We've officially lived in Alaska for 2 months! After our 19 day drive to get here (you can read about that starting here), it's safe to say we had a little "travel PTSD" - if that's even a thing, haha. But we just had no desire to drive to far destinations for a little bit. We have had a ton of fun exploring the Fairbanks area, but for Labor Day weekend, we decided to venture a little further and make the drive to Palmer, Alaska! So to give you a little background, Fairbanks is in the middle of the state of Alaska and is basically surrounded by....nothing. Haha, I mean, it's surrounded by beautiful back country, but not much civilization. There really aren't even any roads that lead anywhere else other than south...to Anchorage...where the rest of Alaska lives ;) So we took the one road, a two-laned highway for 6 hours to get to our destination. I wish I had more pictures of our drive down, because it really was beautiful! We even drove past Denali! However, the southern part of Alaska had been suffering some major forest fires and about half of our drive was really hazy and smoky, so we couldn't see the nation's tallest mountain. Where We StayedFirst and foremost, a shoutout to our cutest little cabin for the weekend. We booked this cabin through Hatcher Pass Bed & Breakfast and it was so quaint and cozy. We have never stayed at a Bed & Breakfast before, but this one was probably a little out of the ordinary as they provided breakfast items for us to prepare ourselves. Honestly, we knew this going in and it was perfect for us to be flexible with our meal times and be able to accommodate our kids without the added stress of their social anxieties getting in the way of enjoying our morning, haha. These smaller cabins sleep four. They have a kitchenette that included a microwave, mini fridge and even a toaster and hot plate. The breakfast items provided included fresh eggs, milk, sausages, bagels, english muffins, and an assortment of cereals. All of which was restocked the next day while we were out exploring. While this was certainly accommodating for us, we definitely want to try out the bigger cabins next time ;) The location was also super easy to get to and right on the edge of Hatcher Pass. Had the weather been a little better (it rained the entire time we were there) we for sure would've loved to explore and hike around that area. We'll put it on our list for next time. Where we ateOur first stop for dinner was The Noisy Goose Cafe. The atmosphere was amusing from the decor to the comments on the menu. The carved bears were a hit for my girls, as well as the giant grizzly bear at the entrance. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner all day. The waitress was honest ("Do not get the meatloaf or the beef sandwich," she said haha) and the food came out fast and hot and in large portions! While it was a fun stop, and the reindeer sausage omelet was decent, I would give it a solid 7/10 for the quality of food. The next day, we had lunch at Jimbo's food bus, which was actually within walking distance of our cabin! This is run by a one man show and he does an amazing job, though he was a bit overwhelmed when the four of us showed up with 9 other friends, haha. But the hand dipped corn dogs, hamburgers, and pulled pork sandwiches with sides of watermelon were worth the wait. So dang good. 10/10 would recommend.
chocolate shake and...pro tip...when you mix them together, it may be the best shake you've ever had! What we didOur first day was reserved for a visit to the Reindeer Farm, which basically just fed our obsession of these sweet animals <3 We got up close to about 30 reindeer while we fed them out of our hands. While at the farm, we also got to play with the farm dog, cat, and bunny, feed the chickens and see some elk, bison, yaks... ....oh, and I fed a moose from my mouth, NBD ;) This sweet guy is named Rocky, the kissing moose. He was found stuck in a gravel pit at only a few months old. While it's illegal to own a moose in Alaska, this guy is a rescue and is "owned" by the state and in care of the farm. He has grown accustomed to being around people so it would be advised to not get this close to any other moose that you may see in the state ;) which made this experience even more cool! Our next adventure was a visit to the Musk Ox farm. Learning about these fascinating animals on this tour was so fun! These animals are farmed for their undercoat, which is shed every summer and is 8x warmer than wool by weight- which you're definitely gonna need if you're gonna make it in one of the most extreme climates there is! It's also one of the softest fibers in the world...so incredibly soft. And how gorgeous is the area?? We will definitely be back to this beautiful farming town. I know I mentioned that our drive down was too smoky to see Denali but our drive back was so rainy that we couldn't see it that time either! I've heard that only 30% of people who visit to see Denali actually get to see it due to weather. So right now, we're 0 for 2. Crossing our fingers for next time! But it was still amazing scenery on the 6 hour drive back. Fall comes early way up here, and we don't complain because we didn't get much fall in Southern New Mexico, haha. I kinda feel like we've traded our spring and summer for fall and winter! But for now, we'll just enjoy the seasons we get where we live now. I'd say it was a beyond successful trip to Palmer, Alaska. If you've been to Palmer, let us know what we missed so we can check it out next time. Make sure to pin for future reference and follow us on Instagram for more of our day to day adventures. Until next time, get out and enjoy where you live!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWe're just a military family enjoying where we live, one PCS at a time. Follow us as we explore our current home, South Carolina, and beyond. The world is our backyard. Archives
June 2024
Categories
All
|