I'm sure it's fun to have fun in Anchorage - but how?
September 12, 2014 1:38 PM Subscribe
Coming home from Iceland, I have a hour layover in Anchorage this Sunday - my flight gets in about 4.30 pm, and leaves again a little after 11 pm. What's interesting in town?
I'm fairly sure I'll go crazy hanging out in the airport, so I'd like to go into town and do something. I enjoy good coffee, museums -- just about anything, really, that would be fun or unique. I'm not planning to rent a car, so no last minute mountain expeditions or that; just something to do in town for a little while that could be done with a taxi or (preferably) public transport. Any suggestions?
I'm fairly sure I'll go crazy hanging out in the airport, so I'd like to go into town and do something. I enjoy good coffee, museums -- just about anything, really, that would be fun or unique. I'm not planning to rent a car, so no last minute mountain expeditions or that; just something to do in town for a little while that could be done with a taxi or (preferably) public transport. Any suggestions?
Best answer: Car rentals aren't expensive this time of year. Rent a car and walk through Earthquake Park to learn about and view the after-effects of The Great Alaska Earthquake, then go have a pizza and brew at Moose's Tooth. Being able to see the mountains in one direction and ocean in the other from Anchorage is beautiful, and the fall colors are worth taking in.
posted by summerstorm at 2:24 PM on September 12, 2014
posted by summerstorm at 2:24 PM on September 12, 2014
Best answer: I live in Anchorage! The biggest problem you will have is that nothing happens on a Sunday night, and the weather is forecast to be crappy. Also, public transport is non-existent here so plan on taking a cab.
The Anchorage Museum downtown is nice, but closes at 6.
Kaladi Brothers is my favorite local coffee shop; downtown closes at 6 but some of their other locations are open until 8.
Moose's Tooth has great pizza and beer on tap. Other great restaurants: Spenard Roadhouse, Glacier Brewhouse (which is downtown), Simon & Seafort's (also downtown), Humpy's (downtown).
Bear Tooth has the same pizzas and beer as Moose's Tooth, but also a separate grill with different fare. They also do second run movies and you can eat in the theatre - looks like Sunday they are doing a fall food series, and showing A Year in Burgundy at 5:30, and Chef at 8:00.
Chilkoot Charlie's is a well known bar. Mad Myrna's is a well known gay bar.
Cyrano's is a great small playhouse downtown currently showing 4,000 miles by Amy Herzog.
Alaska Wildberry has lots of Alaskan preserves and candies and tshirts and the like, plus a giant chocolate fountain and a live reindeer you can pet. I think they're open until 8.
Earthquake Park is a neat place to view downtown and the Chugach in one direction and ocean in the other direction.
Near to Earthquake Park, Pt. Woronzof is a popular place to park and walk down to the rocky beach and watch the sun set - which is at 8:30 this time of year.
Anchorage Night Out and Alaska Dispatch News Events are places to look for other things to do. But Sunday nights are generally really quiet here.
posted by rhapsodie at 3:08 PM on September 12, 2014 [7 favorites]
The Anchorage Museum downtown is nice, but closes at 6.
Kaladi Brothers is my favorite local coffee shop; downtown closes at 6 but some of their other locations are open until 8.
Moose's Tooth has great pizza and beer on tap. Other great restaurants: Spenard Roadhouse, Glacier Brewhouse (which is downtown), Simon & Seafort's (also downtown), Humpy's (downtown).
Bear Tooth has the same pizzas and beer as Moose's Tooth, but also a separate grill with different fare. They also do second run movies and you can eat in the theatre - looks like Sunday they are doing a fall food series, and showing A Year in Burgundy at 5:30, and Chef at 8:00.
Chilkoot Charlie's is a well known bar. Mad Myrna's is a well known gay bar.
Cyrano's is a great small playhouse downtown currently showing 4,000 miles by Amy Herzog.
Alaska Wildberry has lots of Alaskan preserves and candies and tshirts and the like, plus a giant chocolate fountain and a live reindeer you can pet. I think they're open until 8.
Earthquake Park is a neat place to view downtown and the Chugach in one direction and ocean in the other direction.
Near to Earthquake Park, Pt. Woronzof is a popular place to park and walk down to the rocky beach and watch the sun set - which is at 8:30 this time of year.
Anchorage Night Out and Alaska Dispatch News Events are places to look for other things to do. But Sunday nights are generally really quiet here.
posted by rhapsodie at 3:08 PM on September 12, 2014 [7 favorites]
Oy. Sunday night is hard. Museums will be closed. I don't know if the zoo is open but don't go there, it will make you cry. rhapsodie is giving you good advice.
Take a cab downtown; I'd do dinner + coffee/walk there and call it good. You can get some coffee at the downtown Kaladi or a drink/dinner at the Glacier Brewhouse (my favorite place of the downtown options). Simon's has nice drinks, too, as does Orso.
If they're open- not sure about Sunday night, even the downtown mall closes at 6- there are some non-touristy shops like Sevigny Studios and Octopus Ink around, too. Resoulution Park is a nice place to look at the water, and from there you can walk over to Elderberry Park and get to the Coastal Trail, which is lovely. You can walk pretty much as far as you might want to on that, and it's beautiful.
posted by charmedimsure at 4:14 PM on September 12, 2014
Take a cab downtown; I'd do dinner + coffee/walk there and call it good. You can get some coffee at the downtown Kaladi or a drink/dinner at the Glacier Brewhouse (my favorite place of the downtown options). Simon's has nice drinks, too, as does Orso.
If they're open- not sure about Sunday night, even the downtown mall closes at 6- there are some non-touristy shops like Sevigny Studios and Octopus Ink around, too. Resoulution Park is a nice place to look at the water, and from there you can walk over to Elderberry Park and get to the Coastal Trail, which is lovely. You can walk pretty much as far as you might want to on that, and it's beautiful.
posted by charmedimsure at 4:14 PM on September 12, 2014
Definitely take a cab into town. There's no public transit to speak of.
I spent 72 hours in Anchorage a few years ago for work and had some pretty good food. Excellent salmon and beer at Orso, good wine at Crush, a delicious king crab salad sandwich at Humpy's. I also enjoyed the aforementioned Spenard Roadhouse, but it's a bit out of the way IIRC.
From downtown, you can walk down to the Coastal Trail and see mountains across the Sound. You can also rent a bike, though it may be too late in the day for that.
If you do decide to rent a car after all, it's ridiculously easy to get out into nature within a half hour drive.
posted by lunasol at 7:05 PM on September 12, 2014
I spent 72 hours in Anchorage a few years ago for work and had some pretty good food. Excellent salmon and beer at Orso, good wine at Crush, a delicious king crab salad sandwich at Humpy's. I also enjoyed the aforementioned Spenard Roadhouse, but it's a bit out of the way IIRC.
From downtown, you can walk down to the Coastal Trail and see mountains across the Sound. You can also rent a bike, though it may be too late in the day for that.
If you do decide to rent a car after all, it's ridiculously easy to get out into nature within a half hour drive.
posted by lunasol at 7:05 PM on September 12, 2014
Response by poster: Thank you all! At least now I know there are options other than spending 7 hours in an airport!
posted by wandering steve at 12:10 PM on September 13, 2014
posted by wandering steve at 12:10 PM on September 13, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
I spent a month there one weekend.
There is nothing in town worth seeing. The zoo is sad. Everything good about Anchorage is out of town in the wilderness.
There was a good pizza pub, but you'd need a car or cab to get there. It's called the Moose's Tooth. Good beer selection and a decent pie. If you've got to cool your heels, there is as good a place as any.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 2:10 PM on September 12, 2014 [1 favorite]