Johnny Jet

North to Alaska! Our adventure continues this week with the second half of our trip to the Last Frontier, and our L.A. pit stop and retreat. It's been an action-packed July -- and if you don't believe me, check out the airports we went (I mean, “ran”) through: LAX-JFK-LGA-DEN-ASE-LAX-SFO-SEA-ANC-SEA-SFO-LAX-DEN-FSD-RAP-DEN-LAX . It looks like August will be the same, so I’ll still have some catching up to do.

Amber Airplane and I left off last week at the Moose's Tooth pizza place in Anchorage. For our new subscribers, we headed north for a couple of my book signings. It was also a great chance to hang out with friends.

Our day began with some smoothies that Lisa (the wife of Kevin, my friend from college) made. Mmmmm, were those good! Strawberry, raspberry and oatmeal. That's right, oatmeal. I’d never think to add it, but boy does it make them tasty. It must be an Alaskan thing.

We were scheduled to go down to Seward, a 2 ½-hour drive, for a Kenai Sightseeing glacier tour, but at the last minute we had to cancel. Amber Airplane and I really wanted to go, because our $99 Tour Saver book has a 2-for-1 coupon which right there saved the cost and then some ($109). The Kenai tour is six hours long, and everyone says it is amazing. I guess it will have to wait till next time, because we didn't know Kevin's friends -- the Spaniards -- had planned for us to go down to Girdwood for a farewell Spanish lunch (gazspacho, fritta, and salad with grapes).

They prepared everything at Kevin's house. Then we all drove down the Seward Highway, one of the most scenic drives in North America. Our jaws dropped when we saw some of the most awesome scenery ever: snow-capped mountains, bald eagles, possibly beluga whales swimming in Cook Inlet. Simply amazing!

Kevin's family has a ski cabin in Girdwood. It’s only 26 miles outside of Anchorage, but it looks and feels like another country. Make sure when (not “if!”) you visit Anchorage to make a stop in Girdwood, because it's home to Mt. Aleyska. After lunch we walked to the base of that incredible mountain for a mini-hike. Nacho, who is a Tour de France junkie, was excited when he saw a backroads caravan filled with bikes in parking lot. (I’m not that into bike racing, but check out their website: backroads.com).

Everyone in our group had been to the top many times, so they didn't want to go. Therefore, Amber Airplane and I walked over to the ticket booth to buy our tickets. It costs $16 to ride up the tram, but our tickets were free because our Tour Saver includes one free ride (one more reason to get that great book). FYI: You can ride down for free, but that means you gotta walk up. Luckily my exercise-fanatic brother wasn't with us; otherwise I would still be sucking on my inhaler.

The mountain is 2,300 feet up, and the tram holds 60 people plus skis. In the summer it departs every 15 minutes, or whenever they get 20 people – whichever comes first. The tram is right next to the Alyeska Prince Hotel. The tram is open daily from 10:30 AM to 9:30 PM. As you may know I am not a big fan of heights, so I wasn't too keen on going up. But I can't live in fear forever. Even though the tram is 300 feet high at one point, and sways a bit, I never felt unsafe. That’s because it's so huge, plus the breathtaking views took my mind off how high we were.

When we got off we felt like we were on top of the world. The air was cool and crisp. We walked a couple of hundred yards to Glacier Bowl which looked more like the moon. Like a fool I climbed a 15-foot pile of snow and tried to ski down on my size 13 feet. As you can see that didn't turn out as boastfully as I predicted to Amber Airplane.

The glacier is constantly melting this time of year, and a rapid stream runs all the way to Cook Inlet. Before heading back down we checked out the swanky Seven Glacier restaurant. It's a 4-diamond eatery with 4-diamond prices, so bring your wallet. The average entree was around $35. Ordering surf and turf will set you back a cool $52. Ouch! But where else can you eat amazing food, enjoy spectacular views, and ski in and ski out? Seven Glaciers (This Menu Is In PDF), Girdwood, AK, tel.: 907 754-2237.

It was time to head back to Anchorage. We didn't even have time to continue south on Seward Highway for 10 minutes to check out Portage Glacier like I wanted to (fortunately, we saw it last year). Instead we rushed back to make the last showing at our favorite movie theatre/restaurant. That's right: a combination movie theater and restaurant. It's called the Bear Tooth. Not surprisingly, the owners are the same as the Moose's Tooth. They serve their famous designer pizzas, plus a whole bunch of other good food and snacks.

I personally love watching movies while eating real food. Picture a normal movie theater, but take out every other row of seats and install skinny tables. That's the Bear Tooth. You’d think there would be distractions from people eating and waiters delivering food, but for some reason there are not. Amber Airplane and I agree there are actually fewer distractions than a normal theater. Go figure! Another bonus is that it is very inexpensive: $3 per person to get. That probably explains why it is usually sold out (just like the night we went). They show movies that just left “normal” theaters and are about to be released on video (kind of like the airlines, but without the editing). We saw Anger Management, which we both liked. Bear Tooth Theatre Pub, 1230 W 27th St., Anchorage, AK 99503.

It's weird to come out of an 8 p.m. movie looking like late afternoon. When we got back to the house it was 11. We chilled by the fire with everyone, and told stories of the past. Just another great night in Alaska.

