Micah’s guidebook

I'm often asked how to get the most out of a short visit. It totally depends on your likes and dislikes, and your total itinerary, but here is what i would do. If you are driving down from Anchorage, I would stop at Flattop in Anchorage and hike a bit- I always see a lot of bull moose towards the power line. Hit up South Restaurant on your way out of town for some breakfast or lunch. Their Salmon BLT is amazing. On your way south, if you stop at the hotel Alyeska in Girdwood, you can ride the tram up the mountain. From there you have amazing views, and can hike the mountain to your hearts desire. There are trails that start at the bottom of the tram as well. All good stuff. On your way out, stop at Jack Sprat for dinner. Get the yam fries. From there you have about two hours to the Townhouse. I suggest stopping along the way to take pictures- on a good day, the views are amazing. If you are ambitious, stop at the Russian River Trailhead just south of Cooper Landing, and hike the 2 miles in to Russian River falls. When the fish are running, you can see them jumping up the falls, and sometimes see bear in the water. From Soldotna you have a lot of options. There's a lot to do around town in the summer, and all it costs is time, so I will skip most of that. Go to the beach at midnight, build a bonfire, watch the sun not quite set, or fish from the river bank, check out the local spots with live music, etc. You can take a fishing/flightseeing trip through Talon Air. Or drive to Homer for the day and walk around the Spit, take the ferry across to Seldovia, or sign up for a cooking class at Tutka Bay. You can book a Halibut Charter with Mike Mann Charters. Try Fat Olives pizza, or The Sourdough Express. On your way back to Anchorage, you can stop in Seward and hike to Exit Glacier, or take a whale watching cruise. The one that has lunch at Fox Island is pretty good. Then catch the Sealife Center, walk around town, hike Mount Marathon, named after the second oldest marathon in North America. Eat at the Cookery, and then head north.