Alaska Native Heritage Center

The Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage, Alaska, is a must see-and-experience gem for all--especially for our Anchorage Bed and Breakfast Club guests. It is worth every bit of time and definitely worth the cost of entry.

I, Patti, (Your Home Away from Home Bed and Breakfast) attended the March 20th Multicultural Drumming & Dance Celebration program hosted at the Heritage Center. It included nine different dance & drum groups.

I was only able to see three of the groups. Wow, what fun and what a great cultural experience! There was a talented Alaska Native group from a village I do not remember and could not pronounce. They did many fun and energetic dances like the "Walrus" dance.

An Hispanic group called "Xochiquetzal-Tiquan" performed in absolutely gorgeous costumes. There were little tiny ones as young as two all the way up to their Moms. They did dances from many different states in Mexico.

The last group I saw was called "Kawanbe-Omowale". This group fashioned their music after South Africa. Now, you want to talk about energy!! The three women dancers had amazing talent. They danced hard and fast with smiles so big you could hardly keep from smiling yourselves. This group included two men and one woman drumming with such zeal you wanted to drum with them.

Many people from our Anchorage community and the South African group from Phoenix were in attendance. All enjoyed this day of cultural sharing.

When the Anchorage Bed and Breakfast Club's summer guests visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center, they will not have the opportunity to see this multi-culture dance program, but the many cultures of Alaska represented. This is a beautiful facility and a thrilling way to see the many peoples and cultures of Alaska.

Blueberry Gingerbread Coffee Cake Recipe

It has been a welcome challenge for each of us in the Anchorage Alaska Bed and Breakfast Club to try new breakfast recipes on our regular and our long term winter guests this past winter. Carol Ross at Big Bear B&B has found and developed the Blueberry Gingerbread Coffee Cake recipe below. It is a great winter treat.

Blueberry Gingerbread Coffee Cake

350 deg. 40 min. 9x13 pan

½ c crisco
1 c sugar
1 egg
3 T molasses
1 c buttermilk
1 t soda
2 c flour
½ t ginger
½ t salt
1 t cinnamon
1 ½ c blueberries

Cream sugar, shortening & egg. Combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, soda & salt. Combine buttermilk & molasses & add alternately w/ flour mixture into cream mixture.
If blueberries are frozen coat w/ mixture of 1 T flour & 1 T sugar, then gently fold into batter. Don’t over mix after combine. Spray 9”x13” pan with non-stick spray and add batter to pan. Sprinkle with oatmeal crisp topping. Bake 40 minutes or until tooth pick in center comes out clean.

Oatmeal Crisp Topping

½ c sugar
½ c flour
½ c quick oats
½ c old fashioned oats
½ t cinnamon
½ cube cold butter, cut into small pieces
½ c walnuts chopped

Combine all dry ingredients except walnuts, cut in butter with pastry blender till crumbly and mix in walnuts.

Anchorage Alaska Outdoor Activities

Anchorage Alaska has a weekend packed full of outdoor activities for all of us including our Anchorage Bed and Breakfast Club guests.

Saturday was the ceremonial start of the 38th Iditarod Dog Sled Race from Anchorage to Nome with 72 mushers of which 22 are Rookies (first time.) Alaska's Great Last Race is more than 1000 miles long.

The dogs are checked before and during the race from feet to teeth along with the heart to make sure they are healthy and fit. This year's mushers are from Jamaica, South Africa, Scotland, Belgium, Canada, the lower 48 states and of course Alaska. It is a dream for people all over the world to race in Alaska. One of Rita's (Alaskan Frontier Gardens B&B) guests was in the ceremonial start after successfully bidding to ride in the sled of Karen Ramstead. Karen uses all Siberian huskies.
Keep up with the race online

Sunday is the Tour of Anchorage cross country ski marathon race which is 4 distinct races: a 25k classical race, 25k, 40k and 50k freestyle. Races start in waves with the faster skiers in the first wave. Rita has four racers from France staying at her B&B for a week taking in some of Alaska before the race. This is another race where people from all over the world come to participate. Rita's French guests did a cross country ski tour in Quebec, Wisconsin and now Alaska.

It has been a fun week to be a hostess giving out Alaskan hospitality to people enjoying our Alaskan outdoor sports.

Anchorage Alaska Arts

The Anchorage Alaska Bed and Breakfast Club’s members are interested in the arts programs which are abundant in Anchorage. On March 2nd, 2010 the Anchorage Youth Symphony performed at the Performing Arts Center. There was a wide variety of types of music presented by the Sixth Grade Honors Orchestra, Junior Youth Symphony, and Youth Symphony. It was a lovely evening. Sam’s (Calla House) daughter being one of the performers might slant this her written opinion somewhat; however, everyone else seemed to enjoy themselves as well. Caroline’s (Camai B&B) adult daughter is an alumnus of the Anchorage Youth Symphony.

The Anchorage Youth Symphony’s final concert of this season is April 27 at 7 PM in the Discovery Theatre, Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets can be purchased online.

Anchorage also has the Anchorage Symphony. The Anchorage Symphony offers two more programs this season. On March 27 the Anchorage Symphony will feature a Peter Maxwell Davies piece for orchestra with bagpipe solo. Also on the program is Ravel’s Concerto for Piano in G. Guest pianist Chu-Fang Huang will be featured. This program will conclude with Schubert’s Symphony No. 9.

The last concert of the year for the Anchorage Symphony will be April 17.

Tickets to the Anchorage Symphony can be purchased online.

Some of the Anchorage Breakfast Club members offer special rates for guests attending the symphony. Please inquire.