 4th). The Hilton is
located right downtown, and so there are quite a few restaurants and bars
within walking distance. You won't be able to see the aurora at that time
of year, as we receive 18+ hours of sunlight around then, the rest of the
time is twilight. *The* most famous bar in Anchorage is Chilkoot Charlies,
which is several miles away from the Hilton. A cab ride there and back
shouldn't cost too much. You'll be certain to meet people of all
ages/persuasions there--it can be pretty crazy. If you feel like getting
some exercise, you can rent a bike and go just about anywhere. There are
bike trails all over, the most famous one starts downtown. Just head for
the water and you'll find the Coastal Trail. Head south on that (it's all
paved). It's very nice. Watch out for moose. There have even been
sightings of black bear along that trail. Most of all, have a great trip!
Jan Flora
<book...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> "Gunter" <gvanu...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:a3ln8m$qap$1...@snic.vub.ac.be...
> > Hello everyone,
> >
> > my name is Gunter, I'm from Belgium and I will be visiting
> Anchorage soon
[...]
>
> I'm not 25 and too square to hang with internationals, but I
> would suggest a couple nightclubs with local color, like the Fly
> By Night Club and Chilkoot Charlie's. Gwennies Old Alaska
[...]
>
> Bon voyage, bookburn
Gee, thanks for the great tourist tips, bookie! When I get stuck in
ANC for a few days, I never know what to do.
Walking the Coastal Trail (in the summer) is my favorite
decompression technique when I fly in from the South 48 and have
to wait for a flight to Homer. Just sitting on the beach, looking across
the Inlet is enough to make me feel like I'm *home.*
Jan
bookburn
"Jan Flora" <snow...@xyz.net> wrote in message
news:snowshoe-060...@103-pm5.hom.alaska.net...
I had no idea you could climb down from the airport to the beach.
One of my favorite places in the off-season is the airport
restaurant where you can sit and watch the planes and see people
from all around Alaska, and the coffee refills are free.
Next to the airport, on the big patch of state land, would be a
good place to put a small but world-class international zoo
representing Pacific Rim countries, with polar bears (Alaska),
Siberian tigers (Russia), panda bears (China), salt water monkeys
(Japan), and ? (Canada). This would be available to
internationals between flights as well as Alaskans. Seems like
you could get all kinds of state, federal and international money
for this.
bookburn
Jan Flora
<book...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> "Jan Flora" <snow...@xyz.net> wrote in message
> news:snowshoe-060...@103-pm5.hom.alaska.net...
> > In article <u60e3ek...@corp.supernews.com>, "bookburn"
> > <book...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > > "Gunter" <gvanu...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > > news:a3ln8m$qap$1...@snic.vub.ac.be...
[...]
> >
> > Gee, thanks for the great tourist tips, bookie! When I get
> stuck in
> > ANC for a few days, I never know what to do.
> >
> > Walking the Coastal Trail (in the summer) is my favorite
> > decompression technique when I fly in from the South 48 and
> have
> > to wait for a flight to Homer. Just sitting on the beach,
> looking across
> > the Inlet is enough to make me feel like I'm *home.*
> >
> > Jan
>
> I had no idea you could climb down from the airport to the beach.
> One of my favorite places in the off-season is the airport
> restaurant where you can sit and watch the planes and see people
> from all around Alaska, and the coffee refills are free.
I get a friend to come get me and take me out to the beach, right
after I stop at the beer store and get a 6 pack of Alaska Amber to
drink on the beach. By the time I get home from the small states,
I'm a wreck.
>
> Next to the airport, on the big patch of state land, would be a
> good place to put a small but world-class international zoo
> representing Pacific Rim countries, with polar bears (Alaska),
> Siberian tigers (Russia), panda bears (China), salt water monkeys
> (Japan), and ? (Canada). This would be available to
> internationals between flights as well as Alaskans. Seems like
> you could get all kinds of state, federal and international money
> for this.
This is a *great* idea! but would the animals do okay with all of the
airport noise? Canada --> caribou or muskox? Or do musk ox for
Alaska and polar bears for Canada? Let me run your idea past some
people who may be able to get it going. (I've got connections. *wiggling
my eyebrows like Groucho Marx* -- laugh)
>
> bookburn
Jan
Scott Ruby
has enough of a hard time getting support without the competition.
Scott
bookburn
"Scott Ruby" <scott...@acsalaska.net> wrote in message
news:u636q6q...@corp.supernews.com...
> Why not just work on developing the zoo that is already in
Anchorage? It
> has enough of a hard time getting support without the
competition.
>
> Scott
Here's my objections to the Anchorage zoo.
1. It's so far out of town on the Hillside that there are wild
animals there anyway. A brown bear called Trouble spent so much
time at the zoo trying to break in that they finally captured it
and shipped it out of state. Bus service during the tourist
season is only about twice a day, I think.
2. There is something wonky about their acquisitions program.
Apparently they just take in abandoned animals and end up with
moose and other less exciting critters. They have had an
elephant for years, which seems odd for Alaska, and the poor
thing is alone, I guess.
3. The director, Sammy Sewell, has been criticized for her
handling of some animals that get put down for diseases. She has
a way of avoiding questions about where the polar bears and
tigers are buried, where are the skins, etc.
4. When you go to the zoo, you see animals behind cages and
walled up in prison-like settings--not the natural atmosphere you
get on Animal Planet.
5. It's just kind of a costly, below-average zoo that visitors
to the state don't tell their friends about A world class zoo
could have televised coverage and information available for an
enthusiastic public.
bookburn
bookburn
> This is a *great* idea! but would the animals do okay with all
of the
> airport noise? Canada --> caribou or muskox? Or do musk ox for
> Alaska and polar bears for Canada? Let me run your idea past
some
> people who may be able to get it going. (I've got connections.
*wiggling
> my eyebrows like Groucho Marx* -- laugh)
Maybe the animals could be shipped to the hillside zoo for
vacations and breeding.
If you decide the polar bears are Canada's, then Alaska could
possibly do blue bears, a sub-species of black bear that hang out
around the glaciers north of Haines, and they really are blue. I
used to know the teacher from Adak who got a world record blue
bear with bow and arrow.
bookburn
Scott Ruby
"bookburn" <book...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:u63g6te...@corp.supernews.com...
I agree with all your points. There are problems with the current zoo, but
I'm not sure making a second zoo will help either of them. I've been to a
fair number of zoo's around the states, and they are big expensive
operations to keep running. Seems it would turn into something like the
SeaLife Center. Without Ted kicking in big bucks to get it up and running
would never happen, then ongoing O&M costs will have to come from research,
not visitors.
Scott