Since Andy and I have been together we’ve made date nights a priority. Even something as simple as lunch and errands without the kids. Most are low key. Dinner and a movie. Cocktails with friends. But on occasion we make them special, and longer than a few hours. While taking another amazing tropical vacation was out of the picture, a staycation to a nearby resort was very doable.

Alyeska is only a couple hour drive from the house and GORGEOUS. The drive there is one of my very favorites and even though the weather was very much not in our favor, it’s still a very spectacular place to visit.  

The resort runs a special each winter for a “winter romance” package, if you book during the week. It includes an overnight stay, a bottle of champagne and chocolates, and 2 tram tickets to ride up to the top of the mountain. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, it seemed like a perfect idea for us to get out of town without the kids.

We had enjoyed the beautiful drive down and checked in before we headed to Double Musky Inn. A restaurant that’s been on our bucket list for years now. It’s a quaint little spot in the woods that serves cajun cuisine and was SO worth the wait. It had all sorts of crazy fun decor, delicious drinks, great service and we ate way more than we needed to.

Our original plan was to have dinner and head back to the hotel and catch the shuttle to go out for drinks on the town. On our way to dinner it started raining pretty hard and was an icy slick disaster out. We had treats, champagne and a killer pool back at the hotel so a relaxing night in was a better choice. To me, it feels like staying in a castle. It’s filled with stone and the rooms are rustic. It’s just fancy enough that you feel classy, but still has a comfort and coziness like being at home.

 It was relaxing and romantic and we chatted and laughed and ate our hearts content of chocolates and a brownie that was to die for!

Our morning plan ended up getting a makeover as well and the beautiful sunrise at the top of the tram didn’t happen because of weather. Murrrrr….

It’s always a blast to ride in the tram though, and there is still plenty to see even when it’s snowing.

A cup of coffee and some people watching at the top, we caught the tram back down for some last sight seeing before we hit the highway back home. Girdwood is small. No fast food or big grocery stores. The sidewalks are always filled with people walking to and from, regardless of weather. And most everything revolves around the mountain. Just driving around, taking it all in, makes it special every time we go.

Our trip was short and sweet and had everything we needed to make it feel like a real getaway. I’m hoping next time it will have a little less snow, and a lot more beach. Happy Valentine’s Day to all you lovers out there!