Alaska Uncovered Podcast

Exploring Girdwood with Cadence Maddox

• Jennie Thwing Flaming and Jay Flaming • Episode 164

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 Welcome to the Alaska Uncovered Podcast with me, your host, Jennie Thwing Flaming, my occasional co-host and full-time husband, Jay, and I bring you accurate, helpful, and entertaining information about Alaska Travel and life in Alaska.



 Hi everyone. Jennie here Before we jump in, to today's episode we've still got a couple rooms left for authentic Alaska, our small group tour in June. You can go back and listen to the episode I recorded on Saturday if you wanna know more about that.

There's two weeks left to register, so, register or ask me your questions so you don't miss out. Also, I just wanted to remind you about our Patreon planning club, and that's where I answer questions every week from folks in the club. And it's also a great way to support the podcast.

We really rely on our Patreon supporters, so thanks to all of you. And then one more thing. This is. Prime planning season. So, if you want some help planning your trip, book one of my 30 minute sessions.

I love meeting you. It's one of the funnest parts of my job. So all the links for all of that is in the show notes and enjoy today's episode.

My guest today is Cadence Maddox. Cadence is a resident of Girdwood and also works for Alpine Air Alaska, which is a helicopter tour company.

So today we are gonna talk about the town of Girdwood and why it's so awesome, and also about getting up in the air by helicopter some frequently asked questions. So, cadence, welcome to Alaska Uncovered. Thank you for being here. Oh, thank you so much for having me, Jennie. It's wonderful having you. So let's start Cadence.

Can you tell everybody how you got to Alaska? Absolutely. Um, so Alaska, I grew up, um, always kind of thinking about it. I read a lot of, you know, Alaskan stories growing up and, um, always, always wanted to come visit. And I finally got my chance, um, in my mid twenties. I met a girl. Uh, who had a commercial salmon fishing boat up in Bristol Bay and she invited me to come up for a summer season and fish for her out of,, IIC Alaska.

And I just decided, you know, why not? I flew up and, uh, kind of never looked back. So that first, that first summer up here,. You know, I was introduced to the bush, Alaska, you know, rural communities. Yeah, right. Commercial fishing, and just, you know, long, long days and short nights and I was pretty much instantly hooked.

So, um, that fall I just decided, you know, what, Alaska's my home for now. And almost 15 years later, I haven't looked back. That. That's amazing. I love it. So how did you go from commercial, seasonal, commercial fishing in rural Alaska to moving to Girdwood and getting involved with helicopters? Yeah. Um, so I was a little bit nervous to spend my first winter in Alaska.

Summer is spectacular. You know, you have these long, long days and uh, you know, midnight sun and there's so much to do. There's so much activity. Um, and. Once the season was winding down and I decided I was gonna, you know, put down some tentative roots and stay up here for, um, the fall and into the winter, I was a little bit nervous.

I'd been living in the tropics for years before this. I had moved up from the Caribbean and, um, yes, I, I decided, you know, it's gonna be my first ever cold winter., And. I decided, you know what, I'm going to move to this town I'd never heard of called GERD Wood that had, uh, a ski resort. Mm-hmm. And I said, I'm gonna go to this resort town.

And, that there'll be something to do, you know, if, even if it's cold and dark, there'll be skiing. So I just kind of sight unseen, moved to, moved to Girdwood and found a place to live and, you know, got a dog. And, uh, it was, it was a really, really. Fun, fun place. It's beautiful here. You know, we're, we're only about 40 minutes south of Anchorage, so, um, you know, you're close enough to the big city to be able to go to Costco, go to the bank, uh, you know, go to the airport, take care of, all kinds of stuff like that.

But we are completely, um, a world away from, from a big town. You know, it's. A really cool valley with, uh, world-class skiing, world-class biking, um, and just outdoor adventure straight outside your door. Love it. That's so fun. Yeah. Girdwood. I really love Girdwood and I feel like it's a great alternative to staying in Anchorage for people who wanna be out there more but don't wanna have a super, like, long drive ahead of them.

