Until this summer, Pablo's had been in front of the inn for seven years -- a good spot for snagging tourists.
"The who world passes you buy here: airplane pilots, people from Germany, Turkey. Lots of folks come, coming to Anchorage to check it out," Woodside said.
Visitors also check out the prices on bike rentals, and Lifetime Adventures wasted no time lowering them. Pablo's used to charge $15 for three hours, but now it charges $12 to match the price across the street. There's also the solstice special.
"Overnight, $25 -- you can take the bike and ride up to Flattop if you want, check out the non-sunset tonight," Woodside said.
"We do have $24 for the day," Portillo said.
On a beautiful day in mid-June the bicycles practically rent themselves, and there's no shortage of tourists. You might say Pablo's had cornered the market when it was the only bike-rental business at the inn's intersection.
"Not any more -- definitely not any more," Portillo said.
Yet another challenge comes from just down the block.
"Well, we got three hours for $10," said Chicago tourist Adam Tepper. "I guess you can't pass up this kind of bargain."
The bargain, $2 less than either shop at Pablo's corner, comes courtesy of Ben Jones, who opened the K Street Convenience Store and bike-rental business across from the Hotel Captain Cook. Jones used to run his Coast Trail Rentals bike business at another location, but now he's offering something new: electric-assisted bicycles, great for people with knee or hip problems.
"The initial reaction for most people is, ‘Oh, that's lazy or cheating,' or whatever their reaction is going to be," Jones said. "But if you ask me, if it gets somebody on a bike then you get more exercise handling a bicycle than they ever would driving a vehicle."
Competition brings innovation -- and for tourists it's no longer an uphill battle, giving them more choices and a motorized boost. All of these options make biking an even more attractive option for those looking for a day trip.
"We've done a boat, we've done a helicopter, we've done a float plane -- this is something different," said Chicago tourist Sarah Schlundt.
The tourists from Chicago say they can't believe how quiet it is here. Other bike enthusiasts say the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail is one of the top ten trails in the nation to ride, if not No. 1.
Tourism seems to be up this year, a trend which is helping the bottom line for bicycle rentals.
Contact Rhonda McBride at rmcbride@ktuu.com
