Anchorage

**cat in january** · 06-24-2014, 06:38 PM

Will be in Anchorage in less than a week for an all too brief visit.

Got a couple of questions.

Leaving airport around 9:30pm in a rental car. Is there anywhere handy to the airport to dip our toes in the Pacific? Would be pretty cool after traveling all day from Maine. Wife has never seen the Pacific. Kincaid Park looks ideal, but website says parking lots close at 10 and other areas at 9:30.

Good Alaskan stoats, porters or ales to be on the lookout for on tap?

Recommended eats and/or stops on the road between Anchorage and Denali?

Will be fishing with Mag Captain ChugachJed slaying the salmon. Would also like to buy smoked salmon to bring home. Will be in Anchorage and Seward if anyone has a place they might recommend for good smoked fish prepared for travel.

Cheers,

CIJ

**Tippster** · 06-24-2014, 07:57 PM

The "Pacific." Don't plan on lying on a beach and bodysurfing in your g-string.

**bigAK** · 06-24-2014, 09:10 PM

Pt Woronzof is right by the airport and fits the bill for your toe-dipping adventure, so long as the tides are right (high tide, good - low tide is a somewhat dangerous miles long slog through slity mud that you'll never get out of your shoes). Kincaid definitely gets locked around 10 and the gate is a long haul from the ocean, but *most* parks around town stay open past the 11 "closing time," especially this time of year.

Midnight Sun Brewery has a good tasting room, especially if you like belgian-y beers as they make a lot of them. Their kodiak brown ale is a pretty good traditional brown ale and on tap at a lot of places. I love their Moscow stout that is only available in 22s (there and should be at most every brown jug - our local grog shop chain). Moose's/Bear Tooth has their coconut porter on tap right now which is a fun summer brew. Denali's Chuli stout is a pretty good stout and Denali stuff is appearing on a lot of taps around the state these days. Seward Brewing makes some alright beers and terrible food. Go up the street to showcase lounge, apollo's, or nellie's to nosh in Seward (the best of some pretty terrible food options in that town). Not sure when you're scheduled in Seward, but be aware it's a fucking packed-to-the-gills-carnival-shit-show around the 4th of July due to Mt. Marathon. 49th State Brew Company in Healy is worth the drive if you're going to the park entrance anyway, it's about 20 min north give or take road construction. Great beer and fun outdoor patio with all sorts of games.

There's one really good place to eat in Wasilla - the grape tap - on your way north (still somewhat undiscovered - even long-time locals will laugh if you claim there's a good restaurant in wasilla). Dinner only. Talkeetna (also home of the denali brewing company mentioned above) has good food options from breakfast through dinner and is a funky fun climbing/artsy town but is a few miles (16 each way) out of your way while headed north. I think hansjob on here lives there.

Off the top of my head, AK sausage and seafood is the only place I can think of for packaged smoked stuff to take home (in midtown ANC). 10th&M seafoods (at 10th&M in ANC) can set you up with all sorts of fresh & smoked fish & other sea things to ship or carry home.

Feel free to pm for any more recommendations...

**Chugachjed** · 06-25-2014, 01:20 AM

That's a long flight for a short visit. Lots of great beers check out King St. brewing, Midnight Sun, Moose's/Bear's/Broken Tooth. Go fishing. Welcome

**bigAK** · 06-25-2014, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by Chugachjed

check out King St. brewing

Totally spaced King st, probably because I think their lighter stuff tends to be better than their darker beers...

**Kied** · 06-25-2014, 11:21 AM

Have you ever been? Anchorage is a tough place for good eats, but Moose's Tooth is pretty much the most popular joint in town, for good reason. Great pizza and good beer, just expect to wait. Otherwise Glacier Brewhouse, downtown has good food and some insanely good beer. They had some Coconut Stout in April that was one of the best things I had ever had.

Once you make it out to Denali, it's pretty cool, but the drive from Anchorage to Talkeetna is sorta "meh," once you pass Palmer. If you have the time, try to take the drive from Anchorage down Turnagain Arm to Girdwood. It's only about a 45 minute drive, but the views are ridiculous. Even better if you can make it out to Portage and through the tunnel to Whittier.

**cat in january** · 06-25-2014, 01:19 PM

Thanks for the help guys especially bigAk. We will be in Alaska for exactly 7 days. Just crashing the first night in Anchorage and shopping the next am. Driving up to Denali State Park to stay at a cabin there for two nights. Will rent a canoe for the first night. On the drive back we are stopping in to the Musk Ox farm in Palmer-wife is a knitter.

