Where should we go to eat around here?
- Tastee Freez is a local fast food joint ala the 1950s serving all manner of frozen or fried treats. The dairy-free fruit soft-serve is a family favorite.
- Taco King is a local Mexican chain, you might notice a few around town, one is 2.5 miles from the B&B on Spenard and Tanglewood. They make King Fries that are amazing, but not on the menu. If you eat here, you’ll look like a local, unless you’re wearing a coat in July, locals don’t do that. 🙂
- Suite 100, is our favorite date night spot. They have amazing seafood chowder and a delicious menu, including a mushroom fritter that is a must-have and the best creme brulee in town.
- Downtown is 49th State Brewery, the upstairs dining room has inlet views and sometimes you can see Denali. They use a lot of locally sourced ingredients and it shows. Good view, good food, good beer, often busy… you might want to call ahead.
What else should we do?
QUESTIONS BEFORE YOUR STAY:
- I need to cancel/edit/move/change my reservation, can you help me?
- Yes! We’d love to help! If you booked on our website or by calling us directly we have full control of your reservation and can help.
- If you booked through an OTA (online travel agent) like Expedia or the like, the only thing we have control to change is moving rooms and adding more nights. If you need to cancel or change the dates you will need to contact them directly.
- Do you have a SHUTTLE from the airport? Taxi? Uber?
- Due to insurance and municipality rules, we are not allowed to transport guests. However, we are the closest B&B to the airport! Anchorage is used to late-night/early-morning flight so taxi and Uber drivers are always available at the airport. We have found a taxi runs about $12-$15 and an Uber is slightly less.
- Directions from the airport:
- As you leave the airport the second light is JEWEL LAKE ROAD. Turn right onto Jewel Lake Road. The B&B is 2.1 miles down on the LEFT SIDE of the street. There is a big 4’x8′ sign with our name on it, we are directly across the street from a church. If you get to 82nd. . . you have gone too far. Park in any of the open stalls to the right as you pull in.
- We are traveling with kids/babies/toddlers, what are your policies for us?
- We have 12 nieces and 5 nephews, and 3 littles of our own. Needless to say, we LOVE the kiddos. They are of course welcome to stay!
- Please include anyone 3 or older in the guest count on your reservation, we don’t charge extra but each room has a legal capacity.
- One room in the Alaska suite has two twin beds, is decorated with kids in mind, has several stuffed animals and games in the room and there is an older-style pack-n-play in the hall closet. The Alaska suite is a very family-friendly room. Nautical, Moose, and Caribou all have an extra twin bed in the room.
- If anyone in your family is prone to nighttime “accidents” we have a supply of disposable water-proof mattress covers. With a heads-up ahead of time we can discreetly have one on any of the twin-size beds, or you can ask us for one while you’re here.
- There is a vintage high chair in the guest kitchen. Vintage means it’s cute and Jess survived it when she was a baby, supervise your kiddos if you use it.
- The one concern we have about littles visiting is in the main living room. There is a rock hearth on the fireplace and the glass coffee table is VERY easy to flip. When we hang out here with our littlest friends we take the glass off and put it behind the couch. If you want to do that too, feel free, just put it back when you’re done.
- Moose Lodge is the only room with a full-size bathtub, all the other rooms have showers, just FYI.
QUESTIONS ABOUT CHECK-IN:
- I’m arriving late is that ok?
- This is the NUMBER ONE question we get asked, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Most flights in and out of Anchorage are late at night or very early morning (something to do with connecting with daytime flights in the lower 48) and we are prepared for late-night guests.
- How do I check in?
- Before your arrival our reservation system will send you an Arrival Info email, that email will contain a door code for your stay. The front door is on the deck and is the only RED DOOR, so you can’t miss it. Please use this code to let yourself in when you arrive and as you come and go during your stay. Once inside, there are signs on every door and your room lock is the same code. On the bedroom doors, add # at the end.
- Our arrival is realllly late, are you sure it’s ok?
- Yes, we’re sure. We just ask everyone to please respect others as they come in late at night. Over the years we’ve only had one guest cause a ruckus that disturbed others. He and his buddy had gotten drunk on the plane and came stumbling into the B&B….. just don’t be that guy.
