Not hunting -- How to entertain the mother-in-law in Decembe

[Matt in AK]

No laughing at me guys.  

My wife weighs in at 400 lbs  :wink: but with that little people savagery -- Daveinthebush back me up here.  My mother-in-law will be here in December for a couple weeks  :? -- that's a relative who really loves ya!!!  I'm thinking about a couple nights at the Kenai Princess Lodge or Alyeska Ski Resort.  Mom-in-law is in her 60's but fit as a fiddle and ready for some cross country skiing.  I figure she'll take care of the kids while me and my wife (Tundra Walrus) have some cuddly time  :eek: in front of a fire.  Where would you go?  I'm looking for somewhere fun, with an Alaskan flair, and a fireplace or woodburning stove...

Oh yeah, please...please...please...don't tell my wife about this posting.  She may look like she's slim and kind...but it's a clever disguise :roll: .

[Daveinthebush]

Matt:  Anytime you want to get rid of that 400 pound Tundra Walrus I'll take her.   :grin:

How about Chena Hot Spring Resorts out of Fairbanks.  Supposed to be a nice Alaskan place to go and relax.  Never stayed there but have driven in and out.  Then there is Valdez to watch the glaciers grow.......might not get out in our snow season........you could leave the 400 pounder here and I'd take care of her. :roll:

How about the lodge(s) up at Denali.  Might see the mountain if it is clear.  I think there is skiing there too.  

I don't get down to the Keani much, can't interpert all the fishing regulations.  

Remember spring black bears around May!

[Dand]

We tried to plan my parents' 50 anniv there but they closed mid October.  There is a REAL nice B&B over in Moose Pass that we've stayed at - reasonable prices.  They have a coupledifferent places if you're interested.  Then you could do a day trip to the Seward Sealife Center, and if snows are obliging, do some Xcountry in Moose Pass or somewhere nearby. The Kenai Princess folks have been recommending this same B&B  to winter clients.  Look up Spruce Moose Bed and Breakfast online at http://seward.net/~sprucemoose - nice website with photos. Friends of ours have stayed there a couple times too.  Might be able to find a late bay boat tour out of Seward weather permitting etc etc.

We ended up having our party at Alyeska Prince.  Nice place, good food, swimming pool, work out room, sauna, but no snow.  Also, it seems most of the rooms only have double beds - we're used to a king.  Maybe the Japanese owners don't see a need for larger beds? Glad to be in my own bunk tonight.  There are some nice hiking trails around and if they have snow Xcountry would be nice.  A day trip to the wild game place at Portage might be fun - or to Portage Glacier.  Even Whittier - but it can be pretty dreary there in winter.

[bigbore442001]

Could you go to Clam Gulch and dig for razor clams? I did that once before and it was a lot of fun.

How about panning for gold along the Russian River? It would make her feel like a real sourdough.

You could go ice fishing on some place like Lake Tustemina. I am not sure if it is frozen over yet.

I hope this helped.  :grin:

[Paul H]

So are you looking at where to send the MIL, or where to spend time with the wife?  

Hotel Edgewater in Seward has 1/2 decent winter rates, views of the water, and walking distance to the sea life center, and "downtown".  No fire places, but there are communal hot tubs on each floor.

December can be an unpleasant time for cross country skiing, often times not enough snow, cold, and dark.  There are actually quite a few areas to cc ski, Homer, Seward, Alyeska, great trails around town, and Hatcher Pass up in the valley.  Hmm, about time to pull the skis down and wax them.  There is just enough snow to get out on the trails, but we really need another foot or two for things to be good.