Anchorage lies where Cook Inlet meets the Chugach mountains, a city of about three hundred thousand people that holds nearly half of Alaska's population and yet ends abruptly at the edge of the forest. Moose wander through the suburbs, and on a clear day, the snowy peaks of the Alaska Range, including Denali far to the north, float on the horizon. The city grew from a railway construction camp in 1915, and was badly damaged by the Good Friday earthquake in 1964, among the most powerful ever recorded.
The Seward Highway begins here and is one of the most scenic roads in North America. It runs south along Turnagain Arm, a long, narrow inlet with some of the highest tidal ranges in the United States. At certain times, a bore tide, a wave a metre or so high, rolls up the inlet, and watchers line the roadside to see it. Beluga Point, as the name suggests, is a good place to spot white whales feeding in summer, and Dall sheep graze on the cliffs above the road.
Riding is easy and beautiful. The road is well paved, with sweeping views, though speed limits are enforced, and traffic gets heavy on summer weekends, with campers, trucks and fishermen headed for the Kenai Peninsula. Weather can change quickly, with rain and wind coming off the inlet, and mornings can be cool even in July. Long daylight in midsummer, with the sun barely setting, means plenty of time for riding, and wildlife such as moose on the road is a serious hazard at dawn and dusk. Autumn brings gold birch and cottonwood, and ice and snow arrive in October.
Anchorage has everything: fuel stations, motorcycle shops, supermarkets and a wide range of lodging. South of the city, fuel is available at Girdwood and Portage, though services are thin along the inlet, so fill up before leaving. The Alaska Railway Museum, Potter Marsh bird sanctuary and Alyeska Resort are all worth a stop. Try smoked salmon or reindeer sausage on the way, and carry rain gear and bear spray if you plan to hike.