Things to do in and around Anchorage

Biking: Ride bikes on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail (bikes rentable at Pablo's Bicycle Rentals and the Copper Whale Inn).

Museums: visit the Anchorage Museum, which often has top-notch temporary exhibits about the North; or drive 4 miles east of downtown to the Alaska Native Heritage Center.

Hiking: There are numerous spectacular day hike opportunities in Chugach State Park if you can drive 20-30 minutes to a local trailhead. Our less-vertical favorites are Powerline Pass, starting at Glen Alps Parking Lot, and Eagle River, starting at the Eagle River Nature Center. Our more-vertical favorites include Flattop (from Glen Alps trailhead), Wolverine Peak (from Prospect Heights trailhead), and Falls Creek (from mile 105 of the Seward Highway just north of Indian) . Read all about these and many more in the book 55 Ways to the Wilderness. Or pick up the most excellent map of Chugach State Park sold at Alaska Mountaineering and Hiking, Anchorage REI, or other outdoor stores. (We like AMH best!)

Alaska State Fair: The Alaska State Fair is in full swing from August 30 through September 7, 40 miles north of Anchorage in Palmer. The Concert line-up features well-preserved classics such as: Credence Clearwater Revisited [sic] (Sunday Sep 6, 7:30 pm), or The Beach Boys (we're not kidding) on August 30. On Friday, Sep 4, you can enjoy the Giant Cabbage Weigh-Off at 6pm.

Special Events: Check the Anchorage events calendar for more ideas. As of June, the calendar reveals: The touring version of The Lion King opens at the Alaska Center for Performing Arts in downtown Anchorage beginning on Sep 2, and the Whittier Silver Salmon Derby for die-hard anglers looking to strike it rich.

The gateway Web site Alaska.org and its Top Day Tours page offer more options.

Talkeetna Lodge - rooms still available!

If you have not yet booked lodging in Talkeetna, we have good news! Our reserved block of rooms at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge is available until AUGUST 4.

There is one suite that will only be held until June 15.

But the regular rooms, with a 15% discount, will be held until August 4.
You should be able to book rooms for September 4, 5, and 6 and receive the "Gore-
Colt wedding" discount.

Let us know if you have any questions, or if you have any problems with the lodge.

Where are we registered?

For those who would like to give us a gift, here are some options.

1. Make a donation in our name to your favorite charity, or one we like: Project Rwanda (http://projectrwanda.org/welcome)

2. We are registered at Williams-Sonoma (www.williams-sonoma.com) and J.K. Adams Kitchen Store (www.thekitchenstoreonline.com). You will need to enter “Stephen Colt” or “Colt” as the name for the J.K. Adams registry.

3. Make a cash donation to Anne’s Bike Fund. We are planning a honeymoon to France. Steve already has a touring bike, but Anne does not. Make a cash gift of your choice to help fund the purchase of her bike. Please send checks to: Anne Gore, 2211 Alder Drive, Anchorage AK 99508.

Basic information for our out of town guests

If you are coming from out of state, you will want to fly into Anchorage (sit on the right side of the plane for the best views!). Talkeetna is 115 miles north of Anchorage.

Alaska is a BIG state. There's plenty to see and do in and around Anchorage and Talkeetna, but if you want to explore more, be sure to allow plenty of time to get where you want to go and do what you want to do. Train, bus, ferry, and tour schedules are limited, and travel distances can be deceiving. If you have any questions as you are planning your trip, please do not hesitate to contact us.

September is still tourist season in Alaska, so booking your lodging early is a good idea. We've reserved a block of rooms at the site of our wedding and reception, the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge. Our blocked rooms will only be held through June 1, but there are many other options for lodging in Talkeetna (see our blog post about Talkeetna, below). To reserve your room at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, call 907-265-4501 or 877-258-6877 and mention that you are with the Colt/Gore wedding party.

The most important stuff: when and where

We are getting married on Saturday, September 5, 2009, in Talkeetna, Alaska.

The wedding ceremony will take place outdoors, in front of the "Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge," starting at 5pm.

The reception will follow the ceremony and will also be outdoors, but under the open-air pavilion and wedding tent -- until 10pm.

