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Keywords: Alaska, wilderness
Title: Anchorage: Gateway to The Last Frontier

In a holding traffic pattern at five thousand feet under a clear blue sky, from a port-side window the amazing city of Anchorage Anchorage suddenly came into view. Situated on the shore of Cook Inlet with the rugged Chugach Mountains in the expansive background, and even further in the distance one could see the top of Denali (in English: Mount McKinley, at 17, 127 feet the tallest peak in North America) it was obvious that the plane was about to land in the heart of an incredible wilderness. In point of fact, the land mass of the State of Alaska is bigger than the "Lower 48" States combined.

Historically, scientific research reveals the fact that the first human occupation of the site was by Eskimos as early as 3,000 BC, and their initial contact with European culture happened in 1778, when Captain Cook explored and described the area on his third voyage of discovery. Earlier, Russian adventurers had established a settlement on Kodiak Island in the Southeastern part of the State, but economic problems in Moscow forced the sale of all their holdings in America to the US in 1867, for a paltry 2 cents per care. That transaction became known as "Seward's Folly", and the discovery of gold soon thereafter sparked a flood of new inhabitants into the area.

The arrival of US troops and military activity in the early 1940's marked another period of explosive expansion for Anchorage, as the threat of a Japanese invasion prompted an unprecedented expansion of personnel and aircraft. After World War II, the tensions of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and America ensured the tumultuous growth of Anchorage, to the point where 275,000 people now live there; nearly half of the total population of the entire State.

In the City itself, one can enjoy a myriad of adventures, from the Alaska Zoo to the Native Heritage Center, where they feature storytelling, dances, and craft making. Or, in a short hop by car, boat, or seaplane ('puddle jumper') you can be fly-fishing for salmon (or watching grizzly bears fish for themselves), sailing on Prince William Sound into the face of glaciers and fjords, or watching the start of the annual Iditarod, the 1,049 mile dog sled race which goes from Anchorage to Nome in March.

Anchorage: Undoubtedly the "Gateway to The Last Frontier", the "Air Crossroads of the World", and the "City of 100,000 Hanging Baskets" is a must-see for anyone interested in the endless cycle of man and nature, not to mention the "Northern Lights", a spectacle in the night sky that lies beyond mere words of description.

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