Um, absolutely. And it's so, yeah. Absolute beautiful there. Yeah, it's so beautiful and it's just the access to the outdoors is unparalleled, you know? Yeah. Um, Anchorage is great. It's a great option, you know, if you have an early flight, uh, the next morning and you don't want to have that extra 40 minutes of drive time in the morning.

But honestly, I, I talk to so many guests,, you know, here in my capacity at ALP Pioneer, and before that, um, through, my role at. SCA Resort and, uh, you know, managing local restaurants. We've just talked to so many visitors and Girdwood really resonates with people. It is a really special place. Yeah, it is.

Alaska's only a true resort town. Mm-hmm. Um, so we do have SCA Resort, which is of course, uh, uh, a really, really cool place. You know, worldclass skiing in the winter, amazing biking, hiking, and, uh, sightseeing in the summer. But in, in addition, you know, we have a really vibrant local community, really special, events that happen here throughout the year.

And just a, just a super cool culture. Yeah, definitely. So can you talk a little bit about, um. Like some things that you think are great for visitors to do while they're in Goodwood, if they're either stopping there on a road trip or if they're staying there. What are some of your favorite things to do in Goodwood?

Oh, absolutely. So there is something for everyone. You know, we have, yeah. Um. People that are, you know, on the, the more active side, we have some of the most spectacular hikes in Alaska that are so accessible. You know, you can get views right away. So one of the most popular, um, is the North Face Eska. And that go, it's a two point.

One mile hike, um, that goes basically straight up, right? You get, you get I think 2,500 vertical feet of elevation game in that, in those two miles. Yeah. So you just get spectacular views. It's steep, but it is so worth it. And then the best part is, is if you hike up, you can take the aerial tram down for free.

Yeah. So you get to save your knees on the way down. Yes. Um, so that's a really, really popular thing to do in the summer. You know, people will come, they park at the resort. You hike up to, uh, the mountain station, um, at the top, uh, you get a beer at bide, uh, the, the deli up there, or you get a sandwich and then you take the tram down.

That's so much fun. Yeah. It's. If you, you know, if people are, um, you know, wanting to get a little bit further away, uh, 'cause that trail can be, um, you know, well, well used, I don't wanna say crowded. Yeah. Uh, because, you know, Alaskan crowded is very different from lower 48 crowded. Yes. If you wanna be a little bit further away from people, there's other amazing hikes just here in the valley.

Um, you know, ranging from, , a quarter of a mile out and back trail to spectacular waterfalls. To, 20 plus mile through hikes, um, through the Atch Mountains where, uh, you know, you're, you're out there alone with nothing but, mountain goats and bald eagles for company and it is really, really cool.

So obviously if you like hiking, this is a great place. Um, other than that, we have spectacular restaurants here. We have some of the best food in Anchorage. Um, and, uh, so yeah, local, local eateries. Uh, the gerd Wood Brewing Company is super popular. That's definitely like a, a favorite hangout of mine. And they have great food trucks there too.

Yeah, that's one of the best parts. I'll tell you what, being a local somewhere, it is so nice to have rotating food trucks, because it helps keep the, uh, you know, it helps give you some variety throughout the week, you know? Yes. Especially in a really small community like Girdwood. Yeah. Um, so some other favorite things of mine to do, um, just at, kinda depends on the weather.

We have a Glacier Creek that runs straight through town and it is just, you know, a big beautiful, a big, beautiful creek that you can kind of drive down to. And then just walking along it, you can walk up and you're on gravel bars and it is really pretty. There's all sorts of cool places to sit, hang out.

, That's another little favorite h of mine. Um. But I don't know if you can tell, but, uh, me and my family we're, we're pretty big into the outdoors, so, yeah. My favorite things to do here almost all involve being outside. , We spend a lot of time biking as well. So there's um, some really great single track bike trails in town.

There's. Downhill mountain biking at the resort, but there's also a really wonderful paved bike path that runs from the resort all the way to Indian, which is a town, um, about 15 miles,, away. So there's a, just a great bike path. , And it's a really nice thing to do, uh, you know, families with young kids.

