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Alaska Last of the Frontier

Who in their right mind would go to Alaska in March?

Well me, that’s who, let me tell you why!

If your sister moves there and wants you to visit, how could you say no?

We originally were going to go in March because we wanted to see the Iditarod (the dog sled race)

But unfortunately it got canceled due to covid… Bummer, right? (Still slightly perturbed by that)

In reality it ended up being a blessing, because that is the VERY night we got to see the NORTHERN LIGHTS!

Major bucket list item checked off for sure!!!!

They were definitely a huge attraction for us going to Alaska in the dead cold of March! (One of the best times to see the Auroras)

If you ever have a chance to see the Auroras they are so worth the frost bite!!

HEHE wait.. wait.. I’m getting ahead of myself.

Let me continue where I left off.

We were a little bummed that the Iditarod was closed to spectators.

Especially when your sister lives on the VERY lake where the race starts 🙁

Nevertheless that left more time for chasing the Auroras, and being with family.

Funny side story…

Back in November, while Justin and I were planning our trip to Alaska.

We got a call from Justin’s brother and his wife saying that they found killer cheap tickets to…

You guessed it, Alaska!!! 

They wanted us to join them. We laughed and said “funny thing is… we are ALREADY going in March!

We decided to join forces and brave the cold together!

ALASKA

We landed in Anchorage…

After an 8ish hour flight, we finally made it, YEAH!

Happy dance! After our celebratory dance… and getting picked up, we decided to see a few things in Anchorage.

We started by going to a delicious bakery, of course! Who wouldn’t, right? 

The Fire Island Bakeshop

It was FABULOUS! It was so good we ended up going several more times.

This bakery is so amazing that items sell out VERY quickly. You better get there early to get your favorites. 

Our Favorites…

Oh it’s too hard to choose just one, because everything was ahhmazing! 

BUT I think our favorite were the Ginger Cookies.

I know, I know… ginger cookies, so boring and generic, right?

Just try them and you’ll become a lover of the Ginger Cookies too!

You can get stuffed or unstuffed, the filling had a slight lemon flavor to it, which complemented the ginger surprisingly well.

I’m not usually the biggest fan of lemon.

So when I say you should try it, you can take my word for it! 

Other Favorites

• Raspberry Chocolate Cupcake
• Peach and Raspberry Scones
• Monkey Bread Muffin
• Bread Pudding Muffin

We didn’t realize it at the time, but the bread pudding was definitely made with alcohol.

It was pretty boozy… just to let you know. 

When we had our sweet tooth appeased.

We went to get some lunch at a referral from a friend, the Moose Tooth Pub.

Tip: Just fyi the bakery menu is seasonal and changes often. Don’t ask how we found that one out, it’s a sad story that ended with NO Ginger Cookies!!!!

The Moose’s Tooth Pub & Pizzeria

We loved their pizza! I think their crust might be my favorite crust of all time…

I know, I know…that is a big statement!

But it was a step above other crusts… it was bubbly, crispy and light.

It had crispy melted cheese all over it and was more like a breadstick.

It truly was delightful to our taste buds.

We ended up getting two pizzas, because we couldn’t choose just one!

Getting JUST one would have been a travesty…

We got the White Pizza and the Avalanche.

By FAR the favorite was the Avalanche.

It was SPECTACULAR!

I’m salivating just thinking about it.

The Avalanche Pizza

The White Pizza

The White Pizza was ok, it just wasn’t as flavorful. Avalanche for the win!

After our bellies were full, we were ready for another adventure! 

Snow Sculptures

You read that right snow sculptures, not ice sculptures, snow sculptures!

Anchorage was having a snow sculpting contest.

It was WWAAAYY cool (pun totally intended)

It was like walking into an Art studio.

You couldn’t believe the detail, it was incredible. 

Tip: A great place to see Mount Denali is driving from Wasilla to Willow.

It comes up on you very quickly so be ready. You’re on a hill and it opens up and frames the peak.

Perfect kodak moment!

Just make sure you pull off the road and don’t get distracted and lose focus while driving.

