6 hours in Anchorage
 

I will be arriving tomorrow about 230ish, and flying out at 12:55a,. so on the ground for really a good 6 or 7 hours.

I am interested in scenery/wildlife and a good meal really. I love taking pictures, and will have access to a rental car.

Thoughts on what would be the two most important things to want to do in such a short time?

Thanks in advance

Rent a car and go to the Alaska Native Heritage Center http://www.alaskanative.net and the Alaska Zoo http://www.alaskazoo.org. For a good meal in the downtown Archorage area, stop in at Orso http://www.orsoalaska.com and have some of their fabulous smoked salmon chowder." With only 6 hours on the ground, I wouldn't venture out of the city.

Thank you. Will put them on the list. Is there any scenic drive to take or is it all scenic?

You could take a drive south (via Seward Highway) along Turnagain Arm toward Girdwood. It's about 35 miles each way. Stop at the Alyeska Resort and take the tram to the top of Mt. Alyeska and take in the magnificent views. You could also visit the nearby Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center http://www.alaskawildlife.org and see some native animals.

Oh this sounds good. Thanks so much. Just boarded my first flight.

Well looks like the only part of Anchorage I will be seeing is the airport. We are sitting on a 3hr delay right now (they say could be longer) so don't think I will be able to see much in the 3 hrs I will have left. So disappointed, I was so excited.

Too bad. Anchorage is actually a nice city. The drive on the Seward Highway that was mentioned is a great drive, no matter how far you drive it. The Native Heritage Center is basically closed for the season, so that would not have worked anyway (I think they are open some weekends in the fall). Another great option is to get yourself to the mountains east of Anchorage and do a nice hike. I did that myself last Friday. Beautiful weather and a great 10 mile hike from Glen Alps. Saw quite a few moose (bulls, cow and calf) and great scenery and colors. You don't have to hike as far as I did.

So maybe you can store all the info for your next time.

Never made it out of MSP yesterday. After a five hour delay I had them send me back home. I am guessing too late to book another trip before the cold comes, so will now need to wait until Spring/Summer. I have never been so disappointed in a canceled trip before.

So next year I will go and plan a longer stay.

Thanks for the suggestions