I taught my kids to ride bikes on this bike path. Um, and it's just a, a really wonderful way to, um. Kind of see the tour in arm and, and, the Chash Mountains. Totally. Can you talk a little bit cadence about bike rental options in Girdwood? Because I know there are some, um, for visitors who like may not have a bike with them.

Yeah. But wanna do a bike ride? Yeah. So the best resource is Esca Resort. They rent, uh, fat tire bikes in the winter. And they also rent e-bikes in the summer, , powder hound bike shop. Uh, I believe also rents, um, some, , e-bikes. , The resort Alliance resort's definitely the, uh, the best option for looking for gear.

Um, but it's really fun. There's, there's also some other really wonderful walking trails nearby. Um. And then of course one of my other absolute passions is fishing. And, uh, you know, towards, the end of July we start getting some really wonderful salmon runs in Glacier Creek. And that's another really fun thing to do.

Um. Is, uh, is go fishing in either Glacier Creek or Bird Creek just down the road. Totally. Yeah. It's fun from the highway. You often see people fishing along that stretch too, which is kind of fun. By the way, listeners, I know we're talking about Girdwood today, but I will also just say that Anchorage is also an awesome biking city with, , bike rental.

Options. So, um, which is very close by. Yeah, yeah. You know, I was really surprised when I moved up here. I was really surprised at how many people bike year round in Anchorage and Girdwood. I didn't really know much about fat tire biking or, um, you know, winter biking. And I get up here and there are so many trails in Anchorage.

I was really, really surprised by that. So yeah, definitely something to check out if you have some time. Um, and uh, you wanna get outside in in the Anchorage Bowl. Totally. Yeah, absolutely agree about that. Alright, so, you know, we've talked a little bit about Gerd Wood and Wyatt's. So Awesome. And I, I'll just add to you for visitors, especially, you know, if you're wanting to do a day trip.

Trip on the Alaska Railroad. Um, you can also do that from Girdwood. So, um, the two day trips that go south from Anchorage, the one that goes to Seward and the one that goes to Whittier and the Glacier discovery train, you can pick up the train. Inwood. Um, so if you're staying there, you don't have to drive back to Anchorage.

So it's kind of a cool base camp for that as well, or for other Advent ventures in the Portage Valley and around Whittier and stuff. Like you were saying, it's a really great place if you are gonna explore the area. Girdwood is a great place to stay 'cause you can hop on the train there, go to Witty, or go to Seward, even go back to Anchorage from there.

Um, or it's a great stopping place if you are coming, , back up from the Seward or from the Kenai Peninsula. Um, and you have a little extra time to kill, uh that you'd want to explore more of, uh, Alaska before you fly home. I, I strongly recommend. People stopping. Yeah, I totally agree. Plus you have to get ice cream at that place.

That's next to the gas station. The ice cream cream. The ice ice cream shop. Absolutely. Icely ice cream. The ice cream shop. It's really hard to figure out the name. Oh gosh. Yeah. That's great. Um, okay, so Cadence, let's talk a little bit about helicopters and flying. So. Listeners, , Alpine Air Alaska, which is the helicopter company Cadence works for, is in Girdwood, but they're also in Valdez.

And so I just want to remind you that we have an episode about Valdez also from last summer in July. So if you're like, Ooh, do I wanna go over to Valdez? , Yes you do. Um, but if you wanna hear more about it, that episode was with, um. Faith and Colleen, who are from Valdez, so that is a really fun, episode as well.

Okay, so before we get into kind of the specific options that you all offer cadence, I wanna just talk about helicopters in general because there are lot more people who have been in an airplane that have been in a helicopter. So helicopters are pretty cool, but they can also be a little like. Ah, helicopter.

So can you absolutely. Can you talk a little bit about, um, why, maybe let's start with getting up in the air, just first of all, and why that's such a cool thing to do in Alaska. And then a little bit about helicopters specifically, and this is something we've talked about in other episodes, like how to decide between a fixed wing flight and a helicopter flight.