Fairbanks AK

We decided to give ourselves the best chance to see the Northern Lights and drive up to Fairbanks AK.

The further north you go, the higher chance of seeing the Auroras and the brighter they could be.

You can check the Aurora forecast here.

Just know that there is no full guarantee of seeing them.

But you can make an educated guess of when a “storm” might happen. 

Hopefully there just isn’t cloud coverage or light pollution.

That would be a bummer.

The drive from Wasilla to Fairbanks is gorgeous!

Lots of snow, trees, snow, rivers, snow, bridges oh and snow!

Speaking of snow…

IF you are going to drive MAKE sure you rent a car that can handle the snow, that is all wheel drive or has 4 wheel drive!!!!

PLEASE PLEASE make sure you stay safe and be extra careful driving, it can be scary.

Anyway, onto the good part!

We stayed at these cute little cabins, they were clean, warm and cozy.

JUST know they don’t have indoor plumbing.

So if that’s a dealer breaker, then maybe roughin’ it isn’t for you!

We really were pleasantly surprised how comfortable the cabins were.

They had 4 queen size bunk beds, a kitchen with a refrigerator, a heater, TV, they even put a few board/card games in the cabin, which was a nice touch! Oh and a pack ‘N play for kids.

The water was only out of a water cooler, but was clean, fresh and they kept it full. 

The bathrooms were outside… but it really wasn’t terrible.

They were right outside the door and they put Styrofoam as the seats, so your bum didn’t stick to the seat.

Surprisingly the seats weren’t cold and quite “warm”, it was genius! 

They also had their pull dogs next to us, so no worries of bears or anything.

They even let us pet the sled-dogs.

They do offer dog sled rides, sadly we didn’t have time to do one.

It’s on the bucket list for next time for sure! 

Another thing that was cool about this place was you could walk just a short distance to a clearing where you were able to observe the Auroras.

If you felt like braving the cold, they had a second clearing, that was even better and more open, farther down the trail.

One thing to make sure you don’t forget is to BRING WARM CLOTHING! I can’t emphasize this point enough!!

If you don’t remember anything else, remember the WARM CLOTHES!

PLEASE make sure you have warm snow gear!

Just for reference, we started the night watch sitting outside in -10 Fahrenheit temperatures and it continued to get colder!

SO AGAIN BRING WARM CLOTHES!!!!!!!

THE AURORAS

About 9pm we headed out for that first clearing.

I brought my camera, camp chairs, blankets and again warm clothes.

We waited until about 9:30ish and started to see a whiteish light across the sky.

Think low clouds with light pollution under them or one of those batman huge spot lights, they have at corn mazes, know what I mean? We weren’t expecting that! 

At first we didn’t even realize what we were seeing.

Luckily my sister and her husband helped us recognize the first signs.

It took awhile to get going and we were about to leave to warm up a bit… 

THEN… the most amazing thing happened!

The spotlight of white all of a sudden became alive!

With beautiful greens and yellows that shot through the very path of the white light and continued to streak across the sky, like a swirling stroke of a paint brush.

And it just got brighter and brighter! 

After a while the Auroras died down, which happens in their up and down cycle.

We were ready to warm up anyway, before the next show started and headed for the cabin.

We waited about an hour and guess what??? They started again and we were able to see them from our cabin this time! 

It was around midnight and as we were watching the Auroras, we told my 2 yrs old nephew that it was time for him to go to bed.

He said NOOOOWWWAAA!!! And was very upset that we would even suggest such an unthinkable thing!

Like how dare we SUGGEST him going to bed and missing out on the Northern Lights!!

I wish I would have taken a picture of him sitting on my lap, elbows on the his knees ooooing and aweing at the light show and soaking it all in.

It was so adorable! How could you say no to that?

I couldn’t, that’s who, so he got to stay up with us.

Finally an hour later, the Auroras started to dwindle and so did my nephew and my husband, so they went to bed.

My sister and I were NOT going to take the chance of missing more of this spectacular show! 

