We just got back from the longest trip we've been on in years, visiting Alaska and Washington state with my parents and sister! For anyone reading who does not know, my mom was born and raised in Alaska. We were all last there in 2002; she really wanted to go back, and the rest of us were definitely enthusiastic. This was Scott's first time visiting Alaska, and he was very impressed with the beautiful scenery.
We used Anchorage as a base of operations and made some side trips, including to Talkeetna (with hopes of getting views of Mt. Denali) and Seward (to take a cruise in Resurrection Bay). Some advice for my future self and for anyone else wanting to travel to Alaska: The bulk of Alaska's tourism is concentrated in the summer months. I have no statistics to back this up, but my impression is that most tourists to Alaska take cruises. These cruises overwhelm small towns (and honestly, even cities like Anchorage) when they come to port. Cruise-goers also take trains in order to travel into the interior, particularly to go to Denali National Park. All of this is to say, plan very early if you don't plan on taking a cruise with a predetermined itinerary. My mom had a terrible time getting lodging in Talkeetna, and she had to change the day that we traveled by train to Seward because the train was booked up. You may need to make reservations well in advance if you feel strongly about eating in certain restaurants. You also may be eating a lot of early bird dinners to try to beat the crowds. One thing that fascinated me wherever I went, is that Alaska seemed awash in tourism infrastructure (sometimes there seemed to be more of that than things like supermarkets or pharmacies that might benefit the locals), but yet it doesn't seem to be sufficient for current demand.
So, here are some impressions (and photos!) from Anchorage. You can see lovely scenery in pretty much any direction. There are some good food options downtown, where we stayed (shout out to Fire Island Bakery, particularly their peanut butter cream cookies!). One thing that I found very sad was the amount of homelessness I saw, particularly among Alaska natives. Clearly, not everyone is benefitting equally from tourism dollars. I highly recommend the Alaska Native Heritage Center, where you can learn about traditional culture of Alaska natives from around the state. I particularly liked the outdoor exhibition of traditional homes.
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Our hotel warned us of a very Alaskan hazard.
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Wildflowers, including my mom's favorite, fireweed
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Large flock of seagulls!
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Replica of traditional dwelling at Alaska Native Heritage Center
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| Totem pole at Alaska Native Heritage Center |
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