The Best of Anchorage: The Top 5 Things to Do

So, you’re thinking about a cruise to Alaska, and you want to visit Anchorage while you’re there. First, be sure you choose the right cruise or cruisetour, as not all will take you to Anchorage.  A southbound cruise from Vancouver will get you to Anchorage’s port towns of Seward or Whittier (or you can reverse the cruise, heading southbound from Seward or Whittier to Vancouver). You’ll be able to add on a land tour that takes you through Anchorage. Or just spend a couple days before or after your cruise exploring the city on your own.

When you’re ready to explore Anchorage, where do you start? We’ve already given you “The Best of Anchorage: The Top 5 Places to Eat,” and “The Top 5 Places to Shop” in previous blogs. So now, let’s find out what there is to do.

Here’s the top five things you can do in Anchorage to enhance your Alaska vacation

1. Bike along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. Ride your bike along an 11-mile path from downtown Anchorage to Kincaid Park.  You can rent bicycles at Downtown Bicycle Rental . On the Coastal Trail you’ll ride along the ocean, go through tunnels, over a marsh, and through the woods to explore wildlife.
2. Gold! Try your hand at panning for gold just a few miles outside of Anchorage. Learn how prospectors tried to strike it rich in Anchorage at the Indian Valley Mine, which is a National Historic site. They’ll teach you how to pan for gold. If you want to give it a try, you can purchase a bucket of paydirt and find some gold (guaranteed!).
3. Mush! Meet an Iditarod sled dog.  It’s a beautiful scenic 27-mile drive from Anchorage to the sled dog training center. The Iditarod Race  takes place every March where over 65 mushers and dog teams pay a $3,000 entry fee to race 1,000 miles across Alaska. At the training center, you can talk with an experienced Iditarod musher. Though there’s no snow in the summer, training must go on and you can play with the sled dogs and puppies or go for a sled ride along the road.
4. If  you want to get to know more about the city of Anchorage, a walking tour will provide you with a more people-to-people experience. Start your morning off with the “History and Art Walk Tour” and then, in the afternoon, take the “A Taste of Anchorage Culinary Tour.” On the history tour you’ll learn all about the founding of Anchorage beginning with the sale of the land from the Russians to the commissioning of the first Iditarod race. On the culinary tour, you’ll get to sample food and drinks and meet with the artisans in their restaurants.
5. Kayaking on Eklutna Lake was recommended by travel pro Peter Greenberg of The Travel Detective . He considered this to be one of Anchorage’s hidden gems. You can rent a kayak through Lifetime Adventures in Alaska by the hour, so you can make a day of exploring the lake or spend just an hour leisurely paddling through the majestic surroundings and just soak it all in.

Book your 2014 Alaskan cruise now

Now is the time to book your 2014 cruise to Alaska. Call a CruiseExperts.com agent today to get more information on Alaskan cruises and cruisetours that visit Anchorage. Call 1-888-804-CRUIse(2784) or visit our website at  www.CruiseExperts.com.

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Picture Credits

Downtown Bicycle Rentals for the picture of the Coastal Trail

Indian Valley Mine Company for the picture of the gold panning

Jansen Cardy for the picture of the sled dog mushing summer ride

Lifetime Adventures in Alaska for the picture of the kayakers