My Dutch Story: Alaska

A honeymoon is really good idea. Here is why:
1. You get to make up all the sleep you lost in the previous week.
2. You get to spend time with your new spouse.
3. You get to eat like you don't have a wedding dress to fit into!

Those are sort of jokes expect for number 2, but at the same time they are all true. It was a HUGE blessing to go on a honeymoon. Especially to a wonderful state like Alaska. My man and I had six full days there. Like I said before, we ate, slept, and enjoyed being with each other. But here are some highs of the trip. *please ignore the town spellings. They may be wrong.

1. The homestead for the week. We drove up to it about 12:30 am and because we were in Alaska it was still light out. The view was amazing; mountains in the background with the ocean before them, and greenery like you've never seen. We stayed in a studio apartment that allowed for us to cook meals, be warmed by the fire place, and watch movies in our bed. Most people don't look forward to going back to the hotel on vacation. But somedays we planned to stay there because it was so great.

2. Riding bikes in Talkeetna. We rented bikes from a friendly older man who gave us a honeymoon discount on the rentals! We rode through Talkeenta and around a lake where we had lunch on a shady plastic dock. If any mount of wave came across the lake the dock would've fallen through (that may be a little dramatic, but it was a little shady). Dinner in Talkeenta was tasty too. Reindeer meatloaf. Yum.

3. Having dinner made for me by my husband. What a treat!

4. Glacier cruise in Whitter. My man planned this cruise. We were both pretty bummed that it was rainy, but it turns out that those are the best kinds of days to see glaciers. They are at their most natural color when it's cloudy. We also met a fun father/daughter duo who ate lunch with us. And, took this great shot of us:

We also saw a wale and the glacier calve which means breaking and falling in the water. Disclaimer: I promise I did my hair that day. It's a hot mess because in my man's words we were "living it up" and enduring the wind and rain to see the awesome views.

5. Our 7 mile hike in Girdwood. Started with a delicious breakfast picked out by the hubby. The end goal was a hand tram over a roaring river. But once we got there we decided to hike to the old mine to eat our lunch made by the lady we rented the apartment from. She was a true Alaskan with a big heart. Cold sandwiches and trail mix has never tasted so good.

6. Our hike to Flat Top Mountain. I'm glad the hiker in me kicked in long before we went on this hike because the Victoria 3 years ago would have sat on the picnic tables at the foot of the mountain. It got pretty intense towards the top where the hike turned more like rock climbing. But the tingly feet and sweating palms were so worth the views.

What a joy it was exploring a new state. It was a great way to relax before our crazy moving adventure.