As a nurse, I’ve been trying to take more quick trips on my days off versus taking multiple weeks off to go places. This has been working out really well, and most recently, I took a trip to Anchorage, Alaska, where my friend Betsey lives! If you want to learn about Alaskan Airlines and all things Alaska, she is your gal! Check out her instagram, HerAlaskaTravels.
I’m so grateful I met Betsey (through Instagram!) We have already had a few really fun adventures, and she was my tour guide for Alaska on this trip, which was so invaluable! Here’s what we got up to for the 3 days I was there! Of course, if you’re visiting Anchorage and are looking for a place to stay, you can find some options here.
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Arrive in Anchorage
I flew SJC to ANC, leaving San Jose at 6 am and arriving in Anchorage around 2:30 pm. Unfortunately, there aren’t a ton of places you can fly from without laying over in Seattle. That was my story this trip there and back. I had a 3 hour layover in Seattle, so I spent some time in the Priority Pass lounge (courtesy of my Chase CC, which at the time of this post, has a 75k bonus!)
Anyways, I arrived in Anchorage, and Betsey picked me up at the airport. The time change from California is only an hour later, which I was surprised by! We went straight to a quirky little cafe called Middle Way Cafe. We decided to split the BALTO (Bacon, Avocado, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion) sandwich and I got a coffee. Both were delish! Their pastries looked really good as well.
Downtown Anchorage
That evening, after meeting her little girl and husband and having a home cooked dinner, we all went into downtown Anchorage to get an ice cream! Wild Scoops is a little walk-up shop with some of the yummiest ice creams handcrafted in Alaska! I had to order the “baked Alaska” to top off my chocolate cone. It’s a marshmallow fluff that they torch to be like a roasted marshmallow. It was basically a s’mores ice cream!
While we ate our ice cream, we walked all over the downtown. It isn’t that big, which makes it super walkable! Anchorage has some cute street art and a cool solar system installation! Plus, of course, being on the water, there are amazing views. I definitely recommend taking a stroll – however, keep in mind that Anchorage does have quite a few homeless around and people might approach you asking for money or food.
Anchorage to Seward
After a great nights sleep (thanks to the blackout curtains!), we got up the next morning with plans to drive about 2.5-3 hours north to Seward, Alaska. This was one of the most incredible drives I’ve ever been on. Truly, the nature in Alaska compares to nowhere else I’ve been. The mountains are everywhere. The water is everywhere. And we had great weather with super sunny days. We had the little one with us, and, you want to make sure to stop a few places along the way, so here are my recommendations.
Girdwood
Our first stop was about 45 minutes outside of Anchorage. It was really the perfect amount of time to be in the car, enjoy the views, and there are quite a few good spots to pull off for photo ops on the way to Girdwood. When you get to the outskirts of town, there is a gas station right where you will turn to go into the town. It’s a small town with a few fun little places to go and some hiking if you want to get out and stretch your legs.
Virgin Creek Falls Trail
If you want a quick but gorgeous hike, this is the one! The initial trail is only a quarter mile long, so it’s really short and not difficult at all. It was still a bit wet and icy, so I do recommend still wearing good shoes on this trail. The end of the trail is the falls, which are stunning! If you want to, you can continue up from the falls and go further down the trail. We didn’t do this, but I’m sure it’s beautiful. I’d recommend having bear spray along if you can, just because Girdwood is known for having bears around.
The Grind Coffeehouse
If you want a pick-me-up, The Grind Coffeehouse is a great spot in Girdwood for a coffee or tea. I chatted a bit with the barista and she recommended an oatmeal cream latte – the flavor was great! The place is super quirky and you can buy all sorts of trinkets. There is even a little box of toys for kids to play with, which was helpful since we had a 2.5 year old with us!
Seward
From Girdwood, we continued on to Seward. The distance is not that bad, but there is a lot of road construction going on, so it takes a bit longer. Luckily, the little one got a nap, and we were able to admire the incredible views along the way!
Once we got into town, we went to the cabin we were staying in with 2 of Betsey’s friends! Miller’s Landing Cabins are right along the water. They have electric outlets, an indoor fireplace, and our cabin had a bed downstairs and 3 beds up in the lofts. Outside, we had a picnic table and a fire pit with amazing views. The bathrooms are communal at this site, and were a quick walk from our cabin.
If you want something a bit bougier and bigger, down the street from Miller’s Landing is Salted Roots. These cabins look AMAZING! They do a lot of weddings as well if you are looking for a good venue for an elopement or small intimate ceremony in Alaska.
The Flamingo Lounge
After unloading the car, we decided to go back into town to get dinner at The Flamingo Lounge. This was such a cool place because it used to be an old bar in the 50’s! It still has some of that charm, which you can see in the decor and the atmosphere. I’d love to go back there and try more of their food and drinks. This would also be a good place to just grab a drink at their bar.
Anyways, I shared the 28 dollar sandwich with one of the girls (it was massive, so this was a good option), and I also tried the halibut chowder. So yummy! Betsey had the burger in the picture below which she said was great! Oh, and I can’t forget the appetizers we all shared! The bourbon glazed ginger carrots, bacon wrapped dates (devils on horseback), and fries were all delicious. We each tried one of their specialty drinks – you can choose from their list of alcohol and alcohol-free libations.
We took a little stroll through downtown and along the pier with all the different boats after dinner. It was nice to get some fresh air and see more of Seward. Seward is mainly a fishing and port town, so there isn’t always a ton going on, especially in the off season. We went back to the cabin, started a fire, and enjoyed some more drinks by the water before heading to bed.
