About a month ago, I went to Anchorage, Alaska for the first time with my fiance. We spent four days bouncing around the city and trying to see as much as we could. We had the time of our lives. These are just a few of the highlights from our trip, and I think absolutely everyone needs see all of these places the first time they visit Anchorage.
1. The Anchorage Museum.
The Anchorage Museum was by far our favorite place that we went on this trip. We loved how the museum blended historical information with modern displays, and we definitely spent more time than we should have in playing with all of the interactive elements in the "discover" section. Plus, standing in front of the museum makes for a picture-perfect pose:
2. The Mount Baldy Trailhead.
This is definitely more for those who enjoy being in the outdoors, but we had a blast hiking up Mount Baldy. The trail is technically in Eagle River, which is about half an hour outside of Anchorage, but it's worth the drive. When we went, it was extremely icy and slippery, but every step we took rewarded us with amazing views and awesome memories. The icy conditions kept us from making it to the top, but we're hoping to try again on a summer trip in the future.
3. The Anchorage 5th Avenue Mall/The Midnight Sun Cafe.
We spent a good amount of time at the Anchorage 5th Avenue Mall picking up souvenirs and presents. The mall had everything from adorable Alaskan gift shops like Once in a Blue Moose to your basic Bath and Body Works. We also really loved The Midnight Sun Cafe, a little local restaurant that is located right underneath the sky bridge to the mall. We dipped into the cafe several times and we loved everything we tried from their Mexican hot chocolate to the casual sandwiches and chips they served.
4. 49th State Brewing Co.
This was our favorite restaurant we tried in Anchorage. They have a really great atmosphere and awesome food. My fiance tried their yak burger and I had a really awesome crabby grilled cheese and seafood chowder. This restaurant was a bit pricier than most of the other places we dined at in Anchorage, but it was worth every penny.
5. The Moose's Tooth Pub & Pizzeria.
My runner up for favorite restaurant is the Moose's Tooth. This is just a casual pizza joint, but we had a great time hanging out here, and I really enjoyed the Chicken Parmesan pizza I got. It probably wasn't the most amazing pizza in the world, but it is definitely a step above Domino's or Pizza Hut. It's fun and silly to go somewhere that was so stereotypical Alaskan.
Enjoy your trip!
