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Alaska, The Magnificant State!
I know people don’t know as much about Alaska as they do most of the other states. Sara Palin has brought a little light on the state, which many would say in a good way and many would say in a bad way. However, Alaska is one of the most beautiful places in the world and part of its fascination is the fact that it is still a slight mystery.
People are starting to realize what a gem Alaska is. Alaska is one of the busiest places for the tourist industry. The cruise ship industry has remarked that Alaska is one of the prime places that people want to see. There are hundred of ships arriving in Alaska every day except maybe November through February. The ships don’t travel the waters of Alaska in these months, not because it is not beautiful or attractive, but because the ships might get stuck in the ice. I took a cruise to Alaska in the month of September; rain was predicted most of the days, but I did not have one drop of rain. It wasn’t even cold; I didn’t even need a jacket. I was so impressed with my trip to Alaska that I am taking another cruise in September. It will be a longer trip to include some of the parks. The wildlife is bountiful. It is just beautiful with all of the ice and glaciers.
Most people would think that housing prices would be on the lower end of the spectrum, and maybe that is how it use to be, but now the median price of a house in Anchorage is $239,000. Housing prices are not cheap, they are comparable.
People assume it would be hard to find a job in Alaska. This is not the case. There are many jobs in the wildlife industry from park directors to park rangers. Aviation is a big business in Alaska, which may surprise some people. Out of every 59 people you will find at least one registered pilot. The airplanes in Alaska are in abundance, many more per capital then other states. There are also many more pilots than the rest of the United States per capital So Alaska is definitely an inviting place for pilots. Another booming business in Alaska is the tourist industry. As I said before, Alaska is the ” in” place to be. Cruise ships can hardly find enough ships to accommodate all of the people wanting to visit Alaska. It is still one of the most unspoiled states we have, and I am sure many residents of Alaska would like to keep it that way. Alaskans do welcome tourists and make us feel very welcome and of course love the business that we bring.
Some interesting information about Anchorage and Alaska that people might not know include:
There is no sales tax in Anchorage.
There was an earthquake in Alaska on March 27, 1964. It was called The Good Friday Earthquake. It measured 9.2 and was the strongest in North American history that was ever recorded.
In case you didn’t know, Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska, about 278,000 which is approximately 43% of the population.
Alaska has Alaska Standard Time. Four hours behind Eastern Time and one hour behind Pacific Time.
This sounds unusual but Alaska is the eastern most point of the United States along with being the most northern as well as the most western point of the United States. The Aleutian Chain reaches over the Eastern Hemisphere.
Did you know that Alaska has about 100,000 glaciers? Of these 100,000, within a 50 mile range of Anchorage, there are 60 glaziers.
Anchorage Alaska covers 1955 square miles, which equals the size of Delaware.
In the summer months, the days are long and exciting. This time of year you will see a huge amount of beautiful flower displays everywhere, along with the sounds of live music in just about every venue.
In the winter, Anchorage looks like a storybook picture. The city is lit up with beautifully displayed lights and laughter abounds.
I hope you can find many reasons to love Alaska and perhaps make your home there as many Americans are now doing.