Kristy & Nick’s Alaska Trip

I had been looking forward to Kristy (my sister) and Nick’s (my brother-in-law) trip since they booked their tickets last fall. I was anticipating their arrival so much, and now I can’t believe it is already over. I didn’t know a week could go by so fast.

We ran, hiked, camped, fished, explored much of south central Alaska, and bonded during our adventures.

Craig, me, Cullen, Kristy, and Nick hiking Portage Pass Trail in Whittier, AK

As you know, our first full day together (Sunday), Kristy and I ran the Her Tern Half Marathon and tied for second place. Afterwards, there was no time to rest, we were off to Whittier for the afternoon.

Craig and I really like bringing tourists to Whittier because it is not your typical destination, so they get to see a part of the state most people don’t go to. There isn’t a ton to do, but it makes for a fun afternoon.

We first hiked the Portage Pass Trail. Somehow I got stuck carrying Cullen in the backpack up the mountain, even though I just ran a half marathon that morning! After our descent, we went into town to Swiftwater Cafe (the best place to eat in town) and had halibut, clam chowder, and salmon cakes. So good!

Monday morning, we had breakfast, got packed up, and then headed north to the Willow area to my in-law’s cabin. This is a pretty bare-bones cabin, but the big news is that they got running water in the cabin . . . .just cold water, only one faucet, however still no indoor plumbing.

We chilled the rest of the day, I attempted to take a nap with Cullen, I went for a second run, and then had s’mores around the fire. I don’t love s’mores; it’s more about the nostalgia.

Tuesday morning we slept in, Kristy and I went for a run, and then we headed to Talkeetna for the day. We stopped at a lake and threw rocks into the lake (One of Cullen’s favorite pasttimes.) with float planes around us. We then headed into Talkeetna. Tourist note: if you want a taste of some real Alaskan-ness, head to Talkeetna.

We had lunch at the Denali Brewing Company, and I had THE BEST salmon ever! I’m kind of over salmon, but if this is how salmon was prepared every meal, I would not get sick of it. It was perfectly done with an incredible rub/seasoning on it. The rest of the salad was awesome as well.

We walked around Talkeetna, checked out the shops, threw more rocks into the river, and then headed back to the cabin for the night.

Wednesday morning we drove back to Anchorage, unpacked, did laundry, repacked, and then headed down to the Kenai Peninsula for a few days of camping and fishing.

We camped in Soldotna and fished in the Kenai River for salmon. Kristy was successful and caught one fish! Nick helped her net it.

On Friday everyone went on a halibut fishing charter, however, we didn’t know how Cullen would do on something like that, so I drove down to Homer with Cullen and met up with Whitney at the beach, had a bit to eat at Two Sisters Bakery, and then did a little shopping. It was a gorgeous day, and Cullen had so much fun he didn’t want to leave.

Saturday we had to head back to Anchorage to take Kristy and Nick to the airport. Before we left, Kristy and I did a 21 mile long run with the last 3 miles at 6:50 pace. I didn’t hit the 6:50 pace, but it was still a successful run in my book. It was a warm, sunny day, and I wish we hadn’t had to spend the second half of the day driving. But at last, the trip had to come to an end, and we dropped them off at the airport.

Come back soon!!