We had a 7-hour flight to Anchorage which got delayed, adding to our travel time. I’m glad I kept this day purely for travel — unavoidable delays happen and we didn’t miss anything. We picked up our rental car and settled into our Airbnb.

We drove ~2 hours to Seward for an 11am start. Before the cruise, we stopped at Resurrect Art Coffee House for a coffee and jalapeño bagel with a view.

The 6-hour Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise was spectacular — we spotted whales, orcas, sea lions, and bald eagles. Witnessing Holgate Glacier up close was breathtaking. After the cruise, fresh fish and chips at Miller’s Landing Cafe hit the spot before driving back.

We drove to Matanuska Glacier for a glacier hike with Nova Alaska Guides. Walking on glacier ice for the first time and learning about ice crevasses was a truly unique experience!

After the hike we drove to Talkeetna. Dinner was at the Skewed North food trucks — I had a salmon burger from Salmon Spot, my partner had coffee-rubbed elk. Both were delicious. We explored the quaint town on foot, then checked in at Talkeetna Inn.

Breakfast at Talkeetna Roadhouse (reindeer sausage croissant!) and Conscious Coffee (crepe) across the street. Our flightseeing tour was cancelled due to weather, but K2 Aviation kindly rescheduled it.

Instead we visited Alaska Birch Syrup & Wild Harvest for a tasting tour — tours run every top of the hour. Don’t miss the Birch Brittle Ice Cream!

In the afternoon we took the 4.5-hour Denali National Park Bus Tour (currently goes to mile post 43). We spotted Dall sheep, caribou, and a bear family eating salmon — binoculars were essential! Evening drive to Fairbanks where we spotted a moose family grazing roadside. 🦌

Morning at the Gold Dredge Tour — hands-on gold panning, so much fun! Lunch at Aurora Mediterranean Restaurant, then back to rest before the evening.

Evening: visited Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska, then dinner at eastern European restaurant Soba. Then our Aurora (Northern Lights) Tour — with all odds against us due to cloudy skies, we still witnessed the magical dance in the sky! 🌌

After a late return from the aurora tour, we started our afternoon at Tanana Valley Farmers Market — try all the local jam and spread samples! Then a walk at Creamers Field watching migratory birds.

Dinner at The Pumphouse — must-order: seafood chowder and blackened halibut if you’re a seafood lover.

Early morning drive back to Talkeetna. Our rescheduled flightseeing tour was cancelled again due to bad weather 🥺. We checked into Denali View Lodge — our host Dawn was wonderful and their dog Brooks was a delight!

Evening spent exploring Talkeetna town, walking to Susitna River, and browsing local shops.

We called K2 Aviation in the morning… and it was ON! We experienced the Denali Flyer with Glacier Landing Tour — Denali and its glaciers were absolutely magnificent! 🏔️

Lunch at Bistro Camp (recommended by Dawn — the seafood chowder was amazing!), then drove to Anchorage for our late-night flight home.