1. Anchorage: a week-long vacation for Stefy's birthday. We flew into Anchorage, Alaska, and stayed there as our base. What an incredible view at first sight! As you might expect, Alaska, in the winter, is a snow wonderland. We had a cute AirBnB with an outdoor jacuzzi and it felt amazing to soak while surrounded by so much white. Anchorage is a fairly small city on the water but with great restaurants. Foodie must eat the Alaskan king crab and Alaskan halibut (learn how to make it from a local). The most peculiar thing we saw in downtown Anchorage was Starr the Reindeer. Yes, a real reindeer kept in a cage in downtown for people to stop and take pictures with. Also, Anchorage must be a city where not many tourists drive, since there was such a lack of street signs that more than once we ended up going the wrong way on a street! Probably several feet of snow didn't help the situation, but if you drive downtown, pay extra attention.

2. Dog mushing: one of the best things we have ever experienced. We booked a dog mushing class from Martin at Happy Trails Kennel, 4 time winner of the Iditarod, the long and strenuous dog sledding race inspired by the vaccine run to Nome. The dogs were just amazing. They were super happy and eager to go our for a run. We learned how to mush with Seattle, Stormy, Brunswick and Nanga. Did you know that the dogs eat 11000 calories/day? Booking a tour helps the kennel in buying food for them. A must-do experience.

3. Moose: We did see a few moose. What incredible animals. They are so big and in Alaska they are so used to people that they just mind their own business, even if it is munching on leaves on the side of the freeway. Alaskans are very good drivers and it was impressive to us to see how efficient everything was run with feet of snow coming down overnight.

4. Fat biking: riding in sub zero temp with fat bikes in the snow? Done! In Anchorage, there is a local park where everyone goes to exercise no matter the weather. There are tons of cross country ski trails and many fat bike trails. Since we love handlebars we of course opted to ride the bikes. So much fun!

5. Snowshoeing: what better thing to do than go snowshoeing after the weather just dumped 3 feet of snow! We couldn't resist. Witnessing so much snow at sea level was mesmerizing.

6. Kenai Peninsula/Seward: From Anchorage, with a 4x4 car (in the winter) you can drive the Kenai Peninsula and get to Seward. It is a 4-hour drive one-way but you get to be in the middle of a winter wonderland. Seward is at the end of the road near the fjords. A small fishing town with a very fun restaurant. Seward is where the original Iditarod: Seward to Nome route started in 1910.

7. Cook Inlet: When Captain James Cook arrived on the Alaskan shore from the Pacific ocean, he thought that by sailing into the bay he could get through and head back to Europe. Little did he know that after a few miles of navigation the only thing he would find was a glacier, so he had to turn around. This is why this bay is called Turnagain. At Beluga point, a very interesting tidal wave happens when the ocean's salt water meets the fresh water from the glacier. In the summer, you'll find many locals taking advantage of this wave and enjoying some surfing.

8. Northern Lights: Because of the geographical location of the state of Alaska, you have a pretty good chance to see the northern lights in the winter. When we were there it was very cloudy and without a clear sky we did not get the chance to see them. We have been lucky enough to get to see the northern lights on a previous trip to Iceland, and we can vouch that it is a spectacle that everyone should see at least once in a lifetime.

9. Ulu knife: The indigenous people of Alaska have been using this type of knife for centuries. We got to visit the factory and purchased one of our own. It is has now become a staple in our cooking.

10. Ice cream: Alaska in the winter is not a place where you expect people to enjoy ice cream, but with temperatures of even 30 below, the locals stay in line to have a chance to enjoy an ice cream cone. Ice cream shops are everywhere and very busy even in the winter. Who knew!