And so. You know, there's other places you can learn more about that, but can you talk a little bit about that to start and then we'll talk about some of the frequently asked questions for helicopters? Yeah, absolutely. Um, so I honestly had never been in a helicopter, or maybe I had as a child once, but I hadn't.

Been in around helicopters much at all until I started this job. And I'll tell you what, that first flight is pretty exhilarating. I didn't know what to expect. I had been in small planes, you know, I had worked for small plane companies in Alaska and flown all over the bush, but, um, riding in a helicopter is so different it feels.

Almost like you're in a magic carpet. Yeah. , You don't have that same feeling of, you know, being pressed back into your seat. You're just kind of floating and it's, it's a really special, uh, special. Experience. So really quickly, if you are coming to Alaska, you know, even if you're a long time local in Alaska, I always recommend if it's in the budget, try to get up in the air.

You know, flight seeing is. Such a, such an important way to see the state. Yeah. You know, you, I agree with that. When you're down here at sea level, I'm looking outta the window, the hangar right now, and I just see mountains. I'm surrounded by mountains. Yep. And what you don't know until you get up above them is that those mountains just keep going and going, and.

You really can't appreciate the vast scale of Alaska until you get up in the air. Um, and so, you know, if you're listening, whatever you do, if you're planning a trip to Alaska, please, please, please try to get up in the air. It is, even if it's just flying in on your, commercial jet, look out the window because the scale, .

Is enormous. I am a big fan of fixed wings, but the really, really cool thing about helicopters is your ability to just slow down, you know? Yeah. Helicopters there, you know, the ability to hover is like magic. And when, um, you know, we, we operate glacier landing tours, um, and glacier dog sledding tours.

And those glacier landing tours allow us to just go and land on these glaciers that a fixed wing couldn't. Right? Yeah. 'cause you, you need, you need the runway, you need to be able to land. We're able to land in, , a 10 foot box, uh, or smaller. Yeah. And it's just, it's such a cool way to see the state.

It's such a cool way to really connect with, uh, the landscape and to be able to experience these glaciers, uh, in a whole different way than,, than simply by flying over 'em. I totally agree with that cadence and, and people who listen to this podcast have heard me say many times that like flight scene and bear viewing are.

, Sometimes that's the same thing. Sometimes it's not. Yeah. It's not in this case, but, um, that those are splurges that are really worth it. But also, yes. You know, if you're like, I can't do that, is my trip gonna be ruined? Of course not, but listeners, of course. Listen, I'm, I'm gonna just say if you're like, Hey, now wait a minute, Jennie, you've talked about landing on glaciers in a fixed wing plane, and that's true, right?

So. But like Caden said, the fixed wing plane needs a runway. So, so like if you're landing on a glacier, stay in Denali National Park and you're, you're not gonna see like those blue pools and things because like a plane can't land there. It's gonna be. On top of a glacier that has snow on top of it so it can land on skis.

Whereas like what cadence has seen is that the helicopter can just go like, whoop, there's a little spot right there that looks cool. I'm gonna just land. Right? And so they can kind of go wherever, which is a very cool thing about helicopters. Exactly. And so I'm definitely not saying anything about fixed wings.

They are amazing. And those tours, they're, yeah. Incredible. It's just a different glacier experience, right? Yes. And so, um, some of the things that I really love, uh, about Alpine Air and about, um, these helicopter tours are, , the group size, right? Our helicopters, the helicopters that we operate, um, for flight seeing range between, having a three seat capacity.

Um. Five. Right. So it's very, very small groups. Yeah. And so you really are just kind of out there alone with, you know, this, this pilot guide and, and your travel companions. Um, yeah. Just, just alone on a glacier, uh, next to a blue pool. Exactly. It's pretty cool. It's a pretty cool feeling. Yeah. And we also, so there's, there's two different kinds of glaciers, right?

We have the, the valley glaciers that are in the mountains. We also go and check out Tidewater glaciers, which is a really cool thing too. Um, that is really cool. It's really cool. Yeah, they're, it's spectacular. So these are, tidewater glaciers are glaciers that are coming out of the mountains and actually meeting the sea.

