So I have wanted to go to Alaska for a long time and it was finally time to stop putting it off. I usually like to plan a few trips during the summer to escape the Arizona heat, so I decided my Alaska trip would be for May. Like with all my trips I did an excess amount of research and planned a few activities. So let’s skip all the boring planning and get to the good stuff…
Thursday, May 12, 2022
Like most of my trips this one started a few hours after I got off of work to maximize my adventure time. After arriving home from work I did a few last minute checks of my suitcase and carryon and then it was time to summon my ride. My Lyft ride arrived and I was off to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. If you’ve ever met me you would know that I’m a bit awkward around new people, but I always try to speak to my rideshare drivers if they seem interested. On this particular ride, my Lyft driver was the talkative type and asked where i was headed. I told him that I was headed to Anchorage, Alaska and he responded that he lived there for four years. He was a commercial fisherman before he retired and moved to Arizona. He lived in multiple cities in Alaska and gave me great information about Alaska.
So after a very informative conversation during my drive to the airport, it was time for check in. Over the years I’ve traveled through Sky Harbor a multitude of times, so this wasn’t my first rodeo. However this was my first time traveling since the mask mandate ended, so things seemed a bit more relaxed. I’m a big advocate for mask wearing due to Covid-19, but my anxiety make it a little tense. It was actually nice not having to rush to place my mask back on after eating or drinking, but that’s a debate for another day. Even though I have TSA Precheck I still show up to the airport two hours before, because I’m a paranoid nut about being late for my flight. With arriving early, I’m a friend to airport bars so I made a stop at SanTan Brewing in the airport and enjoyed a beer. I had decided to take some time off from alcohol before this trip, so this was the first beer in three weeks and it hit the spot. And before I knew it, it was time for my first flight of two of the day.
After an uneventful flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor, I arrived at SeaTac International Airport. I had a long two hour layover in Seattle before my flight so I checked to see if there was an airport lounge to spend my time. I was feeling lazy and didn’t feel like going to another terminal to find a lounge so i visited Trail Head BBQ Bar instead. My Priority Pass gave me a $28 credit towards my visit, so this was a win-win. So after enjoying some food and a beer, it was time for my flight to Anchorage.
So my flight from Seattle to Anchorage was uneventful and I arrived in Anchorage after 9pm Alaska time. When I originally booked my flight I was supposed to arrive in around 6pm, before the airline changed the times. I usually like to arrive in cities before sunset for some unknown reason, so I was surprised with how light it was still was after 9pm even though it was cloudy and rainy upon my arrival to Anchorage. After picking up my luggage at the baggage claim, I headed to the exit and summoned a ride to my hotel. My Lyft driver at Anchorage Airport was a talkative Alaskan born and raised and gave me lots of restaurant and bar recommendation when he found out I was from Arizona and had never been to Alaska before. Upon arrival at my hotel, Four Points by Sheraton Anchorage Downtown, I checked in without issue and decided to turn in for the night since at the point I had been up for over 24 hours.
Friday, May 13, 2022
So after a refreshing night sleep, I awoke with a need for adventure and ventured out into the streets of Downtown Anchorage. So with turning in early, I wasn’t able to sleep long and I was out and mobile before 5:00 AM Alaska time. With it being just 40 degrees and a little drizzly, I dressed accordingly in my long sleeve shirt, vest, and jeans. I only had one activity scheduled for the day at 10AM, so I had some time to kill and explore. After walking around, exploring, and taking photos of course, I decided it was time for some breakfast. I ended up stopping at the White Spot Cafe which was a cozy little diner. During my research of Anchorage I found one particular food item that grabbed my attention and to my surprise it was on the menu of the first place I went. So I ordered the Reindeer Breakfast which was composed a locally made jumbo link sausage with two eggs, potatoes, and toast. My first interaction with reindeer sausage was a good one. With breakfast done, It was time to continue exploring. So after a bit of exploring I ventured over to the Visit Anchorage Visitor Information Center which also was the meeting point for my first scheduled activities.
My first scheduled activity was the Deluxe Tour on the Anchorage Trolley. Captain Cook Monument, Earthquake Park, Lake Hood and Downtown Anchorage Viewpoint.
After the tour concluded, we were dropped back off where we started in front of the Visit Anchorage Visitor Information Center. Upon exiting the trolley I noticed a food cart had set up since we left, so feeling a little hungry I ventured closer. Tia’s Gourmet was the name of the food cart and Anchorage’s favorite sausage was the first thing on the menu. So I grabbed a hot reindeer sausage with grilled onions and I was on my way to explore Anchorage once again on foot.
After walking a bit I found myself in front of 49th State Brewing Company and decided to venture inside. While sitting at the bar I sampled a few beers, before deciding what I wanted to have a full glass of the Blonde Eagle Ale. I ultimately decided on the and I was give a bowl of their Smōk Glazed Popcorn (Popcorn coated in their Smōk Lager and jalapeño glaze) which was a pleasant surprise. Even though the popcorn was good, I restrainted myself since something on the menu caught my eye. I ordered the Yak-a-Dilla which as the name suggested was filled with Alaskan-raised yak with Alaska 8 Star Lager as my second beer. After the reindeer sausage, Yak-a-dilla, popcorn, and a couple beers in the span of a couple hours, it was time to continue exploring.
