Things to do in Anchorage in October-November.... (Kenai, Homer: house, rent)

[niclh]

So I am planning on taking my first trip to Anchorage in either October or November. I'm mainly going to scout out the area, going to be having some interviews and such ( I hope ), and will be looking for some other things to do..

I assume the temperature's will be below freezing.... Avg temps on weather.com look to be normal high 28, normal low 16...

So do any of you natives have any advice on some fun activities to do while we are there... I'm thinking we could hit the slopes for a day... Can you guys give me a link with some ski info? Prices, distance from Anchorage, etc..?

Mainly we'll be scoping out the area for a place to live come 2008 when we move, scope out job opportunities, see the area, get a feel for Alaska grocery store prices... It seems like a lot to do, I'm planning about 5 days...

So any good ideas for recreational activities would be more than helpful.. Thanks and sorry for rambling on...

[mal_flisk]

Alyeska ski resort is about 45 minutes out of town. World class skiing. Check prices on-line or call and ask. Changes with dates and by year. Cross country skiing on many town trails. Hundreds of miles worth in town.

[pw72]

Place bets on the first measurable snowfall.

Seriously, October can be hit or miss in Anchorage. You could get some nice crisp 50 degree sunny days, but it is also the month that the first snow usually starts to stick. Alyeska Resort (BTW, simply a great ski resort!) is also quite variable on opening...but usually open by November.

Grocery prices? Biggest price differences are on products that are not readily produced in AK, and have shorter shelf life, like vegetables and dairy. Everything else is similarly priced to the lower 48, since it is simply shipped in on the slow boat.

[niclh]

BUMP BUMP BUMP!!!!

We finally booked our plane tickets to Anchorage leaving Oct 24 and Returning Nov 1..

Its amazing we are actually going and we are really really excited..

Does anyone else have any good sights for us to be sure to see? We will be renting a car so distance out of town doesn't really matter..

Hopefully this time of year is the off season for tourism? We are trying to get a good feel for what living there would be like..

Thanks for all your help!

P.S. Do they let you go through Denali this time of year?

[keepthefaith]

Anchorage is wonderful. Eat at the Moose's Tooth, believe that was the name.

The Anchorage-Seward drive is awesome! You are going to have a blast!!

[Rance]

Well we'll have Halloween for sure. May or may not be any snow. The drive to Seward would be nice although most if not all the leaves may be gone by then.

[scoobagirl]

First thing to do - pick up some literature at the tourism office in the log cabin on 4th street downtown. There is also a visitors center in another building downtown on either 4th or 5th street, I really think its 4th street also, where you can pick up brochures. The main thing is to get a map of the city, which is in the big brochure about Anchorage - its the size of a magazine.

If you are interested in walking at all, you can walk on the trails in the many city parks. Its awe-inspiring to be in the middle of a city and be in the wilderness at the same time. Walk on the coastal trail, also in Kincaid park. You'll see moose in Kincaid park. Drive up to the overlook at Flat Top, and watch the sun set over the city and see the lights come on in the Anchorage bowl. Its amazing...

Eating out is expensive... add about $5 minimum to the price you would pay locally. Seriously, a burger in a restaurant will run $9-10 and a main dish salad will be around $10-12. You might want to eat your big meal at lunch (if you're eating in the restaurants) because its slightly less expensive. If you enjoy different kinds of beer, you won't be disappointed by the offerings in Anchorage.

Good places to eat:
Moose's Tooth (pizza and beer) but get there early or order take-out and eat it in your hotel room
Snow Goose - on 3rd street downtown - great view of the shipyard and the mountains and good food
Glacier Brewhouse - on 5th street downtown - awesome food - make reservations
Humpy's - bar & grill on 4th street downtown - excellent daily specials
Gwennie's - on Spenard across from the Harley Davidson dealer - fantastic breakfast - reindeer sausage and eggs - will feed 2 normal people.
Alaska Bagel Company - great breakfast, bagels, coffee, and sandwiches - in a strip shopping center on Northern Lights (our favorite place for a quick breakfast)

I think Denali is closed for the season, but on clear days you can see the mountain from Anchorage. The drive south to Seward and/or Homer is beautiful. You should at least drive to Kenai through Cooper Landing because the scenery is magnificent. Its too late in the season to take a glacier cruise, the train is done running for the season too; don't know about fishing trips. If you take the drive south out of Anchorage, pull over at Beluga Point and watch for the beluga whales if the tide is in. (you can pick up tide tables at the outdoor stores like REI, Army-Navy, etc) They are so cool. You could also take the Glenn highway out of Anchorage to the north and hike the trail at Thunderbird Falls - about 25 miles out of Anchorage. Its only a mile or so to the observation deck.

If you prefer indoor activities, there's the Dimond Mall, and all sorts of museums.

Enjoy your trip!

Jeri in Texas

[Arcticthaw]

You can drive into Denali for abuot 30 miles until the snow closes the road. There are some nice views south of Denali looking North.