Celebrating the snow: Alaska festival celebrates winter's passage

Airman, July, 2004 by Chuck Roberts

Cost of living: Given the remoteness of Alaska, prices in Anchorage are comparable to major cities in the continental United States.

Education: A multitude of both public and private elementary, middle and high schools are available on and off base for military family members. In addition, there are major colleges and universities in Anchorage, including the University of Alaska, Anchorage and Alaska Pacific University.

Recreation: Alaska is a paradoxical blend of the natural and the man-made, the primitive and the sophisticated. It boasts all the conveniences of a metropolis, as well as all the wilderness of America's "last frontier." Anchorage offers a multitude of fine dining, museums and theater while allowing fishing, hiking, biking and skiing enthusiasts to enjoy their sports at the same time. Then there's snowboarding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, watching the Northern Lights, dog sledding, camping, hunting and hang gliding. Alaska is also known for its many festivals and fairs, such as the Iditarod, Fur Rendezvous Winter Carnival and the State Fair. The base is also within driving distance of Mount McKinley, the highest mountain in North America, and many scenic state and national parks.

More Info: www.elmendorf.af.mil; www.afcrossroads.com; www.anchorage.net.

--1st Lt. Elizabeth Paul, 3rd Wing Public Affairs