Okay - Gotta Tell You About Teddy's

After completing this blog, I plan to write-up our lodging reviews on TripAdvisor. (My TripAdvisor reviewer name is "Expecting Quality.")  I use TripAdvisor every time I plan an out-of-town trip.

But I would would be remiss if I failed to make special mention of Teddy's Inn the Woods in this blog.  We really enjoyed our stay at Teddy's and will definitely make plans to stay there on future Alaska trips.  Is it possible to miss a place where you've only spent a few days?  If so, I miss Teddy's.

Here is a link to the TripAdvisor page for Teddy's complete with photos.  Here is my TripAdvisor review of Teddy's.

Don't get the wrong impression: Teddy's Inn the Woods isn't a luxury hotel.  It is basically a one-bedroom apartment over the garage, at their family home located between Moose Pass and Seward.  When staying at Teddy's you will be the only guests.  The location is very peaceful, and the hosts are very friendly.  And did I mention the breakfasts?  Judge for yourself.

Overnight french toast, fresh strawberries,
and reindeer sausage.

Scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, and bagels.
Teddy's husband smoked the salmon.

The first couple of days we had wonderful pastries and waffles.  When Teddy asked us what else we liked for breakfast, we just said, "Surprise us," and she really outdid herself the remaining two days.  Teddy delivers the breakfast herself, and you can eat inside, or on either deck.  We ate on the deck facing the woods, and it was a real treat.  We found ourselves spending at least an hour over our morning meals, and just relaxing on the deck.  When we returned in the evening, it felt like home.

The apartment could sleep 6 comfortably, but I think it would be best for a two-person getaway.  I'm just not sure children and teens could really appreciate it.  But we sure did!

Vacation Eating in Alaska

So far in this blog I haven't written too much about our food, so let me let you know what worked for us.  Every place we stayed - a hotel or a B & B - included breakfast.  We always took advantage of this, and supplemented from our "possibles" box if need be.  We tried to eat a fairly large breakfast, and we ate fruit and juice each morning.  We don't typically eat a large breakfast at home, so this kept us going until mid-afternoon.

We planned to eat a mid-day meal around 2 PM, and we tried to find a fairly nice place to eat.  We avoided "chain" restaurants and sought-out local restaurants and diners.  I think I ate fresh seafood every day.  Very tasty.  We ate a pretty big meal, which gave us energy for the rest of the day.

Typically, our evening meal was light - maybe a salad, a sandwich, or a pizza.  Sometimes we just found some fruit or peanut butter in the "possibles" box.  After a big breakfast and a big lunch, we were rarely hungry again before bedtime.

Eating out is expensive in Alaska.  As in most places, the lunch menu is less expensive than the dinner menu -- another reason to make the mid-day meal your main meal.  However, plan to spend 30-40% more for a restaurant meal in Alaska than for an equivalent meal in "the states."

I wrote earlier that we ate lunch at The Duck Inn in Soldotna.  We also ate there later in the trip.  We had sandwiches, a side-item, and tea.  Our lunch there (two people - our daughter had to go back to "the states") ran about $38 each time.  The lunch was similar to what we would get at a TGI Fridays or a Chili's.  Here at home I would expect to pay $20 - 25 for the two-person meal.  However, at every meal the portions were huge, and we often took leftovers with us.  At The Duck Inn, my fried fish sandwich (and the fish was VERY fresh) was about 3 times the size of a McDonald's or Burger King fish sandwich.  Of course, it came with plenty of lettuce, tomato, onions, and french fries.  My mouth is watering just thinking about that lunch!

So - plan your meals, budget more than you would expect, and enjoy the local seafood.  Eat well and make your meals a memorable part of your trip.