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Southcentral Alaska Anchorage Visitors enjoy local wildlife museums, the Alaska Zoo, and Potter's Marsh, where up to 130 species of waterfowl can be viewed from a boardwalk. See geographical reminders of the 1964 Good Friday earthquake at Earthquake Park. Visit the National Bank of Alaska Heritage Library and Museum, and the Anchorage Museum of History and Art for changing exhibits of local history, Alaskan art and Native culture. A short trip north of town takes you to the Eagle River Visitor Center and alpine scenery of Chugach State Park. At Eklutna Village Historical Park, tour St. Nicholas Russian Church and see brightly painted "spirit houses." South of Anchorage, pan for gold nuggets and visit authentic mining buildings at Crow Creek Mine. For spectacular views of Turnagain Arm, hike Crow Pass Trail, part of the Iditarod Trail to the gold fields of Interior Alaska in the early 1900s. A few miles south of Crow Creek, the Begich-Boggs Visitor
Center offers interpretive displays and a view of Portage
Glacier. At a nearby Alaska Railroad stop, you can load your
vehicle onto a flatcar for a 30-minute trip to Whittier and
the recreational opportunities of Prince William Sound. The communities of Whittier, Valdez, and Cordova provide access to the area via day cruises, charter boat, flightseeing tours, and state ferry. One of the most famous attractions is Columbia Glacier (four miles wide and over 200 feet high at the face). On some trips, the Alaska state ferries cruise within 3.5 miles of the glacier. From Whittier, cruises take visitors to many of the Sound's most spectacular glaciers, and offer a chance to see a variety of sea birds and marine mammals. The town was created during World War II, for use as a cargo port and petroleum depot. Visitor services are available in Valdez. Tour the Marine Terminal of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, visit the town's museum, or drive to the beautiful waterfall at Solomon Gulch. Accessible by ferry or air, the port of Cordova offers
exceptional sportfishing, and hiking on nearby trails. Travel southwest through Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, a habitat for 6,500 moose, to the town of Soldotna where you can fish for "Kenai River Kings." One of these salmon, caught in 1985, set the state record at 97 pounds, 4 ounces. In nearby Kenai, visit one of the finest Russian Orthodox churches in Alaska. The town of Ninilchik offers impressive views of Mt. Redoubt and Mt. Illiamma across Cook Inlet. Local scenery includes a colorful fishing fleet and a Russian Orthodox church. Fish for salmon or halibut, or go clamming on easily accessible beaches. Heading south, visit Anchor Point, the westernmost highway point in North America. Campgrounds in the area provide opportunities to enjoy the coastal scenery. At the end of the Sterling Highway, you'll find Homer, a
bustling fishing and artist community. The Homer Spit offers
five miles of beaches along Kachemak Bay, where fishing for
salmon and halibut is excellent. From Homer, take the ferry
to Seldovia for fishing, camping, and a visit to the
beautiful St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox church. In the Susitna Valley, explore Wasilla, home of the Iditarod Trail Committee Visitor Center. Near town, you'll find the unique Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry. Visit the Knik Museum and Sled Dog Mushers Hall of Fame. A few miles to the west, Big Lake is a popular destination for boating and fishing. A 50-mile scenic loop between the George Parks and Glenn highways takes you over Hatcher Pass to Independence Mine State Historic Park. Visit the park's interpretive center, and explore buildings and equipment at two abandoned gold mines. Talkeetna is a staging center for Mt. McKinley climbers.
Flightseeing tours of the mountain are a local specialty. On
clear days, Denali State Park offers vistas of Mt.
McKinley. |
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