Um, and these are the, these are the pictures that you see of these big ice walls, um, you know, in the ocean. And then you get to witness the glacier calving, uh, or pieces of ice breaking off and falling into the sea and becoming icebergs. So that's another, another tour we do as we go out to Prince William Sound and actually look at these Tidewater glaciers.

That's cool. Yeah, it's very cool. Definitely one of our popular, popular tours. Yes, yes, for sure. You know, one other thing, and I would love to get your advice to you, cadence for someone who's like, oh, this sounds so amazing, but I'm honestly freaked out about going in the helicopter. One thing that, and I'll be honest with you listeners, I, I have been fortunate to be able to go in some helicopters, like more than once.

Um. I'm not entirely comfortable with it, right? Like I love it, but I'm also happy when I get out, if that makes sense. So you can trust me when I say that. If this makes you a little nervous, you can do it. And one thing. That I think is important for people to know is that compared to a fixed wing plane, the actual time in the air in the helicopter is usually fairly short.

So that's what I wanted to ask you. Cadence is like, how much, you know, how much time am I spending in the air? And , it feels like it goes by in just a second. Like it. Always, that's how I always feel in a helicopter. But I think for people who are a little like excited, nervous, there is the upside that like typically you're not gonna be just in the helicopter flying for a super long time.

Yeah. So can you talk about that a little bit and also like what's your advice for someone who's kind of like me, who's, , I know how to do it 'cause I've been lucky enough to get to do it. But like what's your advice for people who like want to but are a little anxious? Yeah, absolutely. So, um, first of all, you're a hundred percent correct, so we're not, um, you know, if you're, if you're going bear viewing or if you're going to do some of these fixed wing tours, we're not flying for like an hour straight to a destination and then landing there.

We are going to, we're so lucky to have, we're surrounded by glaciers, right? We're so lucky to be Yep. Starting in the middle of the mountains. So for, , our most popular tours, um, they range between one hour and 90 minutes. Mm-hmm. Uh, for the full duration. Yep. That one hour tour includes a. About 30 minutes in the air and 30 minutes on the ground.

Cool. So, you know, if you're thinking about that, if you're like, Ooh, I'm, I'm a little bit nervous, I'm a little bit hesitant. You're only, you're looking at about 15 to 20 minutes in the air each way to the glacier, right? Yeah. So it is. It's relatively close. Another thing, um, that I really wanna point out is just the strong safety record in Alaska.

Yeah. For, , for helicopter operations, right? Yes. There's it. You know, you every, you know, I understand anxieties for sure. I have them. I, I don't love flying anyways, but the second I get up in the air Yeah. I forget about it. Yeah. The, the views are so cool and the pilots that we hire, . Are, they go out of their way to make sure that people feel comfortable.

So yeah, there's a lot of things that,, some people that may not have as much experience in small helicopters and small planes. , There's a lot of things that the pilots do that really help put me personally at ease. Yeah. And part of that is, is that, you know, you can just ask 'em questions. You know, you say, I'm feeling a little bit anxious, and they say, oh yeah, totally.

Here, let me take you over here and show you this mountain goat. And all of a sudden you're looking at your phone to take your video and you're looking at these amazing Alaskan animals from the air, or you're looking at these glacier pools or these crazy ice formations and um. I don't know. I just, I just feel, I feel a lot better about it when I am talking to my pilot.

I'm letting 'em know, oh, I'm a little bit nervous. Or, you know, we get this too. Some people are really afraid of getting air sick. Um, and you know, you just say, okay, talk to your pilot. Let 'em know. They're so kind. They are so patient. There's all sorts of things they can do. You know, we can crack windows, we can Yeah.

Uh, slow down or not take crazy turns, stuff like that. Yep. So, first of all, just, you know. Putting your mind at ease, letting you know you can always talk to your pilot about things. Um, and then yeah, knowing that, um, the safety record in Alaska is very, very good. We actually have been operating for more than 30 years.

We've been in business since 1991. And we're, yeah, one of the longest, uh, serving helicopter operators in the state's and definitely That's awesome. The longest in South Central. Yeah. And so, you know, we just have an absolutely incredible safety record and, um. We, we hire staff that, uh, that really, really care about people's experience.

