This was the extent of my moose spotting!
My first taste of a reindeer hotdog. Sooooo incredibly delicious.
Reindeer is both sweet and savory.
Bears both stuffed and statues were ubiquitous sightings around Anchorage.
The Anchorage trolley is wonderful because for $15 dollars, it will take visitors to points of interest around the city. It will also transport visitors to the Native Heritage Center outside of town.
Everywhere, there were reminders of Alaskan native people. Unfortunately, the Native Heritage Center was not open.
Poor Ohm, already subjected to his mommy's love for corny photo ops. He was less than impressed- as usual.
Ohm took his first independent walk here in Anchorage. He had his first sidewalk spill here as well.
There were many overcast days :(
The Alaska visitor center is a great resource
The streets of Anchorage were kind of eerily deserted. It wasn't that cold out?!?
“Alaska, The Last Frontier”
The air is thin and weighted by the heavy aroma of spruce sap. Golden are the mountains, the horizon, and the sharp leaves of the sycamore maple. The chill though not overpowering, is immediate, punctuated by the coastal wind.
Alaska is an exotic northern wonder. Clean, crisp, rugged, and hearty, it’s the kind of place that welcomes you warmly with open arms and leaves it’s mark.
Anchorage is a charming small “big city.” Quaint and spread out, Anchorage is tourist friendly, family friendly, foodie friendly, beer connoisseur friendly, eco-friendly and an all around great place to launch your exploration of Alaska.
Anchorage has no shortage of good food. There a dozens of locally owned restaurants to choose from. When dining out, you must sample the fresh salmon, you’ve got to try reindeer, and you should sample the local favorite- sourdough flapjacks. If you’re a beer drinker, you’ll be at home in Anchorage. It seemed every restaurant boasted a home brew. The taps were literally overflowing.
Anchorage is full of nature trails. You can walk or rent a bike and venture out for the day. Now the locals will tell you that you can spot a moose or a bear on any given day, but don’t get your hopes up too high. I didn’t have one single sighting and I tried, I tried so badly. I was there for ten days and nothing. Apparently the spring brings the most sightings.
Speaking of seasons, you need to plan your trip to Alaska based upon the season. Here’s a tip, and it’s a big tip, the best time to visit Anchorage (depending on what you want) is between late spring and late summer if you would like to see the cultural sites and go on tours. Many of the tours and sites close for the winter due to the drop in tourism and let’s be real, the frigid temperatures. Winter, is the time to visit if you’d like to experience the northern light show – (aurora borealis) however. I visited in mid-September and most of the tours had just finished for the year. I really wanted to visit the Native Heritage Center, which was closed and I was a week late to take advantage of the free downtown trolley tours. There was also a really cool looking haunted ghost tour that I wanted to take but I was a week late for that as well. September was too early in the year to see the aurora borealis but it was the perfect time to see one of the most beautiful autumn leave displays I’ve ever seen. I can’t complain, I simply have to return.