Anchorage Vacation

May 1st - We made it to Homer, AK after a very rough night at sea.I think it was the first time I was ever scared to be on any type of boat. It felt as if the ferry was going to tip over! A better description would be an amusement park ride that wouldn't end (front to side to back to side we tilted, repeat). By 1am Will and I discovered we were both awake and had been for 2hrs. Due to how humid it was on the upper bunk, I suggested to Will to join me on the lower bunk where it was much cooler. We were finally able to at least catch some zzz's then. However, Will may still have finger marks from me squeezing him when I thought the ferry was going to tip over. Thankfully, Ailish loved all the rocking and slept through the night with only a "shh shh shh" to put her back in sleep bliss. This morning we ate at Duncan House Diner. The food was cooked to perfection. Will's breakfast burrito was yummy! A quite charming place with antique stoves and trinkets scatter about the restaurant. Even on the tiny two tops. The walls were covered in Coca-Cola and other antique posters. It was as if you took a step back in time. The restrooms were labeled with a picture of either a "Sitter" or  "Pointer." Then it was off for coffee for the 4hr drive to Anchorage. Captain's Coffee is where we got our first boost of energy from a nearly sleepless night. Will got the Denali size, which made my 8oz. cup look like a baby. We finally made it to Anchorage. We spotted one moose grazing by the highway before coming to our place of residence for the week. It didn't make sense that where we checked in was not where we were staying and had to go further away to our room. The room turned out to be very nice and spacious, so it was worth it. Next stop, REI. Want to take a guess of how long it took us to find it? An hour! Thanks to the lovely road system of One Way streets, roads that turn into other roads, One Way streets that turn into two way, and numbered building that go down and back up again. The REI was a lot smaller than I expected and after returning our items, it was off to Glacier Brew House. Unfortunately, we did not remember reservations, but we thought its Tuesday night it can't be that bad. Think again, 45min and a rude hostess later. Ailish was nearing breakdown point and our food was still not in front of us. Check please and food to go. What a bummer. Poor munchkin had a full day. At least the food was delicious. However, the portions were small for the price that was paid. Three asparagus? Come on.

Day 2- Sunshine and blue skies. Only if it was not in the mid 30's. However, do to the unpredictable weather we were going to take advantage of a dry day to hit up the Anchorage Zoo. Ailish loved the Polar Bears, the Lynx, and the Fox. The Fox was her favorite. She shouted, "YeSS!" in excitement. By the time we got half way through the zoo, she had had enough of the cold. Who could blame her? We warmed up in the gift shop before exiting and purchasing our little munchkin a tiny stuffed fox. It was her car seat companion for the rest of the trip. My thoughtful man scheduled me a massage for that afternoon. What a treat! To top it off it was right behind the Moose's Tooth. The best Gluten Free pizza I have ever had!

Day 3- Sunshine and warmer. The Anchorage Museum was at the top of our to do list. We all enjoyed the exhibits. Especially, the native ones. Ailish was enthralled with one of them and the minor. She also enjoyed the tot area where she stepped on this computerized mat that lit up with flowers as she walked. The Lego's was another favorite, along with the slide. The sea turtle scarred her and she turned around and clung to Daddy. We then explored other gadgets. I'd have to say our favorite was being inside a bubble. The most fun was chasing Will around by pushing Ailish in the stroller. She loved it. She was all smiles, giggles, and squeals. The massive elevator took too long, so Will and I carried Ailish in the stroller down 3 flights of stairs.

I don't remember the correct order of the rest of the day or trip. I just know we ate at the Moose's Tooth again, shopped a lot, and ate at Terrabella. They have the best Gluten Free homemade bread and pastries I ever had! I wish we had bought all their loafs of bread since they were half off. O, and we had never been so excited to be in a Target! Ok, it was just me that was really excited to be in "real" stores again. It had been 9mo. since I had stepped foot in a mall! The ironic thing is we found all the good stuff at consignment shops.