Winner Creek Hike

I really enjoy hiking; it is so refreshing to get outdoors and see the natural beauty of where we live!!

And that’s exactly what we did yesterday afternoon; Craig, Lindsey, and I hiked Winner Creek Trail in Girdwood, AK.

This trail is part of the Historic Iditarod Trail that went from Seward to Nome.

I love this area because it is an old-growth forest which means the trees and plants have been there for hundreds of years and not destroyed by forest fires. We hiked among old, mature, towering trees with green brush and moss all around, alongside a beautiful creek.

Craig and Lindsey hiking down the trail.

A sweet part of this trail–the hand tram!!

You literally have to transport yourself over the river, to the other side by pulling the rope.

Craig and I riding the hand tram over the beautiful rushing river.

The waterfalls were my favorite part of the hike.

I love waterfalls!!

The water is SO blue here!

Please excuse how wide open my eyes are!!

An avalanche area along the trail.

Here’s where an avalanche came through.

A portion of the creek.

I was starving by the time we got back to the car–and even though I knew we were going to get some dinner soon, I devoured this almond butter and jelly sandwich.

For dinner, we chose Maxine’s Bistro in Girdwood, AK.

From the outside, it doesn’t look like anything too special.

But inside it had a pleasant atmosphere with, what appeared to be, several pieces of local artwork.

There was a nice bar people could sit at near the windows.

And the main dining area, where we sat, felt like a cozy living room.

Fresh bread served with an olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and minced garlic dipping sauce with course salt along the salt.

Our appetizer was a Watermelon Tuna Roll~Ahi tuna wrapped in fresh watermelon served with firecracker sauce. (See menu above.)

This sushi roll was too odd not to try it and it did not fail us! The ahi was succulent and very flavorful, while the watermelon was crisp and refreshing.

I chose the Baby Greens Salad with champagne vinaigrette, blueberries, and shaved cheese.

I really liked this salald, but I should have asked for the dressing on the side because it was pretty heavy laden with dressing.

Craig got the special, which was Thai Chicken in a rice bowl. Craig really enjoyed his dish–he even shared some with me. 😉 The flavors were excellent together–a little on the spicy side, but not too spicy.

And Lindsey ordered the Spicy Garlic Shrimp, which she said was really good.We have a very enjoyable experience at Maxine’s Bistro and would definitely come back if we were in the area.