Cosmo.com: Anchorage


	*FOOD & DRINK* CHILKOOT CHARLIE'S 2435 Spenard Road - Anchorage - 907-272-1010 Chilkoot Charlie's is a rustic looking place with peanut shells on the floor, there is drinking to be done, and rock and roll rules! THE TEMPURA KITCHEN 3826 Spenard Road - Anchorage - 907-277-2741 The clientele here include the JAL flight crews, which should be an indication on how good the sushi is! *SIGHTS* ALASKA EXPERIENCE CENTER 705 W. 6th Avenue - Anchorage - 907-276-3730 This is a 40-minute audio-visual show projected on the inside of a dome, features panoramic vistas with earth-shaking sound and music. The attraction also features an earthquake exhibit. DENALI NATIONAL PARK Denali, the "Great One," is the name the Athabascan indigenous people gave the massive peak that crowns the 600-mile-long Alaska Range. This peak is now known as Mount McKinley. At 20,320 it is the highest mountain on the North American continent. And measured from the 2,000-foot lowlands near Wonder Lake to its summit, this mountain could be considered the highest in the world: its vertical relief of 18,000 feet aces Mount Everest's 11,000. For all its immensity and wildness, Denali is one of the most accessible of all the Alaska national parks and preserves. The Alaska Railroad stops near the park entrance. Route 3 connects the park to Fairbanks, 120 miles, or 3 hours, to the north and Anchorage, 240 miles, or 6 hours, to the south. You can also get to the park by bicycle. The Denali Highway, the original route to the park, makes for an especially adventurous bike tour. Taken as a whole, there are few places in the world that offer such a spectacular backdrop for appreciating the outdoors. Denali Park Resorts offers train transportation to Denali from Anchorage and Fairbanks. A trip worth taking just for itself, enjoy a comfortable, scenic ride to the Park, through some of the most beautiful wilderness this country has to offer. FISHING IN ALASKA It is difficult to take day trips from Anchorage and have a good Alaska fishing experience. Most of the good fishing areas will be very crowded and the only way to have a good experience is to do a fly out to a remote fishing location in the wilderness. The only problem is that something like this costs about $3000.00! There are a few alternatives you can consider. First, in Anchorage at the Jewel / Hood Lake float plane airport there are numerous fly-out services that will take you on a day trip for about $175.00 per person per day. They'll fly you to a lake near a river and set you down there for an eight hour session and then come back and get you. The typical place is "Lake Creek" an overrated spot. What they forget to tell you is that four or five other guide services are flying people there all day long, too. There are numerous lakes around Anchorage that offer excellent lake trout fishing: Near Nancy Lakes is a lake called "Redshirt" lake. It's within 50 miles of Anchorage. Just off the highway is a store called "Tippie Canoes". He'll rent you the gear, and you can walk in and use one of his canoes. Pike fishing there is a blast. Also, in Anchorage at the end of July you can try your luck for Silvers downtown in Ship Creek. The Kenai is a good day trip from Anchorage as well. It offers multiple services for trout or salmon. Also, down in Soldotna there are quite a few fly out services. If you want to fly out for a day I recommend flying out of Soldotna because the locales they take you to aren't the same one that the touristos in Anchorage are going to. So there is more solitude. Also, North of Anchorage is Talkeetna. Talkeetna has a variety of guide services available. They can do guided trips or drop-off for trout and salmon. So there are a few ways to have fun there in Anchorage, but limiting yourself to day-trips does cut down your options. Also, be prepared for catch and release on all trout in most rivers. They are protected by regulations in most areas. Also, since Alaska is the home of Salmon, most guides are geared towards salmon fishing, not trout, so you might find some resistance there. Do you have a copy of Alaska Milepost? It has road maps and some fishing spots highlighted. The problem that you will find in Alaska / Anchorage is that most streams within range of Anchorage are pretty well fished down or crowded, as Anchorage is the major population center. If you want to get away from the crowds, be ready to drive 4 or 5 hours and camp overnight. That will give you the best results. *LIVE SPORTS* ALASKA ACES George M Sullivan Sports Arena - 1600 Gambell Street - Anchorage - 907-258-2237 East Coast Hockey League. *LIVE MUSIC* >>Search Pollstar for live music in Anchorage! *CURRENT ANCHORAGE WEATHER*