My husband told me he was going to sleep for a bit, but to wake him up if they started again…

Oh boy, if we knew what a hilarious story we were about to get, he wouldn’t have ever gone to sleep ha ha 

My sister and I went outside to get a better full sky view. Nothing was happening yet and I had to run to the outhouse to tinkle, before I missed anything.

As I finished I was about to pull up my snow pants (I already had my  sweats up.) and my sister started yelling “SHAY HURRY HURRY” they’re starting again!!!!!

I ran out with my snow pants around my ankles trying to pull them up as I went,

BUT I was NOT going to miss the Auroras, so I didn’t care, as I hobbled out I almost fell on my face. Ha ha

I may have looked crazy, but oh man it was 100% worth the lifelong teasing and hysterical laughter, I’m going to get from my sister!

The Auroras were that AMAZING!!!!  

I know, I know I haven’t told you about my husband’s funny story yet…

Here is it: As we were watching this magical show nature performed for us, the best show yet… it was the whole sky this time.

I ran inside and tried waking up my husband so he didn’t miss the show and at the same time trying not to wake up the kiddos.

Let’s just say that was a complete failure!

As my hubby was trying to wake up, I went back outside to wait for him , so I wouldn’t miss the lights.

He literally took FOREVER!!!

How long you may ask? Well long enough that I had to run back inside and whisper more urgently.

“Are you coming? You. Are. Going. To. Miss. This, If you don’t HURRY!!!!!”

I knew he would have been so sad if he missed it!

And of course during this “urgent whispering” the kiddos woke up and wouldn’t hear of being left out.

Bundling the kiddos back up (still waiting for Justin, by the way) we took them out with us and put them in the warm car, by this time we were frozen popsicles that needed to warm up and to keep the littles from freezing as well.

FINALLY Justin came out and joined us, disheveled and blurry eyed, but finally there!

I really don’t know how he is so lucky… he actually made it out in time to see the brightest auroras yet!

We asked him what took so long and he said he was trying to find his boots…

Shan awkwardly laughed and said sorry, I have them on he he.

I would have to say having my man, snuggling me while we watched, was even that much better and warmer ;) 

Now let me tell you just how vivid and astounding the colors were… 

We got to see greens and yellows of course, BUT we also got to see reds and blues, those colors are more rare AND they were cascading across the entire sky and “lighting up our world” like only the northern lights could do!

It was captivating! 

At about 3am my sister and nephew went to bed, but Justin and I stayed out for another hour or so.

The Auroras were dying down, but right at the end it did something different than it had done all night.

The colors faded and went back to how they had begun. They were white, except they didn’t have the batman light effect.. It still waved across the sky like it had done before, but then it looked like someone put a projector on the sky and kept turning it on and off.

It was really unique and different.

I didn’t want to go inside, but we finally had to accept defeat and get some sleep.

The next day we are all discussing how amazing the lights were and laughing about the pants incidence and how Justin took the longest time to come out of the cabin…

As we were talking about it, Justin pipes in that he said “I was going so fast, I was speeding all over trying to find my boots…”

Then Anthony laughingly added “well that’s not quite what happened, I heard Shay come in and wake you up and then I fell back to sleep.

BUT then Shay came back and in loud urgent whisper saying “Are you coming? You. Are. Going. To. Miss. This, If you don’t HURRY!!!!!”

I looked over and saw you are moving at a snail pace ha ha”

Justin said “No I was going so fast!” Anthony countered “Oh really?” We all had a good belly laugh and told Justin, he was utterly misinformed!

Now his excuse is that he claims he was slightly hypothermic, hence the slothful way of moving and thinking he was going lightening fast.

Chena Hot Springs

The next day of our Alaskan adventure: Chena Hot Springs and Aurora Ice Museum

The jaunt to Chena from our cozy cabins, was a pretty one.

The hot springs were steaming, the ice sculptures were sparkling and the food scrumptious!

We were hungry and wanted to eat before we saw the Ice Museum.

We ate at the Chena Hot Springs Restaurant.

It did have a wait, and it took awhile for us to get our food, but that’s the way it goes in Alaska.