Friday was our last day there. While heading to the car I saw another moose in the driveway. This wasn't as big as the one I spotted the other day, so everyone teased me: “Wow, did you see that elephant-sized moose?" They laugh now, but who’ll be laughing if the monster I came face to face with returns?

Ms. Airplane and I had lunch at another fine restaurant, Simon & Seaforts, with Scott McMurren who runs the AlaskaTravelGram and his friends. The food is as good as the views. We highly recommend it. Simon & Seaforts Saloon & Grill, 420 L Street, tel: 907-274-3502.

After lunch Lisa and the Spaniards picked us up and brought us to another one of Amber Airplane's favorite Alaska gift shops: Alaska Berry. I wasn't complaining, because in addition to all kinds of homemade chocolates they have free samples! This is a must stop for Alaskan presents. Alaska Berry stocks every possible tourist gift, from stuffed wild animals to out-of-the-ordinary jellies (I recommend the fireweed jelly). They also have the largest chocolate fountain in the world. Amber and Lisa had to hold me back so I wouldn't dive in. That's my kind of a waterfall! Don't miss a walk through the parking lot for some fireweed ice cream (so good!). Also check out the reindeer. BTW: Fireweeds are not pretty flowers; they really are weeds. They got their name because they are the first plants to grow after a fire. Alaska Berry, 5225 Juneau Street, Anchorage, tel.: 800-280-2927.

We ended the evening with my last book signing at Cook Inlet on 5th Avenue, then went straight to the airport. Like most flights to the mainland, ours did not leave until around midnight. Did you know Alaska Airlines has five red eye flights to Seattle alone? We arrived early, which was good because the United check-in line was a nightmare. It was so long they had to pull us and the rest of the Seattle passengers so we wouldn’t miss it. BTW: I like the motif of the airport. It's not one of those sterile ones that could be anywhere; you really feel like you’re in Alaska.

Check out our crazy itinerary: We flew to Seattle at 11:35 p.m., and arrived at 4:41 a.m. Our flight to SFO was at 6 a.m.; then we connected to our LAX flight at 8:05 a.m. We were home by 10 a.m., and boy were we cranky. Can you blame us? We could've flown to Europe in that time. In case you’re wondering, this routing is called the cheap man's ticket to Alaska.

We were tired, but there was no time to rest. Instead we hopped on our bikes and enjoyed the warm Southern California sun before heading out on our next trip – a mere 30 hours later.

Next week read all about our 8-day South Dakota tour. (If you read last week’s newsletter, did you figure that’s where we went?)

RESOURCES FOR ALASKA

AlaskaTravelGram
Tour Saver Coupon book
Anchorage Daily News
Anchorage Press
AK This Month
The State of Alaska
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
Alaska Travel Industry Association
Alaska Tourism
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
Fairbanks Convention & Visitors Bureau
National parks
National Forest
Alaska Railroad
Alaska Marine Highway System
Chilkoot Charlie's is the best bar in Anchorage . 1071 W. 25th Avenue. Tel (907) 279-1692

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LOS ANGELES TIMES (Free Registration)
Canada by cargo ship Easier on the wallet in Santa Monica Euro may be rising, but airfares to the Continent are falling High speed, lower fares in Chunnel The final frontier, Disney style TOURS & CRUISES A Web of low European airfares Get a turkey vulture's view of Big Sur glory Get a turkey vulture's view of Big Sur glory Outside, but with all the comforts of home In Aachen, the legacy of Charlemagne They'll always have Paris Greece for the hearty partiers A lodging price that can't be beat: free Drifting along with autumn's fiery hues Tracing India's cult of thugs Readers recommend LETTERS Make room at the table for children A useful service for travelers Long-ago memories of the Riviera The Swedes know how to vacation Better to give French food a try

USA TODAY (Free Registration)
Airlines behind in Boeing payments Scrutiny of electric items sharpens Terrorism poses challenge to hotels Fewer flights mean really full planes AA pilots union wants more guns San Francisco airport lowers fees Will the jugglers return to BWI? More airlines to offer seat-beds Denver, UAL start airport discussions America West's bet pays off Five-star lodging can be found online BA to pay travelers stranded by strikes U.S. makes security changes Foreigners face enhanced screening Denver to UAL: 'Take-it-or-leave it' Israel bans planes minus safety doors Gov't. warning could preclude losses Screening plans raise privacy concerns Gov't. warning could preclude losses Screening plans raise privacy concerns Stricter visa rules alarm businesses BA reports record loss, bemoans war American to add flights on some routes Air marshals still in the air FAA: Runway collisions are declining Conventioneers turn to Web to book Critics blast Bush's Amtrak plan Pilot suspected of drinking cleared American to add flights on some routes Officials: No cuts to air marshal plan Finding Buddha, maybe peace, in NY Biking in Moravia unveils history, wine Memorial to Indians who fought Custer Missouri canoe trip notes river's saving Retracing an American classic British Airways, unions, end dispute Device may prevent fuel-tank blasts Alaska Air CEO pushes cost-cutting BMI seeks London flights to U.S. Airline blood clot cases advance AirTran profit rises with rapid growth Biking in Moravia unveils history, wine Memorial to Indians who fought Custer Missouri canoe trip notes river's saving Retracing an American classic Wyoming's surreal desert