Unless you have already spent a lot of time there, don't avoid Anchorage. It has a lot to offer for those who only have a couple of days to spend in Alaska.

Just about everyone on this website would enjoy a day or two roaming around Lake Hood, the Alaska Aviation Museum, the Anchorage Museum at Rasmussen Center, Merril Field, a drive up the hillside for the view, a drive out Turnagin Arm (even if only for a few miles),and the Alaska Wildlife Center if you want to venture a little further. The advantage for those from out of state is that it's all fairly close together so you can experience quite a lot in a short time.

Barnstormer wrote:If I had your itinerary and was going to spend two days somewhere I wouldn't spend them in Girdwood. I'd go to Talkeetna instead. MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH (did I say much) nicer place and better food. And closer to Palmer. One place to stay is the Talkeetna Road House. Tricia the owner is a friend and super nice. Rocket, also a friend and is here on BCP, is her boyfriend and is also a great person.

Phil, thanx for the kind words and the plug for Trisha's roadhouse.

We are still on Covid rules so room guests inside the roadhouse only. Trisha is cooking that famous pancake breakfast for room guests only and our off site Trapper Johns Cabins guests. Just ask.

So many places to stay and see around Palmer. I tell visitors to let the weather lead your way. Rainy and wet then do the museums and other indoor attractions. Did you know Fairbanks has one of the best indoor antique auto museums in the world? Otherwise get out of Town. And if the road trip to Palmer will blow your mind, the trip to Seward or Valdez is orgasmic. Make it a three way, stay for a week and drive up to Danilli too!

Up here in Talkeetna there are air taxi trips up to the glaciers, flying with Don Lee on floats or up to his glacier house on wheel skis. Jet boat up the Susitna to that rough place the navy lost those wood boats where Don Sheldin back taxied through the rapids on floats to rescue them, it's in his book.

Stay in one of our cabins right on the village strip or plenty of other places.

Weather can be variable sun rain and even snow.

Now the hard part. The Covid. Right now a new Emergency Order is making its way through the state legislature and one key point almost all agree on is airport testing or pre testing before arrival.

Harder part. Well the state of Alaska is leading the nation at over 40% of the first dosage of vaccine the "Vally" as we call the area including Palmer is at 17%. You will see little masking or distancing or any other protocols.

My personal opinion, no let's call it a personal pilot to pilot request: please don't come to Alaska without being fully vaccinated, we have the lowest covid fatality percentage rate in the nation, 300 souls I believe, and mostly because we are isolated. I'll leave it at that.

Many Alaskans have been getting out and exploring our state for the first time, can't tell you how many times I heard last summer, we never would come up cause it's to crowded. No cruse ships again this summer so this really is the year for America to explore their northern state, so much is a safe outdoors it really is a great place to get away and get out. Perfect place to come get a biannual and an aviators once in a lifetime experience, like to fish then ditto, just want to get the F away from humanity for a weekend or a week or two, Alaska is the place.

Travel safe, be covid smart, and see you this spring!

Almost forgot, say Rocket sent you and BCP and get 20% off at The Talkeetna Roadhouse and our offsite Trapper Johns Cabins


Rocket

( Z delete as required if this vilotes the BCP rules and PM me the put your money where your mouth is rate)

Hi All,

Firming it all up and finishing reservations on Monday:

Fly up Wednesday and spend the night in Anchorage
Thursday lake hood & bush pilot museum. Then up to Talkeetna for Thursday & Friday night
Friday glacier flight from Talkeetna
Saturday & Sunday go to the show and stay at the Valley Inn in Palmer
Win the cub (fingers crossed)
Fly home Monday from Anchorage

Also, good news on the vaccination as it's opening up for over 50 on April 1st, so we should be all vaccinated before heading up.

Thanks again for all the tips!!

Lucky,
Glad to hear you are coming up. We will have to get together, swap 182 stories, called my beater 182B the Big Wheel, hence the avatar.

I landed in Santa Cruz when I was 18 chasing my future wife, surfed Cawles and the Lane, bartended the Catalyst, then commuted over the hill.

I cried when they closed Medow Lark runway up in Scots Vally although it would be years before I got my SEL. Flew sailplanes out of this place next to Oakland, long gone, and jumped out of perfectly good airplanes in Holister.

Lot of good memories, raised my daughter down there, but sure glad I landed in Alaska over 25 years ago. I hardly ever leave.

Rocket

Link to the current COVID policy in AK: https://covid19.alaska.gov/travelers/

MTV

Hey Rocket,
Fun stuff and thanks for your comments. We used to surf Cowells all the time and it's super fun. Now you can get 100+ people in the water on a nice day. Really fun to see all the stoke but too crazy to be in it - Hahaha.

My neighbor Don is 85+ yrs old and there's a local book with him going out at steamer lane in a wool sweater when the waves were larger than school buses in the 50's. He was also the first guy to surf 4mile. Super cool and understated guy.

We live in the Point, right behind Jack's house and surf jack's or 2nd peak Yesterday was stunning and we are hoping for the same after the fog burns off today.

Hey Mike,
Thanks for your link to the covid info. We will be vaccinated and checking on the current status as we don't want to be a problem for anyone.

Side notes :

My sister came for a quick visit this weekend and we were talking about our childhood trip to Alaska where our van burned. Our brother ran to get our folks and it could of been real bad as there was no way to get the back doors open from inside the van. Drove back to California in a burned out van. Adventure

The wife and I came up a couple years ago to see the northern lights. Before catching our flight home out of Anchorage, we stopped by the bush pilots museum on the recommendation of a couple guys we met a breakfast.. While we were checking it out the wife asked how much for me to learn to fly and said go do it. Gotta love the wife.

Looking forward to the trip

What do you guys think about staying at "The Lakefront Anchorage" for our first two nights? Is there a better place at Lake Hood to stay or is this the spot?

Thanks!

What do you guys think about staying at "The Lakefront Anchorage" for our first two nights? Is there a better place at Lake Hood to stay or is this the spot?

Thanks!

Lucky wrote:What do you guys think about staying at "The Lakefront Anchorage" for our first two nights? Is there a better place at Lake Hood to stay or is this the spot?

Thanks!

aka the Millennium of old. Never seen inside their guest rooms, and don't know how services and amenities might look in these Covid times. But that's been the go-to place for years for out-of towners during the trade show. BCP meet-ups in the restaurant, float planes right off the outdoor patio. Good menu. Good parking. Heaps of taxidermy. Five minutes from Anchorage International, the Aviation Museum, and the Alaska Airmen's headquarters. Might try requesting a room facing Lake Hood.

Thank you!

Lucky wrote:What do you guys think about staying at "The Lakefront Anchorage" for our first two nights? Is there a better place at Lake Hood to stay or is this the spot?

Thanks!

Stayed there a few times and ate there a bunch. Good choice.

Any pireps from the trade show for us poor souls that couldn't be there?

[edit- Kurt started a dedicated thread. Thanks Kurt!]