Going Native in Alaska - Anchorage, Alaska

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Going Native in Alaska

Anchorage, Alaska



Most people do not think "nightlife" when they consider Alaska. Our nation's largest state inspires visions of breathtaking scenery, towering snow-capped mountains and abundant wildlife, as well as isolated people living in cold remote areas where the sun never shines. During the three snow-free months of Alaskan summertime, there is nearly round-the-clock daylight. As a result, there is a lot of non-stop and frenzied activity. This energy and enthusiasm continues into the nighttime hours.

In the ten days I spent touring the southern central portion of Alaska, I saw that much of the state retains the small town America vibe that is rapidly diminishing elsewhere. The American spirit is strong within the pioneering men and women that make this rugged landscape their home. This was evidenced by countless American flags seen while traveling through Alaskan cities and towns. Alaskans have a great deal of patriotism despite having been denied statehood for so many years.

Alaska is considered the land of extremes. As such, it can be an ordeal for an outsider, especially one traveling alone. Although major roads are paved, they're under construction throughout the summer to undo the damage caused by the sub-zero winter and by the permafrost - the permanently frozen ground underneath the roads that creates unexpected bumps. Driving becomes even more intense with two-lane, curving roads providing no view of the opposite lane. Still, people come from all over to live here. I spoke to one bartender from the east coast who drove cross-country through California, Oregon and Washington hitting severe weather, struggling to make it into Anchorage. He figured that if his battered car and soul could survive the winter trek, he could handle life in Alaska. That was a winter ago.

I wanted to know what constitutes the day-to-day lives of Alaskans. And I was curious as to whether men really do outnumber women. I also wondered what impact the combination of an extreme climate and outrageously disproportionate male/female ratio would have on socializing. Well, ok, maybe I was just wondering about all those single Alaskan men. More than that, though, I wanted to know who Alaskans really are and what makes them want to live here - especially in Anchorage. With a quarter of a million residents and a median age of thirty-two, these fun loving and friendly people must find something to do when the sun sets.

Downtown Anchorage is at the crossroads between a big city and a small town. It's larger than a one intersection Main Street U.S.A. town, but not as big as the typical downtown area in a major city. The lack of chain retail establishments and fast food restaurants surely reinforce its small town mentality. There are no golden arches, Walgreens or Starbucks. Instead, downtown has clean streets with baskets of flowers hanging from its streetlamps and hiking trails meandering along the outskirts of the city, tempting the curious traveler to venture out and behold the not-so-distant mountains.

So it was that I found myself alone in Anchorage on a Friday night. I began my seventy-two hours in this city with dinner at a local seafood favorite, Simon and Seafort's. This popular restaurant and bar near the water at the edge of downtown draws a large, upscale professional crowd. I squeezed in at the bar and chatted with a bartender from my hometown of Miami. He told me he moved here after college and he didn't miss home at all which I found strange, especially the sunshine. I was yearning for it even after only a week here.

Several friendly waiters peered curiously over my shoulder as I scribbled in my journal. They were too intent on catering to their patrons' needs to dish out information on the city, though. I resigned myself to eyeballing the crowd while the waitstaff bustled around. The atmosphere was friendly, but everyone was so busy that conversation was impossible. I decided to try my luck elsewhere.

I checked out the Hilton sports bar on the suggestion of an Anchorage native and bartender. Then I headed over to Chilkoot Charlies, the world-renowned and locally notorious place to see Anchorage in action - your typical local pick-up spot, except that there are far more men than women, less "pick-up" than most. Mostly men were drinking and complaining about how hard it is to meet women in Alaska. As K, a female native put it, the majority were so used to getting shot down time and again by the small group of women in this town that they wouldn't even bother approaching them. Ouch. But that's the directness of Alaskans for you. They tell it like it is. After a couple more drinks, including one on-the-house "Welcome to Alaska cocktail," driving was no longer an option.

My pub crawl began with the small yet popular F Street Station around the corner from the Hilton. I began chatting with R and T, two airline mechanics, who appeared to be above the Anchorage mean age of thirty-two. These two guys, one married, one single, had plenty to say about the place they call home. They didn't think much of Alaskan women. T said that even overweight women had no trouble finding men in this state. Harsh, unsolicited words. I pointed out that the women in the bar were not unattractive. "Out of towners," replied R and T, laughing.

