Hello, this blog is my Alaska top 10 and bottom 10 - things I like here and things I like less. It’s no fun to read about sunshine and rainbows all the time so I thought I’d toss in some complaints!! Ok not complaints just some parts that aren’t as rosy. These are first impressions, maybe my opinions will change with time. Many of these impressions are compared through the lens of growing up in Minneapolis.
Anchorage - Top 10
See a moose almost every day, it’s still exciting every time
See a bear decently often, very cute and cuddly
Really good Thai food
Sun seemingly never sets
Proximity to huge mountains and ocean - not many places like this! And they won’t let you forget it!
City is infused with a lot of nature (marsh/small lakes/trees/forest)
Lot of adventurous and interesting people, a purposely ambiguous description
Unlimited recreational opportunities/activities with all the right terrain for them
Weather is consistently pretty cool (50-60s) and nice for ski training, not humid
Opportunities for fresh seafood
Last week
Anchorage - Bottom 10
See a moose every day - they are actually pretty huge and scary if I’m honest
See a bear decently often - cute but can kill you if they choose
Impossible to sleep without either turning your room into a dungeon or wrapping your face in uncomfortable heavy duty eye masks, yes I’m being dramatic
Not exactly a peaceful feel, more of a wild and extreme feeling (to me at least - people, landscape, wildlife all play into this, I guess I’m sounding pretty midwestern here)
Have to skimp on taco night because cilantro is 1 million dollars (groceries are expensive - 40 ish % more expensive than the national average)
A little difficult to manage without a car - same is true in Minneapolis
The city itself isn’t really a place that you’d go just to stroll around and enjoy the sights
Kind of far from Minnesota, and everywhere else for that matter
No typical professional sports scene here - I’m not terribly bummed about this but it does make a difference in the feel of the city and culture - removed vibe
A different world being in the Alaskan Time Zone - hard to catch up with people on occasion
From today
Ok he's not a bear but he could be
All in all, I like it! Come visit if you dare
-Renae
Tbh that bear is thiccy - def deserves a bottom 10