Alaska, Day Two: “We’re Sorry, But Alaska Is Closed For The Winter”

Another 6:00am start to the day, but this time with better results. After a six-hour flight, I touched down, at last, in Anchorage. Unfortunately, my luggage did not. I stood in line at Northwest Baggage Services for nearly two hours, only to find out that because my luggage might be coming in on a flight later that day, I could not register a claim. Rather, I needed to wait around until the last scheduled flight, arriving at 7:00pm. Maybe everyone else’s delayed luggage could keep me company…

Not to be deterred from my Alaskan adventure, I picked up my rental car and headed into town to see the acclaimed Anchorage Museum of History and Art. Imagine my surprise when the front door was locked. I pressed the button to talk to the security guard, who informed me that the museum was closed for the next two months. “That’s okay,” I thought, “I’m hungry, and the tourist guidebooks I bought have several recommendations.” The first recommended restaurant, Marx Bros. Café, was located in the now closed museum, so I walked several blocks down the road to Sacks Café. Sadly, they stopped serving food approximately 30 minutes earlier. Okay. I walked further down the street to Snow City Café, but their kitchen had just closed. I had been in Anchorage for nearly four hours and had encountered nothing but…well, nothing. Having not eaten in over 12 hours, I tossed aside the guidebooks and partook of a substandard sandwich and soup combo at some anonymous restaurant.

Rejection at Snow City Café

As my raging headache subsided, I was once again filled with an obstinate optimism, determined to make this a good trip. I sauntered into the Alaskan Mint, where the staff were incredibly kind and talkative. This trend continued as I perused the 5th Avenue Mall, which smelled and felt exactly like good ol’ Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City, Utah. Part of me kept wanting to check my watch to see when my lunch break from B. Dalton Booksellers was over. Everyone I ran into was super nice, and once they found out I was on vacation, they had all sorts of suggestions for me. Now armed with the necessary cheap pair of sunglasses and a car stereo cord for my iPod, I was ready to go back to the airport and scavenge for my luggage.

The Cash Register at the Alaskan Mint

The day continued to improve when, at the suggestion of Krista, a friend/Sinai co-worker/soon-to-be fellow CHOC intern, I pulled into Moose’s Tooth Pub and Pizzeria, where I had the best pizza I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. Yes, even better than The Pie on The University of Utah campus. I ordered “Santa’s Little Helper,” which consisted of pepperoni, blackened chicken, steak, bacon, red bell peppers, cilantro, mozzarella, provolone, and marinara sauce. Exquisite. Joy to the gustatory world! Santa’s Little Helper delivered a tremendous gift to my palate.


A comfortable bed, fireplace, Jacuzzi bathtub, and the Food Network awaited me at Alaskan Frontier Gardens Bed & Breakfast just outside of town. At last, I was in Alaska, my luggage was in Alaska, and the adventure had begun. My Alaskan adventure.