“Bark, bark. Bark bark bark.” You could hear the dogs from blocks away, an odd sound in a city of nearly 300,000. But then again this is Anchorage, and it’s nearly March, and that means time for the dogs to come out to play – especially if they are sled dogs.
For the 75th year, Anchorage is putting on Fur Rendezvous, also known affectionately as Fur Rondy, a nine-day festival, including races with dogs and mushers, which kicked off today.
Fur Rondy was originally envisioned back in 1935 as a way to add a little spice in a city of about 3,000 people, in a place where winters are long. Dog races were part of the entertainment.
To imagine the races today you have to imagine that despite a couple of 20-story skyscrapers and offerings like a Nordstrom’s and Starbucks, Anchorage still manages to feel a lot like a small, one-horse town – it’s just that there many “horses” on several downtown streets.
Some of those streets were purposely left unplowed in a snowfall yesterday (though not as much snow as in New York) and are being given (more…)
