Anchorage, Alaska!
Alaska June 2022
We finally made it to Alaska! Paul and I decided to spend a week in Anchorage and take side trips from the city. Many people asked if we were taking a cruise but we wanted to see the streets of the towns and cities and most importantly for Paul, the National Parks. Alaska was the 49th state and it was MY 49th state. I’m so close to my goal of collecting all 50 states that there’s only Hawaii left!
I hadn’t thought much about Alaska until it was time to book the tickets and hotel. I pictured scarcely inhabited gray streets, strip malls and mountains. What I found in Anchorage instead was delicious food in cafes, restaurants and breweries. The mountains were stunning and so was the sea. There were moose everywhere that showed up in the craziest places. The locals were welcoming and fun to talk to. Our hotel was in midtown and it had a bird sanctuary next to the parking lot. There were baby seagulls and baby ptarmigans! Alaska is a wonderful place to vacation and it is now one of my favorite states!
The first full day Stephanie and I met up at Snow City Cafe for breakfast. This place was so unbelievably delicious! Probably the best hash browns in the United States, maybe the world, are served here (as well as omelets, gf toast with marionberry jelly, and Kaladi Brothers coffee). Afterwards we went to souvenir shops. Then Paul picked us up and we took pictures of Denali from the Captain Cook statue. We found a record store, a couple of Starbucks and then Walmart in Anchorage! The prettiest Walmart in all 50 states! Mountains in the background! Paul bought supplies and Stephanie and I bought local coffee! We ate lunch at The Bear Paw Bar and Grill where we had reindeer sausage stuffed jalapeños, pizza and grilled salmon. Paul and I went to an antique store and then for dinner we had a very delicious meal in the very charming and bustling Glacier Brewhouse. There was a zucchini pickle on the side of Paul’s hamburger that I want to try to make at home.
Paul drove to Wrangel Saint Elias National Park after dinner and Stephanie and I watched Family Feud.
The second day Stephanie and I went to Snow City Cafe again. It was amazing again! Then we met up with a tour group that took us around the city of Anchorage. We learned history and tried samples of local food in several places. It was so much fun to see the city and its outskirts through the eyes of a local. I bought sampler boxes from the Anchorage Sausage and Seafood Company and later some local jellies as well as reindeer jerky and salmon jerky. Stephanie loved this tour too. For dinner we ate at The Moose’s Tooth because their pizza is unbelievably delicious and Alaskan beers are really yummy too.
The third day Stephanie and I started the day a little later and had breakfast at Sami’s Diner. This was the best breakfast ever because there was a momma moose and two babies in front of the diner! We hid behind pickup trucks parked nearby and took pictures. I got a great video of Stephanie running away from the momma moose to get to the door of the diner! We could barely concentrate on ordering food because we were in happy shock that we had FINALLY seen a moose!
At 1:00 we got on a tour to see Portage Glacier and a wildlife preserve near it. This tour was great! The glacier was so beautiful and it’s always so much fun to be on a boat! The wildlife preserve was chock full of beautiful animals including a bald eagle that had decided to hang out there for the day. It wasn’t even part of the preserve. On the way back we saw beluga whales swimming in a pod. For dinner we met up with Paul at the Fat Ptarmigan for a flight of local ciders and delicious salads.
The fourth day we got up early and Paul drove us to Seward, Alaska. It is a small fishing village that is next to Kenai National Park. It was a beautiful drive and when we got there a cruise ship was in port. Paul dropped us off downtown and he drove on to Kenai Fjords National Park. Stephanie and I hit a coffee shop first that had once been a church. It was beautiful inside and they had French onion biscuits that were also gluten free! We walked to the cute shops around downtown Seward and then in the shops at the harbor. We ate a halibut lunch that was unbelievably tasty. Hours later Paul was finished with his hike and after he had a burger and tater tots we drove back to Anchorage. We saw another moose on the way back! When we got back to the hotel we said goodbye to Stephanie who was heading to the airport later that night. We drove four hours to Denali and fell asleep! I should also mention that on the way to Denali late that night (which is always sunny) two female moose stepped out on the highway and we nearly hit them! So many moose in Alaska!
The fifth day Paul and I got up early and drove into Denali National Park. As we drove toward the visitor center, yep, we saw a momma moose with a baby. We got to visit the kennels of the Alaskan huskies that rescue and work in the park. There was a demonstration and we got to pet them too. We went for a hike and saw horseshoe lake, a giant beaver dam and many beautiful mountain scenes. Afterwards we drove back to Anchorage and ate at a delicious Asian restaurant called Ginger. Ginger and Paul ate at Ginger. The spring rolls were incredible with a jalapeño mint dipping sauce and the panang beef curry bowl was one of the best dishes I’ve had this year. It was OUTSTANDING!
The sixth and last day of the trip Paul and I went on a short walk in a local park near the water. We ate lunch at 49th State Brewery. This place had everything and also everything Alaskan. Paul ate a very stacked Reuben sandwich and I had the fried halibut and chips. I also had the seafood chowder. So unbelievably good! We had crepes at a creperie we had passed a few times before. We went to Lazy Dog Antiques again for final souvenirs and then it was time for Paul to board his plane. I went back to the hotel, walked to a small coffee stand nearby called BOOM coffee, ordered a pizza from Guido’s near our hotel and then left for the airport myself. It was simply an unbelievable trip and I hope I get to visit again someday!
