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WRAPPING UP OUR ALASKAN ADVENTURE:

6/20/2014

We awake in Valdez. Our campsite is right in town and we’re again surrounded by
snow-capped mountains, but this campground doesn’t have the personality of those we became accustomed to on the beach at Homer and Seward.   This campground is convenient, though, since we’re only a few blocks from the Ferry terminal.

This morning is our first use of the Alaskan Marine Highway System.   We’ll take
the ferry from Valdez to Whittier, where we’ll be back on ground we’ve covered
before. Today, we return the motorhome in Anchorage and stay in a hotel
before flying to Washington State tomorrow morning.

The ferry system in Alaska makes travel convenient in an area where crossing the water can save days of driving. Valdez only has two exits – one via ferry, and the other going
back the way we came on the Richardson Highway.

We pass kayaks and boats in the harbor on our way to the ferry.

Departing from the ferry terminal gives us a nice look at the mountain backdrop framing Valdez.

The ferry is comfortable, with a restaurant, comfortable booths and nicely padded chairs next to big windows, and plenty of deck space for watching the scenery. There’s no comparison to our experience on various small ship cruises, but this is a practical and fun way to travel. We see fishing boats, glaciers and mountains as we make our way toward Whittier.

We arrive in Whittier just in time to drive through the tunnel and head toward Anchorage,
appreciating the familiar scenery, knowing that it’s our last day. The motorhome return goes smoothly, and A & M Motorhome Rental goes the extra mile in delivering us directly to our hotel.   As we settle into the Holiday Inn Express room, I note that the bathroom is bigger than the ‘bedroom’ area of the motorhome. We’ve loved the motorhome travel, but will truly appreciate the king bed, TV with remote, and full shower in this room.

As we relax tonight, we reflect on our time in Alaska. It’s been a traveller's and photographer’s dream -- great weather, blue skies with fluffy and sometimes awesome clouds, mountains, rivers, meadows, majestic rock formations, waterfalls, ocean, wildlife, flowers, people with character, PLUS 20 hours of daylight, with 2-4 hours of ‘magic hour’ lighting because of the slow sunrises and sunsets.

We review the route we’ve taken and already begin to fondly remember our time here. This is not a place to be crossed off of our bucket list, but a place to be added for a return trip.

THE RICHARDSON HIGHWAY - HEADING TO VALDEZ

6/19/2014

We’re camped on Paxson Lake on the Richardson Highway, the road to Valdez.

Today will be our last day of driving through areas we haven’t visited before. We’ll stay in Valdez tonight and take the Alaskan Ferry from Valdez to Whittier in the morning. Then, after a short drive to Anchorage, we’ll return the motorhome.

Despite our love of back roads, we are ready for blacktop today. The Richardson Highway is hailed as some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the world, and it is, but it’s comparable to the spectacular scenery we’ve experienced on this entire trip. Spectacular – every day!

A destination within the park itself is the town of Kennecott, a historic copper and silver mining town that became a tourist destination in the 1980’s. Kennecott is about 90 miles from the turnoff from the Richardson Highway, first taking the Edgerton Highway to Chitina, and then McCarthy Road, a narrow, gravel 62 miles which ends at a foot bridge at the Kennicott River, near McCarthy where cars are parked. A 4.5 mile hike takes you to Kennecott, or a private shuttle leaves from the footbridge, going to Kennecott every hour. Shuttles are also available from Chitina if you choose not to drive the road. Air charters to McCarthy are also available.

We need to make it to Valdez by tonight, and we’ve just cleaned the dust out of the motorhome, so visiting McCarthy/Kennicott goes onto the bucket list for next time. This would be a great place to hike. Exploring this area in more depth is compelling. We’ve been in Alaska for nearly a month, and still wish we had a few additional days.

As we continue down the Richardson Highway, we see the Trans-Alaska Pipeline which parallels the Highway, although it’s not obvious, is underground in most areas, and is well covered by foliage where it is above ground.

A ceremonial glass of wine is consumed while sitting on the edge of the Tiekel River.

The Worthington Glacier, 28 miles north of Valdez, is one of the prettiest we’ve seen and one of the few in Alaska that can be easily accessed by paved highway. A short hike takes us right to the glacier.

Road markers used by snowplows help us to envision the height of snow here in winter.

Worthington Glacier is located in Thompson Pass. The scenery here is especially breathtaking.

Keystone Canyon, shortly before getting to Valdez, has rock going straight up with gushing waterfalls on both sides.

Valdez is a unique place. The town was moved 4 miles from it’s original location following the devastation of the 1964 earthquake and tsunami. It has an ‘old’ personality with all new buildings. Mileage signs have not been changed, so when driving into Valdez, 4 miles need to be added to the distance to Valdez.

TEN HOURS – 134 MILES & INCREDIBLE CLOUDS

6/18/2014

Ten hours – 134 miles. In all fairness, this included constant photography stops, and adventures at the three establishments on the gravel road. The Denali Highway is not in Denali National Park and by my definition is not a highway. It is an adventure, some of the most gorgeous scenery I’ve ever seen. Passable but bumpy, this dusty gravel drive is worth every mile.

Our destination is on the far side of yon mountain range.

Most of the road was like this - beautiful scenery but so rough that 20 mph in the motorhome was pushing it.

Thirty miles in, we see our first road sign.

The scenery was fantastic, as we followed the Alaska Mountain Range.

The cloud formations added to the unworldly experience.

Trumpeter swans were plentiful in ponds beside the road.

