Anchorage: The Great Outdoors
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You'll find sophisticated contemporary cuisine at Mick's at the Inlet, including a knockout elk chop with goat cheese brioche pudding, Bearnaise sauce, and a berry relish, and roasted skatefish wing with blood oranges, fennel, chives, and olive oil. Drop by Cafe Savannah, a cool little tapas restaurant and wine bar with authentic Spanish cooking, for the likes of Portobello mushrooms stuffed with chorizo and Manchego cheese, and calamari with lemon-garlic aioli.

For a light meal and great people-watching and mingling, check out Glacier Brewhouse, which is known as much for its delicious house-brewed oatmeal stout and red-currant lambic beer as for tasty comfort food, such as seared ahi tuna and Thai chicken pizza. Gay-friendly Sassafras Coffeehouse is a fine spot for a light meal, coffee, and free wireless Internet - it's right across the street from Nordstrom's, by downtown's 5th Avenue Mall. Try the turkey-bacon-avocado wrap.

Also a block from the mall, Cyrano's Theatre Company comprises a performance space, arty bookstore, and petit cafe (called Twig's) where you can grab a chicken-pecan salad or a cup of seafood chowder. The theater produces well-acted plays throughout the year and has a strong gay following. The queer nightlife scene is limited to a pair of bars on the edge of downtown, the lively and highly enjoyable Mad Myrna's - which has campy cabaret shows, a dance floor, and a totally diverse following - and the somewhat more male-oriented and cruisy Raven, which is just around the corner.

There are several accommodations here that actively market to gay visitors, among them the Alaskan Leopard B&B, a dramatic house perched atop a mountain with several elegantly furnished rooms and suites. Salmon crepes and sourdough waffles are among the hearty and delicious breakfasts for which the inn has developed a loyal following, and the owners can also organize a wide range of wildlife tours throughout the surrounding area. Just on the edge of downtown, the gay-owned Wildflower Inn contains three guest rooms with sophisticated but comfy furnishings, including a beautiful Mission-style bed in one and TV/VCRs in all of them (plus Wi-Fi throughout the house). It's a great choice if you want to be within walking distance of museums, restaurants, and nightlife.

Another highly popular gay-owned property downtown is the Copper Whale Inn, an urbane late-1930s house (a rare survivor of the '64 quake) with 15 rooms, most of them affording panoramic vistas of the surrounding mountains and Cook Inlet. Of larger mainstream properties, one of the most luxurious is the Marriott Anchorage Downtown. This airy, contemporary high-rise offers dramatic views of the distant wilderness but also affords easy access to local sights and restaurants.
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