Time Zone
Alaska

Latitude/Longitude
61.59° /-149.11°

Palmer became the center of Alaska's fertile Matanuska Valley when farming families were sent here to colonize the area during the Depression of the 1930s. The annual 11-day Alaska State Fair, ending on Labor Day, is the outgrowth of the colonists' celebration of their first successful harvest. Rich soil and long summer days produce gargantuan vegetables -- 98-pound cabbages and 10-pound onions. You can see a sampling at the Visitor Information Center.





The Church of a Thousand Logs was built by the colonists in 1936-7. Several of the original farms can be seen in the surrounding countryside. Also worth a stop are the Musk Ox Farm and Wolf Country USA Hybrid Wolf Kennel. Three-hour boat tours are available on the Knik River as far as the Knik Glacier. The State Fairgrounds are also in Palmer.

North of Palmer, you can visit Independence Mine State Historical Park, where you'll find an outstanding combination of spectacular scenery and gold-mining lore.