Two Days in Anchorage

Including July 4th Celebration

After arriving in Anchorage mid-day Friday, we first spent some time at the Alaska Aviation Museum, at the airport. It was fascinating. Flying in Alaska is a “bit” different than in the lower 48. Then we checked into our hotel in time to catch the end of the Anchorage Independence Day Celebration at Delaney Park. We grabbed Sockeye Salmon dinners from a food truck there before walking to an Alaska Wild Scoops, a Micro-Creamery (voted Best Ice Cream in Alaska) for dessert. Walked around a bit more, then back to the hotel to crash. Beautiful day.

Anchorage Touring Days

Yesteday we spent almost 5 hours visiting the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Amazing. We took the guided tour (by 2 Native Alaskan teenagers who were really good) of the six authentic life-sized Native dwellings situated in a wooded area around beautiful Lake Tiulana: the Dena’ina Log Home, Yup’ik/Cup’ik Qasgiq & Enet, Iñupiaq/St. Lawrence Island Yupik Qargi, Sugpiaq Ciqlluaq, Unangax̂ Ulax, and the Eyak/Tlingit/Haida/Tsimshian Clan House & Carving Shed. We finished in the Hall of Cultures, which included a very moving exhibit regarding the decades that Native children were taken from their homes to be “assimilated” into “white Christian America.”

We also visited the Alaska Botanical Gardens which showcases the beauty and value of Alaska’s gardens and natural areas. We couldn’t hike the Nature Trail, as it was closed due to “bear activity”, a mama bear and her 2 cubs, in the area.

Inside one of the Native Homes at the Heritage Center
Our Native Tour Guides demonstrating some winter games, used to stay fit in the long winters
Magpies at the Botanical Gardens
One of several Bears around Anchorage

This afternoon, we met our John Hall’s Tour Representative at the airport and checked into Hotel Captain Cook for the next 3 nights. Then we had a few last hours on our own before the tour officially starts. We had lunch at the 49th State Brewery & another taste of ice cream at Alaska Wild Scoops, and squeezed in an Anchorage Trolley Tour.

In between all that, we visited all 4 Costcos in Anchorage (#68-71, State #27). Two were “regular” Costco Warehouses (including the 10th ever Costco), our first Costco Business Center (HUGE sizes, like 5 gallon buckets of peanut butter), and the 2nd of only 5 total Costco Home Stores. Strangely fascinating.