Yeah. Um, so everyone from, you know, the person taking a reservation on the phone to the people checking you in when you,, arrive at our hangar, you know, to the pilots that are actually with you and guiding you during this tour, um. We're all in it to give the guests the absolute best experience they can possibly have.

And, uh, we'll all bend over backwards for that. So, yeah. Yeah. I guess just to, to recap, I just wanna say, um, if you're feeling anxious, I would highly recommend pushing through, uh, you know. Giving us a call. Uh, our office staff are actually pretty used to talking through, through anxieties over the phone before people make reservations.

Yep. Um, it's something that , we really love to do. We really like to take care of our, our customers like that, so yeah. That's awesome. You know, I, I would add one other thing to that, to you. I totally, you know, everything you said completely resonates with me. One other thing to you, I would say is like.

If you really wanna do this and your travel partner is like. No way. I am not doing it. Then just go by yourself. Like flight scene Yeah. Is like the perfect thing to do by yourself. 'cause it's, you know, an hour or two Right. Instead of, it's not like an all day tour into Yeah. Wherever. And, um, I don't think I've ever gone flight scene with another person.

I think I've always been, but no, once I went with my dad, that was really cool. But most of the time it's like. You know, I just kind of go and that's great. Like it's a great thing to do on your own. Your travel partner will be fine. Don't try to talk them into it unless they really, I, you know, if they want to and they're nervous, that's different.

But if they like, don't want to just let it go. Just do it by yourself. Yeah. Well, and actually I just thought of this as well. So, those are, so when I was talking about our one hour and our 90 minute tours, those are our, uh, most popular glacier landing tours. Yep. We also operate,, our glacier dog sledding tours.

Yeah. And that's only a, , about a five to 10 minute flight one way to the glacier. Oh, yeah. So it is the, you can do that perfect introductory flight. Yeah. I mean, if, if you're. Uh, it's the kind of thing that you don't wanna keep your eyes closed the whole time because the views are spectacular. But, it's so quick that Yeah.

That a lot of people, they don't even real, they don't even realize the ride's over because they're already landing up there at our dog camp. Yeah. So that's a great introductory thing, especially, for a nervous flyer, for people that are not nervous flyers. You know, it's also our, honestly, it's our most popular tour that we operate here.

Um, people absolutely love it. Our, yeah, we, we partner with, , Mitch C's Iditarod Kennels. Yeah. Uh, he's a, an, uh, excuse me, an Iditarod legend. Um, we've been partnering with him for, uh. You know, many, many, many years. And we're extremely proud of our dog sled operation up on Punchbowl Glacier. So that is a really fun tour for, you know, guests of all ages.

We have, um, little kids that go up. We have, older folks going up. It is an absolute bucket list, uh, tour that is definitely not one to be missed. Yes. And if you want to ride. Behind a dog sled on snow. You don't wanna visit in winter, this is how you do it. Yeah, exactly. Um, yeah. And just one, one more little thing about, our dog sled, um, tour as well, because you know what, these are the, the mushing community and the mushing culture is really, really strong up here in Alaska.

Right? It is such a cool, part of Alaskan history and still is a really necessary mode of transportation. Um, all over. Alaska. But, one thing that I'm really, really proud of for our, uh, operation in particular is we're actually the only. Glacier dog sledding operation in the entire state. That, is a tether free operation.

And what that means is that we have, um, instead of, uh, tying each dog individually to their own house, which is historically kind of how it's always been done. Um, a few years ago we made the switch to, uh, instead have individual pens with four or five dogs in each pen. Um, so they live in, uh, kind of smaller family groups, uh, up on the glacier, uh, all summer long.

It's been a really, it's been a really cool change to kind of see. , We made the, we made the decision to do it, um, just because it was, uh, we thought that it would just be a little bit of a better experience, uh, for the dogs up there.

So pretty, pretty proud of that. Aw, that's awesome. Yeah, dog mushing is really fun. It really is. Cool. Okay, so Cadence. I wanna ask you one other thing about helicopters and flying.

