Alaskan winters are long and cold, although they differ greatly depending on where you live in the state. For example, Ketchikan’s winter is like Seattle’s, Anchorage is warmer than Northern Minnesota, Fairbanks sits forever at 20 below, and Barrow is black for months. It all has to do with the Last Frontier being so big that different climates exist.
Contrary to popular misconceptions, people don’t live in igloos and they stay
busy with everyday life just like in the Lower-48 states. Getting to work on time, sending the kids off to school, housework, and looking forward to the weekends are the same as you would find in Minnesota or Montana. Anchorage in particular, since it holds half of the state’s population, always has something interesting going on, with year-round cultural events rivaling any big city’s fun things to do. Ballroom dancing, celebrity appearances, concerts, museums—it’s easy to knock yourself out, and that’s not to mention the world-class skiing, snowmobiling, and endless fishing and hunting opportunities.
About the time you get a little tired of the cold and snow, the Fur Rondy, the 2,000-mile Iron Dog snowmobile race, and the Iditarod Sled Dog Race begin. All three are international events with folks coming from all over to join the fun, if not to take a shot at winning the prize money. First place, new pickup trucks, and celebrity endorsements hang in the balance.
Wintertime contests that have always amazed me, and the photograph above shows what I mean, are the ice sculptures that artists carve. Many are truly wonderful, and it’s easy to spend an entire afternoon walking from one to another and guessing how they were built.
Never let anyone tell you that Alaskans suffer from cabin fever in the wintertime, because there’s hardly time to stay home.
.jpg)
0 comments:
Post a Comment