The real Alaska is outside the city, and Anchorage is well placed for day trips in three directions.
South along the Seward Highway is the most rewarding drive in the area. The road runs along Turnagain Arm with regular pullouts for beluga whales and Dall sheep on the cliffs above. Beluga Point, Bird Point, and the Turnagain Arm Bore Tide are all worth stopping for. Girdwood, an hour out, has the Alyeska tram (year-round) and good food at the bottom of the mountain. Portage Glacier, a little further, has been retreating for decades but the Begich-Boggs visitor centre and a boat trip across Portage Lake bring you close. Push another two hours and you reach Seward and Kenai Fjords National Park; the boat trips out of Seward harbour to see calving glaciers, orcas, and sea otters are among the best wildlife experiences in Alaska.
North on the Glenn Highway takes you to Eklutna, with its historic Russian church and the famous painted spirit houses; then on to Wasilla, Palmer, and the Matanuska Glacier where you can walk on the ice with a guide.
North on the Parks Highway leads to Talkeetna, two and a half hours out, the historic climbing town for Denali and a charming place for an afternoon — and the gateway to Denali National Park itself if you have a longer day.
The Alaska Railroad makes some of these trips doable without a car. The summer day trip to Seward is particularly good — train both ways, six hours on the boat in the middle.
