Alaskan Travel Advice for Mariah

Published: Friday, June 24^th, 2022, at 12:39 PM Alaska Time

Hi Mariah,

Hey here’s a list of some things you might want to do while you’re here. These are all great things to do in July. 

July is probably the best time to come and visit.

• I would stay in Anchorage, and make that a main base if possible, with smaller stays in other locations you might drive to. If it’s farish away, you might be too tired to make trips back, and it could be kinda dangerous driving. Hotels might be expensive though. They are super expensive in the summer, and super cheap in the winter.  I’d classify things to do as
  • In Anchorage
  • South of Anchorage
  • North of Anchorage
• The more breathtaking things are probably outside of Anchorage, but there are amazing things in town too.

In Anchorage

• Moose’s Tooth restaurant. Must go local/tourist spot. Pizza, beer, etc..
• Flat Top. It’s a cool place to climb up and get a nice view of the mountains and the city from up above.  South of Anchorage

Everything below is a reasonable drive away.

• Girdwood/Alyeska. I wold go there to see the ski resort, hike, and maybe get some dinner. The scenery is pretty amazing and the mountains appear much taller than in Anchorage.
• Whittier Cruise. Day cruises in the Prince William Sound are worth it. You can see sea otters and glaciers, and maybe even whales if you’re lucky. 
• Seward. Seward is a small town by Kenai Fjords National Park. You can hike there and visit an aquarium. I never did the Aquarium but hikes are cool. If you can do a flight here that is amazing! I did that with my uncle. You can go up into a glacier and it is nothing but white when you get there. Kinda blinding, I’d bring sunglasses. The town itself is kinda boring but if you can do something like hike the park or fly, its really nice. You might see bears from the air too.
• Homer. Homer is a longer drive from Anchorage, but is spectacular too. There are some good restaurants. You might need an extra day because the drive is around 4-6 hours.

North of Anchorage

Shorter trips

• Palmer, AK. Definitely go. For food, and just to look around. There are scenic spots not too far away too. - Wasilla, AK. Cool spot too. I used to live between Palmer and Wasilla. It has different vibes from Anchorage. I’d combine this with the Palmer trip.

Might need some planning to drive.

• Denali. Denali is a long drive but is cool. Oftentimes you can’t see Denali, so you have to make sure the weather is clear before going. But even if you can’t see Denali, the landscape is really interesting, and there’s a great chance you’ll see wildlife. Interior Alaska is very different than Anchorage.
• Wrangell St. Elias. This park is hard to navigate, and I haven’t gotten much further than the entrance, but if you have clear weather, it looks amazing too. The nearby town is called Glenallen. [Edit: Glenallen is a gas station, hardly more].

If I think of other things to do, I’ll send along too.

There is a good chance I’ll be in town when you all are here, so let me know if you want to met up sometime!