Your one-stop-shop of travel ideas during your awesome stay in ALASKA...
Check out the Anchorage Convention and Visitor Bureau website for fun travel suggestions! If you only visit one website - this is the one you must see.
Brush up on your Alaskan trivia.... Challenge your fellow Cheechakos!
The Trans-Alaskan Oil Pipeline is visible from outer space! That is a rare distinction shared with China's Great Wall.
Bringing
a spouse/friend/entourage with you to Anchorage? Come on down to the
hospitality suite on Tuesday anytime between 4pm and 8pm...
Your guest is welcome to join you at the complimentary hospitality suite on Tuesday evening at the Captain Cook Hotel Whales Tale
just off the main lobby. You must be 21 to attend. The dinner menu will
NOT be available but the local chapter will rustle up some tasty snacks
and provide beer, wine, and sodas. For you wine connoisseurs, you can buy a dispenser card, swipe
it through the Whales Tale's unique vending machine and VIOLA - great wine by the glass! All vending
machines should be so user friendly.
Beat the crowds! Pick up your attendee bag early....
Wave to the those in the bag pick-up queue on Wednesday morning at the
Egan Center as you breeze on by. Pick up your stuff in the lobby of the
Captain Cook on Tuesday from 4pm to 8pm. Yes, you're a VIP and you'll
have your bag and badge a day early to prove it. It'll be our secret.
The Voyager Rodeway Inn overflow hotel is the best kept secret in Anchorage...
It
is quite literally just steps away from the Captain Cook and is a cozy
place with 40 rooms and includes free airport transportation. The APCO
room rate is available for four nights (Tuesday 2/28 through Friday 3/1)
at $85/night single and $95/night double. If you plan to stay longer,
you can still take advantage of the $99/night rate at the Captain Cook
for nights prior to 2/28 and after 3/1. Check the "2012 Western Regional
Conference" page for more details.
Getting around downtown Anchorage like a local...
If
you take a minute to learn the downtown layout, you'll be strutting
around like your were born here. A general rule of thumb - the mountains
are EAST and the water is WEST.
East/West
avenues are numbered (1, 2, 3, 4, etc) - with the lower numbers north
of the higher numbers. North/South streets are lettered alphabetically
(A, B, C, D, etc) - with the lower letters to the east of the higher
letters.
For those of you staying at the Captain Cook Hotel - just look for the Union Jack (British flag) that sits atop the hotel to guide your way back home.
Raven's trivia: You
won't find "J" Street in downtown Anchorage. As the story goes, the
foreman for the Army Corps of Engineers was Scandinavian and couldn't
pronounce the letter J so he just left it off the grid.
Don't forget to pack your mittens....
To
make the most of your Alaskan adventure, bring a warm jacket, scarf or
hat, gloves, and most importantly - bring comfortable/warm shoes or
boots. If you dress in layers you are set for whatever Mother Nature
will throw your way. You may not need that kind of gear but better safe
than sorry. We'll have updated weather forecasts on the main web page in
the final days leading up to the conference so you can better guage
your packing needs.
The
shuttle can carry you the three blocks between the Captain Cook (5/I)
or the Voyager Rodeway Inn to the Egan Center (5/F) if need be but it is
a quick and easy walk with a Starbucks along the way. If you choose to
stay at the Westmark then you are half way between the Captain Cook and
the Egan Center. You will want to be warm and comfortable for all your
forays to the nearby snow sculpture contest or the carnival area or any
of the other fun activities going on during your stay. And for you
slaves to fashion, you can carry your glamorous shoes to the conference
then check your boots or shoes at the door along with your jacket. Tres
chic!
Raven's trivia: If
there isn't enough naturally occurring snow for the Rondy or Iditarod
sled dog races then it gets trucked in to 4th Ave. You'll definitely see
snow during your stay - even if only along 4th Avenue.
A Night at the Museum Banquet Thursday March 1st....
The Alaska Chapter of APCO is proud to host the conference banquet at the beautiful Anchorage Museum (6th Ave/C St) on Thursday March 1st at 6:30 pm for $50.
The banquet will be catered by Marx Bros - one of the best restaurants
in Anchorage. Every attendee can pose with Hank the Moose for an
uniquely Alaskan photo and get an etched keepsake "Alaska" bottle. Transportation
provided from the Captain Cook Hotel --or-- for those hearty souls who
choose to walk it is only about 7 blocks. Register
early to guarantee a ticket to this must see event. It is guaranteed to sell out!
Following dinner attendees will have exclusive access to the world class Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center. INCROYABLE!
Raven's trivia: Did
you know that Alaska is the only Arctic state in the United States? The
"Land of the Midnight Sun" north of the Arctic Circle has 24/7 sunlight
in the summer. Of course, the trade off is 24/7 darkness in the winter.
Alaska is the northern most and western most state of the 50 United
States. The Big Island of Hawaii is the southern most and the depending
on perspective, Alaska is the eastern most at Semisopochnoi Island -
although some would say Maine is the text book version of the eastern
most state.
An alternative to Night at the Museum - the Iditarod Mushers Banquet...
The
Iditarod Mushers draw their starting times from a lottery at the annual
Mushers Banquet held on Thursday March 1st. It is a great opportunity
to personally meet all the mushers who race in the "Last Great Race" along
the grueling 1,150 mile Iditarod trail. Local celebrities Hobo Jim and
Mr. Whitekeys perform at this uniquely Alaskan event. Buy your $75
tickets early at the Iditarod store since this banquet usually sells out.
Enjoy First Friday in downtown Anchorage...
Friday
evening March 2nd is a great opportunity to meet local artists. Many of
the art galleries stay open late to greet customers with a glass of
wine or a cup of hot tea while hosting exclusive art exhibits.
.
Coming up early or staying late? Here's some fun suggestions;
Alaska Railroad (ARR)
depot is just a few blocks from the Captain Cook Hotel. The ARR runs
limited winter passenger train service to some of our most scenic
destinations. Take a look at their winter train schedules.
World Class Skiing just an hour drive south of Anchorage along beautiful Turnagain Arm... The Alyeska Resort in Girdwood has a beautiful full service hotel and slopes to accommodate every level of skier.
Snowshoe softball competition is on Saturday February 25 and Sunday February 26 in Anchorage. On-line registration opens in November at www.furrondy.net.
Got wheels?
If you have two days a truly great drive is south on the Seward Hwy to the quaint town of Seward. There you will find the beautiful Alaska Sea Life Centerr (open daily) for up close look at marine mammals and other wildlife.
If you take the trip to Seward,
be sure to drive during the daylight hours to enjoy the spectacular
scenery. Remember that many venues are closed during the winter months
but there are still plenty of accommodations open for visitors.
The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
might be a worthwhile stop on either the way to Seward or the way back.
The AWCC is located in what remains of the town of Portage - which fell
as much as 8 feet during the 1964 earthquake in south central Alaska.
You'll notice dead trees along the flats - where ocean water came
inland. Some of the damaged structures remain today - and one is at the
entrance to the AWCC. At magnitude 9.2 the 1964 earthquake remains the
strongest recorded one in North American History.
