Leaving Alaska
Last night I said goodbye to my family and headed back home to Portland. It’s hard to believe that my mini-vacation is over. I had so much fun the days flew by!
I also realized that I have a much greater appreciate for my home state after having been away for so long. The sheer beauty of the landscape had me pulling out my camera every five minutes — I’m sure I took more pictures than your average tourist!
Here’s a few more scenes from my trip:
This gallery contains 8 photos.
Since I was really going all out on this vacation doing touristy things, I took my little brother gold panning yesterday. We paid $10 each for a bucket of dirt from the Indian Valley Mine. The owners gave us a … Continue reading
The zipline is 1,500 feet long and it goes so fast it takes a minute to get to the bottom!
The view from the starting point of the Nitro zipline in Glacier View, AK
The base of zipline — love seeing those Alaskan flags!
Double Musky Inn in Girdwood, AK
Clearly I am a girl who likes to eat. So when my dad asked if I wanted to check out Alaska’s only five-star restaurant, I jumped at the chance. The Double Musky Inn, located in Girdwood (about 40 minutes outside of Anchorage), started as a ski bar in 1962. The name comes from a drink the owner Julian Maule used to make: a double Muscatel spritzer.
The Inn itself is adorable though the decor is eclectic. But yet, it works. If you’ve ever lived in Alaska, this makes sense.
Five-star dining in Alaska is a little unique
The view of the mountains from the Alyeska Tram
The fun thing about coming back to your home state after a long absence is being able to play tourist. I was excited to check out the Alyeska Resort — a place I don’t know if I’ve ever been — especially after hearing about the tram that could take us to the top of the mountain. It was a short excursion but totally worth it, so gorgeous!
Looking up from the bottom of the Alyeska Tram
All the way up, please!
Looking down from the top
View from inside the tram — I’ve missed mountains like these!
We spotted this black bear as we were getting off the tram in the Alyeska Resort near Girdwood, AK.
If you didn’t already know it, I’m originally from Kodiak, Alaska. Sadly, I haven’t been back to my home state in years. Feeling a little homesick for the Last Frontier, I booked a trip to see my family in Anchorage. I’ll be flying back to Portland on Sunday, but until then expect some fun Alaska posts. Anchorage isn’t quite Kodiak, but the snow-capped mountains, rocky beaches and tons of mosquitos still feel like home.
