Dancing Moose Guidebook

Marie
Dancing Moose Guidebook

Food scene

Very unique menu and ambiance. Doesn't take reservations.
128 locals recommend
Double Musky Inn
3 Crow Creek Rd
128 locals recommend
Very unique menu and ambiance. Doesn't take reservations.
Excellent menu and ambiance
111 locals recommend
Jack Sprat
165 Olympic Mountain Loop
111 locals recommend
Excellent menu and ambiance
A classic Anchorage restaurant overlooking cook inlet. Excellent food especially seafood.
185 locals recommend
Simon & Seafort's Saloon & Grill
420 L Street
185 locals recommend
A classic Anchorage restaurant overlooking cook inlet. Excellent food especially seafood.
Perhaps the best Thai food. Dine in their non-fancy dining or do takeout; can use DoorDash to deliver to you.
19 locals recommend
Lahn Pad Thai
2101 Abbott Road
19 locals recommend
Perhaps the best Thai food. Dine in their non-fancy dining or do takeout; can use DoorDash to deliver to you.
On a nice day, they have outdoor patio dining. The menu is creative and good.
141 locals recommend
Spenard Roadhouse
1049 W Northern Lights Blvd
141 locals recommend
On a nice day, they have outdoor patio dining. The menu is creative and good.
Mostly organic menu of soups, sandwiches, pastries, more... great coffee. Outdoor seating is available.
111 locals recommend
Middle Way Cafe
1200 W Northern Lights Blvd
111 locals recommend
Mostly organic menu of soups, sandwiches, pastries, more... great coffee. Outdoor seating is available.
Sits right on Lake Hood which is the busiest small plane base in the world (near Ted Stevens Airport). On a nice day, it's fun to watch the float planes take off and land.
9 locals recommend
The Lakefront Anchorage
4800 Spenard Rd
9 locals recommend
Sits right on Lake Hood which is the busiest small plane base in the world (near Ted Stevens Airport). On a nice day, it's fun to watch the float planes take off and land.

Sightseeing

Fishing is a serious sport here and you must check the regulations both where you would like to fish, exactly, and what you would like to catch as well as know quota limits for specific species of fish. The best thing you can do is go with a local who knows the scene. Looking for a boat operator? Highly recommend Captain Jim Norris or Captain John Norris out of Kenai Riverbend Resort for halibut.
Kenai Riverbend Resort
45756 Porter Road
Fishing is a serious sport here and you must check the regulations both where you would like to fish, exactly, and what you would like to catch as well as know quota limits for specific species of fish. The best thing you can do is go with a local who knows the scene. Looking for a boat operator? Highly recommend Captain Jim Norris or Captain John Norris out of Kenai Riverbend Resort for halibut.
Flying is a great way to get around. Spend a few hours in the air and see Knik arm, Lake George, and surrounding glaciers. Rust's can take you pretty much anywhere depending on your agenda. The photo is my former 180 on floats. She's been sold but airplanes are a way of life up here.
13 locals recommend
Rust's Flying Service
4525 Enstrom Cir
13 locals recommend
Flying is a great way to get around. Spend a few hours in the air and see Knik arm, Lake George, and surrounding glaciers. Rust's can take you pretty much anywhere depending on your agenda. The photo is my former 180 on floats. She's been sold but airplanes are a way of life up here.
You’ve probably heard “all about” the bears… just be smart and make noise when in bear country. Most of them would rather you not see them; don’t surprise them. And above all, don’t feed them or leave trash anywhere outside. We don’t want them to associate us with food. A great place to see bears is the Russian river past Cooper Landing on the Kenai. Drive to the end of the Russian river campground, park and take the walk down to an overlook. There is a waterfall where bears take advantage of the salmon trying to get up the falls to spawn.
11 locals recommend
Russian River Campground
11 locals recommend
You’ve probably heard “all about” the bears… just be smart and make noise when in bear country. Most of them would rather you not see them; don’t surprise them. And above all, don’t feed them or leave trash anywhere outside. We don’t want them to associate us with food. A great place to see bears is the Russian river past Cooper Landing on the Kenai. Drive to the end of the Russian river campground, park and take the walk down to an overlook. There is a waterfall where bears take advantage of the salmon trying to get up the falls to spawn.

City advice

Getting around

Rental cars can be hard to reserve; alternate companies:

Turo rents niceprivately owned vehicles for not much $$ with pick up throughout Anchorage (I've seen $62/day for a midsize vehicle). cheapwheels rent a car is a pre-owned local rental group a few miles from the airport. Happy Car is another brokerage for third party vendors.
What to pack

Typical Climate

Summer is from Mid-June to the end of August with average temperatures ranging from approximately 55 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit (13 to 26 degrees Celsius). August is typically more rainy. It gets drier in Sept, the birch turn bright gold, a nice contrast against the evergreen spruce. Winter takes control from around the end of November to the end of March with temperatures around freezing typically 5 to 30 degrees (-15 to -1 degrees Celsius). Anything can happen although it's unusual for winter temperatures to drop much below 0 degrees F (-15 C)