R had little luck with local ladies. In his own words, he had "imported" his wife. Yes, I was also thinking mail-order bride, but R simply meant he had met his wife in the "Lower 48" and brought her back here to live with him. R shared his friend's belief that women were in short supply in these parts. According to him, there's an Alaskan saying that "you don't lose your woman, you lose your turn." That was a new one for me, as I'd been told that the saying in Alaska (as it relates to Alaskan men) is that "the odds are good, but the goods are odd!"

R didn't fear losing his spouse or his turn and actually leaves his wife home alone for a month in the fall while he goes hunting. He views hunting as a necessity. One month's hunting can feed his family for the entire winter - a do-it-yourself approach. "Why purchase food when you can go out and catch it yourself?" said R.

Extreme climate creates extreme living conditions. Alaskans do most of their living in the summertime. R sleeps little in the summer as there's much to be done in preparation for the winter when everything shuts down. Between installing a new roof on the house, working full time and killing his own food, there are the plethora of outdoor activities that Alaskans pursue zealously.

Survival of the fittest is the prevailing doctrine. It's all about where one falls along the food chain. Unlike most places, humans are not at the top of the chain. Moose and bear, which often wander into Alaskan cities, hold that place above us. It's important to remember and respect that.

Survival of the fittest doesn't mean everyone for themselves, though. There's a strong sense of community and dependency fostering the friendliness and hospitality so characteristic of Alaskans. Need encourages a willingness to help as well as the desire to be helped.

I continued wandering around crowded F Street, watching the everyone-knows-everyone-crowd clustered around tables and chatting. I then met S, a social native and professional athlete. S and his friends promised the inside scoop on Anchorage nightlife. I grabbed my journal and followed eagerly.

K believes that life in Anchorage is better than anywhere else because it is real. It lacks the superficiality, or, as she put it "the pretense of the Lower 48". She was equally forthright on Alaskan men, describing them as "grizzly," referring to the beards worn by nearly all Alaskan men. K had to cut the conversation short for an early rising, but with characteristic Alaskan hospitality, she invited us to join her group on Sunday for a rafting trip. When someone told her about the Lake Iliamna fishing expedition they had planned for the following day, it was followed by a fifteen-minute discussion about the best places to go fly fishing and the best methods for tying flies to catch the most fish. I was in Alaska.

Despite having traveled the world for competitions, S wants to live in Anchorage because it's the best place in the world. He also said that you have to travel if you live here because you need to leave the state in order to truly appreciate it.

Summer is high season in Alaska, and not just for tourists. W, another Anchorage native, said the two best things about Alaska are the summers and the people. Between the size of the state - 586,000 square miles, and approximately 600,000 population, there is nearly enough land for each person to have their own square mile. W wants Alaska to remain that way.

For my second nighttime exploration, I went down the street to the Hilton to get more recommendations from my old friend P, the bartender. He suggested Upstairs at the Top of the World Lounge where I met more male natives. They promised some great stories if I'd agree to drink a flaming Sambuca shot in reverse order. Bad idea. The initial heat from the match startled me and in a reflex action, I spit out the shot. The guys were unimpressed and probably decided then and there that I was not cut out for life in Anchorage. But they were good sports and invited me on another night of bar hopping.

Night two gave me quite a different and more favorable perspective on Alaskan men. D's the all-around nice guy who said that the problem with most of the Alaskan women he meets is that they don't enjoy doing all the outdoor stuff that makes this state what it is. They prefer the indoors, like Charlie's. He can't understand why anyone would want to spend their time in a dark and smoky bar when there are better things to do.

All in all, Alaska is the land where people are real, the scenery is indescribable and there's no place for pretense. Tourists come here to gawk. Adventurous souls come to challenge themselves, to lead a different kind of life. The locals are friendly and share the view that outsiders should be discouraged from moving to the state. So come stay for a while, spend lots of money and then one of the residents will gladly give you a ride to the airport for your departure.

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