We welcome Allison back and are excited to share the next part of her Alaskan adventure in Anchorage Alaska.
Anchorage
Written by Allison:
To start our Alaskan adventure, Pete and I flew into Anchorage. It was a 20 hour journey to get there from Florida, but a destination like Alaska is well worth the travel time. I think the long travel day actually helped us adjust to the 4 hour time difference. It was difficult to sleep on the plane so we stayed up later watching movies and reading than I think we would have lasted otherwise. We arrived in Anchorage around 8:00 pm local time and went straight to the hotel to check in and sleep. I highly recommend packing snacks not just for the plane ride, but for your first night too. I found myself getting hungry while the rest of the city was sleeping.
Our First Glimpse of Alaska
Knowing how tired we would likely be after a long travel day, we opted for a hotel near the airport. We stayed at the Comfort Suites Anchorage International Airport. The room was clean, comfortable, and we had plenty of space. Our favorite amenities were the complementary airport transportation and continental breakfast. The shuttle driver was at the airport within a few minutes of us calling and took care of our luggage for us. All we had to worry about was checking in, which was a breeze.
The weather in Anchorage is a stark contrast from sunny Florida. Our first day was nice and cool with temperatures in the mid-60s and the forecast called for showers. Since we didn’t have a car, we called for a taxi to take us to downtown Anchorage. It was about a 10 minute drive and the price was around $15, so $30 round trip. Though it is a bit cheaper to stay by the airport, once you factor in the cost of transportation, the price is about the same as staying in one of the hotels downtown where you are within walking distance of most activities. So the deciding factor on where to stay really just comes down to personal preference and convenience.
We were interested in renting bikes to check out the coastal trail, but could tell it was going to rain any second when the taxi dropped us off. Instead, we opted to explore the nearby shops and wait for the weather to clear up. The downtown area had a fair amount of shops and restaurants to explore. If you are lucky enough to visit on a Saturday or Sunday they also have a neat little weekend market where you can find some locally made art and food trucks. The Anchorage Market and Festival runs from May 9 – September 6 and starts at 10 am. We found it on the intersection of 3rd Ave and C Street.
Shopping in Downtown Anchorage
After a few hours of walking the streets and shops in the on and off again drizzle, we felt like we were shopped out. We were also pretty damp with no sign of the weather clearing, so why not go rent bikes like we originally planned?
This was one of our best decisions, as biking the Coastal Trail was a highlight of our trip. There were also plenty of people walking and jogging the trail if biking is not your thing. We rented bikes from Downtown Bicycle Rental located on 4th Avenue. The price was $16 for the first 3 hours and $4, $3, $2, $1 for each hour after that. The great thing is that you do not need to decide how long you want to rent the bikes for up front. You simply make the initial deposit and then square up at the end when you return. That was nice because you could enjoy the bike ride without constantly checking your watch to make sure you can make it back in time. They also have fantastic summer hours. Since there is so much sunlight in the summer, they actually extend their shop hours from 8 am – 10 pm from May through the end of August. The staff was nice and helpful ensuring everyone was fitted with an appropriate bike and had trail maps. We also appreciated that the rental came with a repair kit (just in case) and a dry sack saddle bag so we could keep all of our belongings in there rather than bike around with our back packs on.
The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail is fantastic. It is an 11 mile long paved trail that takes you from downtown Anchorage to Kincaid Park. We experienced great views of the Kinik Arm, airplanes coming in for landing right over Point Woronzof, and wildlife. We were really surprised about 8 miles in when we came across a cow moose and her calf laying along the side of the trail eating some of the nearby plants. She was massive! We were as quiet as we could be and just observed for a while before we worked up the courage to pass them and snap a few pictures of course. About another mile up we came across a bull calf as well. He was a bit further in the woods, but still surprisingly close to the trail.
The Moose Spotted on The Coastal Trail
Point Woronzof
Airplane Coming in for Landing
After about 11 miles is Kincaid Park. At the park there are some mountain biking trails you can enjoy. They range from beginner to advanced tracks. We did not know about these ahead of time or else we probably would have explored them more. If you like trail riding, they looked fun!
Parked Seaplanes
Rather than turn back at Kincaid Park, we opted to take the alternate route back to downtown. It’s about 15 miles back instead of 11 but it offers new sights as well as a few restaurants. We stopped to recharge at the Tastee Freeze at the intersection of Jewell and Raspberry and enjoyed some old fashioned dip cones. Afterward, we completed our ride back through the world’s largest sea plane base around Lake Hood.
All in all, we highly recommend exploring the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail while visiting Anchorage!
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PandaTrot
I can’t wait to check out Alaska myself one day!