Anchorage, Alaska is about 4 hours from Seattle, Washington. I've thought about visiting Alaska, but there were some hesitations. I thought about it for over 3 months while I was living in Seattle for the summer. Then one day I just booked the ticket to Anchorage because it was cheaper to go from Seattle to Anchorage than going from Southern California to Anchorage. Was I insane for taking a solo trip to a place where I knew absolutely no one? Maybe. Maybe. But I don't regret any of it.
Unfortunately, the air quality wasn't ideal when I landed and it was very smoky because of a forest fire so I wasn't able to see the mountains that surrounded Anchorage. There wasn't much to see in the city of Anchorage itself, but leaving the city was the way to go.
Day 1: Wildlife Conservation Center
After I landed in Anchorage, I took the shuttle to TownePlace Suites Anchorage Midtown. Rested for an hour then it's off I go to explore Alaska. I booked a tour because it was the easiest way to go out of the city. The drive was quite long, but it was so worth it. The Wildlife Conservation Center rescues animals to give them a place to heal in hopes that one day they can return to the wild. Some have lost their home and can't not return. Places like this give them a place to call home.
Day 2: City Tour
I did a city tour through viator.com where I learn about the history of Alaska and the bajillion earthquakes that they have everyday, visited the Native American Hospital, saw the place where they filmed Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and tried reindeer sauce (I'm sorry Rudolph). The artwork that is display along the walls of the hospital is truly amazing. We ended up at a farmer's market where I ate fish and chips.
Fun Fact: High school students travel by plane when they have away games instead of buses.
Day 3: Whittier & Glaciers
In Whittier, Alaska, all their residents live in one building. Whittier is known as the Community Under One Roof. It also has only one way in and out of Whittier, which is through a train tunnel and it's timed so that cars leaving Whittier exits every hour on the hour and car enters every hour on the half hour.
Nothing beats the sound of nature. Glaciers breaking off is a natural process. This reminded me of The Titanic. It was freezing just standing there and I'm wearing 3 layers. I can't even imagine how cold the water is and how much they had to suffer.
The glaciers have been condensed by thousands of years of snow and water. The tour guide said rainy and cold days are the best days to go glacier viewing because the icy blue hues come out. On sunny days the glaciers disappears into the background.
Nice day for hot chocolate, whale watching, otter sightings, and glacier viewing.
If you think you don't like a place, go there anyways. You don't have to end up living there, but explore it because you never know.
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