Frequently Asked Questions
Anchorage is a modern city with all the conveniences and services you could expect. Let us know if you have specific questions about our community or bed & breakfast that will enhance your stay. Q. What will the weather be like?A. Anchorage weather is mild year round. Definitely a "Winter City" we are, nevertheless, protected by the mountains and Cook Inlet from the extremes experienced by the rest of Alaska.
Spring and summer temperatures reach into the 70's. Summer highs average 65 degrees F/18 degrees C. Winter high temperatures dip into the 20s, with low humidity.
For current weather, daylight and tidal conditions, click here.
For detailed monthly averages visit the Weather Channel.
Q. What to wear?
A. Alaska's casual informality makes packing easy. Layers are a good idea since morning and evening temperatures can cool off. If your adventure takes you to higher altitudes, you'll notice a significant dip in temperature. We always recommend bringing a comfortable pair of walking shoes. Earth B & B is close to the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and many other downtown destinations.
Q. What time is check in / check out?
A. Check-In is 3:00pm or by appointment please. If you need to arrive early, you will be welcome to drop off your luggage so you can begin exploring our city while we finish preparing your room. If you will be arriving late, please let us know so we can make arrangements as to minimize disturbing the other guests.
Check-Out time is 11:00 am, but we are happy to store your luggage for you, if needed, before your departure. All we ask is that you vacate the room so that we can get it ready for our next guest.
Q. Do you have private baths?
A. We have five bedrooms, one with a private bath and the other four bedrooms share two bathrooms.
Q. Are there Anchorage attractions within walking distance?
A. Yes!
Our comfortable and roomy home is conveniently located close to downtown walking distance to the city's finest shopping, dining, entertainment and outdoor recreation. The Egan Convention Center, the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, the Saturday & Sunday Market and the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail are all just a few blocks away.
Q. Is it dark all the time in the winter?
A. This depends on where in Alaska you live or visit. Anchorage has 5.5 hours of daylight in mid-winter; however, Barrow, at the most northern point of Alaska, has no daylight from November 18 through January 24. In the summer, Anchorage has 19.5 hours of daylight and Barrow has 84 days of continuous sunlight from May 10 to August 2.
Q. Is Alaska part of Canada?
A. No, Alaska is the 49th state of the United States of America. Alaska uses the same currency as the rest of the U.S. and the same postage. If you drive to Alaska, however, you will travel through Canada and must be prepared to cross the U.S.- Canada border and go through Customs.
Q. What county is Anchorage in?
A. Alaska is unique among the 50 states in that most of its land mass has not been organized into political subdivisions equivalent to the county form of government. Instead, local government in Alaska is organized by a system of "boroughs." The city of Anchorage is in fact located in the "Municipality of Anchorage," along with the towns of Eagle River, Girdwood, Chugiak, and Eklutna.
Q. Can I drive across Alaska?
A. Alaska has very few roads for its vast size. Austria, a country one-eighteenth the size of Alaska, has twice as many miles of road. Alaska has 15 highways, 3 of which are only open between April and October.
Roads go from Anchorage to the Canadian border, to Seward, to Homer, to Valdez, to Fairbanks.
Four major highways: the Denali Highway from Paxton to Cantwell, the Dalton Highway (Haul Road) from Fox (outside Fairbanks) to Prudhoe Bay, the Steese Highway from Fairbanks to Circle, and the Taylor Highway from Teslin to Eagle Junction are unpaved.
Click here for Alaska Road Traveler Information. If you have any questions about driving laws, click here to see Alaska Driver Manuals.
Q. Will I get to see the Northern Lights?
A. The aurora borealis (otherwise known as the Northern Lights) are created from charged electrons and protons striking gas particles in the atmosphere. The color and shape of the aurora varies according to how hard the gas particles are being struck. Auroras occur most frequently in the spring and fall months, because of the tilt of the planet. Residents of Fairbanks at latitude 65 degrees north see the aurora an average of 240 nights per year. Because of almost continuous daylight and twilight in the summer months, the aurora is best viewed in fall, winter and spring.
Click here to see the Aurora Forecast from the University of Alaska's Geophysical Institute.
Q. What time zone is Alaska in?
A. Alaska used to have four time zones, but since the mid 1980s that has been reduced to two time zones. Most of Alaska falls under Alaska time, which is one hour earlier than the West Coast (CUT-9). The Alaskan Aleutian Islands are in Hawaiian-Aleutian time, which is one hour earlier than Alaska time. Click here to see an International Time Zone Map.