Anchorage, AK and a start to a one-week trip

 We arrived on a Friday night around 11 PM in May.  It was still light out and the airport was bustling.  The next day, we started our trip at the Log Cabin Visitors' Center.  The staff is very, very helpful.  We walked to Elderberry Park to find the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail.  This is a wide, paved, flat trail that goes along the Turnagain Arm waterway.  There are great views and we saw a muskrat and a sandhill crane.  After our walk, we went to a small fair with native jams, food trucks, smoked fish, crafts and more.

There a many interesting shops in the city.  We went to Oomingmak for musk ox hair knit pieces; the Kobuk for souvenirs and tea; and stopped for crepes.  The Alaska Public Lands Information Center has a fascinating movie about the 1964 earthquake and many exhibits about Alaska.

We happened upon a fair for people of the South Pacific.  Apparently, there is a large population in Anchorage.  We enjoyed watching traditional dances.

As an overview:

Day 1 - exploring downtown Anchorage

Day 2 - the dome train to Seward/exploring Seward

Day 3 - A full-day cruise leaving out of Seward (seeing the Kenai Fjord)

Day 4 - sea kayaking and a half-day cruise of Fox Island and Resurrection Bay

Day 5 - renting a car in Seward (expensive), hiking Exit Glacier and driving to Girdwood 

Day 6 - picked up in Girdwood for a half-day cruise in Prince William Sound

Day 7 - the tram at Alyeska Resort and the Winner Creek Trail (moose)

Day 8 - drive to Anchorage, seeing the Heritage Center and Botanical Garden

Day 9 - morning hike in Eagle River (black bear) and flight home