Anchorage, Alaska

Travel Dates: September 2021

Hotel: Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Anchorage Midtown

The hotel is in a convenient location, has free parking and continental breakfast, and isn’t too pricey.

On a separate note, if you’re planning to travel to Alaska during peak seasons (mid-May through mid-September), make sure you book a car well in advance as all rental companies will sell out–this could have also been exacerbated by COVID.

Food:

Glacier Brewhouse is known for its house-brewed beer. We had their Blonde and a seasonal beer that had a pleasant and smooth note of coffee beans. I highly recommend the Alder Wood – Grilled Ribeye which is aged and nicely smoked. It gets pretty crowded so make sure to make a reservation.

Moose’s Tooth Pub & Pizzeria is one of the most popular restaurants in Anchorage. Though they are pretty generous with toppings, the pizza could use a bit more sauce. I did enjoy their Apple Ale which was delicious–like a hard cider.

Activities:

Bird Ridge Trailhead – not for the faint of heart! This steep climb gains about 3,500+ feet in elevation and has limited flat areas to rest. Round trip was about 6 hours for us. Our hike started off in a forested area, with trees providing ample amount of shade during our climb up the mountain. Once you are out of the tree-lines (~1.5 hours in), you’ll start scaling rocks and then eventually see a memorial bench which is about 40% of the way up. The memorial is dedicated to a teenage boy who got mauled by a bear during a race on the mountain.

After the bench, it gets steeper and parts of the trail is on the edge of the ridge. There will eventually be a couple of different paths to reach the top; pick whichever one looks easiest to you.

The views at the top and throughout the hike are breathtaking, but is it worth it? If you are down for the challenge and ready to feel the leg burn for several days, then yes–but note this is definitely a difficult hike. Otherwise an easier alternative than Bird Ridge (yet still challenging at 1,300+ feet in elevation) is Flattop Mountain which should provide nice views as well.

What you should bring on this hike:

• Bear Spray! – it’s important to bring it on any hike in Alaska. Bears may randomly show up on a hike, like what happened to the teenage boy, and bear spray can be a difference between life or death. You can buy it at a Walmart, REI, etc. in Anchorage or do what we did: borrow bear spray from a hotel’s front desk. Hotels may have bear sprays given to them from guests leaving Alaska because bear spray is prohibited on flights.
• Enough water – we brought ~2.5 liters of water for two people and ran out on the way down
• Food – make sure it’s packaged and sealable so bears do not smell it easily
• Layered clothing – it’s windy and cold at the top of the ridge; layers will be helpful with temperature changes throughout the hike
• Hiking poles – comes in handy with steep inclines and loose rocks

Be aware of a lack of trail marks. Coming down the mountain, we got lost at one point and started scaling down rocks on an unrecognizable path and ended up at a dead-end.

Another heads up, there is a $5 collection box at the entrance of the trail. It seems like it’s an honor system but if you do get caught not paying, you will be fined.

Legends Aviation (in Willow) – we had a private 1.5 hour airplane tour in a Cessna (fits 4 people including the pilot) that took us over Knik River and the glaciers. Getting an aerial view allows you to truly see how massive these glaciers are. What was most exciting about this tour was whoever sat next to the pilot had the chance to fly the plane for a bit, and the flying time could count towards your private pilot license if interested. Our pilot, Mallory, was very accommodating and a great tour guide. We highly recommend this, especially if you want the chance to fly the plane yourself!

Hatcher Pass (drive between Willow and Palmer) – scenic mountain drive on an unpaved road which is best suited for SUVs. Even though we drove through it in a sedan, having a vehicle with more ground clearance would’ve certainly made the drive easier. You can probably skip this unless you have time to kill or just enjoy driving. Best route is starting from Palmer and heading towards Willow because this goes down the mountain so the views are generally nicer.

Alaska State Fair (in Palmer) – if you’re looking for an “All-American” experience, this is the place to go. The Alaska State Fair is held every year from late August through early September. Tickets this year were $13 per person and a $5 parking fee per vehicle. Alaska State Fair has events/exhibits, amusement park rides, food stalls, drinking halls, and performances. We enjoyed the Lumberjack show and Monster Truck show. The Lumberjack show is a competition where you see logrolling, axe throwing, chopping and sawing races, etc. The Monster Truck show (which costs extra) was loud, fun, and exhilarating.

These events follow a schedule, which you can view online or also get in a brochure at the fair. In terms of what else costs extra: rides at the amusement park, food and drinks, and the main concert each evening. The food is fine, although pricey because you’re at a fair. We had fried halibut and a huge cream puff which were both delicious. There was also a salmon cooking contest where we got to sample small, salmon dishes for free.

Overall the State Fair is a fun event if you want a relaxing day or have nothing else to do. It’s also especially great for kids. Just be prepared to shell out a decent amount of money.