Girdwood, Alaska, located right in the crook of Turnagain Arm, in the Chugach National Forest, south of Anchorage, is a gem surrounded by outstanding scenery. Our family of 4 stayed at the Alyeska Resort last month, and enjoyed three days of relaxing and revitalizing.

Arriving on the weekend, we checked-in quickly to our junior suite, on the 8^th floor, with a wonderful view of the surrounding mountains and forests. We splurged on the bigger room, which had two queen size beds (with the most wonderful down comforters) along with a sitting area. This extra space is important to us when traveling with our two young kids. Another bonus – each room comes with a mini-fridge, and we were able to save money by bringing in milk, cereal and yogurt for breakfast.

During the day, there was plenty to do – one morning, we took a hike on the Winner Creek Gorge Trail, did a little geocaching (great for reluctant hikers), and were chased by a moose. For lunch, we took the tram to the top of Mount Alyeska. Our tram tickets included lunch in the Daylodge café – a good deal from our perspective, $28 for adults and $13 for kids under 8 for the tram ride and lunch. Before dinner, my kids had fun at the indoor pool while my husband checked out the workout center.

Another day, we drove up to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and spent the afternoon checking out Alaskan animals in a park-like setting. On our way back to Alyeska, we stopped at Turnagain Arm to view the bore tide. Lucky for us, it was a good day to see one!

The town of Girdwood has several restaurants and services to support this resort community. We enjoyed lunch one day at Chair Five, with many different burgers, and dinner one night at the Double Musky Inn, a local favorite. When we did not feel like venturing out of the resort, we had several dining options – our favorite was Katsura Teppenyaki, which reminds me of Japanese dinner theater. Our daughter was fascinated watching our chef prepare our dinner on the grill right in front of us.

During the winter, Alyeska turns into a world-class ski resort, with visitors coming from all parts of Alaska to enjoy the slopes. Fun in summer and winter!