ANCHORAGE
My family took a summer trip to Alaska. We were fortunate to have family in Anchorage and we used it as our home base. When I was planning our trip I quickly realized there was so much to discover in Alaska and there was no way it could be done in two weeks. So, with our home base in Anchorage, we were able to spend the Anchorage area, Denali National park area, Whittier, and Seward area (and all the spaces in between).
Days 1-4 Exploring Anchorage area (highlights)
Hike Flattop Mountain– There are sooo many great trails to explore in the Chugach Mountains and they are were just a few minutes away from Anchorage. We spent a couple days on different trails in the area but a very popular hike is Flattop mountain. It is short but steep with a bit of scrambling near the top. (2.8 mi RT with 1345 ft elevation gain)
The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail
The coastal trail is a beautiful trail that winds along the coast from downtown Anchorage to Kincaid park. The trail is 22 miles round trip and along the way you move through Westchester Lagoon, Ship Creek, Earthquake Park. You can soak in the beautiful, ocean, mudflats, mountains, moose and if you are lucky on a clear day to see Mt. McKinley.
We chose to rent e-bikes from Pablo’s Bicycle Rentals. Their location was just a block or so from the trail. We spent about 2 hours on the trail and were lucky enough to see 6 moose along the way!
Alaska Native Heritage Center
If you want to get a glimpse into the culture, the Alaskan Native Heritage Center was a fun way to explore and learn of the Alaskan people through live demonstrations, a tour through villages, and enjoy art galleries.
FUN eats in Anchorage
I have to admit that we were fed a lot by the wonderful family we were staying with so we didn’t have to spend much on eating out while in Anchorage. We did, however enjoy some delicious bites a couple of times:
Moose’s Tooth Pub and Pizzaria – delicious pizza (a bit on the gourmet side and a bit higher prices to go with it). Be prepared for a long wait for this popular pub or choose to go before the dinner rush!
Wild Scoops Ice Cream – delicious and fun ice cream. Prepare to see a line out the door most of the time!
Motley Moo Creamery – we enjoyed this ice cream just as much and there were no crowds when we visited.
For some fun souvenier shopping we enjoyed:
Alaska Berry Products (yes, a chocolate fountain)
The Kobuk
The Ulu Factory
There are many shops, art galleries and fun local stores to wander through when downtown!
After four fun filled days of Anchorage, it was time to move north toward Denali. See Onward to Denali for our fun itinerary!!