It was worth the wait, (if you aren’t hangry that is, don’t ask how I know that;)

Smoked Salmon Pasta

The Smoked Salmon Pasta is to die for, the flavor was so good and the white sauce was really creamy and I just wanted more…

In fact I did get more later haha!

Seared Scallops

The Scallops are yummy as well! I don’t even like scallops usually.

Clam Chowder

Their Clam Chowder was super think and creamy and had a really great flavor.

Pear and Apple Salad

My brother-in-law got the Pear and Apple Salad and really liked it, I mean look at that chicken breast.

Halibut bites and Fries

Aurora Ice Museum

You want to make sure to get tickets, beforehand to save your spot.

The carvings are crazy good and extraordinary.

You walk into an igloo made of ice, it’s fairly dark, except for the sculptures that are all lit up.

The light effect makes the ice sculptures look like the Auroras are waving through them.

Some of the displays of ice are interactive and you can touch and crawl on them.

Chena Hot Springs

We then went to the hot springs! This was one of my favorite parts.

They have an indoor pool for kids (just fyi you can’t take kids to the outdoor hotter pools) and an outside hot springs pool!

It was really fun to be outside in the freezing cold, but warm in the pool.

We made some funny icicle hairdos. I wish I got pictures in the hot springs.

But sigh alas I didn’t….

So you’ll have to go and get some for me!

Chena Hot Springs Restaurant

We stayed and ate dinner at the same restaurant.

Remember how you shouldn’t wait to eat if you are hangry?

Well… let’s just say it was a LLLOONNGG wait and I was definitely needing food.

I get especially hangry, because I get migraines if I don’t eat in time AND considering I was in a hot spring for hours.

I was pretty dehydrated, which again causes me migraines.

When we finally got a table, we ate some more Smoked Salmon Pasta.

We couldn’t pass up on having that yumminess again, it was good enough that we wanted it twice.

We also got Chicken Strips and Fries

You know how much I LOVE fries!!! These ones were battered and so yummy.

We added a delightful Caramel Carrot Cake for dessert.

Now trust me here and try it, your taste buds will thank me later! 

We wanted to stay and go back to the hot springs and watch the Auroras while soaking in the hot springs, BUT sadly…

It was snowing really hard and we couldn’t see the night skies, so we decided to leave.

We left a little disheartened, but made it safely back to our cabins, thank goodness.

As we ended our time in Fairbanks, my nephew wanted me to hold him and wouldn’t let me put him down.

Considering that his favorite show was on and that he literally NEVER stops moving, talk about energy HAHA it was unusual for him to want me over Justin…

Finally my sister said “I think he thinks you’re leaving Alaska” I said “oh Tman we’re not leaving for another week! We’re just going back to your house!”

He hugged me and patted my back squealing YEEAAHH!!! It was adorable to say the least.

Drive from Fairbanks 

Keep an eye out for lookout points off the road to see the Denali Range, BUT, you do have to walk in very deep snow to get to them, just fyi.

Also a reminder there aren’t many bathrooms or places to eat from Fairbanks to Wasilla, (during the winter, anyway) so plan accordingly.

To put this into perspective, there was only one open grocery store, between that 300+ mile drive.

So make sure to bring food and other necessities.

That grocery store is where I first learned about my love for freeze dried pineapple!

Talkeetna

Is a quaint little Alaskan town.

It’s a fun experience to wander through their many adorable little shops.

It’s like stepping into a Hallmark movie!

It’s a great place to get lots of unique souvenirs for your friends and family or yourself, which is what I did!

And of course we had to TRY the local pub/brewery!

The Denali Brewing Co.

The Brewery food was soooo tasty.

The Reindeer Meatloaf was out of this world and meatloaf isn’t always one of my favorite foods!

They do change their menu up, depending on what’s in season, so don’t cry too hard if you can’t try their meatloaf… or do!

But don’t stay sad for too long.

We all agreed that everything was mouthwatering and no matter what you order you can’t go wrong.

Other items we really liked were the:

Pulled pork sandwich

Tomato soup and fried cheese curds.

And an added bonus is their Homemade Brewed Root beer

was so flavorful and tasty, after all this is a brewery…you have to try their drinks! 

The top highlights of the trip for my husband happened in Talkeetna: 

• As we were walking down the main street of Talkeetna, a bush plane approached for landing. It flew right over top of us and landed on the strip at the end of the road! My husband is obsessed with everything airplane, it’s pretty adorable! I guess that’s what I get for marrying a pilot/mechanic haha!

• Another highlight for him (which was his most favorite thing) was going to the hanger of Don Sheldon, one of the first pilots that flew mountaineers and supplies to Mount Denali. The icing on the cake was my hubby got to see Don Sheldon’s original planes. They also gave him a sticker and t-shirt, which was pretty cool. I wish I would have gotten a picture of his face when he walked out… It was like a little kid in a GIANT candy store with his favorite candies!! Pure Bliss! Just with big boys toys instead of candy or in Justin’s case, airplanes!!! He was in heaven, his whole face was lit up!

Tip: There is a great pull off, as you are about to enter Talkeetna from the south, where you can see Denali really well and take pictures, you’re welcome!

This one, I think is even better than the pull off from Wasilla to willow.

Great place for a photoshoot!

Hatcher Pass

After the Fairbanks and chasing auroras adventure was over.

We had a nice few well earned days of relaxation and being with family!

Almost every morning my brother in law would make us these AHH MAZING sour cream pancakes!

When well rested we started getting a little antsy for another Alaskan adventure.

We decided our next stop would be Hatcher Pass.

The snow capped range was awe-inspiring, I’m told it’s EVEN more amazing in the summer!

Because of the snow, we couldn’t make it all the way to the top, but the view was spectacular, nonetheless. 

At the top there is Hatcher Pass Lodge Restaurant that serves an amazing fondue, or so I’m told.

Sadly it’s only open in the summer months.

So if this is on your bucket list, make sure they are open!

They even have little cabins you can rent to stay in.

My brother-in-law’s family visited them and said about Hatcher Pass, that it was very comparable to European mountains in Sweden and Iceland. 

Tip: This is my sister’s favorite place to hike in the summer. She LOVES hiking and hikes all over, so that’s pretty high praise! 

Alaska Aviation Museum

As I have previously told you about my husband’s love of all things aviation.

So we just couldn’t miss the Alaska Aviation Museum, now could we?

It was really amazing! It had a bunch of aviation stuff of course, but it also had a lot of historical things.

They told many stories of Alaskan history, especially how it was for them during the different wars.

It was really interesting to see another culture and connect with and learn new things about them. 

They also had another massive hanger full of the different aircrafts, it was amazing, especially if you’re into stuff like that 😉

Simon & Seafort’s Saloon & Grill

After all the walking at the museum, it was time to feed our hanger!

We decided to try a sandwich place, but they were full up. We didn’t know where to try next and were hunger…

We must have been looking super in need of lunch, because as we were standing there this friendly local asked us “Are you looking for a place to eat?”

With a resounding “YES,” she told us to try Simon and Seafort’s! And to NOT miss out on their halibut cheeks!”

Our hanger was going to be appeased soon! YEAH! 

Luckily it was just across the street and there wasn’t a long wait.

Once seated they brought out warm, soft, really good sourdough bread.

Next for our appetizer we chose the Oven Roasted Crab and Artichoke Dip with parmesan and toasted baguettes.

It was so cheesy and ooey gooey goodness.

I ordered Cajun Fettuccine with creole seasoning, reindeer sausage, spicy cajun sauce and parmesan. YES reindeer again, it was delicious! I’m craving it again just thinking about it.

My hubby got the Pan Seared Alaskan Halibut Cheeks (the local recommendation)

It had asiago and panko crust, with mash potatoes and white sauce. OH MY GOODNESS!!! We were sooo glad she told us to try them, they were phenomenal to say the least!

My mom got the New England Clam Chowder

It had croutons and bacon. She was definitely a big fan. It was super creamy and flavorful.

My sister and her husband also ordered the Pan Seared Alaskan Halibut Cheeks

and again were NOT disappointed! They’ve since gone back many times to enjoy them.

Everything was AHHHMAZING!!!! The locals were right, those halibut cheeks were TO DIE FOR.

Just fyi the halibut cheeks are delicious and soooo worth it, BUT they aren’t super filling, I mean it’s fish!

So if you need something more hardy get pasta or eat lots of bread beforehand.

What was really nice was I got pasta and my hubby got the halibut cheeks and we shared with each other.

So we were full and had our taste buds dancing as well! It was a win/win in my book!

TIP:I would suggest asking to be seated by the window, it has an amazing view while you eat.

The Locals Pub and Pizzeria

Raise your hand if you love pub food✋

Is there anyone that doesn’t like pub food? if there is, that person is definitely NOT me.

On one of our last days in Alaska we wanted to try what Wasilla had to offer.

So we headed to the The Locals Pub and Pizzeria.

We got Fried Pickles for an appetizer

I was really excited about them, because Justin hates pickles, but I love them, so I don’t get them very often. They were super crispy and yummy.

For someone that will literally eat anything, it’s sad he hates on pickles so much.

My mom got the Wedge Salad

That had iceberg lettuce, a yummy bleu cheese dressing and lots of different toppings. She was a fan and really enjoyed it.

My sister ordered the Buffalo Chicken Salad

It had romaine lettuce, buffalo crispy chicken, bleu cheese crumble and buffalo ranch dressing on the side.

This was my personal favorite of the salads, but I do love buffalo chicken, so I’m biased.

Try my Creamy Buffalo Chicken Chip Dip!

Justin and I usually go for burgers and this time was NO different ;) 

Justin got the Locals burger

With onion rings, cheese and super yummy homemade locals house sauce.

I ordered the Black N’ Blue Burger

with cajun seasoned patty, cheese, chipotle mayo and bleu cheese crumbles. I especially liked the chipotle mayo and cajun flavor together. 

Both burgers were good, BUT I think I made the best choice!

The burgers came with really good battered fries, they were super tasty! (I’ve been on this kick lately of wanting fries and trying all different kinds and seeing which are the best.

These ones were exceptional and they made it on the “would get again list.”)

For the loved ones at home we ordered a Denali Destroyer Pizza to-go. It was ok, but it didn’t compare to the Moose Tooth Pizzas which was waaayyy better! 

TO RECAP OUR FAVORITE RESTAURANTS 

• Moose’s Tooth Pub & Pizzeria 
• Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop
• Chena Hot Springs Restaurant
• Denali Brewing Co./Brewpub
• Simon & Seafort’s Saloon & Grill
• The Locals Pub and Pizzeria

Writing about all this amazing food is making me hungry and missing Alaska!

 TIP: Just so you know Alaskans have a much slower pace. You will wait at least an hour for your food, also everything is a lot more expensive.

SO. PLAN. ACCORDINGLY.

The upside is that it makes you take time to relax, enjoy the experience and savor the company!!!

Heading Home

Sadly our trip ended and we headed home, but how lucky we were to see the breathtaking Auroras, eat splendid food, see the majestic Mount Denali, soak in the Chena hot springs, be amazed at the aviation, shop at the quaint town of Talkeetna, admire stunning snow sculptures, and most importantly to be with wonderful family!

It was truly a gift to see the vast wild beauty that Alaska has to offer, I just can’t wait to go back again.

Bucket list for future trips to Alaska:

• Fishing for salmon (or any kind of fish)
• See Alaska in Summer or Fall 
• See the Iditarod 
• Go on a Dog Sled Ride
• See the Matanuska Glaciers (or any glaciers)
• Try the Fondue at the Hatcher Pass Lodge Restaurant
• Visit the coast 
• Ride the Alaskan Train

So all in all was it worth going to Alaska in the cold and winter?

The answer is a resounding YES! But you’ll have to find out for yourself and let me know what you think! And may the aurora gods ever be in your favor.

• What are your favorite things to do in Alaska?

• What would your bucket list look like?