VISITING ALASKA AND ANCHORAGE
If you have concerns about the current situation with eruptions of the Redoubt volcano 100 miles south of Anchorage, please go to: www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Redoubt.php for regularly updated information by the Alaska Volcano Observatory. Flights in and out of Anchorage may be interrupted because of ash cloud hazards. To check on the status of flights, go to: aia-mufids.dot.state.ak.us
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what to do |
For listings of options in Anchorage and tours around Anchorage and Alaska, visit
www.anchorage.net
www.travelalaska.com
During the Summit, there will be an evening at the Alaska Native Heritage Center, so you do not need to plan a separate visit there. Another valuable source of information on Alaskan Native cultures is the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, located downtown and opened till 6 pm everyday, except Mondays. The second floor of the main terminal at the airport also features a unique collection of Alaskan Native art.
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WHERE TO GO |
Anchorage offers many interesting sights, particularly along the shoreline and on the hillside. There is a ski resort just above town, accessible by car. Just outside of town, there are glaciers and parks, and if you want to take a day trip, you can take the bus to Seward or Whittier (Prince William Sound and the surrounding glaciers) or the Matanuska-Susitna valley in the foothills of the Alaska range and Mt. Mc Kinley, with Denali Park four hours out of Anchorage. The Alaska Railroad has a winter run to Fairbanks through incredibly beautiful scenery crossing the Denali Park.
Alaska offers an extraordinary variety, from the rainforest in the southeast mountain ranges to the flat, treeless tundra of the north, and from the salmon culture of the Tlingit people to the whaling traditions of the Inupiat. Places other than the Kenai peninsula or Fairbanks (which are on the road system) are accessible only by plane. Alaska Airlines flies jets to major hubs, and from there it is possible to reach villages by small plane. It is recommended to foresee several days for such trips, particularly when the weather is unstable and flights might be cancelled. Hotels and B&B’s are available in the larger hubs, but accommodation and meals need to be organized in advance in smaller communities.
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weather in april |
One of the most common questions about Alaska is about its weather. While it can get extremely cold in the winter and uncomfortably hot in the summer, spring weather can be very nice, although quite unpredictable. Anchorage in April experiences spring showers in the form of rain or snow, but also a lot of sunshine, which melts the winter snow and ice, leading sometimes to flooding in the streets.
Temperatures, while not extremely cold, will be cool at night, possibly around freezing, and about 10-15 degrees warmer during the day.
It is therefore recommended to dress in layers and wear comfortable waterproof walking shoes.
The NOAA public weather forecasts can be found at:
http://www.arh.noaa.gov/wmofcst.php?wmo=FPAK51PAFC&type=public
To see the weather in real time in downtown Anchorage (corner of F Street and 4th Avenue), go to the following webcam:
http://www.borealisbroadband.net/vid-hilton2.htm.
Remember, Alaska is GMT-9 (4 time zones behind New-York, 1 time zone behind Los Angeles or Seattle).
