

On March 27, 1964, Anchorage was devastated by one of the largest earthquakes to ever hit the U.S. A 9.2 magnitude earthquake shook the city for a full five minutes, leaving almost the entire city crumbling on the ground. The once proud city lie in ruin and over the next ten years rebuilding the city was a crucial part of planning and development. But despite this major setback, the city continues to grow, and expanded more and more through the 1980’s and 90’s, which also saw the uptake of a massive beautification project to rebuild the image of the city. Alaska lies slightly north of several northern European cities, and to its south lies the Turnagain Arm, which boasts some of the highest tides for a fjord in the world. It lies north of Kodiak Island and Prince William Sound, which was home to the disastrous Exxon-Valdez oil spill in 1989, and Anchorage’s seacoast consists mostly of dangerous mudflats. Typically, you don’t want to be walking on an Anchorage beach, mainly due to the fact that you’d probably get stuck in all the mud.

Average temperatures in Anchorage are some of the lowest in the nation, with average summertime temperatures ranging from 62-65 degrees, and winter temperatures consistently falling below freezing. The city is also a neighbor to several active volcanoes, which can (on occasion) spew hot ash and dust the city (though these are relatively uncommon as a whole). Bears and moose are also a very common sight, as the city has been encroaching on wild habitats for some time now, and while scary are seen more as an annoyance than an actual threat.
