Anchorage!

We got to Anchorage super early in the morning after we dropped Mom off at the airport...I guess that's the bonus of 24/7 daylight is you can walk around a city at 5 AM and feel super safe! We spent the last 2 days of our trip there and had an amazing time together. First, we checked out some sights before heading to breakfast.


We ate at the Snow City Cafe after several locals recommended it...it was so good we actually went both mornings we were there! The first morning we tried their snow crab omelettes with salmon cakes...slurp!
Then we wanted to keep up our energy - a nap at that point would have just set us over the edge - so we decided to rent some bikes for 3 hours and see the trail around the Cook Inlet.


The bike ride along the coastal trail was GORGEOUS!!! Some parts were absolutely quiet and serene, not a soul around. It snaked through some beautiful, lush forests and then popped you back out at the water's edge. It was a perfect day, really mild temperatures and super sunny - perfect day for a bike ride!


We even saw a Mom and baby moose at one point - couldn't catch a shot of the baby except it's little wiggling ears...we made sure to stay on our bikes just in case Mama got mad at us and charged at us but she was perfectly content to munch on some leaves.

Here I am on the trail:

Rob showing off his funky bike riding moves:

After riding our bikes for hours,we figured out we'd gone about 18 miles so we both had the jimmy-legs and needed to walk around and stuff our faces. It just so happened to be Alaska's 5oth anniversary of becoming a state so there was a huge street fair in celebration. We roamed around and took in all the sights...


...and made some friends with some locals...

...and of course had to sample some local food. Our salmon quesadillas were finger lickin' good, they were amazing!

For dinner we hit the Crows Nest at the top of our hotel, the Captain Cook. What gorgeous views there were up there! Plus, we met a really sweet older couple who live in Anchorage now to be near their grandchildren but were actually from San Diego 30 years ago. They were great to talk to. My mojito could have parted my hair, it was so strong, but the dinner was fantastic. I'm just going to say it, lobster and truffle oil mac and cheese? I mean, seriously? Yes, please, get in my belly.

And what better way to wrap up a wonderful Alaska vacation then to pig out on desserts...


....and go on a horse-drawn carriage ride through downtown Anchorage late at night. Well, 11:00 at night, anyway. It was still light out, but the concept was there.



It was so fun and romantic! Goodbye Alaska, you served us well!