June 2nd 2016
2016With the group of us finally together, we took the hotel shuttle downtown to a bike shop Norm and I discovered the day before. We chose our bikes and headed toward the 11 mile Tony Knowles Coastal Trail here in Anchorage. It was a gorgeous day and we enjoyed the chilly breezes as we peddled ( or more correctly I STRUGGLED ) up and down the many hills. Norm and I are from the flat lands of Florida, so peddling up any incline is a chore at this point. Vicki and Dennis, from California are used to the varied terrain.
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This is the bicycle route we took, but rode a little further to end up at the bus stop near the airport.
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Such a lovely forest, rather eerie.......
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Most of the trail was among the trees so the ride was a bit disappointing. We did, however, see a moose in the bushes and another run across ( and almost into a bunch of us ) in a field next to the airport as we watched the airplanes fly directly overhead.
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We didn't have a lot of water views on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, woods with this beautiful moss or fern was nearly as nice.
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When we reached the end of the trail, the 11 mile ride felt like a 100 to me. Everyone else, much to my embarrassment, were fine ( so they said ). We had a choice: go back the way we came, or take the “alternate” route back through town. There appeared to be a place we could catch the bus and shave off a few miles which definitely appealed to me. Norm and I chose that route to see a little different side of Anchorage , and we assumed ( incorrectly ) that it would be physically less taxing.
It was awful! Lot’s of very steep hills running along busy streets! After about 6 miles of torture, we came across a bus stop and had the good fortune of available space on the bike rack in front. We sat back and relaxed as we saved ourselves a few miles. Our friends beat us back to the bike shop by about 5 minutes! I think they took the better route.
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Yeah! A bus stop! I hope there is a bike rack on this bus!
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Norm placing the bikes on the bus. My hero!
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My opinion of this trail is mixed. Yes, it was a beautiful way to get a lot of exercise but this well maintained paved path runs mostly through the woods. The mosquitoes can be ferocious in a couple of spots, but you are in Alaska so you have to deal with it. My other thought is that if you only had a few days or a week to see Alaska, there are much nicer hikes and better places to go with your limited time.
Needing a beer, Dennis led us to the Glacier Brewhouse down the street. It was a beautiful restaurant/bar that served the best Lemon-drop martini I have ever had! The guys enjoyed their craft beer as we all marveled over our tender and delicious calamari steaks.
After we got back and cleaned up, we walked down the road for dinner. We were warned of the hour or more wait-time at the very popular Moose’s Tooth Pub and Pizzeria. The gourmet pizzas there were as good as the 4.5 star reviews claimed. The guys were not disappointed in the Broken Tooth Brewery’s offerings either. But when have they every been disappointed in a beer? I appreciated the gluten free option although not the best pizza crust I ever had.
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With this many choices of beers on tap, the selection at Moose's Tooth is a beer-lovers dream!
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