Anchorage, Alaska, United States

It is 25 degrees outside at the moment and spitting snow. So it's no wonder the first city that came to mind for the letter A was Anchorage. I've never been to Anchorage but I would love to go some day. Many people tend to think Anchorage is the capital of Alaska. That's a common misconception. The state capital honor goes to Juneau. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated 2007 population of Anchorage was 279,671. That makes it about twice the size of Springfield, Missouri, and slightly smaller than Bakersfield, California. Today is February 28 and it is currently 23 degrees in Anchorage. Six months ago (August 28), the high was 62 degrees.

When I think of Alaska, I think of wildlife, wilderness, snow and the Iditarod. Don't know what the Iditarod is? It is a famous trail sled dog race. There are two routes but they both go from Anchorage to Nome (or is it Nome to Anchorage?) Both routes cover over 1100 miles. The 2009 race starts on March 7. You can click here to find out more about the Iditarod. There have been several movies created that center around a dog sled race. One of my favorites is Snow Dogs which stars Cuba Gooding Jr. It is rated PG and is suitable for children.

Here is the official website for Anchorage.