Anchorage
-Biking. Anchorage has some of the best bike trails in the the world. The Coastal Trail (2 hrs) is one of your best possibilities for seeing a moose.
-Saturday Market (1-2 hrs)
-Downtown Anchorage: good tourist shopping to be done here. Get an ulu knife. Try a reindeer sausage. Check out the Quiviut shop.
-Alaska Wild Berry. Boasts the largest chocolatefall in the world. Excellent chocolate and berry products, and great for all your last-minute tourist needs. Arctic Roadrunner burger joint is right down the road.
-The Alaska Zoo (2-3 hrs)
-Hiking:
Thunderbird Falls. A little ways from Anchorage. Great for beginners or kids.
Flattop. Intermediate to advanced. (3-4 hrs)
-One of the many museums
-Title Wave Books. Really fun used book store with lots of Alaskana and other kitschy things. A great place to pick up gifts for the people back home. Yummy local coffee shop next door.
Denali (6 hrs from Anchorage)
The grandaddy of all Alaska adventures. If you can spare the time and the cash, GO HERE. Private vehicles are not allowed inside the park, so book a tour on one of the park service's buses. BOOK EARLY.
Seward (2.5 hrs from Anchorage) If you can't go to Denali, Seward is the next best thing.
-Wildlife cruises: check out the links on Seward's website for options including half-day, full-day, and overnight cruises. A little pricey, but also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
-Hiking:
Mt. Marathon is an intense hike. Not for the faint of heart, and not recommended unless you're with someone who has hiked it before (all day).
Caines Head is also pretty cool. It's a 12 hour hike if you try to do it from the beach (due to waiting for low tide to clear part of the trail), or you can hire a water taxi to the base of the hill for a kinder, gentler experience. (Ask any of the Alaska Haines family about their experiences at Caines Head.) At the top of the hill is an old army bunker from WWII with amazing views on a clear day.
-Sea Life Center (1-2 hrs)
-Exit Glacier. (1-2 hrs) Absolutely amazing with incredible views. There are three different trails around the glacier. The first is almost like a sidewalk, not more than a few city blocks long, and takes you right up to the face of the glacier. The other two trails are for more intermediate walkers/hikers. Also has a nature center.
-Where to stay: Camping is available right on the shore if you bring a tent. Or maybe try a bed and breakfast in town.
Alyeska (1 hr from Anchorage)
-A good pair with Portage Glacier.
-Tram: take the tram to the top of the mountain for amazing views of the inlet. (1 hr)
-Hiking: Hike Mt. Alyeska (2 hrs), and get a free ride down on the tram ! Or try the Winner Creek Trail (1-2 hrs). Good for beginning to intermediate hikers through the beautiful Girdwood rain forest. Includes an easy-to-operate hand tram over an amazing gorge.
Portage Glacier (1 hr from Anchorage) (1-2 hrs)
-A good pair with any of the Alyeska activities.
Restaurants
-Moose's Tooth: best pizza around. The on-site brewery has the best beer in town. Pretty good homemade root beer and cream soda, too.
-Snow Goose: Outside patio with a good view of the Sleeping Lady. On-site brewery. Really good food. Located downtown.
-Glacier Brewhouse: A little higher end. On-site brewery. Located downtown.
-Snow City Cafe: EXCELLENT for breakfast and lunch. Try the breakfast burrito. Located downtown.
-The Bagel Restaurant. So, so yummy. Great for breakfast/brunch/lunch.
-Arctic Roadrunner: Great burgers, and a lovely view when you eat outside by the creek. Near Alaska Wild Berry.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Stuff to do in Alaska
Posted by JennandTyler at 2:36 PM 2 comments
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