Alaska & Vancouver 2025

Day One: From Carolina Skies to Alaskan Midnight Sun

Day one long but unforgettable day of travel—fun, yes, but also exhausting. From our first takeoff at 9:00 AM in Raleigh to our final landing in Anchorage around 1:00 AM Eastern time, it was nearly 16 hours in transit. We had a seven-hour layover in Chicago, which turned out to be a perfect opportunity to hop on the “L” train into the city. My nephew got his first glimpse of downtown, and we all enjoyed a classic deep-dish pizza at Lou Malnati’s. It was hot in Chicago—borderline sweltering—but the skies were clear, and wandering the city beat waiting around in the chaos of O’Hare.

Given the long day ahead, Jessica and I flew first class on both legs of the journey. That made the eight hours in the air much more manageable. On our flight from Chicago to Anchorage, the American Airlines crew treated us exceptionally well, and the dinner service was a fantastic five-course meal. The spacious and efficient seating setup also made it a productive flight for me—I knocked out nearly four hours of reading and research for my doctoral work.

The flight itself was smooth and relatively uneventful until about an hour before landing, when we began our descent over a breathtaking stretch of snow-covered mountains northeast of Anchorage. I spent the rest of the flight glued to the window, taking photos and trying to memorize the jagged ridgelines. As we got closer, we flew over the shimmering Knik Arm (part of the Gulf of Alaska), lush farmland, and forests of spruce and paper birch. It was stunning.

After landing at the impressively nice Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, we picked up our Turo rental and headed straight to our Airbnb. We didn’t last long after that—our beds were calling.

Much like our trip to Scandinavia and northern Europe last year, we’ve arrived during the “Midnight Sun” season. The sun sets around 11:45 PM and rises again at 4:20 AM. I woke up at 5:30 this morning—yes, we brought sleep masks, but I’m not a huge fan of wearing them! They’ve had some unusual heat the last few days, but are settling into a normal pattern of highs in the low 60s and occasional showers.

Today is a rest-and-recover day with no real agenda. We’ll take it slow, see where the day leads us, and enjoy the luxury of having almost infinite daylight to explore. Tomorrow morning, we board the Alaska Railroad for a scenic 2.5-hour journey through the wilderness to Whittier, where we’ll embark on the Norwegian Jade for seven days of glaciers, ports, excursions, and awe before spending our final two days (post-cruise) exploring Vancouver.

For now, I’m staying tucked in a little longer until I hear the rest of the family start to stir. We’ll check in again tomorrow—Alaska is just getting started! 😊Read more

Day 11: Grouse Mountain – Peaks, Lumberjacks, and Bathtime Bears

Today’s adventure took us high above the city to Grouse Mountain, and it may just be one of our favorite moments in Vancouver yet.

We started with a scenic gondola ride up the mountain—soaring above the treetops with sweeping views of Vancouver unfolding below us. Even after days of jaw-dropping landscapes in Alaska, this ride felt absolutely magical. The city, the harbor, and the distant peaks looked like something out of a postcard.

At the top, we caught the always-entertaining lumberjack show, full of humor, axe throwing, and good old-fashioned competition—fun for all ages. Afterward, we wandered over to the wildlife habitat where we spent time watching two resident grizzly bears take a leisurely afternoon bath. It was both peaceful and mesmerizing to watch them splash, play, and then lounge in the sun.

We capped it off with more time soaking in those panoramic views from the summit—mountains behind us, city and sea stretching out ahead.

Grouse Mountain gave us a little bit of everything: nature, wildlife, culture, and unforgettable scenery—all just a short drive from downtown. Highly recommend making it part of any Vancouver visit! 🏔️🐻🚡Read more