We did the Summer Valley & Forest Hike on Sep 4 with our guide, Bryce, and two other hikers. This…read morewas an easy hike for us - largely flat, and beautiful throughout. Being new to Alaska, we didn't feel comfortable doing any hikes on our own, and Bryce was a fantastic guide. He was on time for our pickup, friendly and informative throughout the drive to the trail head, and best of all, he stopped the van along the way for a surprise moose sighting in a lake by the highway. We were able to capture some great photos and videos of the moose grazing in the lake, from a close but safe vantage point, and without feeling rushed. Then the hike itself was great - again, beautiful throughout, and Bryce had great knowledge of the plants and area. He stopped a number of times to bring our attention to plants and mushrooms that are important or unique to the area and gave us time to admire the views at various stops (among them a stunning waterfall). Be sure to bring water and snacks for the hike, as it's long enough that we got a bit hungry. Go Hike Alaska has many offerings; this was the only one we did during our short Anchorage stay, but given our experience, we'll definitely seek them out again when back in the beautiful state.

I went on a beautiful hike up the Eagle River with my guide, Leah. She had great knowledge of the…read moreplants and wildlife of the area, coming especially from a culinary background. Some of the poisonous ones were good to know about later in my trip! We saw salmon, she described the trail that comes over from Girdwood, and then we went to a different incredible place too. I won't give it away, but I had a great time on this well-guided and fairly easy hike.

Loved this place! Watched the video about the colonists who came to Palmer to homestead and that is…read morehow the town started in 1935. They are know for their giant produce and have a great garden outside to walk through. The staff were nice to our dog and we bought a really cute book for our granddaughter at the gift shop.

I highly recommend stopping in at the Palmer Museum and Visitor Center. If you are visiting Palmer…read moreor just passing through you won't want to miss this place. Friendly and knowledgeable staff, great exhibits and art displays, and the garden is truly one of a kind.

The Begich, Boggs Visitor Center at the Portage Glacier is definitely worth a stop. It doesn't cost…read moreanything extra and has some fun activities for kids, as well as some informative displays for adults. Once you've ridden the Ptarmigan out to Portage Glacier, you will want to go inside and get warmed up anyway, so a stop at the Visitor Center is definitely a good option! I thought the Portage Glacier Cruise was a wonderful experience, especially for being pretty affordable (about $45). We rode around for about an hour and a half and got to glide right up to the face of the glacier. It was beautiful and piercing blue. There were also many small waterfalls all around the lake that were great to look at too as we strode by. It was raining and sleeting when we took the cruise, but we still managed to trod up to the outdoor deck and snap pictures of the glacier up close. The tour guides were very informative and open to questions, and they even let me take home some glacial till that they had extracted as samples! Overall, a great way to spend a half-day. I definitely recommend it if you're near Girdwood.

Stopping in this visitor center was an unexpected delight on a rainy day! It has a mini museum…read morewithin and a really well done video talking about the history of the park. Definitely worth a stop on your visit!

This is a small pocket park located out front of the historic City Hall and is also known as the…read moreOld City Hall Park. It is not much of a park, it is more of a green space and outdoor amphitheater (lawn seating only). You will find it right by Anchorage's Visitor Center. There is metered street parking available within a reasonable walking distance and there are also commercial lots and garages available as well. The park's programming and events are facilitated by the Anchorage Downtown Partnership. In the Summer, the park hosts Music in the Park, a weekly lunch hour music series. The also hosts Music for the Little Ones, on Mondays in the Summer as well. The park is named after civil rights activist Elizabeth Peratrovich of the Tlingit Nation. Peratrovich fought tirelessly for Alaska Native equality. She was the catalyst behind the passage of the Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945, the first anti-discrimination law in the US. The park has been known to have high urban camper activity and they use this place to congregate and sleep frequently. This park does not have much of anything. No restroom, no picnic tables, no benches, no play area. So, its utility outside of a hangout spot or outdoor music venue is limited. It is in the heart of the tourist district though and you may find yourself here catching a quick recharge and strategizing.

Park is a bit of a misnomer, it's more of a square. There's no park equipment, no trees, no…read morebenches, no vistas, no picnic tables. Just grass. This is more a gathering place during parades and other special events. There's a teeny stone patio where sometimes tiny concerts are hosted. Mostly though, it is just hobos passed out on the grass.

Beautiful escape to nature with endless flat trails just outside of Anchorage, Eagle River Nature…read moreCenter is a family staple with lots of wildlife.

Eagle River Nature Center is highly worth it for about a 30 minute drive from Anchorage. As you…read moremake your way along the road in to the area, you're greeted with scenic views of the Chugach mountains. There are pullouts to take pictures of those and the river. The nature center is literally at the end of the road with a large lot ($5 parking fee) and the area trails & outside space open even when the building itself is closed. Sadly, we did go on a Tuesday (they're open Wednesday-Sunday) but we still enjoyed the scenery and a short trail. I had hoped to do the 3 mile Albert loop but it was closed due to bear activity feeding on salmon. That was expected since it's a normal closure for August. Still enjoyed the shorter Rodak trail which brings you to a deck and amazingly scenic overlook. There are longer trails but I had other plans for the day. We saw a beaver dam and some salmon from the viewing deck, no bears on our trail, but did carry bear spray as they are active and regular seen in the area. What a beautiful peaceful place. A must do when visiting Anchorage.

UPDATE: After returning home and reviewing our photos, we discovered that the scratch existed…read moreBEFORE we picked up the vehicle. Only after presenting this photographic evidence to the company did they agree to issue a refund. This confirms our suspicion that we were wrongfully charged from the beginning. WARNING TO FUTURE RENTERS: Take comprehensive photos of the ENTIRE vehicle during pickup, including close-ups of any existing damage, no matter how minor. This company's inspection practices and billing disputes make thorough documentation absolutely essential to avoid being wrongfully charged for pre-existing damage.

Our arrival flight was delayed( I realize this isn't their fault/isssue). That said, they are in…read morethe hospitality business. They were notified and aware of the delay. Flight was on the ground and we were at the door at 5:55pm. Lady ignored us and locked the doors. There were a handful of renters that were left either finding a place to stay or staying in the parking lot in the rv. Checkout the following morning took a whole 10 minutes! So we had to delay our departure by 13 hours for a 10 minute process. For $4100 to rent the rv, I would think a reasonable amount of flexibility warranted. This delayed us getting to a scheduled fishing charter at cooper landing. The shuttle was also not running so we had to grab an Uber to get there. Be aware of this when considering flight times. The rv was ok.