Valley Trip

Thinking about all the places in Alaska that I haven't really seen, I realized I had never really spent much time in Palmer and Wasilla- two cities in the Matanuska valley. So, I decided to take Vince to the valley and check out a few of the sites...

The Reindeer Farm in Palmer- very informative and fun

...the check-in cabin

Wow! This guy was a big surprise- literally! The Reindeer

Farm took in an orphaned bull moose and raised him; now

he has a family and is docile as Marmaduke hehe

Greeting the kids

... moosing around

Reindeer time- I was blown away with how docile they were!

All you need is a little reindeer kibble, and you are BFFs :)

This big male was called John Deer

Time to visit the Iditarod Trail Headquarters in Wasilla

A little history...

OMG- puppies!!!

...yeah- I did not want to leave!!

So cute!!

The worker bees taking a break. Great visit to the Valley!

Heading Home

After our lovely trip to the Peninsula, it was time to head home... but we had to make a few stops on the way :)

The view from a tiny bridge over Canyon Creek

Caribou at the Wildlife Conservation Center on Turnagain Arm

Brown bears!

Magnificent animals

Alaska's state bird

Baby musk ox

Sitka black-tailed deer

Time for dinner! I surprised Vince with a stop at the Double 

Musky Inn- one of America's top restaurants

Outside view

Eclectic and Creole-inspired interior

Cajun food at it's finest- awesome jambalaya, and a great end to the day

Homer in June

Clam Gulch, Ninilchik, and Anchor Point all in the rearview mirror, the next stop on Vince & I's Peninsula trip was Homer (one of my favorite little fishing towns to visit)!

Welcome to Homer :)

The view from the hillside as you enter town

The Pratt Museum- fun place to visit

My paw vs. bear paws- whoa!

Learning about some of the locals...

Time for lunch

Yum! The grilled sampler (halibut, salmon, shrimp, & scallops) was awesome

What better after a good lunch than a good after-dinner digestif? 

The Salty Dawg has got to be a national landmark hehe. This was

the first time I was old enough to go here!

Haha- loved the eclectic decor

Lots to see...

Wow- I think these were the best Bloody Marys I have had to date!

Full and happy, Vince & I decided to go for a stroll

and to check out the Seafarer's Memorial- very nice

Definitely time to wind down at the hotel

And warm up in the hot tub :)

Breakfast & coffee time at the Sourdough Express- mmm

After a little more sightseeing, we decided to check out Bear Creek 

Winery. Not only did we find some good Alaska-made wines, but we also 

scored with a killer recipe for smoked halibut cracker spread :p

With just about all of our stops covered, I had to bring 

Vince by Alaska Wild Berry Products' first location before 

we hit the road again. Two chocoholics in a pod ;)

Peninsula Trip June 2013

Yay! It finally quit snowing at the end of May... time to get out and get as much summer as possible in Alaska ;) I wanted to head down to the Kenai Peninsula, visit some family, and show Vince where I grew up in Soldotna. So off we went!

One of the boardwalks along the Kenai River in Soldotna

A young bull moose near the boardwalk; he was definitely camera shy!

My cousin Tara and her daughter Addy (also a little shy)

Snack time!

Caribou near the bridge access road in Kenai

Historic landmark church in Kenai

Pretty cool Russian Orthodox church

I had to take Vince here- not only for the seafood, but also for the

famous jalepeno cheese dip :p

My #1 favorite brewery in Alaska- Kassik's in North Kenai

The next morning, we set out for Homer and stopped

at the first house my dad built in Alaska (now a lodge)

It was fun to visit the house where I have so many good memories

The view of the ocean in the backyard

Our next stop was the little Catholic church in Ninilchik 

where I was baptized... Next stop- Homer!