A Guide to The Last Frontier

We hope that your travel plans allow some time and flexibility to experience this great state that we call home. April is the off-season, which affords a chance to enjoy Alaska like the locals do. While we've listed out some of our favorite things in the state that are relatively easy trips from Girdwood, we recommend buying a guidebook (we really like the Moon Handbook) to check out all of what the state has to offer so you can get the most out of your trip north!

 

(For information specific to Girdwood,  click here for our local guide.)

Anchorage

What to Do

This is a great museum - it has lessons on Alaskan art, history, and science all in one place! The artwork from the 19th and 20th centuries are particularly arresting, and we also like to walk through the history of Alaska section, complete with dioramas. The science area has some neat interactive exhibits on earthquakes and tsunamis. Additionally, the Smithsonian has a beautiful space on the second floor featuring curated artifacts from all of the various Native Alaska tribes. The museum also hosts rotating exhibitions, so check their website for more information.

Tour vintage aircraft (spread throughout three connected hangars) and Japanese artifacts from World War II battles in the Aleutians. The museum is right next to Lake Hood, the world's largest seaplane base. While frozen over this time of year, you might catch a glimpse of a plane with skis taking off or landing!

See all sorts of animals found throughout Alaska, including polar bears (with a special underwater viewing area) and our favorite, wolves! It's small but well-maintained, and the zoo has an interesting history as a place for orphaned and injured animals. If you visit, check out the Discovery Center for the zoo's complete history.

  • Fat Tire Biking

Float through wintery trails on bikes that buoy you above the snow (although you still need a bit of balance to keep them upright!). This is an increasingly popular sport around Alaska, opening up trails and singletrack to riders throughout the winter. Rentals are available at Chain Reaction and The Bicycle Shop. Check with the shop about where to ride as trail conditions vary based on the weather.

  • Explore the Outdoors (on nordic skis, snowshoes, or just by hiking!) 

There is an amazing network of trails that run throughout Anchorage offering wooded landscapes, open tundra, and stunning views of town and the Cook Inlet (on a clear day you can even see Denali!). In town, check out the Coastal Trail, which runs from downtown along the Inlet. Kincaid Park offers miles of groomed cross-country trails (and it's free!). Our favorite area is the Chugach Mountains, and there are multiple trailheads in the Hillside neighborhood in east Anchorage that gives you access to state parkland. Particularly special to us is the South Fork Rim Trail (accessed by the Prospect Heights parking lot) - at the benches halfway through the hike is where Ryan proposed! Please remember that you will be on unmaintained mountain trails, so be prepared for adverse weather conditions and bring appropriate clothing, food, and water. Cell service may not be available. Parking is $5 a day in any Chugach State Park lot, payable at a pay station (bring cash). Ski and snowshoe rentals are available at REI.

Yeah, we know. You didn't come to Alaska to see a movie. But if the weather's bad or you're just looking for something relaxing to do at night, Bear Tooth can't be missed. They show second-run movies (and indie/foreign films on Monday nights), and every other row of seats have been taken out and replaced with tables, so you have a place to eat stellar pizza and Mexican fare while the movie plays. Their beer is also particularly good (it's the same owners as Moose's Tooth, listed below). Best of all, movies are only $3.50! Add a beer and you're still under $10 for the night. They are popular, so we recommend arriving early. The showtime schedule changes weekly; check their website for more information.

 

Where to Stay


Where to Eat and Drink

  • Moose's Tooth - an institution. It's a great brewery known for their stunning array of excellent pizzas. If you order the breadsticks make sure to get the House Sauce, a mix of tomato and pesto sauces. They don't take reservations, so expect a wait. Our trick? Normally you can find open seats at the bar area, and you can order off the menu there.
  • Muse at the Anchorage Museum - great spot for classic cocktails, appetizers, or lunch.

  • King Street Brewery - our favorite Anchorage brewery. The tap room pours tasters and pints of all their beers. Weekend evenings there might be a food truck or two hanging out in their parking lot. 

 

Still want more? Check out Sara's guide to Anchorage over at Design*Sponge! 

Talkeetna

Located about a 4.5 hour drive from Girdwood (3.5 hours from Anchorage), this quaint town of about 400 full-time residents is about as Northern Exposure as you can get on the road system. While bombarded with tourists in the summer, it's a sleepy town in the winter. You'll probably know half the town's name by the time you leave! It's the jump-off point for most of the mountaineers who attempt Denali, so you might see a few people getting ready for their adventure.

 

What to Do

  • Flightseeing

If you're lucky enough to be in town on a clear day, don't miss a flightseeing tour of Denali, a stunning peak rising over 20,000 feet above sea-level. You might even be able to land on a glacier! Trust us, it is 100% worth doing. Tours are offered through Talkeetna Air Taxi and K2 Aviation.

  • Dogsledding

Many mushers are located around this area, as the dogs prefer the colder winter temperatures of the Interior. This is also totally worth it, as it's a truly unique experience in Alaska. In Talkeetna we've only gone with the now defunct Wings and Paws, so we recommend asking your lodging choice for a recommendation on a good local kennel.

Tour around the various sled trails, and maybe check out the random food truck nestled miles in the woods! Super fun, and no experience necessary.

  • Drink Good Beer

This is an activity in and of itself here. Our all-time favorite brewery in the state, Denali Brewing Company, is in Talkeetna and is definitely worthy of a few hours spent sampling their rotating selection of beers. If you go, bring us back a growler of their Mad Dog!

 

Where to Stay

 

Where to Eat and Drink


Seward

A cute seaside town on Resurrection Bay, and one of two year round, ice-free ports with shipping access to the Interior. Catch a glimpse of shipping vessels and fancy boats while steam rises off the surface of the ocean. Seward, about a 1.5 hour drive from Girdwood (2.5 hours from Anchorage), has a chill, laid-back sea town vibe that's fun to spend a night in.

 

What to Do

This marine center affords access to various sea life that live in the oceans and waters in and around Alaska. There are sea lions, touch tanks, and lots of aquarium exhibits. They also do important research and rehabilitation of wildlife. Just last year two abandoned baby walruses were rescued by residents of Barrow and were raised at the SeaLife Center (we even got to see them when we visited!). They are now at zoos in New York and Indianapolis. If that story piques your interest, check out the Behind the Scenes Tour, or one of their "Encounters" experiences for an in-depth look at the facility and their animals.

Go dogsledding with a famous mushing family that includes a father and son who have both won the Iditarod! We really enjoyed going with the Seaveys; they are super nice and you go up a road closed in the winter that takes you near the base of Exit Glacier. This tour is weather dependent as the snow melts earliest in this area - contact them directly for additional information.

Tons of trails exist around the Seward area for cross-country skiing, and many are multi-use so you can hike on them, too! We don't know of any ski rental shops in Seward, so we recommend renting from either Alyeska or Girdwood Ski and Cyclery in Girdwood, or REI in Anchorage. Please note that you will be on unmaintained and unpopulated trails. Be prepared for adverse weather conditions and bring appropriate clothing, food, and water. Cell service may not be available.

 

Where to Stay

 

Where to Eat

  • Thorn's Showcase Lounge - We love this place. It's a total throwback dive bar: leather chairs on casters, no windows, stale cigarette smoke. You can't beat the "Bucket 'o 'But" (a bowl of deep-friend Halibut pieces) and a beer. Waitresses are all super friendly. If you go, pick us up a Thorn's pen!
  •  Sea Bean Café - good for coffee drinks, light breakfast or light lunch.