- I’m arriving early, what should I do?
- We have the rooms ready by 3:00p.m. each day. If you arrive earlier you can come in and wait, or leave your luggage, and go about your day. We will accommodate early arrival or late check-out when we can for a $40 fee. Please check with us to confirm availability.
- How do I check out?
- Just double-check that you have all your belongings and leave. That’s it!!! I know it sounds too simple to be true, but it is! If you want to do something a little extra, you can leave the door open a crack, this lets us know you are gone and we can start cleaning the room. Check out is 11am.
QUESTIONS DURING YOUR STAY:
- Do you live here? Will I meet you?
- This is our home, we do live here. Depending on your schedule and ours we may meet, we try to give our guests plenty of privacy so we don’t hang out in the common areas too much. But we do love meeting our guests and hearing about your adventure so if you’re so inclined, please do say hello. If we aren’t home, we can always be reached by text, 907-351-4125 is my personal cell.
- What’s the WIFI password?
- There is an info sheet in your room.
- It’s posted on the kitchen cabinet in the guest kitchen downstairs.
- It will also be in the Arrival Info Email
- This house has TWO KITCHENS!!
- That’s not really a question but it does confuse some guests, I’ll explain.
- The kitchen at the bottom of the stairs is for guest use, help yourself anytime. Even if your room is upstairs, please use this kitchen for your personal items. Use the fridge or freezer for your food. Cook on the stove. Make yourself at home, just please clean up after yourself.
- The main kitchen, just inside the front door, is for breakfast only. If you leave food up here it may be eaten by other guests.
- I have an early flight/tour, what should I do about breakfast?
- There are yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, juice, cereal, coffee, tea, toast, and protein bars in the main kitchen for a self-serve breakfast if you need to depart early or like to sleep late.
- What’s the dealio with breakfast?
- Covid restrictions required us to adjust breakfast to a self-serve set-up. It’s been a big hit with all our guests. The main kitchen is fully stocked for a nice self-serve breakfast like eggs, toast, cereal, yogurt, fruit, granola bars, coffee, and tea. Help yourself whenever you’re ready to eat.
- Is the tap water drinkable?
- In short, yes. “Anchorage has just about the best-tasting municipal water anywhere. Anchorage is fortunate. Our principal municipal water sources are the pristine glaciers and snow-capped peaks of the Chugach Mountains. Protection of these watersheds as part of the Chugach State Park ensures exceptional water quality.” Read the whole story here: ADN
- Does the B&B have AC?
- In short, no. Our summers very rarely get hot enough to need AC so it’s very rare for homes here to have AC. There are a few days each July when we all question why we don’t have it, but alas we don’t have it. It is very important to us that our guests are comfortable. To that end, every room has new vinyl windows with screens that are very easy to open and there is a box fan in each closet.
- Alaska sounds cold, what if I’m cold?
- For everyone’s comfort, we generally try to keep the house around 68-70. We have a few extra blankets in the hallway bench downstairs to help if you get a bit chilled. We are in the process of adding electric fireplace space heaters to each room so you can add a bit more heat as needed, just please be sure to turn it off when you leave the room.
CAN I _____?:
- Can I bring my tiny, well-behaved dog?
- I’m sorry, but, no. Your hosts and housekeeper have severe allergies. We like to keep the B&B a safe-haven for others who suffer as well, so our “no pet” policy is pretty strict.
- Where can I smoke?
- Our property is all non-smoking. Sometimes guests go out by the sign, if you do that, please ‘police your butts’ (Is that a saying everywhere? It means bring whatever remains of your cigarette to a trash can)
- Can I store my fish?
- We have a normal freezer over the fridge in the guest kitchen. Many guests have used it to hold their fish but you will likely need to remove it from the box first. You are welcome to try filling the freezer we have but if you’d like somewhere to just drop off your fish in boxes here’s the list I found:
- Can I have something sent to you/dropped off ahead of my arrival?
- We have made arrangements like this for guests. It mostly depends on how big the “thing” is. Text or call us to make arrangements.