This was probably like the most frequently asked question. What if it rains? Yeah. Well it turns out helicopters can fly in the rain. What, what? They can go wet. So, um, yeah, I mean, it's always, you know, when you come up to Alaska, you wanna have this bluebird Perfect day. Um, one of the, uh, one of the amazing things about Alaska is just the dynamic weather.

Um, there is, uh, you know, obviously there are. If there is weather that is unsafe to fly in, and we don't do that, right? We're a very conservative company when it comes to, um, decision making, uh, around safety. So. You know, if there are, , any conditions that it is unsafe to fly in, we do not go, we'll cancel tours.

Um, but there are plenty of days where it is, you know, rainy and um, you know, you might not have that bluebird day, but it is safe to fly. And we do still operate all of our tours on those days. And some people, , might start the tour, uh, kind of bummed out that it's raining. But nobody ever comes back disappointed.

It is. No, it, it, it's a completely different experience. You get these clouds that are moody and you get peaks that pop out and you get the glaciers. The glaciers actually glow blue and you can really, really see the colors better. Yes. When, , it's overcast or a little bit of a darker sky than in the full sun.

So there's so much beauty to be found in Alaska, regardless of the weather. And. You know, if it's rainy, that's why, you know, you wear, you definitely bring a rain jacket to Alaska no matter what. Um, but honestly, some of the best days out there are, um, a little bit of a, you know, a little bit of a darker day.

Yep. Totally. Yeah, I think you explained that really well. And it is so true that like, I, I mean, I have had so many guests who've been on tour, who've done flight scene and who've kind of panicked because it was raining and I'll be like. N no. Like, they'll let you know if they're not gonna fly, but like, this doesn't necessarily mean that's what's happening.

And I've had guests who are like really worried about it and then come back and they're like, that was the most amazing thing ever. I'm like, yeah, I know. Yeah. I mean, it's, it just adds to it, you know? And it, it really is about, you know, you think about like, what are you, what are you hoping to get out of this tour?

You know, what are you trying to gain from this experience? And, um. You know, if you're going into it saying, I want that perfect, you know, that perfect Instagram moment and um, you know, you go into it thinking, I want it to be sunny and I want it to be this and that and the other thing. Once you get out there and you just see this dynamic, huge landscape that's unlike anything else that you've ever witnessed anywhere else in the world, you know, those, those, uh, moments kind of make themselves, you know, you have these picture.

Perfect. You know, scenes, you have this bright red helicopter that pops against this, uh, you know, bright blue glacier. It's just, yeah, it's just indescribable. Um, yeah, I'm a big fan of, uh, you know, going into experiences with an open mind. Um, and I think that the vast majority of our guests, come back after going on their tours and they.

Literally say, well, that's the best thing I've ever done in my life. Yeah, I know. And or that's, know's the absolute, this is the most amazing experience I've ever had. Yes. Um, and that's what, that's what we do this for. Yeah. Absolutely.

Before we wrap up, let's go back to Girdwood for a minute because another thing I always like to ask people is, what is your favorite restaurant in Girdwood? And I know that is pretty tough 'cause Girdwood is tiny and doesn't have a ton of restaurants, but they're pretty great, like many other places in Alaska.

So what's your favorite, oh my gosh, this is. On the surface, this is an easy one, but then actually it's a really hard one. Um, if I have to pick one favorite, I'm just gonna pick like four favorites for you here, Jennie. Because it depends on what I'm looking for, right? So if this is a date night with my husband, we go to a restaurant called Spoon Line.

Mm-hmm. Um, and it is spectacular. It is like really perfect fresh Alaskan food. Um, you know, amazing local seafood. Really good specials. Um, they have this chicken Tom Cas special that I am just obsessed with right now. Um, and, uh, yeah, just fresh, really, really good ingredients. Um, but that's a little bit of a splurge for me.

You know, we don't go there too, too often. The place that I go most, we talked about a little bit earlier is Girdwood Brewing Co. Yeah. Um, and they have rotating food trucks. They have a calendar online where you can see what food trucks will be there on any given day. And oh my gosh, do not miss Izakaya.

