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Alaska


It was a weekend mommy + boys trip to Anchorage, Alaska! We went the last full weekend in April 2022 while it was spring. We've heard that snow starts melting in April as winter is ending and spring usually only lasts a few weeks. The weather was chilly in the mornings, mid to high 30s °F, but up to high 50s °F in the afternoon. The boys wore a fleece and t-shirt most of the time.

We also heard that it's possible to see the Northern Lights through the end of April, but we didn't get to see it. By the time we landed, got to our hotel, and ate dinner, it was past 8 pm local time or midnight Atlanta time (4 hour time difference). It was still daylight outside and didn't get dark until closer to 9:30 pm. I read that while it's possible to see the Northern Lights as soon as it's dark enough, the best time to view is closer to midnight. We were pretty wiped out from the traveling and time difference, so we slept right through the best time. Our Uber driver did mention that earlier in the year, closer to February, the Northern Lights were very active in Anchorage, and you could see them everywhere including the airport (Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport).

We didn't get to accomplish much on our first day of arrival besides meeting one of our food goals which was to try Alaskan salmon. One thing I noticed was that salmon and seafood in general was fairly inexpensive compared to prices in Atlanta. A fillet of salmon with sides was only $15 - $20 compared to what would probably be $20 - $25 in Atlanta. I guess this makes sense since seafood is a big industry in Alaska, and the extra price in the continuous USA is probably due to transportation costs.

The boys were up bright and early the next day around 4 am local time. We waited a bit and got some breakfast at our hotel and took an Uber to the Visitor Information Center in downtown Anchorage. Of course the visitor center wasn't open so early, so we explored the surrounding areas and eventually found a gift shop open at Hotel Captain Cook where we could buy souvenirs like a carved bear whistle, moose sign, reindeer, caribou, and elk jerky. The hotel also had a cute café, The Cubby, where mommy could charge up on some coffee.

Visitor Information Center

The Cubby

Then it was time for our Wildlife and Glaciers tour which we booked through Viator. Our tour guide was born and raised in Alaska and super knowledgeable. He told us about the history of Alaska, including the United States purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867. How many people were against this purchase since they thought of Alaska as useless land - not so useless after gold was discovered. While we stopped at several scenic spots to take pictures, really the whole tour drive was scenic and gorgeous. We also saw a number of small to large avalanches along the drive. We spent the majority of our time at Potter Marsh Bird Sanctuary and the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. There was a 45 minute long lunch stop at a shopping center with plenty of quick choices like pizza (even gluten-free pizza), Subway, bakery, and café.

Potter Marsh Bird Sanctuary

The boy's favorite was visiting the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center where we saw brown and black bears - including a black bear that likes to hang out in a tree. We saw reindeers, elks, lynx, moose, musk ox, wood bison, coyotes, wolves, porcupines, a great-horned owl, and a bald eagle. There was a gift shop and food shop where we got to try a reindeer hot dog and met our second food goal of trying reindeer meat. According to our older son, it tasted the same as a regular hot dog but chewier.  

Brown Bears at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

Black Bear at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

Bald Eagle at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

At Turnagain Arm along Seward Highway, we saw Dall sheep and even beluga whales (the first time our tour guide had seen them this year). They are usually spotted in July through August when there’s an abundance of salmon.


Our tour guide said the busiest tourist season was between the summer months of June to August, but I would say April was a perfect time to visit and be able to catch the snow before it all melted. A fun tidbit, go to the airport a few minutes early to check out their selfie stations where you can take photos with a moose, bears, statues, and more. 
Check out #ANCselfie

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