I'm a Midwesterner who visited Alaska for the first time. Here are 8 things that surprised me.

INSIDER

On the left, Abby holding a cup outside in the snow in Alaska. On the right, a view of the mountains and dogs from the sled. — I visited Alaska to see the start of the Iditarod.William Sheahan; Abby Armato

The Iditarod is an annual dog-sled race that I have never been to before.
Our journey was full of wonderful surprises even though we did not see the Northern Lights.
The local brewery scene was impressive, and there are mountains just miles away from downtown.

There were many surprises in Alaska in the winter.

Kids skating on a frozen lake with mountains directly in the background — Kids skating on a frozen lagoon in Anchorage, Alaska.William Sheahan

I went to Alaska in the winter to follow my oldest friend's 20-year dream to be at the start of the Iditarod.

I assumed our trip to Alaska would have a lot of cold, dark downtime because I was excited to see it. It did not.

The areas around Anchorage were great.

We did not see the Northern Lights or a baby moose, but we did see some things that surprised me about visiting Alaska in the winter for the first time.

The mountains are closer to me than I thought.

a view of snowy downtown anchorage with mountains in the background — The Chugach Mountains behind the buildings of downtown Anchorage, Alaska.Will Oldham

Between the Chugach Mountains to the east and the mudflats of Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm to the west is the city of Anchorage.

I am from Chicago, Illinois, so any mountain is a novel sight, but having this range just 13 miles from downtown was amazing.

During our adventures downtown, they were our constant companions. We stopped in the middle of a cross-section more than once to stare at them, especially at dusk, when the peaks were painted white with oranges and pinks.

We needed microspikes to get around on the ice because the snow did not stop people from being outdoors.

Several people braving the cold in snow gear and walking inside a building — The snowy entrance to Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop, a coffee shop and bakery connected to a plant, produce, and liquor store in downtown Anchorage, Alaska.Abby Armato

I was surprised by the amount of ice and snow and how many people were embracing it.

There was a lot of people out on their bikes or skis on the walking trail near our lodging. Some brave souls used the frozen water as a way to get to the other side of town, after turning a patch of a lagoon into an ice rink.

Although the snow was mostly cleared off of the paths, the banks were thick enough to sit on and the sidewalks were slippery.

Our host told us to pack our hiking cleats and microspikes in advance so we could walk around town. I was very happy I did. After our third wipeout, we stuck with the spikes.

The parts of Alaska that I visited had strong local brew scenes and the size of the flight pours didn't hurt.

A flight of beer at an Alaska brewery with a person sitting in the background — A hefty tasting flight at Denali Brewing Company in Talkeetna, Alaska.Abby Armato

I was surprised to find myself falling hard for the local brews as I have become spoiled by easy access to good beer.

We tasted some of the most creative and crushable drinks.

The award-winning beer from 49th State Brewing Company tasted exactly like s'mores.

The pours were always on the larger end at 6 ounces.

It was possible to drive in and around Anchorage.

A clear road in Alaska, lined with trees and with mountains in the background — The view from our windshield as we drove north toward Talkeetna and Denali National Park.Abby Armato

The official start of the Iditarod was 70 miles north of Anchorage. In case of icy road conditions, we were advised to rent a car with all-wheel drive and studs.

The roads out of town were clear despite the foot of snow the previous day.

When we traveled further north to Talkeetna, the roads were ice-free.

The crews on the road were hard at work, and the tall snowbanks on the side of the street made for great places to take pictures of the sun setting on the mountain.

The start of the Iditarod felt like a party.

A line-up of sled dogs running down the street with a crowd of people in the background — A dog-sledding team taking off down 4th Avenue.William Sheahan

There are two starts to the Iditarod; a ceremonial start on Saturday and an official start on Sunday.

On Saturday, we walked to join the crowd growing in downtown Anchorage and could hear the dogs barking half a mile away.

By the time we got to 4th Street, there was a lot going on, including the start of the Iditarod and the hub of the Fur Rondy.

Spectators snapped photos, volunteers handed out foam dog ears, and vendors sold everything from fresh donuts to reindeer sausage. The fat snowflakes fell in the celebratory mood.

The dog-sled teams were announced as they lined up. The crowd looked up from their food and phones to give a cheer to the musher and his team.

Being close to a dog-sled team in action was amazing.

Sled dogs pulling a sled while people watch nearby — Veteran musher Michelle Phillips and her team during the official start.Abby Armato

The ceremonial start seemed like a big party, but I felt closer to the action at the official start.

The spectators lined the official trail to watch the 49 dog-sled teams start their journey. At one point, a Midwestern musher leaned over to high-five a guy in a hat.

Watching the dog-sled team run down the trail was almost like waiting for a plane to take off; I still held my breath until I saw the heads of all 14 dogs coming around the bend, even if I knew they would pull the sled forward.

My heart swelled with pride as I watched the pups rush by.

I am a nervous flier, but flight-seeing was worth it.

A view of a mountain peak with snow outside of a plane window — A breathtaking view from a Talkeetna Air Taxi plane.Abby Armato

I agreed to join my crew on a flight-seeing adventure over Denali National Park in a tiny, 10-person plane as a nervous flier.

The hour-long flight was amazing, even though I clenched the seat in front of me the whole time.

We were above the mountains of the Alaska Range in 10 minutes. At one point, we were so close to a cliff face that I could have thrown a baseball out of the window and hit the stone.

When we leveled with the highest mountain peak in North America, I had to keep my eyes open. I felt joy and nausea at the same time.

The most peaceful part of the trip was riding in a dog sled.

Abby and her travel companions petting the sled dogs in the snow — We thanked the dog-sled team with some scratches after pulling us around for an hour.Will Oldham

Our trip should include a firsthand dog-sledding experience. Heather Siirtola is a four-time Iditarod musher.

I expected a rowdy ride between the barking at the ceremonial start and the welcome from Heathers' team of Alaskan huskies. The dogs were quiet after the musher gave the signal to go from the back of the sled.

The sound of the sled runners gliding over the snow soothed my soul. The mountain range in the distance made for a truly magical experience.

The sight of sled dogs pooping while they are running is incredible.

The original article can be found on Insider.

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