People, places, things, and ideas I love in Anchorage, AK
Downtown Dining Week is finally here!
Replacing the Anchorage Downtown Partnership’s 100 Days of Dining, Downtown Dining Week features set-priced specials for lunch ($10 or $15) and multi-course dinners ($30) at 26 restaurants throughout Downtown Anchorage from April 8 – 17. No more card and stickers, no more app, just delicious food from some of Anchorage’s most creative and talented chefs.
I loved this project so, so much. If you haven’t had a chance to experience 100Stone by Sarah Davies at Point Woronzof, hurry: the figures come down Saturday, April 9!
100Stone is a public art installation of 100 stories of personal struggles with mental health, told in sculptural form. Much has already been written about it (here, here, and here, to share a few), so I’ll just say that visiting the figures is deeply spiritual. I love the way exterior forces – weather, tides, animals, people who love them, people who disregard them – have made their marks, but the basic figure remains. Much like each of us as we age, growing weathered but richer and more interesting for it.
The coolest thing happened tonight at the Anchorage Downtown Partnership’s Heart of Anchorage awards, which celebrate the people, businesses, and nonprofits committed to excellence in downtown.
After a rowdy Saturday night of House of Cards (okay, not so rowdy) a morning of yoga, salt-making, and a little breakfast booze was just what I needed for a refreshing Sunday.
Continue reading “Slow Your Drift with Downdogs and Salty Dogs”
Often, when people criticize Anchorage, one of the things they say is that we’re a bit behind the rest of the country. Sometimes it’s true, and sometime it isn’t. But when it IS true, it doesn’t have to be negative. We’re in the enviable position of being able to note exciting/successful endeavors happening in other parts of the country, cherry pick the most viable options, and make them happen here.
For example, Launch : Alaska, the state’s very first business accelerator.*
If you don’t like ice cream, don’t read this.
If you DO like ice cream, especially locally made ice cream and inventive favors, then dig in: Wild Scoops has arrived.
Back in the day, I was a runner. I ran when I was happy. I ran when I was sad. I ran on sunny days and on snowy days. I ran on good days, on bad days, and days that were just…days. But somewhere along the way, I lost the right to call myself a runner – after all, you have to run regularly to earn the title.
If you follow the Anchorage photography scene at all, you’ve probably heard of Ash Adams. And if you haven’t heard of her, I’m sure you’ve seen her work.
Tonight, I ate my first raw oyster (expect for that appalling attempt during my childhood, which I am acknowledging but not counting).
Like many, I’m slightly obsessed with the Danish concept of hygge — “coziness,” particularly when relaxing with good friends or loved ones — maybe because it’s something I always search for but never had a single, perfect word to describe. The museum atrium has been transformed into a hygge-filled space, complete with “fireplace,” countless wood rounds, and faux sheepskins on the seating meant to encourage close conversation. Love it!