That's the, uh, we call it the sushi truck, but, he doesn't roll a whole lot of sushi in the truck anymore. Now it's mostly ramen and these rice bowls. Sometimes he has a sushi special. He does curry as well. It's this like Japanese yum, um, food truck. It is so good., So those are my two like absolute highlights.

And then of course you cannot miss Jack Sprat. Um, yeah, this is a, another local favorite. Um, it can be kind of hard to get into in the summer. Yeah. You know, expect to wait. Um, I, I recommend, bring a snack for the weight, uh, but don't have it be too big of a snack because the yam fries are to die for.

Yes. Um, and of course do not miss the chocolate olive oil cake, so. Mm-hmm. You know, and then, uh, lastly, I would be, I just can't, um, you know. Talk about, uh, GERD wood without talking about the double muskie. Mm-hmm. If, uh, you are real hungry and looking for, you know, a giant portion of steak and butter and everything good, you have to go check out the double muskie.

It is, uh, it's definitely a, um, it's definitely an experience, but again, I, I love it. And, um. Yeah. And then everything in between, you know, the resort has five restaurants, um, that are all great choices, you know, ranging from sushi to, uh, a sports bar to fine dining at the top of a mountain where you can see seven glaciers from your, from your table.

You know, it's, yeah. Girdwood is, uh, is known for having some, some really, really high quality restaurants, um, and. You know, kind of, I, I was talking earlier just about how fun the culture is here. I have lived a lot of places in the world, and I have never lived in such a welcoming, fun mountain town. You know, the vibes here are really good and people are happy.

You know, people want to be here, and that comes across. To our visitors. When someone comes in and you have, you have a, a person working at the grocery store who really loves where they live. Yeah. Or you have somebody waiting your table that really loves living here. You can, you can tell.

And that's something that, um, that I, I've always been really proud of this town for. Is the, the vibes are really high. Yeah. Yep, yep. Absolutely. Okay. Before I ask you that last question, cadence listeners, I just wanted to let you know that Alpine Air Alaska has a discount code for you, so thanks Cadence.

That is super cool. What you do is you go to their website, so again, that's Alpine Air Alaska, and they're, they operate in both. Girdwood and Valdez, and when you check out, you use the code Podcast 10 and you save 10%. So thank you Cadence. That is so awesome. Of course. Yeah. We're just every, we're every little bit helps when it comes to flighting.

Exactly. And that's, it's just another way to kind of really help people get up in the air and experience this place. It is, it's just something that, like I said, I really, I, I. Want everyone who comes to Alaska to be able to go flight skiing. Yes, I know. Okay. So what's your one piece of advice for first time visitors to Alaska?

You know, gosh, I would say, um. Just relax and enjoy yourself. You know, I, I talk to so many people and they are so worried about fitting it all in, and there's no way to fit all of Alaska in one trip. You know, I've been here 15 years and I. Have not done most of the things in this state, you know? Um, so my one piece of advice is to go for quality over quantity.

Um, if you're planning your own trip, um, you know, try not to pack too much in. Mm-hmm. And, um, and to really, uh, do your research when you are, um, when you're looking at tours, when you're looking at restaurants, . Don't try to pack it all in. Yeah. Plan another trip. Yes. Yes. I, I sometimes listeners have heard this before, but sometimes I show people my list of things that I would like to do in Alaska, which gets longer every year.

Not shorter, despite spending around three months there a year. Yeah. And that's, that's just it, you know, like, like figure out what those experiences that are really, really important to you. Figure out those, and then, and, and book those, book those tours, book those excursions, book that hotel and then figure it out from there.

But, um, I. I do, I run into people that, you know, they're so busy running from one tour to the next or one town to the next, that they don't give themselves time to really experience it and just have that unscheduled time. Yep. To grab a coffee and wander around and, uh, really, really feel the place. Yeah.

Yeah. Absolutely. Well, cadence, thank you so much for joining us today and sharing about Gerwin and flying. Of course, of course. It was really fun.

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Jennie Thwing Flaming

Host
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Jay Flaming

Co-host