When one visits Anchorage one should not expect New York, LA or other such cities. Anchorage is on the edge of the frontier so it is that type city. Anchorage is a very young city and only really developed after oil was struck in the 70s. Anchorage has many high quality restaurants with lots and lots of sea food. The downtown restaurants such as Simons, Sullivans and Phillys are all good high end restaurants. However there are many smaller great places downtown, Orsos, Snow City to name a couple. When one vists Anchorage you will find the same name brand hotels as anywher else. For goodness sake, pick out a smaller localy owned hotel and find out about the real Anchorage.
The large hotels are staffed by paid employees, in the summer most of them are from the lower 48 and no nothing about Anchorage or Alaska. Pick one of the smaller locally owned ones such as Anchorage Downtown Hotel, Americas Best Value Inn-Downtown, Dukes or the Voyager. All of these are locally owned and operated and all the owners are on site and can tell you more about Anchorage and Alaska than any guide book.
orget about the rental car, leave it in the parking lot, get out and walk about Anchorage, meet the people, smell the flowers and you will enjoy your stay. You can go to the chain hotels and sit in your room anywhere. Also this is a city on the edge of the wilds, so expect a little dust here and there, expect the midnight sun to shine in your window, expect the geese and sea gulls to make noise and expect to see a moose wandering about. Anchorage is a wonderful city enjoy it.

Great Alaskan Bush Company maybe the only interesting place to go in the city, mountains around are cool too if you go running with a light backpack in the summer, you can probably end up within 3-4 hours in a place noone was ever been before (so be careful, make sure you know how to get back, very easy to get lost and nobody will save your [-]). Mosquitoes usually stay below 3000 feet, for bears, just make a lot of noise when you walk through the woods and don't approach mooses, they are pretty [-]and panicy. They taste well though. Oh - and you can go play tennis at midnight in the summer, it's pretty light.

I visited Anchorage for a month in the summer of 2000 and finally came home two years later! Alaska is simply amazing and completely set apart from any place i have ever even dreamed of going to. The city of Anchorage is a perfect size and offers pleanty to do from ice skating to shopping at the three malls to eating at delicious resturants (pizza olympia, cafe' amsterdam, glacier brewhouse, orso's and sourdough mining company...just to mention a few!) to dining and catch a movie at Bear's tooth theater and pub.

Of course, most people don't go for the city itself but for the amazing wilderness that is stretched for miles far and wide beyond belief. Take a drive to Talkeetna and then hop on the Alaskan Railway for a truly unique expierence! You can get some incrediably fresh fish (halibit) and chips at the Main street cafe' located right in downtown Talkeetna, don't blink you may miss it:)

A ride down the seward Highway is always an adventure in itself. Take a camera as you are likly to see moose grazing in the fields and some beluga whales around turnagain arm or some dall sheep scaling the moutains!
If you can make it up to Alyeska resort for a night or so, you won't be dissappointed. The skiing is some of the best in the county and the views are amazing with or without snow!

Wherever you go, i am sure you will be in awe. there are millions and millions of wilderness and beauty to behold...it's so amazing to see the artwork God has created.

We went to Anchorage June 14 - 19, 2007 and it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited! Absolutely breath taking views. We took long drives and all along the highway were "picture" areas where you could pull off the road. The city is very easy to navigate around as well.