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When you visit Alaska, the wildlife will seem like it's everywhere! To familiarize yourself with your new surroundings, a visit to the Alaska Zoo might be in order. You'll marvel at the incredible diversity of creatures as well as how accurately they represent the animals you might encounter as you spend time in the state. The large viewing area features such popular zoo inhabitants as caribou, moose and Dall sheep grazing along together. Also, one of the zoo's most dramatic attractions is the 25-acre bear habitat where you'll see black bears, glacier bears, and brown bears, also known as grizzlies. Some of the zoo's other more notable inhabitants include a few camels, a Siberian tiger and an elephant that has the distinction of being the only one in the entire state!

One of the state's most popular events is the Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival, held every January. This year, the festival marks its 15 year anniversary, and it brings together not only the people who enjoy imbibing but also the people who create the beers, wines, and other assorted beverages. Demonstrations, lectures, exhibits, and of course, samples all make this event an extremely popular tradition.

Got your rod and reel but don't know where to cast your line? Two of the most popular fishing spots near Anchorage are Bird Creek and Mat-Su Valley Lakes. Bird Creek is where you may find silver and good pink salmon at the end of your line. The creek is about an hour's drive south of downtown Anchorage. The Mat-Su Valley Lakes are about 40 minutes north of town and the quiet atmosphere is a welcome getaway where you can catch trout, Arctic Char and landlocked salmon.

Maintaining law and order anywhere is a big challenge, but consider how big the task becomes when your beat is a state as big as Alaska! The stories and the triumphs of that endeavor are what make the Alaska Law Enforcement Museum such an interesting place. The museum touts the fact that their mission is to preserve the history of law enforcement in the last frontier, and the exhibits do an above average job of allowing visitors to experience what that history was all about. Vintage patrol cars, communication devices, uniforms and more all help to tell this truly remarkable story of resilience and love for the law no matter what the circumstances.