How to Spend the Perfect Weekend in Anchorage, Alaska

Surrounded by some of the most regal and remote scenery of any city on earth, Anchorage is a unique escape offering visitors plenty to do while essentially in the middle of nowhere. Superb parks, a solid spectator sports scene and a handful of good museums are just the tip of the glacier. Read on to learn how to spend the perfect weekend in Anchorage, Alaska.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Appreciate the state’s heritage to the fullest by stopping by the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, located on Seventh Avenue. Unlike many city art museums that try to include a little bit of everything, the museum is all about Alaska and its fascinating background, including countless creations from Native American peoples in the region.
2. For a slice of Alaskan wilderness right in the city, head to Kincaid Park—alive with activity snow or sun. A forested wonderland, the park is an ideal place for watching wildlife with moose and porcupines among the menagerie.
3. A night of rockin’ roadhouse fun awaits at the city’s most infamous nightspot, Chilkoot Charlie’s on Spenard Road. The sprawling bar, pool-hall and nightclub draws a crowd every weekend night and usually has some live music or other on-stage entertainment.
4. You won’t find the NFL or big league baseball in these parts, but Anchorage does have an intriguing mix of spectator sports, including Arena Football and minor league hockey at Sullivan Arena, as well as collegiate and semi-pro baseball at Mulcahy Stadium. The city is also home to the renowned pre-season collegiate hoops tournament, The Great Alaska Shootout, at the University of Anchorage.
5. If watching sports isn’t enough, get involved with your own sporting activities in the area’s awesome surrounding outdoors. A cozy ski spot only minutes away is the Hilltop Ski Area on the outskirts of town, where you can ski, snowboard or telemark ski.
6. See what’s on stage at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, an impressive modern structure hosting a dance company, two youth theater groups, a concert association and other groups. With three different performance venues with the Center, there is always plenty going on here.
7. Dine out at one of the decidedly best restaurants in Alaska at the Marx Brothers Café, showcasing fresh seafood, excellent meats and fowl, and a different menu every evening. The restaurant is so impressive, many credit it with impacting the entire dining scene in the city since its 1979 debut.

Tips & Warnings

• Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is served by numerous major airlines with Alaska Airlines as its major carrier.