I think they say that in the urban areas, at least, the male-female ratio is about equal nowadays, although the median age is quite young- I think in the 20s.

I've heard a number of oldtimers, Joe, refer to 'down south' as "the States". Alaska has been a state since 1959 but old habits die hard.
As for Anchorage, I've heard a lot of people say that the best thing about Anchorage is that in 30 minutes you can be in Alaska.

I spent a couple of weeks up there (from Juneau)and enjoyed it a lot. There were some real surprises too. Our summer days in Juneau are long- the sun sets at 10:15 on the longest day) but in Anchorage the sun set at 11:35. In Talkeetna, just 3 hours farther north, it never got dark at all. At 2:00 when I went to bed, I could have read outdoors; at 4:00 when I next saw it, it was mid-day bright.

The masses of mosquitoes were also unexpected. People say we have mosquitoes in Juneau- not according to this criterion. Everywhere we went it varied only in numbers. They were everywhere.

Anchorage is not a huge city (aoubt 240,000) but it seems to suffer from lack of city planning. I was there a couple of times before (but only on the job and we didn't sight see then) and there still doesn't seem to be a real 'downtown'. There are definite districts and regions, and they are tied together by the highways but to me their main reason for being was what you find on the highways outside of town.

I love Juneau, its people, its music, its art and artists, its vitality and creativeness, its diversity and tolerance for differences, its very talent for bringing talented people together, but I can see why people from 'up north' could feel trapped here. Our land mass is limited- we're a linear town of about 45 miles with nowhere wider than 3 miles - while up north there is elbow room and far horizons.

It is gorgeous. The Old Seward highway, considered one of the most dangerous roads in Alaska, takes you through vistas of mountains crowding you on your left, ocean and tidelands on your right and blue, tumbled into undulating jagged shapes and forms, snowcapped mountains ahead. There is good reason for being super alert. It's a good road but the posted speed limit is 65 mpg and people tend to be looking at the scenery and not other traffic, and many of the vehicles heading back toward Anchorage are being driven by sleep-deprived fishermen from a long weekend.

Thirty miles from Anchorage the first 'major' town is Girdwood, home of Alyeska ski resort beyond and above it. There is a large hotel at Alyeska and a tram that whisks you to the top of the mountain from where the views are breathtaking. It must be something to see in wintertime too.