Anchorage is a port of call that very few cruise ships make. Due to the tides, most ships call on Seward or Whittier, but the 14 day through Holland America calls on Anchorage from 8am to 9pm. In the morning we took the free shuttle to downtown to do a little wandering and shopping. We went to the Alaskan Mint where we bought some of their new 2018 coins and a few other things. Alaskan Mint is family owned and they are wonderful with their vast amount of knowledge. Besides coins, they have Native Alaskan art, ulu knives that are much better than the ones you find in souvenir shops, and estate jewelry.
I normally don’t talk about specific stores, but this one, Alaskan Mint, is just special. The family is happy to share their knowledge of everything in the store as well as Anchorage. I am not a jewelry person, and the lady helping us mention that to me, but wanted to explain one of their interesting stones. Basically, no pressure and they understand each person that walks through their door.
After the mint we wandered around taking pictures of all the flower beds and hanging baskets that decorate the area for summer. The last time we were in Anchorage was the end of August when fall foliage was beginning and all the flowers were dying. This time the flowers were spectacular (check out the Facebook page for all the pictures). Then off on the shuttle back to the ship for a quick lunch.
The afternoon we did the excursion The Big Swig through the ship. If you have time in Anchorage and love craft brews, definitely reach out to Brian at www.bigswigtours.com. We went to three breweries in the Anchorage area: King Street, Midnight Sun, and Resolution. The tour at King Street was fantastic and we had 7 beer samples during out time there. Next up was Midnight Sun where we had appetizers and 4 different beers. In the brewery they have a fun sockeye salmon tap (think the size of a fish). I didn’t care for the berry flavored beer that came out of it, but it was fun. The appetizers were huge and the beer was awesome up in the tap room. Brian gave us 15 minutes to shop at the gift shop, so I ended up with a sweatshirt and Passion Town t-shirt. Midnight Sun has some very humorous beer names and artwork. Finally it was off to Resolution for another 4 tastings at a very small craft brewery. I am partial to porters and theirs did not disappoint.
So, a sweatshirt, 2 t-shirts, and a bunch of stickers later we got back on the ship. For a three hour tour, this is a fantastic option in Anchorage.
