Things to See in Anchorage

If you're not ready to be face-to-face with the grizzly wilds, grab a latte and stroll over to this city park, known locally as the 'Park Strip'. The greenbelt is a good place for a lie-down on a warm afternoon.

The gargantuan shaker of 1964 caused, among other things, 130ac (53ha) of land on the city's west side to slip 2000ft (610m) seaward. Part of that slipped strip was a neighbourhood that suffered 75 demolished homes and three deaths. The other end, fortunately undeveloped at the time, is today the site of Earthquake Park.

This already impressive museum, a showcase for the state's history, art and indigenous culture, is undergoing a total renovation that will almost double its size when it's finished in 2009. It will have glass walls housing exhibits, large windows framing views of Anchorage and an observation area where visitors can gaze at the Alaska Range.