[mthq]

Wasilla and Palmer are two Alaskan towns that neighbor each other in the Matanuska Valley region of Alaska. A recent article from the Wall Street Journal made a correct observation when noting the difference between the two towns:

On Wasilla:

"...these days, the Alaskan town that launched Gov. Palin's political career feels more like the latest suburb than the last frontier".

"Wasilla has neither a planning nor a zoning board, and it shows".

On Palmer:

"Wasilla's smaller neighbor, Palmer, chose another path. While Wasilla has no Main St. business district to speak of, Palmer officials have preserved the small-town feel that President Franklin Roosevelt's planners envisioned".
source

Anyways we'll start with Wasilla:



Looking towards the city center


Main intersection






































Sarah Palin's former church


heading back to the center and taking the Palmer-Wasilla highway to Palmer








the sports arena that came during Palin's term. [edit: nevermind, this is NOT the sports facility built under Mayor Palin]



Palmer, Alaska



















































And now 35 miles south to Anchorage


home sweet home.