Winter Wanes in Anchorage

It’s almost spring on my calendar, but the weather hasn’t caught up yet. As the Iditarod is probably ending today, it completes the big races of Fur Rendezvous, Iron Dog Race, Iron Dog and Yukon Quest.

The weather didn’t deter the arts, which thrive in Anchorage. The performing arts had a full schedule of concerts, symphonies, operas, and Broadway shows. The visual arts are hosted not only galleries, but most downtown restaurants, and First Fridays are very popular, where you can stroll, walk, or run between the galleries.

Outdoor sports draw younger ones even in below zero weather, and the schools have a full program that is seldom cancelled due to temps, and there is also a full schedule if indoor sports to participate in, or view at our many sports bars.

So it’s a good time to “Visit Anchorage”, which is the new name of the Convention and Visitors Bureau. I haven't even mentioned the peripheral pleasures of the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, as they've been putting on a display more beautiful than ever. You have to be patient and hope they are 'out' and it's not to cloudy to obscure your view, but what else is there to do at 3:00 a.m.?

Fur Rendezvous Time in Anchorage

February is our transition month, because it's time for Fur Rendezvous. This helps us to put the below zero weather behind us, and enjoy being outdoors for all the events of "Rondy". We have dogsled races locally, which precede the big Iditarod Race to Nome which follows the 2 week celebration. We have mushers from all over the world who have come to race.

But we have many other events. The Miners and Trappers Ball is always a good one for costuming, and the Run with the Reindeer rivals Pampalona's Running of the Bulls. A long time tradition of the Pioneers of Alaska Pancake Feed, where we serve over a thousand breakfasts at our downtown Pioneer Hall, and a parade follows this on Saturday. There is a great melodrama which is always sold out, run by the Sourdough Sweethearts (I think it's them) and you can even ride in the sled of dogteam on the Park Strip . . . yes, there's something for everyone. Come visit Alaska! We have a lot going on.

Freezin' in Anchorage!

This is the coldest January on record. Perhaps you think I've dropped this blog - well, I haven't. I just have a problem posting it, so I have several blogs sitting my my draft box. Well, it's okay because I have nothing to say except, "Br-r-r".

I will admit, it's beautiful looking out from my warm condo, but I've been running to and from my car, and wherever. Unlike most 'real Alaskans' I don't have a remote start, so it takes a mile or so to get warm. The other beautiful part of Alaska is watching the Aurora Borealis, which I'm including on my post for you to enjoy. There are some websites that actually show the movement of the beautiful colors, and there is even a hum - m - m that goes along with the view.

Activities do not stop altogether, as indoor sports mostly in the schools and 'the Dome' continue. The Dome is a big bubble next to, but separate from, the Crosspoint Church/Fellowship. It's really big, like 2 football fields, and the schools rent it a lot for the outdoor sports programs.

Like I said, it's just too cold to do anything, but then I'm a senior citizen. There were days when I actually liked it cold. But think of all the jobs that require being outdoors.

Christmas Season in Anchorage

I have several drafts which will not post, so I'll try to update the October posting here, and if it does work, I'll tell you about our Christmas season, because there's a lot happening in Anchorage, and to me, personally, too!

Anchorage Welcomes Winter

My posting at Hollowe'en didn't post -- trouble on the line, but it did in my wordpress blog (username is veracrews). I never did figure that one out, but here I am, back again, to tell you a little more about Anchorage . . . it’s so beautiful this time of year, especially if you’re inside looking out at the snow, but there are horrendous storms on the Western Coast of Alaska.


This doesn’t seem to have slowed down the social life of Anchorage. The Petroleum Club and other watering holes have a big football following, with huge monitors and several games going on at once. It’s hard to sip and socialize at the same time. . . but we try.

As a member of the Real Alaskans, we are planning a Hawaiian cruise for next May. It's open to others, of course, but the advantage of a group is the 'amenity points' given you, to be used for gaming, surfing internet, drinks, etc. If you are interested in this, go to my website veracrews.com and click on Real Alaskans for details. I really love cruising and I'm planning to go down the Amazon River next month. Whee! But it's always great to get back home.

The big Thanksgiving event of the year is approaching, as we are hosting our Great Alaska Shootout. This is a 4 day tournament of women’s and men’s basketball teams, with invites to college teams from the lower states. This was originally a great local idea for pre-season, with special dispensation from USAA, but has been copied by so many colleges that it’s hard to get the top teams anymore. But it still goes on with peripheral events that still draw crowds. The local competition is the Nutcracker Ballet, which is a first-class production. We do want to encourage you to come in the winter and enjoy the beautiful Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, in a very black sky. This is an added bonus to your visit!

Hallowe'en Approaches Anchorage

This beautiful image came from the daily news, so I can’t give credit, but I really like the setting . . . it’s almost time for Hallowe’en, and it’s a big deal in Anchorage. I guess dressing up gives us an alter personality for a short period. We’re watching the ‘termination dust’ coming down lower on the mountains, and soon we’ll be covered in white. We still change to studded tires around this time, and take all the plants (that we hope to winter over) indoors.

The Center for Performing Arts has a full schedule, with the Symphony and Opera, but the big performance this week is “Fiddler on the Roof”. It’s a tried and true musical, and we have a fresh look with a new director, Sam something, who gave us a talk about the goings on backstage in preparation. It’s a well-oiled machine that spends over a week in set-up and then they leave after the first performance!
The political scene is also quite active, and there are fund-raisers almost daily. . . and wildlife is still coming to downtown for foraging. So we continue to enjoy life in big A, as the snowbirds leave for the winter.
Sports of all kinds are going strong with the local high school, and the sports bars are thriving with the overlapping of baseball and football season. The NBA has been delayed this year, but there’s enough going on to fill in the blanks. Signing off for now.

It's a New World Out There

Don't go away . . I'm really trying to update you on Alaska life, but it's not easy because I'm in Mexico and having to read the Anchorage Paper online. If you want me to tell you about Mexico, I'll wait until I can find some images to make reading more fun. Mostly, being here just supports my reasons for you all to come to Alaska to vacation. We have it all. The weather here is decent, but not sunny and warm as I expected. Shopping is okay, but I went the market today and didn't find prices any lower than elsewhere. I'm using the Mexican keyboard on this computer and can't find the At sign... Guess I can get into my curmudgeon stage of life. Later, Vera