So after a bit more exploring, I decided it was time to find a restroom and a bar for a drink. I stumbled across a place called The Broken Blender and checked it out inside. With it being relatively early on a Friday afternoon there wasn’t much of a crowd which is actually to my liking. To my surprise I was offered a food menu, but I declined since I had stuffed myself quite recently. This bar had beers from multiple local breweries on tap and I ultimately went with the Alaskan Brewing Amber Ale. My second beer was the Railroad Golden Ale from Bearpaw River Brewing Company. I had my fill of beer at this point and decided to finish this stop with an Old Fashioned. I walked back to my hotel with the intention of taking a quick nap before doing some more exploring, but I forgot to set an alarm. Oh well, it was some good sleep before the next days grand adventure.
Saturday, May 14, 2022
So after my ”quick” nap turned into a full night sleep, I woke up at around 2:30 AM. I looked through the small amount of my photos from the previous day, dwelling on how that nap squandered valuable time. But there wasn’t much time to dwell, because now it was time to set off on a day of adventure. I double checked my messenger bag, dressed warmly, and departed my hotel heading to the train station. Even though it was only 5:30 AM it was quite bright out as I made the 15 minute walk to the train station. I arrived at the train station at 5:45AM, one hour before departure time as per boarding instructions. Checking in and receiving my boarding pass only took about five minutes including waiting in line. With the train station bustling I decided to wait outside and enjoy the fresh air. Sometime had passed and I reentered the train station a little before the announcement that the train would be boarding in 15 minutes.
So during my Alaska research I stumbled across an article taking about scenic train ride on the Alaska Railroad. I did some further research and found that during my stay I could do a 15 hour roundtrip to the port city of Seward with a fun activity while in Seward. This train ride was my second scheduled activity of my Alaska trip. On this particular itenary offered two levels of service Adventure Class and Goldstar Service. With the included perks, I went for Goldstar Service and I was not disappointed. So on that cool May morning I boarded Car B of the Coastal Classic train to Seward. After boarding I climbed the small spiral staircase to the upper level. I walked passed the bar at the back of the car and found my seat 13D right by the window. Even if I didn’t have a window seat, the glass dome would have provided great views along the way. After about ten minutes after boarding we were on our way to Seward. I spent the next hour taking multiple photos and videos as we made our way down the tracks. Goldstar service included breakfast in the lower level dining car, but due to seating restraints solo travelers would be paired up with another group. In the dining car I was seated with an older couple from Anchorage which this point will be refered to as the Anchorage couple due to privacy concerns and also because I immedately forgot their names after introductions. When they found out that I was from Arizona and never been to Alaska before, they regaled me with much needed information about Alaska.
Once the train arrived in Seward, it was time to disembark and head to my next adventure. I walked from the train to the harbor and boarded the Kenai Fjords 360 for a six hour tour. On the boat, each person is assigned a table on the climate controlled interior of the boat. Just like on the train, I was seated with a couple from Wisconsin. Once again I forgot their names almost immedtaly, so I will refer to them as the Wisconsin couple. They had been to Alaska multiple times, so they were able to give me some recommendations on things to see in Alaska. I also asked them about Wisconsin, since it’s still on my U.S. states to visit list.
After the grand adventure on the water, it was time to board the train back to Anchorage. I had a mere five minutes to stop in a gift shop in Seward to grab a magnet, but mission accomplished. On the train ride back I was in Car A once again on the Gold Star level. After ascending the tight spiral staircase, I found my seat and settled in for the ride. Once the train started down the tracks I got a bit antsy, because photo opportunities where still available. I got out of my seat and ventured to the end of the train car to the open air section.
Sunday, May 15, 2022
So with my weekend trips I have a tendency to fill my schedule full, but I’ve learned over time to leave a free day. Sunday was my free day and I decided to spend it eating and drinking my way through the various establishments in Downtown Anchorage. So after walking around town I found myself at F Street Station for breakfast at a cozy restarant/bar.
Next I stop at Pioneer Bar, where the bartender was nice enough to let me place a sticker.
After Pioneer Bar I stopped at The Gaslight Bar, which was an interesting place with a mechanical bull ride in the center.
Some time had passed and now it was time for some lunch as I stopped at Tent City Taphouse.
After lunch I decided to do so more exploring around Downtown Anchorage taking lots of photos along the way. I made the way down to Valley of the Moon Park in an attempt to see some wildlife. There wasn’t any wildlife out, but it was still a nice walk.
After a long walk it was time to grab some dinner before returning to my hotel room for the night. For dinner I stopped at Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse. I had this incredible dish called Crabby Patty Melt with a couple more great Alaskan beers on the side.
Monday, May 16, 2022
So another early morning as I made my way to the Anchorage Airport via Lyft. My driver was not the talkative type, so it was a silent ride. The Anchorage Airport is not a huge airport, but the security lines were long for how early it was in the morning. Luckily my TSA Precheck got me through security quickly. The flight from Anchorage to Seattle was uneventful. I had a two plus hour layover in Seattle, before my flight to Phoenix. Once again my flight was uneventful. Since I’m a glutton for punishment, I had to be to work less than four hours from when I got home.
Final Words
I only got to explore a very small portion of Alaska, but I was throughly impressed. I definitely will have to visit Alaska again. I’m considering taking the Alaska Railroad again, but next time going north to Fairbanks. So if you’ve been thinking about visiting Alaska, just go ahead and book the trip. Until next time, go out and have some adventure.
