Hearing that the SpaceX IPO made Elon Musk a trillionaire, most of us don’t quite realize the size of the number.
Imagining a Trillion
If you placed a billion at the halfway mark from a million to a trillion, you would be understating the distance from a billion to a trillion. Between the two we have to take a huge leap. For that reason Elon Musk’s recent bump in wealth takes him far beyond Jeff Bezos’s fortune estimated to be as much as $284 billion.
On the following scale, Bezos would be positioned closer to you and me than to Musk:
In Seconds
Comparing a million, a billion, and a trillion seconds takes us back to the Ice Age. Every two weeks or so, we live through slightly more than a million seconds. Meanwhile, dating to 1994, a billion seconds tick for almost 32 years. However, it’s a trillion that’s the gob smacker. Then, we are talking about millennia. The time we need for one trillion seconds to pass could be 32,000 years.
In Pennies
Viewed differently, a million penny pile is a mile high, and, at 1,000 miles, a billion pennies would connect New York to Cape Canaveral. But again it’s one trillion that requires the whopping stack that lets us travel to and from the moon twice.
The Wall Street Journal created the ideal graphic:
So yes, it can be interesting to ponder Elon Musk’s wealth. However, the U.S. budget affects us much more directly.
The Budget’s Big Numbers
Thus far this year, the U.S. has spent $4,901,851,413,144.
If current spending is $4.9 trillion, how to compare it to defense spending of $631 billion?
Actually, $4.9 trillion is the same as $4,900 billion. Once we see everything in billions, some comparing is possible.
So when we are told that the President has proposed adding close to $590 billion to previous military spending, we can compare it to an entire budget that is approximately $5,000 billion:
Our Bottom Line: Information Architecture
Defining architecture as structure, behavioral economists tell us that the structure of our information determines our understanding. And our understanding shapes our behavior.
Similarly, as voters, most of us are just not sure how trillions relate to billions. We need the appropriate information architecture to evaluate spending.
Anchorage is Alaska’s gateway city, with more enplanements than the rest of the state combined. Chances are, if you’re cruising Prince William Sound or Kenai Fjords, taking a bush plane to see bears at Katmai, riding the rails to Denali, or heading deep into the interior, you’re coming through Anchorage.
Last summer, we spent a full week in Anchortown between adventuring in McCarthy and cruising from Juneau. Looking to save a little money and curious how far we could push the idea, we decided to explore Anchorage completely car-free.
What we found was a city that quietly excels at “Only-in-Alaska” experiences without ever needing a rental car.
Stay Central
Anchorage is America’s third-largest city by area; bigger than Rhode Island and nearly the size of Delaware, yet home to just 290,000 residents. Instead of endless sprawl, it’s a surprisingly walkable downtown wrapped in parks, greenbelts, and mountain views.
If you’re planning a car-free visit, downtown is non-negotiable and the Hotel Captain Cook is the place to anchor yourself.
It’s Anchorage’s only Preferred Hotel, with five distinct in-house restaurants, rooms that overlook Cook Inlet or the Chugach Mountains, complimentary airport shuttles, and a location just a 15-minute walk from the Alaska Railroad Depot. It makes arriving, exploring, and leaving town effortless.
Dine Local
Downtown Anchorage has many restaurants within walking distance, but these stood out during our stay:
49th State Brewing A beloved Alaskan brewpub serving northern favorites like yak burgers. It’s popular for a reason! Call ahead and add your name to the waitlist.
Wild Scoops Alaska’s ice-cream scene is serious business, and Wild Scoops leads the charge with small-batch flavors made from local ingredients. Their Fort 49 patio location is dangerously convenient.
Simon & Seafort’s Saloon & Grill You don’t come to Alaska and skip the seafood, and nowhere beats the Cook Inlet views at Simon’s.
Ride the Rails
The Alaska Railroad is more than transportation; it’s an adventure. Better yet, the Anchorage Depot is only a 10–15 minute walk from the Hotel Captain Cook, making it one of the easiest car-free connections in the entire state.
From there, you can ride north to Denali and Fairbanks or hug the coast down to Whittier and Seward. The scenery is breathtaking, especially from the GoldStar Service cars with their glass-dome ceilings.
Interpretive guides narrate the journey, pointing out towering peaks, sprawling glaciers, and the stories of fortunes made and lost along Alaska’s iron highway. Some services even include whistle stops that allow you to step off the train and explore remote wilderness that cars simply can’t reach.
Blue Water Kayak on Spencer Glacier
Spencer Glacier is accessible only by train, and Chugach Adventures has an exclusive partnership with the Alaska Railroad for morning drop-offs.
