<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Diane Ebert<mailto:[log in to unmask]> 
To: Celiac List Serv List Serv<mailto:[log in to unmask]> 
Sent: Sunday, April 25, 2010 7:12 AM
Subject: Summary 1 so far for Alaska


Hi I am sending what I have so far for Summarys for info for our friends trip to Alaska.  What our friends said is that this list gave them the same info they had 'found out on their own',,,,,I think it is so nice to have some info verified!
Thanks again to everyone,,,,and if there is more info please let me know.

Have a great week,
Diane Ebert 
319-235-2045
Secretary
Waverly, IA Area Celiac Support Group
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in Anchorage..........there is the Natural Pantry on Old Seward Hwy.............to buy gf foods. Fred Meyers carries gf foods.  People in Nome and up in that part, not only would need to ship in EVERYTHING they need................but folks who live way out there, ship in their food!!  Fairbanks likely has a Freddies.  but do not know.  They are pretty much visiting the harder to get to places.........thus harder to get foods there.  Very little fresh stuff, ........this is what I have been told by friends who live there.
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You can tell your friends that Astoria Mills mixes might help. The breads
need no special equipment to make and as they are dry mixes will keep well.
Mix #5 and #6 were developed to help campers cope. Easy to take and give the
ship chef. Light brown bread mix #6 stays fresh quite awhile without
preservatives and would be easy to pack lunches etc. Hope this helps, there
is time for them to try and see how they like the mixes ahead of time.
www.astoriamills.ca<http://www.astoriamills.ca/>
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Homer-Victorian Heights Bed & Breakfast-great views and very accommodating or try Twin Puffins-a fully outfitted 2 bedroom cabin and do your own cooking; favorite restaurant: The Homestead

Seward-Ray's is pretty good and they're usually accommodating.  Stay away from the Crab Shack.  There are several nice B&B's just north of town and they're also quite accommodating. 

Seldovia-Mad Fish Restaurant is good, and there are several nice B&Bs including the Bridgekeeper's Inn B&B (I only had a tour, have not stayed there, but it's very nice). 

Girdwood-Double Musky is probably one of the best restaurants in the Pacific Northwest-just make sure to give them your restaurant card.  Jack Sprat's is very good, has a nice interesting menu beyond the usual café and does their best to accommodate. 

Talkeetna is between Anchorage and the entrance to Denali NP-Traleika B&B ([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>) in Talkeetna has the best Denali view anywhere (period).  They are very accommodating and even though she doesn't make you breakfast, she provides everything you need to make it.  She did make me GF muffins one morning (her husband is wheat allergic and she gets the GF issues). 

Fairbanks has the usual variety of restaurants and very well stocked grocery stores including Fred Meyer (see Anchorage list).

See the webpage for a listing: http://www.urbanspoon.com/t/137/1/Fairbanks/Gluten-Free-Friendly-restaurants<http://www.urbanspoon.com/t/137/1/Fairbanks/Gluten-Free-Friendly-restaurants> 

I don't know why anyone would go to Coldfoot!  Frankly, I would give it a miss!  In any case, you'll not even find much of a grocery store, so stock up in Anchorage or Fairbanks. 

All the above accommodations have websites and usually reserve through their site.  Many of the restaurants have their menus posted on their websites.

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Your friend will have no problem eating in Anchorage - while I do not remember the name of the place where I ate; I remember not having any problems.  However, I was heading to a very small community in Alaska, Dutch Harbour in the Aleutian Island chain, and I had come prepared.  I was on a business trip and there were 4 places to eat in town - pizza restaurant - pizza only, Mexican restaurant with two choices - beef burrito's, beef enchiladas (however they made me cheese enchiladas and I had those six nights in a row), the hotel restaurant which was about $30 per plate (at there once) and the grocery store - if you could call it that.  I am not even mentioning one of the nastiest bars in North America as while there was food in there a single female would not go in there - seeing the guys in my hotel was enough!  Funny, the hotel was beautiful built with some government funding as the ferry in the summer comes to Dutch Harbour and they needed wheelchair accessible accommodation.  It was a very bizarre site on the barren land. 

Anyway, here I thought I was going to seafood heaven and would have no problems, as I do not eat beef, and I was really glad I brought a variety of food with me.  As a full time business traveller, normally to large cities, I do not usually take food with me due to packing reasons (this travelling was also before the Celiac food boom in the last 8 years) however I was sure glad I had nut mix, dried fruit, bars etc and I got breakfast items from the grocery store. 

Dutch Harbour has about 1,500 permanent residents, however is not a place for people with Celiac Disease, and in the 47 states, 9 provinces, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, France, Germany that I travelled to on business between 1994 and 2003 it was my only really bad food obtaining Celiac experience.  They even did not have fruit in the grocery store which is my standby! 

On top of that when travelling to smaller communities in Alaska you have to be prepared for delays.  In Dutch Harbour, where I was scheduled to be for 4 days, the plane did not fly the day before I was scheduled to leave and did not fly the day I was to leave or the day after.  So, I had consumed all of my food when finally on the Sunday I got out of there with a bunch of fishermen on the cargo plane - let's say it was a nose plug experience.  I was very lucky though that the company PAID for my ticket as 95% of people commuting to and from Dutch Harbour are on vouchers and paid tickets trump vouchers so as soon as a plane was there I was able to fly.  I went to the place which had served me when I arrived the night before my flight to Dutch Harbour and they fed me a huge dinner as I was really needing some gluten free food like chicken, veggies and potatoes! 

So, if this story helps your friend out I hope one person has a better GF experience visiting off the grid in Alaska than I had.  The scenery is beautiful and I actually want to return to Dutch Harbour - I loved it there and the 2 days that I got to walk around and take pictures were wonderful - that is when the sun was up as it was February.  Due to the delay, I got to see the Iditarod ice carving competition in Anchorage and the party.  It was an amazing experience!  I have returned to Alaska on a cruise - however you are not looking for GF food in that situation nor did I find any in the places that we went to - I also ensured I got a package from the ship for our shore trips. 

Good luck to your friend and ensure he takes an extra digital camera memory card for all the pictures he will take!

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