On Sunday, September 6, please join us at our friends' lakeside compound in Talkeetna for more food, fun, and games. The exact schedule of events will be determined at a later date, but we expect to be in full swing from about 11 am to about 5 pm.

Lodging in Anchorage

Where to Stay in Anchorage

Below are some lodging options we’re familiar with. If you want to look beyond this list, we recommend staying in downtown Anchorage where you’ll be able to walk to museums, shops, restaurants, and trails.

High End

Hotel Captain Cook (www.captaincook.com)

Mid-range

Copper Whale Inn Bed and Breakfast (www.copperwhale.com )

Anchorage Walkabout Town Bed and Breakfast (www.anchoragewalkabout.com)

Hilton Anchorage (www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/ANCAHHF-Hilton-Anchorage-Alaska/index.do)

Inlet Tower (www.inlettower.com

Parkside Guesthouse (www.campdenali.com/ps/index.php )

Anchorage Grand Hotel (www.anchoragegrand.com) – very close to Alaska Railroad depot.

Anchorage Downtown Bed and Breakfast (www.anchoragedowntownbandb.com)

Budget

Anchorage Guest House (www.akhouse.com)

Spenard Hostel International (www.alaskahostel.org)

Alaska Backpackers Inn (www.alaskabackpackers.com)

Talkeetna: Getting There, Where to Stay, About

Getting to Talkeetna
From Anchorage, you can reach Talkeetna by train, bus, or car.

* Train (www.AKRR.com)

We encourage taking the “Denali Star” train departing Anchorage 8:15 am and arriving Talkeetna 11:20 am. The Alaska Railroad is an experience unto itself, and the views will be much better than those from the highway. Transportation will be provided (or walk the 0.7 mi) from the train station to the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, the location of our ceremony and reception. Return train departs Talkeetna Sunday 4:40 pm, arriving Anchorage 8:00 pm.

* Buses and Shuttles

The Alaska Park Connection bus makes a stop at our wedding ceremony location, the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge. (www.alaskacoach.com)

Denali Overland Transportation caters to mountaineers and will make individual arrangements for pick up locations and drops offs in Talkeetna. (www.denalioverland.com)

The Go Purple Shuttle also offers door-to-door service for a great price. (www.gopurpleshuttle.com)

* Rental car

Check online for rental cars, which are available at the airport. Local rental car companies are also an option, but may be harder to find online.

Where to Stay in Talkeetna

Options range from tent camping to luxury hotel suites, and everything in between.

* Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge (www.talkeetnalodge.com)

This is where the wedding ceremony and reception will take place. For the greatest convenience, this is the place to stay. We’ve reserved a block of rooms for our guests. Please ask for Kristi and mention that you are with the Colt/Gore wedding. This block of rooms is only being held through June 1.

* Talkeetna’s Best

If you want a taste of “real” Alaska, the

Talkeetna Roadhouse (www.talkeetnaroadhouse.com) is a favorite, full of local character

* B&Bs

A B&B on C (www.abbonc.com)

Swiss Alaska Inn (www.swissalaska.com)

* Camping

Our friends the Knapps have generously offered to let us use their wonderful lakeside compound for the weekend. There’s ample ground space for tents, a sauna, an outhouse, and a lake to jump into, but limited water and no showers. There is also a cozy cabin with wood stove for warming up, cooking, and generally avoiding the weather. This is the location of our sunday party, and it is about 3 miles from the Lodge.

About Talkeetna

We chose Talkeetna as the site for our wedding because of its beautiful location at the confluence of three rivers. On a clear day the views of Denali (known outside Alaska as Mt. McKinley) and the whole Alaska Range from Talkeetna are spectacular. A flightseeing trip from Talkeetna airstrip to, or onto, the Ruth Glacier below Denali is a real treat for those who enjoy flying in small planes. Talkeetna Air Taxi (talkeetnaair.com) and K2 Aviation (flyk2.com) offer these trips.

Talkeetna still retains much of its frontier charm. This recent article from the Anchorage Daily News sums it up. Or, to read a little about its history, visit this page on the Talkeetna Chamber of Commerce website: talkeetnachamber.org/history.html.

For any other information about Talkeetna, most of your questions should be answered here: talkeetnachamber.org. If not, just ask us.