We boarded the Coastal Classic Train in Anchorage, met our guides in Girdwood, and then bounced down a gravel road in a bus that looked like it came straight out of Into the Wild. At the lake, they outfitted us with kayaks, paddles, and life vests before sending us across mirror-still water, weaving through glowing blue icebergs toward the glacier itself.
After lunch, we boarded the Glacier Discovery Train, passing through Grandview and tunnel country before a whistle stop at Grandview Glacier—another short hike, another jaw-dropping view. By evening, we were back in Anchorage. Zero car keys required.
Flightsee to Knik Glacier
Trains aren’t the only way out of town.
Rust’s Flying Service has been operating from Lake Hood, adjacent to Ted Stevens Airport, for more than 50 years. They offer narrated seaplane flightseeing tours and provide shuttle service from downtown hotels.
Our flight to Knik Glacier included aerial views of Anchorage, the Chugach Mountains, and a smooth landing on a glacial lake. We spotted Dall sheep from the air and drifted beside ancient ice that had never once felt the heat of a road.
Go on a Guided Adventure
Guided tours remove the guesswork and open doors you didn’t even know existed. Many operators pick up from the Egan Center downtown, making them perfect for car-free travelers.
Lifetime Adventures runs mesmerizing multi-sport trips to Eklutna Lake, where the water glows an unreal shade of glacial blue.
Go Hike Alaska offers specialty hikes throughout the Chugach Mountains. We joined them on their Backcountry Eats & Foraging Treats trip, learning to identify edible fungi and berries before cooking a backcountry feast of mushroom risotto and fresh salmon. Educational, edible, unforgettable.
Ride the Tony Knowles Trail
The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail stretches 11 paved miles from downtown Anchorage to Kincaid Park, hugging the coastline with views of Denali on clear days and frequent moose sightings if luck is on your side.
We rented e-bikes from Pablo’s Bicycle Rentals near Elderberry Park and cruised past Westchester Lagoon, Earthquake Park, and up to Point Woronzof, where jets lift off right overhead. The gentle hills were effortless with pedal assist, though next time we might rent mountain bikes just to explore Kincaid’s forested trail maze.
Visit the Museums
Anchorage punches well above its weight when it comes to cultural institutions.
The Anchorage Museum blends art, science, and history to tell the story of life in the North. A short shuttle ride away, the Alaska Native Heritage Center offers immersive programs, traditional games, and powerful storytelling from Alaska Native communities.
The Heritage Center runs a free downtown shuttle every summer, making it easy to include without ever opening a car door.
Take the Trolley
Anchorage Trolley Tours is the perfect one-hour orientation to the city, covering highlights like:
Earthquake Park
Lake Hood Seaplane Base
The Alaska Railroad
Captain Cook Monument
Every ticket includes a coupon book with savings at 40+ nearby businesses, making it a smart first stop for maximizing a car-free stay.
Freedom From Car Keys
Anchorage surprised us, not because it was easy to visit without a car, but because it was better that way.
Moving through the city on foot, by bike, train, plane, and trolley slowed us down in all the right ways. We noticed more. Talked to more people. Let Alaska’s rhythms set the pace instead of a GPS.
And here’s our biggest takeaway: don’t treat Anchorage like a layover city.
Build in a few extra days at the beginning or end of your Alaska trip and use Anchorage as your adventure basecamp. From glacier kayaking and flightseeing to coastal bike rides and world-class museums, this city quietly delivers some of the most memorable experiences in the state, without ever opening a car door.
So leave the rental car line behind. Pack your walking shoes, trust the rails, and let the Last Frontier show you just how far you can go without ever turning a key.
Safeguard your digital information by using a VPN. We love NordVPN as it is superfast for streaming Netflix
Stay safe on the go and stay connected with an eSim card through AloSIM
OurPacking Favs:
We LOVE Matador Equipment for their innovative products and sustainability focus. Their SEG45 is a game changer when you need large capacity while packing light.
Travel in style with a suitcase, carry-on, backpack, or handbag from Knack Bags
Packing cubes make organized packing a breeze! We love these from Eagle Creek
Attractions/Activities:
Save on tickets to attractions, sightseeing tours, and more with Tiqets
Get Your Guide and Viator for guided tours/excursions, day trips, and activities
Want to learn a city from the ground up? Take a small group walking tour with Walks – 5-star rated with a Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence
Want to book an epic adventure experience with top-notch companies like Intrepid Travel, G-Adventures, or Backroads? Check out Travelstride
Find information on local trails with the All Trails App.
Need something else to plan your perfect trip? Visit our Resources Page for more trusted partners
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Hi! We are Jenn and Ed Coleman aka Coleman Concierge. In a nutshell, we are a Huntsville-based Gen X couple sharing our stories of amazing adventures through activity-driven transformational and experiential travel.
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Our Bottom Line: Information Architecture
Our Bottom Line: Information Architecture
