Barb's Photos: Anchorage 07 16 thru 18 2013

Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska and located on the upper shores of Cook Inlet. The Municipality Anchorage is more than 1,955 squares miles. More than half the population of Alaska lives in Anchorage. Anchorage is 362 miles from Fairbanks, 304 miles to Valdes, 2,459 miles from Seattle and is was named the “Air Crossroads of the World” and today it is still a major air logistics center and cargo carrier for Asia, Europe and North America. Anchorage is shielded by mountains, so the city annual rainfall average of 15.9 inches of precipitation, with about 60 inches of snow. It has about 100 days growing season with 19.5 hours of daylight with about 5.5 hours of daylight in the winter. They had a Good Friday earthquake in March 27, 1964; the most powerful quake ever recorded in North America caused more than $300 million in damages. In Anchorage most losses resulted from landslides caused by changes in the clay underlying much of the city with 115 causalities. Anchorage’s extensive award-willing trail system (walking and biking) is one of the best in the country, encompassing 135 paved miles and 300 unpaved miles. Within the city limit there are an estimated 1,000 moose, nearly 250 black bears and almost 60 brown bears and is known as the City of Flowers (hanging baskets everywhere).

Log cabin visitor center is a favorite meeting place and popular photo subject with its sod roof and flowers.

They are known as the “City of Flowers” with summer displays all over the town. They water and take care of the flowers late at night (at night it is still daylight up here).

They have statue everywhere. Isn’t this bears great? That is an eagle on his head. You do see a lot of animals in Alaska.

They have their own mint. This was very active before they became a state in January 1959.

This bridge started out as the birthplace of the Alaska Rail Road at the beginning of Ship Creek. The bridge was 196 feet long and was a 14 span bridge build in 1916. This is now a foot bridge over the lower part of Ship Creek and a great place to fish. Ship Creek started up in the Chugach Mountains and provides drinking water for Anchorage and was a great for fishing. It was also the birthplace for Anchorage and starting as a tent city called “Ship Creek”. The lower part of the creek became so populated that it was not someplace that anyone wanted to go. They have improved the area so much so that in 1995, they caught 14,500 salmon.

A painting on one of the building in downtown Anchorage.

A great map showing why Anchorage, “Air Crossroads of the World,” was the best place for an air base. We needed protection during WWII. The Merrill Field was built in 1930 and in 1945 recorded more civilian flight than New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The Seaplane Base ranks as #1 nationally in float plane take-offs and landings.

Even though Anchorage port was not destroyed like Valdez, Seward, Cordova, Whittier and Kodiak port, it did destroy 200 miles of railroad track and part of the town did slid into the Turnagain Arm. This sign is part of the memorial that is at the edge of Turnagain Heights where 8,000 feet of bluff that was 1,200 feet wide began cracking apart and slide 500 feet toward the water all within 90 seconds. Over 12 million cubic yard of sand, clay and gravel slid, taking 75 homes. The earthquake not only destroyed many of man’s things, but it did destroy the bay for all thousands of fish, clams and other put salt water into the fresh water wetland that killed thousands of birds.

You can even find Snap-on in Alaska, for my son Matt.

Allied Movers for Mr B.

The flowing pic where taken in and around Turnagain Arm and Cook Inlet in Prince William Sound. This is where Captain Cook discovered, in 1778, the port that is now known as the Port of Anchorage. He named this as Turnagain Arm, because it took his crew several days to make it up to Ship Creek. Every time the tide turned, they had to put down the anchor and hold the ship in place until the tide turn around again. Cook Inlet and Turnagain Arm is bounded on three sides by water. Captain Cook documented these waters as being large, silty rivers; with the upper inlet have the second biggest tidal range in North America – 38.9 feet. The Port of Anchorage is the largest public port that is open year-round and services about 75% of all Alaska. Cook Inlet and Turnagain Arm is home to Beluga Whales and Pink (Humpy), Sliver (Coho), Red (Sockeye), Dog (Chum) and King (Chinook) Salmon. All the salmon seem to have two names. Go figure, ONLY IN ALASKA! ! !

Sign along the road: “WARNING DANGEROUS WATERS AND MUD FLATS”. Trunagain Arm has remarkable high tides causing a dangerous condition. The mud flats at low tide are made up of the glacial silt and water that can be as dangerous as quicksand.