Spending a night south of Girdwood and going to Seven Glaciers Restaurant for dinner. Light back packing in to Devils Pass Cabin and then over to Juneau Lake Cabin.

Last night is in Seward with fishing with Cap Chugachjed for half a day. Probably will hike up to the ice fields above Exit Glacier in the afternoon and then drive back to Anchorage for the red eye back East.

Too short I know, but the flight was too cheap to pass up.

**bigAK** · 06-25-2014, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by cat in january

Juneau Lake Cabin.

Bring your fishing pole (and license please). Practically grew up on the resurrection trail. Aforementioned Moose's Tooth is on summer hours (kitchen&taps until 12, possibly 1 on Fri/Sat) right now and shouldn't be too crowded if you head there for pizza and beer after woronzof. Byers Lake cabins are a fair distance to the np park entrance - probably not worth the time to go to healy if that's your situation. The little coal creek trailhead offers the quickest access to get above treeline and views on curry (kesugi) ridge. When loading up on supplies, keep in mind that Flying Squirrel Bakery outside of Talkeetna has bombdiggity breads and other goodies (if headed that way)...

**cat in january** · 06-25-2014, 05:14 PM

Might hit Moose's Tooth the night we get in. Flying Squirrel Bakery has been added to the list.

Had not planned to go to DNP, Hoping to look on Her from Byers Lake or Kesugi Ridge and catch a weather window. Thought the coal creek trailhead would be best way up, thanks for the confirmation.

Was real excited to see the Juneau Lake Cabin came with a boat. Some interesting fish in that lake.

**Kied** · 06-25-2014, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by cat in january

Thanks for the help guys especially bigAk. We will be in Alaska for exactly 7 days. Just crashing the first night in Anchorage and shopping the next am. Driving up to Denali State Park to stay at a cabin there for two nights. Will rent a canoe for the first night. On the drive back we are stopping in to the Musk Ox farm in Palmer-wife is a knitter.

Spending a night south of Girdwood and going to Seven Glaciers Restaurant for dinner. Light back packing in to Devils Pass Cabin and then over to Juneau Lake Cabin.

Last night is in Seward with fishing with Cap Chugachjed for half a day. Probably will hike up to the ice fields above Exit Glacier in the afternoon and then drive back to Anchorage for the red eye back East.

Too short I know, but the flight was too cheap to pass up.

That's a tits plan, you're going to be stoked.

**HansJob** · 06-26-2014, 12:40 AM

Thurs, Fri and Sat the Squirrel has brick oven pizza. The black bean brownies for dessert. Bring rain gear.

**Feathertop** · 06-26-2014, 05:50 AM

Ok I can't believe it's taken this many posts and also that it's gonna take someone from the other side of the planet (Aus) to point this out, but there's only one place in Anchorage - ABC...

**Kied** · 06-26-2014, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by Feathertop

Ok I can't believe it's taken this many posts and also that it's gonna take someone from the other side of the planet (Aus) to point this out, but there's only one place in Anchorage - ABC...

Assuming the OP's wife is down with strippers. My wallet definitely took a beating at the Bush Company.

**Millsie** · 06-26-2014, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by Feathertop

Ok I can't believe it's taken this many posts and also that it's gonna take someone from the other side of the planet (Aus) to point this out, but there's only one place in Anchorage - ABC...

Thats always my first thought when Anchorage is mentioned.

**bigAK** · 06-26-2014, 03:01 PM

Is ABC really all that remarkable compared to other strip clubs? I never understood why it has such a following (for those coming from the bush or slope, ok - for those coming from outside, what the fuck?)...

**cat in january** · 06-26-2014, 05:10 PM

Pretty sure the Bush is out, been to Montreal.

Yeah rain gear is a must and here in Maine we sell 110 % deet, so I'll bring that. Which fortunately the wife has decided mosquitos are the biggest threat and not the grizzlies. Still not sure how the airport is going to go.

Definitely stoked. By chance I saw the air tickets last Black Friday and I was like, "do you want this to be your christmas, birthday, anniversary present?" and she was, "yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" CLICK so the potential April volcano plan went down the tubes.

Tide looks good for toe dipping. Those are big tides you got there.

**Chugachjed** · 06-26-2014, 05:40 PM

Seward brewing company is under new management this year and has a completely new menu. The steamers are very good can't comment on the rest of the fare.

**Chugachjed** · 06-26-2014, 05:42 PM

Originally Posted by bigAK

Is ABC really all that remarkable compared to other strip clubs? I never understood why it has such a following (for those coming from the bush or slope, ok - for those coming from outside, what the fuck?)...

Yea. I don't get it either. Is it because some places cover the clam?