Seward to Anchorage
The next morning after packing up the car, we went to a local coffee shop in Seward. Resurrect Art Coffeehouse is an old church that has been turned into a coffeehouse, plus sells local art and crafts. They have tons of jewelry, hats, stickers, cards, and wall art to look at and buy. I got some incredible earrings, a knit hat, and a couple of stickers. I also ordered the Almond Joy latte, which was really good, along with their blueberry coffeecake scone. All of the treats looked really good!
We spent an hour or two there relaxing and enjoying our breakfast with views, and then we were headed back to Anchorage. I actually went back with Betsey’s friends because she had to get back to Anchorage early for some appointments. I’m glad I stayed behind because we made some more fun stops on the way back!
Kenai Lake
One of the first bodies of water you will see when you leave Seward (or the last one you’ll see before arriving) is Kenai Lake. This area is home to the Kenai Fjords, which are a big tourist attraction. We didn’t see the fjords, but the lake is insane! Going into Seward, I was amazed by the color of the water – bright turquoise blue. But on the way out, there was less wind, so there wasn’t a ripple on the water. It was like a mirror of the mountains and the clear blue sky! I was entranced. We had to stop off, and I think the pictures speak for themselves.
Whittier
This little town is literally home to 250 people. The interesting thing, is that you have to go through a tunnel to get to it. Unless, of course, you are coming from the ocean on a boat or cruise ship, the tunnel is the only way in. Now, you might think, so what. It’s just a tunnel. That’s what I thought too at first. This tunnel is unlike anything I’ve seen before.
First, you have to stop at the booth and pay the toll to go through (it gives you both ways). The cost is $13 for a normal car. I’m not sure if it is more for a truck or a larger vehicle. Second, you have to wait in line at the different lights based on the type of vehicle you are in. The cars going into Whittier get the green lights on the half hour, the cars leaving Whittier get the green lights on the top of the hour. All this to say, we got there at 2 pm and had to wait 30 minutes just to go through the tunnel to get into town.
Once you are driving, you will see why. The tunnel is a one lane road that also has a railroad track built on it. So, you can imagine if a train has to come through, you’d be waiting even longer to get to pass through! It was so quirky and strange, but I really loved every second of it. These are the kinds of things that make places so unique! I would definitely recommend taking the time to go to Whittier.
The other major thing to note is that nothing is going on or open during the off season. We were there right on the cusp of things, so it wasn’t really picking up yet. June or July would be a better time to go! However, we did find a diner to have lunch in. We were planning to eat at a restaurant in the hotel in Whittier, but it was under major renovations. It would be cool to go back and see that! Anyways, we all just ordered BLTs and a bottle of beer and called it good!
We had a time limit so we wouldn’t get stuck in Whittier an hour longer waiting for the tunnel, so we drove around town a bit to see the shops and then left. Again, this would be a more entertaining stop in the busy season (summer). You can check out their website for all the goings on.
Girdwood
The other girls didn’t stop in Girdwood on the way to Seward, so we made another stop on the way back. I didn’t mind at all! I think Girdwood is such a cute fun town. I’d definitely want to live somewhere like that if I was in Alaska.
We went back to the little waterfall hike, and then we decided to go to the Girdwood Brewing Company for a local beer! I was so glad we did this because I’d been wanting to try some local Alaskan beer. Girdwood Brewing Co has won a few awards in Alaska, too! The “Down The Chute” was really good and refreshing – the sun was strong and we sat outside for a bit to enjoy the day. After chatting with a few people, we headed back on the road towards Anchorage.
Potter Marsh Wildlife Viewing Boardwalk
Right outside of Anchorage when you’re coming from Girdwood is a little boardwalk above some marshlands. We decided to stop to see if we could see any moose! If you didn’t know, Alaska is very well-known for having moose around (along with bears). I somehow hadn’t seen one yet, so we walked along the boardwalk to see if we’d get lucky. Unfortunately, we didn’t. But it is still a cool stop, and a much safer way to see some moose than it would be while hiking.
Explore More of Anchorage
On day 3, we were back in Anchorage and Betsey wanted to show me more of her city! I was excited to explore some more and try some good food. It didn’t disappoint!
Snow City
If you eat anywhere for brunch in Anchorage, it should definitely be Snow City! My food was delicious, the coffee was great, and although there was a wait to be seated, they let you order and pay for your drinks at the counter while you wait. I loved this because we were both in dire need of caffeine that morning!
Anchorage Museum
The Anchorage museum is a really great place to learn more about Alaska and is also super interactive for kids. I loved it and could have spent hours and hours in there! The art alone was so beautiful, but the exhibits on salmon, the oil fields, and how Alaskan natives live are so interesting! Tickets are $25 for adults, which might feel a bit pricey, but I honestly feel is worth it. If you live in Anchorage, the family membership is probably the way to go.
You can buy your tickets at the museum or you can get them here in advance. This is a great activity for a cold, snowy or rainy day, too!
Organic Oasis
We decided to stop by Organic Oasis for a smoothie before heading back to the house to relax and do a little bit of work. It is a little cafe, but also does juice and smoothies. We didn’t order food here since it was late afternoon by this point and we knew we’d be eating dinner fairly soon. However, their menu looks great and the smoothie was really fruity and yummy!
For dinner that night, we got salad stuff and brought fresh caught Alaskan salmon to Betsey’s friend Star’s house north of the city. Betsey’s husband is a fisherman, so he actually caught (and cooked!) the fish for us. Star’s place is INCREDIBLE! Great views and a beautiful home, it was a great way to end my stay in Alaska.
The next morning I had to get up super early to get to the airport. Luckily, that Alaskan sun had be bright eyed and bushy tailed in no time! I can’t wait to visit again and see more of the Anchorage area, but also more of this gorgeous state! Maybe I’ll even get a travel nursing contract there someday!
If you want more ideas for quick trips, be sure to read about the 3 days I spent in Austin, Texas!
