Anchorage, AK - June, 2004 (Re-run)

 With a population of about 300,000, Anchorage is Alaska's largest city and the transportation hub for the state.  The Alaska Railroad runs through the city on its way from Seward, a major port, to Fairbanks.  The airport is a major re-fueling site for airline flights from the lower 48 to distant destinations.  The port handles most cargo bound for interior Alaska, but is not one of the larger ports due to shallow water.  A lake in town is the largest sea plane base in the world.  Much of Alaska's government operates in Anchorage, although Juneau is still the capital.

Anchorage has incorporated a large part of surrounding territory, making it fourth largest U.S. city with 40% of the state's population.  It is quite a bit larger than the state of Rhode Island.  In addition to people, many wild animals live within the city limits.  Moose can be a real problem on the roads or due to attacks on residents.  Bears, wolves, foxes, lynxes and beavers are among the resident wildlife.

Salmon fishing is very popular here, as well as other parts of the state.  The fish swim in shallow water and can be snagged with baitless hooks.  Fiberglass figures of individually decorated salmon are displayed all over town.

Connected to the ocean by Cook Inlet, Anchorage is located on the "Ring Of Fire".  Accordingly, the inlet is lined with volcanoes on its western shore.  Alaska has about a thousand earthquakes each month, most in remote locations.  In 1964, Anchorage suffered a 9.2 magnitude quake, second largest ever recorded in the world.  Whole neighborhoods, built on silty soil, fell into Cook Inlet.  Some residents along Turnagain Arm, an extension of the inlet, re-built only to discover the high tides now covered their homes.  The photos show a monument to the earthquake and a quarter-mile stretch of mud flats that was once a neighborhood.

In the mountains southeast of Anchorage, where some 900 inches of snow falls each winter, the Alyesta Resort is a major ski facility, also used for para-gliding in summer.

 Despite its northern location, Anchorage has a relatively mild climate, with 100 growing days each year.  We found lots of beautiful gardens around the city.

Evidence of human habitation here goes back 5000 years, but European presence began in the 18th century when Captain James Cook sailed through looking for a Northwest Passage.  Russia settled parts of the area and there are still signs of their influence.  The U.S. purchased Alaska in 1867 for $7.2 million, about 2 cents per acre.