What's a visit to Anchorage without uttering the word "mush?" Well, shouting the word is more like it at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race held every March. World-class sled racers and their dog teams mush toward the Bering Sea coast through the area's rugged terrain in what has been termed the "Last Great Race on Earth." The route is a staggering 1,150 miles and it all starts in downtown Anchorage the first Saturday in March with a grand ceremony to begin the race.
Experience what it was like to pan for gold as you travel back in time to when Anchorage was the crossroads for gold rush adventurers. Maybe you'll hit the motherlode as you pan for gold in a setting that most closely resembles that of the early pioneers. It will be a fun afternoon of learning (and panning) for the whole family at Indian Valley Mine.
Kayaking is always a challenging sport, but the adventure gets taken to the next level when you take on the Eagle River. The river offers challenging runs in its lower section or across the glacier-fed Eklutna Lake, which features strong currents that will test your command of the kayak even further.
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.