The Ted Stevens International Airport is one of the most interesting and enjoyable airports I have visited in my 60 years of travelling. If you are a fan of Uncle Ted, you can have to have your picture taken with him on his bench. Uncle Ted, Senator Ted Stevens for the great state of Alaska, accomplished tremendous things for his state. I am externally grateful for his work and am astounded when I see all that he has accomplished for Alaska. Uncle Teds entire life centered around aviation, so it's fitting that this wonderful airport bears his name. During his life, he flew missions over the Burmese Hump during WW2, later he survived an aviation crash that claimed the life of his wife. Regrettably his final minutes of life were spent in the air flying, he died in his last aviation accident as a passenger.
At Ted Stevens, there are many displays of Alaska's wildlife. The world's record Halibut is there, as well as bears, wolves, muskox, and many others. The only thing I think they are missing is an aquarium highlighting Alaska's various fish species.
Ted Stevens IA has many great restaurants to offer the weary traveler. They range from McDonald's to my favorite 49th State Brewing. Why is 49th State Brewing my favorite? I wrote a review on it recently for more information. Try their Korean chicken sandwich, and you'll see why it's my favorite. Be warned, grab a heaping handful of napkins as they are messy. Their service when I visited was great, especially for an airport restaurant.
McDonald's is what you would expect for an airport. But they are quick, as busy as they get. One caveat, their prices are excessively high! I hope the management shares their wealth from the operation. Their people work hard and put up with some very rude customers.
Another restaurant worth the visit is Silver Gulch. Give the Gulches craft beer and burgers a try, you won't be disappointed. They have a huge following in the Fairbanks (Fox) area, where they got their start. The Airport location offers the same fare. Impressively, the Ted Stevens IA location is the #53 rated restaurant out of 393 in Anchorage, according to Tripadvisor.
Near the baggage claim is the ASYMCA’s Military Courtesy Lounge. Kind of like a USO Lounge. Smaller than most USO lounges, but rather comfortable and welcoming. I have included pictures with brief descriptions of what the military lounge offers. As a former military member, lounges like this are an incredible benefit for our service. Thank you to all of those who make these lounges happen, it's greatly appreciated by many. The sign on the door is rather confusing about who can enter. If you were prior military, just knock on the door and ask what the current policy is. I think the confusion goes back to the days of covid lock down. To my understanding, military families are welcomed in as well. Again, just ask.
TSA? I would say this one of the best TSA operations going. Granted, the airport is rather small compared to LAX, or MIA. In my opinion, they do their job, and are as non-obtrusive as possible. Tough job even at a small airport like Ted Stevens IA.
Ted Stevens IA is a great place for travelers, I have enjoyed it every time I visit. I have visited there often, as I am an Alaskan, and it never gets old.