I think the biggest challenge about coming to Alaska and finding AK tours within an easy distance from downtown Anchorage is that you think they aren’t accessible and/or you have to stay in the big city. While there are some great local tours to be had in Anchorage like this Beer Tour or my favorite bike tour of the coastal trail {rent bikes from this guy}, I like to encourage folks to get off the beaten path and see a little more, even if you have just 12 hours in Anchorage. Having hosted half my family (literally half, we go married on a farm in Palmer, so we came up with a great list for out of town family and friends).
1. Well Duh, Go to Hatcher Pass.
Scenic vistas, breathtaking rocky mountain streams, historic mines, and alpine lakes make Hatcher Pass a MUST visit drive. If you don’t have a car, our friends at Salmon Berry Tours are offering a great drive out to Hatcher Pass + a visit to the prehistoric scruffy monsters known as Musk Ox. If you do have a car, get out of it at either Independence Mine or Gold Mint Trail and stretch those legs for a few hours to see some of the most kick-ass views. Think Lord of the Rings mountain scenes. The dwarves would have called Hatcher Pass home just as the marmots have. If you come in August, take a bucket and get some delicious blueberries or watermelon berries on the slopes.
2. Say you climbed a mountain, and hike Bodenburg Butte.
While not technically a mountain (see this great article by friend and pulitzer prize winning journalist Deb McKinney about the history of Bodenburg Butte) this trek is perfect for the whole family. If you’ve been hitting the snack bar pretty hard during your vacation, this will take you about 1.5-2 hrs round trip. If you’re the energizer bunny, give yourself 45 minutes.
The 360 views of the Matanuska Valley are killer (including views of the Knik Glacier and Sleeping Lady Mountain, not to mention the imposing Chugach Mountains front range. This is a great one for kids (I’ve dragged my whole family on top) and includes a gum tree, several benches to sweat and catch your breath on, and more than one interesting informational sign put together by the Great Land Trust, a local land trust responsible for recently permanently protecting part of the Butte.
3. Be a gawking tourist and bottleneck around downtown Palmer.
When I travel, I love going where all the locals hang out. Unlike other tourism towns, like Homer or Talkeetna, Palmer is fairly unscathed from the touches of tourist fever. It is a small, sleepy midwestern town with all its charms, but stuck in a gorgeous riverine valley. Palmer’s slogan is “Alaska at its best.” A better slogan is “Alaska’s best kept secret.”
Palmer, AK is the perfect pit stop for book lovers and coffee lovers.
Dainty coffee shops and coffee stands dot the town which always makes me think that we must be cold all the time, or very, very tired. A scrumptious book store, Fireside books carries tons of Alaskan authors. Best selling author and pulitzer nominated Eowen Ivey got her start at this little shop. Alaskans are hardcore bibliophiles and we love to support our locally owned bookstores.
Remember: shopping local supports Alaskans while you’re on AK Tours
Don’t forget to buy every friend you ever had a present at NonEssentials. The owner has impeccable taste (think Martha Stewart meets Julia Child). I have spent many a good hour (and good dollar) there. The owner also carries a ton of locally made products. Avoid the made in China chotcky gift shops on 4th avenue (writing this will get me in trouble, there are many stores in downtown Anchorage that support local craftsman, but beware the Made in China sticker) and support Alaskan craftsman and cottage industries by shopping at her shop. Spending one dollar on an Alaskan owned and operated business and craftsman has a seven times multiplier affect in our communities.
Ok, I need to stop there or my soapbox won’t bear my weight. I’m thinking I’m going to have to do a more comprehensive tour of Palmer before I run out of space.
4. Skip rocks on the Knik River (Or Matanuska River)
Alaskan Rivers are not lazy. They boil and churn, carrying car-sized boulders in their deeps. They braid, cut, change course every season (to the deep regret and chagrin of shoreline homeowners.) I love collecting river rocks. My nieces and nephews collect them to paint. I like skipping them or trying to decipher the geologic history of where they came from. Whatever you do with river rocks, get out and find some while walking around the river bed of these great rivers.
Alaskan Rivers are more than you bargained for.
It seems an odd place to stop, but give yourself and hour to walk along the river and you’ll get a little more understanding of glacial rivers true transformative power. If you’ve got an evening to spare. Collect drift wood and make a fire (Caveat: Check the fire ban status in the Mat-Su Borough before you do this.) A package of sausages and a bag of marshmallows will go a long way for this cheap and fun Palmer activity.
Please note: Avoid the Knik River on weekends. It turns into a Mad Max free-for-all. I live three miles from there and the local fire department gets its workout Saturday nights at all the tom-foolery that happens down there. I know that makes me sound old and prudish. But a quick drive by and you’ll see what I mean.
5. Take a farm tour with Alaska Farm Tours.
Come on, you had to see this coming. I mean, I own the farm tour business, and you are reading this on the Alaska Farm Tours website, so you had to know I was going to plug the business. Plus, we have some killer TripAdvisor reviews so I’m not just tooting my own horn here about being an AK tours worth visiting. The thing is, I love Alaskan farms and I love Alaskan farmers. If you even have one iota of curiosity about how Alaskans grow food in cold climates, then this tour will answer that question and a lot, lot more. Even if you don’t like the tour, you’ll get a tasty lunch from Turkey Red and I promise you I’ll make you laugh at least once.
6. Ok, I know I said I was going to make it to 10, but I got tired, so I’m stopping there.
There are tons of other things out there…like the Iditarod headquarters, a weird fireworks store, breweries, bike trails, museums and other oddities and marvels I’m missing, but I’m going to have to wait until my toddler is done teething to finish this because my mental faculties are suboptimal at best.