1. Always Being Mistaken For Bush People
Alaska has been all the rage in the Lower 48 lately. Between Palin putting them in constant headlines and reality television showing extremes like Alaskan Bush People, everyone thinks they know what Alaska is like. You know, living in the middle of the forest with nothing but a moose hide tent and fire to keep you warm and shaving in the river with the same knife you used to kill dinner.
People from Anchorage are city people, not bush people. Not everyone hunts or fishes or has a gun rack on their truck. Sure, plenty of people here do, but it’s not to the extreme most people envision. Most of Alaska doesn’t even really consider Anchorage part of Alaska. So, you can take all of those ideas you have about this city and seal them up in an igloo where they belong.
2. The Commute That Is Rougher Than The Frontier
Just because Anchorage isn’t bush country, doesn’t mean that the folks here don’t have way better survival skills than you. They do. Just like how living in New York City makes you naturally street smart, living anywhere in Alaska makes you a natural badass.
The thing most outsiders are most surprised by when they visit is the fact that one of the hardest survival skill to master in Anchorage is the driving. Sure, every city has their own traffic woes, but you haven’t seen anything until you’ve tried navigating the roads of Anchorage.
3. Avoiding Target And Costco On Dividend Day
Because Anchorage is such a prominent city and not at all isolated, they have the benefit of having most of the stuff that any big city does. The downside is that come Dividend Day, everyone flocks to Anchorage, making shopping, commuting, or handling your daily business in any way infinitely more challenging and inconvenient.
The PFD isn’t just free money. Everything is about a third more expensive here than it is in the lower 48 and some years, that money can go towards paying off heating costs alone. But there’s no doubt that the stores are packed come dividend day, which directly affects Anchorage, since they have the best in the state. Dividend Day comes, everyone hits Target and Costco, and then just like that, it’s gone.
4. Don’t Disturb The Sleeping Lady
If you go to the far side of Cook Inlet and squint your eyes, just as the sun is setting and the skies are just right, you’ll notice that off in the distance is a mountain range that almost resembles that of a woman laying down. That is Mount Susitna and there is an old legend that goes with it.
For those who don’t know, legend says that back when there were giants, a woman named Susitna laid down as she awaited the return of her beloved to return home from battle. He never did and she turned into the breathtaking mountain range now referred to as The Sleeping Woman.
5. Slush Cup Is Awesome Insanity
Just south of Anchorage is the Alyeska Resort which hosts the annual Spring Carnival and Slush Cup events. It’s one of the most anticipated events in the city. It’s also one of the craziest.
People flock to Anchorage from all over to send off winter and the end of ski season in typically unique Anchorage style. You’ll find events like the Idiot Swim, bike races, Dummy Downhill and, of course, the ever popular Slush Cup where the craziest of the crazies head downhill on a pair of skis in the craziest costumes they can muster to take the plunge into a pool of slushy, ice cold water.
6. Smoked Salmon Pizza From Moose’s Tooth
If you want the best slice of pizza in town? Head on over to Moose’s Tooth Pub. When locals leave, it’s one of the things they miss most and one of the first stops they make upon returning. Order yourself a smoked salmon pie with a hard apple ale.
Anywhere else in the country, a restaurant with the word “tooth” in its name might sound a little off-putting. But in Anchorage, it’s a sure sign that it’s the place you want to go. Along with Moose’s Tooth, there’s the Bear Tooth Pub and the Broken Tooth Brewery where you can’t visit, but makes some of the best brew in town.
7. Watching The Musher At Iditarod Will Make Your Year Complete
Spring Carnival isn’t the only major event the people around Anchorage look forward to. Not by a long shot. Iditarod is another Alaskan blend of unique fun, a 1,049-mile-long dog sled race that starts off in Anchorage. The musher, otherwise known as the people who reign the sled, see the race all the way through until it ends in Nome.
Although dog sledding is one of those stereotypes that outsiders think everyone in Alaska do, Iditarod is still a major source of pride in Anchorage. That’s why it’s commonly referred to as The Last Great Race On Earth.
8. Reindeer Are Great For Running Buddies And Eating For Lunch
If Iditarod is considered the last great race on earth, then Fur Rondy should be considered the funnest race on earth. Think of it like the Running Of The Bulls, only a thousand times more adorable and a million times less terrifying because you’re running with a pack of animals that are tight with Santa rather than a herd of angry bull.
When you’re done with the Running of the Reindeer at Fur Rondy, you can have yourself a nice reindeer sausage. It’s the Alaskan version of a hot dog made with reindeer meat, which is so much more delicious than you’re probably thinking it is.
9. How To Espresso Yourself Like A Proper Alaskan
If someone were to ask you which city had the most espresso stands per capita in the whole country, you’d more than likely think of Seattle. Or maybe even Portland. But the reality is that Anchorage tops them all.
Maybe their espresso is so much more popular than it is everywhere else because of the water. Anchorage has been named with the best tasting water in the country (a shock to absolutely no one.) Or maybe it’s because of those extra-long summer days or extra-dark winter days that throws sleeping patterns off a bit. You’d be in need of a constant jolt, too.
10. Your Couch Is A Bonafide Hotel Room
There are a handful of universal truths of Anchorage that you quickly learn when you’ve lived here long enough to collect PFD: Alaskans are truly some of the best people on earth, outsiders will never truly understand what it’s like living here, and no one ever seems to pick up on the time difference issue which makes those 5am sales calls from New York City especially grating. Another thing you have to learn how to do when you live here is to shrug off all of the Alaska jokes your outsider friends will throw at you. There’s no sense in getting annoyed by them because for as many jokes as they want to make, you’ll also notice that Alaska is on nearly everyone’s bucket list. And since you live here, that makes you their best friend, especially when it comes time for them to book their flight.
Did we miss anything? Tell us what you think is unique about Anchorage in the comments below!