We finally made it to Alaska! Paul and I decided to spend a week in Anchorage and take side trips from the city. Many people asked if we were taking a cruise but we wanted to see the streets of the towns and cities and most importantly for Paul, the National Parks. Alaska was the 49th state and it was MY 49th state. I’m so close to my goal of collecting all 50 states that there’s only Hawaii left!
I hadn’t thought much about Alaska until it was time to book the tickets and hotel. I pictured scarcely inhabited gray streets, strip malls and mountains. What I found in Anchorage instead was delicious food in cafes, restaurants and breweries. The mountains were stunning and so was the sea. There were moose everywhere that showed up in the craziest places. The locals were welcoming and fun to talk to. Our hotel was in midtown and it had a bird sanctuary next to the parking lot. There were baby seagulls and baby ptarmigans! Alaska is a wonderful place to vacation and it is now one of my favorite states!
The first full day Stephanie and I met up at Snow City Cafe for breakfast. This place was so unbelievably delicious! Probably the best hash browns in the United States, maybe the world, are served here (as well as omelets, gf toast with marionberry jelly, and Kaladi Brothers coffee). Afterwards we went to souvenir shops. Then Paul picked us up and we took pictures of Denali from the Captain Cook statue. We found a record store, a couple of Starbucks and then Walmart in Anchorage! The prettiest Walmart in all 50 states! Mountains in the background! Paul bought supplies and Stephanie and I bought local coffee! We ate lunch at The Bear Paw Bar and Grill where we had reindeer sausage stuffed jalapeños, pizza and grilled salmon. Paul and I went to an antique store and then for dinner we had a very delicious meal in the very charming and bustling Glacier Brewhouse. There was a zucchini pickle on the side of Paul’s hamburger that I want to try to make at home.
Paul drove to Wrangel Saint Elias National Park after dinner and Stephanie and I watched Family Feud.
The second day Stephanie and I went to Snow City Cafe again. It was amazing again! Then we met up with a tour group that took us around the city of Anchorage. We learned history and tried samples of local food in several places. It was so much fun to see the city and its outskirts through the eyes of a local. I bought sampler boxes from the Anchorage Sausage and Seafood Company and later some local jellies as well as reindeer jerky and salmon jerky. Stephanie loved this tour too. For dinner we ate at The Moose’s Tooth because their pizza is unbelievably delicious and Alaskan beers are really yummy too.
The third day Stephanie and I started the day a little later and had breakfast at Sami’s Diner. This was the best breakfast ever because there was a momma moose and two babies in front of the diner! We hid behind pickup trucks parked nearby and took pictures. I got a great video of Stephanie running away from the momma moose to get to the door of the diner! We could barely concentrate on ordering food because we were in happy shock that we had FINALLY seen a moose!
At 1:00 we got on a tour to see Portage Glacier and a wildlife preserve near it. This tour was great! The glacier was so beautiful and it’s always so much fun to be on a boat! The wildlife preserve was chock full of beautiful animals including a bald eagle that had decided to hang out there for the day. It wasn’t even part of the preserve. On the way back we saw beluga whales swimming in a pod. For dinner we met up with Paul at the Fat Ptarmigan for a flight of local ciders and delicious salads.
The fourth day we got up early and Paul drove us to Seward, Alaska. It is a small fishing village that is next to Kenai National Park. It was a beautiful drive and when we got there a cruise ship was in port. Paul dropped us off downtown and he drove on to Kenai Fjords National Park. Stephanie and I hit a coffee shop first that had once been a church. It was beautiful inside and they had French onion biscuits that were also gluten free! We walked to the cute shops around downtown Seward and then in the shops at the harbor. We ate a halibut lunch that was unbelievably tasty. Hours later Paul was finished with his hike and after he had a burger and tater tots we drove back to Anchorage. We saw another moose on the way back! When we got back to the hotel we said goodbye to Stephanie who was heading to the airport later that night. We drove four hours to Denali and fell asleep! I should also mention that on the way to Denali late that night (which is always sunny) two female moose stepped out on the highway and we nearly hit them! So many moose in Alaska!
The fifth day Paul and I got up early and drove into Denali National Park. As we drove toward the visitor center, yep, we saw a momma moose with a baby. We got to visit the kennels of the Alaskan huskies that rescue and work in the park. There was a demonstration and we got to pet them too. We went for a hike and saw horseshoe lake, a giant beaver dam and many beautiful mountain scenes. Afterwards we drove back to Anchorage and ate at a delicious Asian restaurant called Ginger. Ginger and Paul ate at Ginger. The spring rolls were incredible with a jalapeño mint dipping sauce and the panang beef curry bowl was one of the best dishes I’ve had this year. It was OUTSTANDING!
The sixth and last day of the trip Paul and I went on a short walk in a local park near the water. We ate lunch at 49th State Brewery. This place had everything and also everything Alaskan. Paul ate a very stacked Reuben sandwich and I had the fried halibut and chips. I also had the seafood chowder. So unbelievably good! We had crepes at a creperie we had passed a few times before. We went to Lazy Dog Antiques again for final souvenirs and then it was time for Paul to board his plane. I went back to the hotel, walked to a small coffee stand nearby called BOOM coffee, ordered a pizza from Guido’s near our hotel and then left for the airport myself. It was simply an unbelievable trip and I hope I get to visit again someday!
