DAY 38: ANCHORAGE

Today (June 29) was a beautiful day and we explored downtown Anchorage which is Alaska's largest city.  This northern municipality stretches from the Native village of Eklutna on the north, to Portage in the south, and covers almost 2,000 square miles.  However, most of the city's 280,000 residents live on a jutting peninsula which is hemmed in by mountains, ocean, military bases, and Chugach State Park where we're camped in the Eagle River Campground.  The overall population density of Anchorage is only 161 persons per square mile; far more crowded than the Alaska overall average of only one person per square mile.  Anchorage is a relatively new place, in fact during the Gold rush of the 1890's there was no town, just a point where ships bringing gold miners to Alaska anchored.  The town didn't become important until World War II when the harbor gained importance in the war effort.  Anchorage which is located at sea level is now the state's supply center and staging ground for travel throughout Alaska.  Anchorage has an average annual precipitation of only 15.9 inches and Winter snowfall averages about 69 inches.  The temperatures in Anchorage are much more moderate than in Fairbanks 362 miles to the north.  January is the coldest month with an average temperature of 14F; July is the warmest month with an average temperature of 58F.  The record low of -38F was set in February 1947 and the warmest of 86F was set in June 1953.  On Good Friday 1964 the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in North America (8.6 on the Richter Scale) caused more than 300 million in damages throughout south-central Alaska.  Anchorage is home to an estimated 1,000 moose and nearly 250 black bear within it's city limits.

FLOWERS ARE EVERYWHERE IN DOWNTOWN ANCHORAGE WHICH IS A VERY CLEAN CITY
ALASKANS' ARE VERY  PROUD OF THEIR STATE AND TAKE CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT