Anchorage, Alaska is one of the great destinations that I dreamed of traveling to for so long. I was very curious about traveling to Alaska in general but Anchorage is a city rich with marine life, amazing sights, top restaurants and great salmon fishing. It is really amazing to see people leaving their offices at lunchtime, putting on their fishing waders and getting in some salmon fishing right in downtown. This is really uniqueand I have never seen it outside of Anchorage. I did not know much about Anchorage before arriving here.  I very quickly realized that there was so much more for me discover about Anchorage and some key attractions outside the city than I ever realized  Unfortunately I only planned to stay in Anchorage for a couple days. That said, i made the most of my time there and discovered some of the greatest spots in Anchorage as well as driving destinations outside the city. I visited Anchorage in mid August and the weather was absolutely perfect with plenty of sunshine and long days.

I started my first morning at Snow City Cafe which is in my opinion the best place for breakfast in town. I wholeheartedly recommended this place the atmosphere, coffee and my breakfast was great! This was a great way to start my morning with a great local restaurant.  After breakfast I went to get my fishing license in the downtown area at a bait shop located right by the creek.  It was so enjoyable watching people standing in the middle of the creek fly fishing for  salmon and landing fish after fish. I thought to myself...., Anchorage is pretty amazing! Where else could I watch people catch big salmon in a downtown like this? I fell in love with this place right away. After I spent quite awhile watching people fish I had to move on to my next destination as I did not havea lot of time in Anchorage and I wanted to explore many other places.

I then decided to drive to Crow Creek Gold Mine which is located in Girdwood, Alaska, about a 45 drive. I was very happy with the plan to driver there as the scenery from Anchorage to Girdwood was stunning! I actually ended up spending almost an hour and a half driving to Girdwood because I had to keep stopping to enjoy the pristine scenery at the many view points along the way. It was a really enjoyable trip and the mountain views reflected in the water along the roadside was spectacular.  I could not help but continually stop and take as many pictures as possible to keep these memories fresh forever. The route from Anchorage to Girdwood was one of the most scenic highways I have ever experienced.

I finally arrived at Crow Creek Gold Mine after about a thousand pictures. The mine is located in the middle of nowhere but surrounded by gorgeous scenery and  natural beauty.  Crow Creek Gold Mine is a very special place. Why you ask? As I said it was located in a very rural area deep in the heart of the mountains where I could enjoy the natural beauty. Second, I love the authentic Alaskan architecture and history that was everywhere you look. The wooden houses around the Crow Creek Gold Mine were beautiful and unique. Third, the area was surrounded by the most colorful flowers everywhere you look.  After admiring the beauty  I headed off to looked for some gold by the creek. It was beautiful and I had fun digging in the soil but ended up with very little gold to show for it.  As much as I loved taking pictures and capturing the beautiful memories to share with you after a couple of hours I had to move on to another destiantion.

I drove a short distance to the Alyeska Resort which was about a 10 -15 minute drive from Crow Creek. The Alyeska Resort is well known for its Aerial Tram and beautiful hiking trails. I took the tram up to the top of the mountain where I could enjoy a stunning view of the Chugach mountain range. The Alyeska Aerial Tram is a seven minute scenic ride from The Hotel Alyeska up 2,300 ft in elevation to the top of Mt. Alyeska. From the Tram, you can see miles in all directions – including views of the Turnagain Arm and the seven “hanging” glaciers. The panoramic view was endless with the mountain range and the clouds that seemed so close just above my head I felt that I could reach up and touch them. In the summer months, moose and bear sightings are common so keep your eyes open. At the Upper Tram Terminal, there is an observation deck providing even more breath-taking panoramic views of the majestic mountains, hanging glaciers, sparkling streams, towering spruce, and an array of wildlife. Conde Nast Traveler rated Alyeska ~ "Best view of any U.S. ski resort." The observation deck is a perfect place to enjoy a relaxed picnic lunch or a beautiful evening sunset. Telescopes are available along the viewing deck. In the summer months, you can also enjoy berry picking, paragliding, and even hike on a glacier. At the top tram stop there is a cafe and as it was almost lunchtime I had to try it out. The cafe serves siple food like sandwiches and soup. I tried the soup of the day, a rich Alakan clam and fish chowder soup which was pretty delicious. There is also a fine dining restaurant at the mountaintop that is open for dinner each night and has received great reviews.  I will have to try it on my next trip

After lunch it was time to head back to Anchorage.  On the way back I found a wonderful spot off to the side of the road where people were fly fishing for salmon. The creek, Bird Creek, was the most beautiful I had seen up to this point, the water was such a bright blue with the mountains rising up in the background.  At this time of year you can see the salmon swimming against the current just waiting to be caught. It was pretty amazing and I saw people catching salmon nonstop. This was the first time in my life that I had the opportunity to watch King Salmon and Silver Salmon swimming by so close to where I was standing.  I was very impressed with this trip and everything there was to see.  I can't wait for my next trip to Anchorage so I can block off more time to enjoy the scenery and make time for some top quality salmon fishing. This trip to Anchorage is one of my favorites!

Last but not least before ending my stay in Anchorage and taking off to Denali on the Alaska Railroad, I spent the last night of my trip with a wonderful meal. Anchorage has some great reaturants but I only had time for one fine meal so I chose Orso based on its menu which offered a wide variety of local wild caught Alaskan seafood including halibut, salmon and my favotire snow crab. I had an amazing meal and some of the freshest seafood anywhere. The cooking styles and light seasoning were perfect so the freshness and flavor of the fresh seafood came through in every bite. I could eat like this everyday!  have to give two thumbs up to Orso so if you ever plan to visit Anchorage, don't forget to try it out - you won't be disapointed! I had a wonderful time here and a lot of fun exploring my first Alaska destination. I will definately come back here again and but will allow even more time to discover the beauty of Anchorage and the areas surrounding the city.