Shopping in Alaska
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Title Wave Books
Northern Lights Center (1360 W Northern Lights Blvd); W 5th Ave (415 W 5th Ave) The best bookstore in Anchorage with two branches, both equipped with internet cafés.
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Log Cabin Gifts
This growing collection of restaurants, tour outfits and quirkier-than-average gift shops is fun; don't miss Log Cabin Gifts, Whittier's best stab at adorable. The knickknacks, including lots of high-quality leatherwork, are handmade by owner Brenda Tolman, but the reindeer outside - Elizabeth and Violet, the day we were there - are the real crowd pleasers. If it's wet out, though, you won't see them. Apparently, they don't like rain - which makes it tough to live in Whittier.
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Northwest Arctic Borough Giftshop
For local art, check out the Northwest Arctic Borough Giftshop, with an extensive array of masks, birch-bark baskets, sealskin moccasins and mammoth-bone carvings. They're hoping to soon open a new art center, which will be half gallery and half workshop, at the corner of Second Ave and Lake St.
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Tongass Trading Company
Ketchikan serves as the base for some of the best kayaking in Southeast. Possibilities include anything from an easy paddle around the waterfront to a weeklong trip in Misty Fiords National Monument. Pick up outdoor supplies from Tongass Trading Company, across from the Gilmore Hotel.
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Juneau Artists Gallery
To take home something that is truly unique shop at the Juneau Artists Gallery, a co-op of 26 local artists who have filled the store with paintings, etchings, glass work, jewelry, pottery and quilts. The person behind the counter ready to help you is that day's 'Artist On Duty.'
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Sea Wolf Art Studio
Housed in a log cabin is the gallery of Tresham Gregg, one of Haines' best-known indigenous artists. Gregg combines spiritism, animism and shamanism of Northwest Coast Indians to produce woodcarvings, totem poles, masks, bronze sculpture and talismanic silver jewelry.
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Beaver Sports
This is the place for outdoor gear in Fairbanks, with mountain bikes, mountaineering boots and mountains of every other species of wilderness equipment. Also, there's a handy message board for exchanging info with fellow adventurers or securing used gear.
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Dejon Delights
A shop in Fort Seward that turns out some of the best smoked salmon and halibut in Southeast. If camping at Portage Bay pick up a fillet of just-caught king salmon and grill it on your campfire to the view of mountainous Lynn Canal. That is Alaska.
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Snyder Mercantile Co
Opposite the bathhouse is Snyder Mercantile Co. Founded by Ed Snyder, who arrived in a rowboat full of groceries in 1899, the store has been in business ever since. It sells limited supplies and groceries, and also rents a cabin (around US$85).
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IGA Food Cache
A half-mile north of the visitor center, this is a market with a bakery, deli and an espresso cart, plus homemade soup and other ready-to-eat items to go. It's the place to go in the morning for coffee, a pastry and a bit of local news.
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Fred Meyer
This airplane hangar-sized store has every grocery imaginable, plus bulk foods, an extensive salad bar and all sorts of ready-to-eat fare. A sister store is at the intersection of the Old Steese Hwy and Johansen Expressway.
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Wild Iris
Just one of a growing number of galleries on the edge of Fort Seward. Outside the home is a beautiful Alaskan garden, inside a fine selection of original jewelry, silkscreen prints, cards, pastels and other local art.
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Foggy Mountain Shop
For packs, outdoorwear, USGS topo maps and anything else you need for backcountry trips stop at Foggy Mountain Shop. This is the only outdoor shop in town with top-of-the-line equipment and the prices reflect that.
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Alaska House Art Gallery
In a log building at the south end of downtown, the gallery specializes in indigenous and native-themed creations. Artists can often be found on the premises demonstrating their talents or telling stories.
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UAF Bookstore
Next door to the Wood Center is the Constitution Hall, where territorial delegates drafted the constitution for statehood. Now it houses the UAF Bookstore which sells highbrow texts plus Alaskan titles.
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Lynx Creek Store
Situated in Glitter Gulch, this gas station-cum-convenience store-cum-liquor store has the widest range of groceries in the park area. Seriously. Good luck finding fresh produce. Has an ATM too.
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Rie Munoz Gallery
Out in the Valley, near Nugget Mall, is the Rie Munoz Gallery featuring a large selection of Rie Munoz prints as well as Dale DeArmond, Byron Birdsall and several other noted Alaskan artists.
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Alaska Wild Berry Products
. Inside the sprawling gift shop is a chocolate waterfall and the Wild Berry Theater; outside there's a short nature trail that leads to a handful of caribou that kids can feed and pet.
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Bear Gallery & Gift Shop
Run by the Fairbanks Arts Association and located upstairs in the Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts in Pioneer Park, this gallery showcases an ever-changing array of local artists.
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Tanana Valley Farmers Market
The market sells fresh produce, baked goods, local handicrafts and more. Come in late August and you can buy a 20lb cabbage, enough for a month's supply of coleslaw.
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Anchorage Market & Festival
On the weekend head over to the Anchorage Market & Festival for live music, cheap food and great souvenirs from birch steins to birch syrup.
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Denali Bookstore
Across from the Denali Visitor Center. It has field guides, topographic maps, coffee-table books, Alaskan literature and park ranger action figures (dig it!).
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Evergreen Natural Foods
Near the municipal building, practically underneath the O'Connell Bridge, is this shop that sells a variety of vitamins, juices and other natural goodies.
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Trustworthy Hardware
If you don't have your own fishing rod, you can pick up inexpensive gear from Trustworthy Hardware , right across the highway from Sal's Klondike Diner.
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A&P Juneau Market
It has a good selection of local seafood, an espresso counter, salad bar (around US$5 per pound), deli and small seating area near the Federal Building.
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