If you're stuck in an overpopulated urban area, the prospect of having an adventure may seem as distant as the programs on television. Your life involves selling wrought iron furniture in Toronto and battling traffic, and that's it, right? Wrong! Why not take your next vacation somewhere adventurous and exciting, like Anchorage, Alaska? Then you can indulge in all your wilderness fantasies. If you're not quite sure what there is to do in Anchorage, use this guide to help you plan your itinerary for your trip.

Cruises

Many people think cruises are something you only take in the warm waters of the Caribbean, but cruise ships are a wonderful, comfortable way to see all sorts of environments. Ice and snow isn't a Canadian trademark. We've got lots of it here, and you can see our majestic mountains and sleek whales from the warmth of an Alaskan cruise ship. You'll see fjords, glaciers, and wildlife without traveling far from a restaurant, and you can also take shore excursions such as hikes and helicopter rides.

Packaged Vacations

If you're a Vancouver auto body shop owner and not an experienced adventurer or wilderness guide, don't worry! You can still get up close and personal with the Alaskan landscape. Many Anchorage based touring companies operate package tours that take you by rail, bus, bike, or even dog sled to some of the most popular places in Alaska, such as the Kenai Fjord and Denali National Park. Tours last anywhere from an afternoon to eleven days depending on which adventure you choose. And with professional guides leading you, you can't get lost.

Sports

With so much wide open space, it's no wonder that Anchorage is one of the top destinations for sportsmen. Sports you can pursue in and around Anchorage include hiking, mountain biking, cross country skiing, downhill skiing, fishing, horseback riding, golfing, hunting, snowmobiling, and canoeing. If you want to throw off the lead castings of your boring life, you can also experiment with more dangerous adventure sports like heli-skiing, white water kayaking, or para-sailing. There are sports to play in both winter and summer.

Animals

Alaska features some very large national parks which act as a haven for local wildlife. Seeing animals can be a fascinating and uplifting experience for adventurers whose lives revolve around the sale of basket strainers. Whether you want to hunt them or simply observe or photograph them in their natural habitats, adventure guides can take you to their haunts. Animals you can see in Alaska include bears, moose and deer, mountain sheep, foxes, whales such as the orca and humpback, sea lions, otters, and a plethora of birds including woodpeckers, puffins, and the rare bald eagle.