We were supposed to be on a bus in Denali National Park today, but after experiencing that yesterday, we decided to venture out on our own. We rationalized that we’d had enough dust, but since we ended up on an even dustier one and are happy we did it, the reality is that we just aren’t cut out to travel in a large group on a bus where we can’t stop, get out, take photographs, and cavort with other travellers exploring on their own. Additionally, we've left the bugs behind. For whatever reason, the only place we've been plagued with the legendary huge Alaska mosquitos was within the borders of Denali National Park.

Gracious House, the first establishment we come to on the Denali Highway, is a bar in a trailer with a distinct personality. The antique snowcat decorated with flowers catches our eye when we pull in. We stop out of curiosity, and because we’re not sure how far we might travel before seeing another commercial operation of any type. It’s early afternoon and we’re travelling, so it’s definitely not cocktail time. Carol, the proprietor, suggests the Blueberry Pie. It’s a good recommendation.

The Gracious House also offers Air Taxi Services, as well as fishing and hunting tours. Carol’s husband, Bruce, well into his 70’s, is the pilot. It seems that nearly everyone is a pilot here, or lives with someone who is.

Today, our favorite new people are Reese and Lyle, who we meet at Gracious House. They’re riding BMW’s on this road, making any complaints I have about dust lame in comparison to their eating dust from those of us in motorhomes, trucks and other big vehicles.

Just down the road, we see a bed and breakfast. We make a quick stop for a Coke and to check out the Alpine Creek Lodge, the second establishment on this road.

Three hours later, at Maclaren River Lodge, the third & final establishment, we run into Reese & Lyle again. Lyle waves as we leave after spending an hour with them.

We proceed to the intersection of the Denali Highway with the Richardson Highway, a paved road that will end when we get to Valdez. When we pull into the campground, we realize that EVERYTHING is covered in a thick layer of dust, including items in the drawers. Thankfully, we have plenty of water in our tank and napkins to use in wiping everything down while we laugh about the dust disaster we’ve created in the motorhome. There’s enough water left for a quick shower for each of us.

DENALI

6/17/2014

We’re surrounded by natural beauty.   It’s hard to get our heads around the sheer
size of this place - Six Million Acres!

After settling into our campground at Savage River, we board a bus that takes us further into the park.   We take a backpack with water, snacks and a lunch. Transportation by bus is required to minimize traffic, and to restrict human contact with animals residing in the park.   We stop at a few designated rest stop areas.

Although I understand the reasons for the buses and agree with the logic, I begin to understand how animals in a zoo feel. I’m looking out at animals roaming free, while I’m confined in a bus peering out of the windows with a lot of other people. Depending on which side of the bus I’m on, I may or may not see what’s being viewed at the moment. It’s an unusually hot day today, so wildlife isn’t moving as much as is typical. As another bus passes us going the opposite direction, Jhan stands up and leans toward the window exclaiming, look – it’s PEOPLE! He livened up our bus of hot, dust-covered people.

We see Dahl Sheep on distant mountaintops, adorable picas, one Grizzly, and several caribou by the roadside and on snow patches trying to stay cool.

The benefit of the hot, clear day becomes apparent when we see Mt. McKinley out in all it’s glory at Eielson Visitor Center. We can also refill our water bottles here.

A sign at the visitor center documents the long hours of daylight we’re enjoying.

An ongoing debate continues regarding terminology on the name of the mountain.   Denali National Park was at one time named Mt. McKinley National Park, but was renamed Denali in 1980.   Many would also like to see the name of the mountain officially changed back to Denali, it’s native Athabascan name.

The name Mt. McKinley was given in honor of President McKinley in 1896 by a gold reporter – a political move based on promoting Alaskan gold with McKinley. The name change was made official in 1901 after McKinley’s death. President McKinley was from Ohio and never set foot in Alaska nor had any great interest or connection to Alaska. The name change has been an ongoing debate for decades, and a bill is currently pending to rename the mountain.

Signs in Denali National Park describe the reason for delay:

Regardless of whether I like a politician or not, I personally have an issue with naming anything after those who are elected to serve the public. Seems to me that this is just one more incentive for politicians to spend money or to elevate themselves (or have others elevate them) above the people they are supposed to be serving. Just sayin’ . . .

When we return to the campground, any thoughts of taking a walk or sitting outside are thwarted by swarms of mosquitos. They’re only slightly slowed down by the thick coat of bug spray we’re wearing. We’re told we should appreciate the mosquitos since they’re food for the many species of birds we’re able to enjoy here. We’ve tried. We can’t do it. When we see one of the bazzilion big, hungry, buzzing aerial torpedos with their little eyes staring at us and their stingers wiggling in anticipation of being stuck into some part of our bodies, our response is “You little bastard. You have to die.” The issue is, we NEVER see only one. They cover the screens of our motorhome like a carpet, until we spray the screen and happily watch them fall off.

We decide that perhaps camping here and riding buses for another two days is not the best plan. Friends who were here two weeks ago thoroughly enjoyed the park, essentially bug free. It’s a wonderful place, but next time we visit, we’ll make it early June or early September – pre or post the bug infusion. We’ll venture out tomorrow and explore other parts of Alaska.

TALKEETNA – MUSIC HAS NO AGE LIMITS

6/16/2014

We take a 15 mile detour from the road to Denali to visit Talkeetna. I immediately
like this town. I could live here – in the summer. It’s obviously a tourist attraction and there are the expected bars, restaurants and gift shops, but there’s also a spirit that’s comfortable and makes me feel at home. The pizza place has a guitarist in their outdoor area in the afternoon. Gift shops and tour offices are all colorful and ‘happy’ looking. Locals and tourists ride bikes down the main street, and free roaming dogs and Frisbee playing represent the free spirit of this place.

The historic Fairview Inn hosts good beer and a band at night (although it's still completely light out). The bar comes complete with dogs laying in the doorway, dancers decked out in Alaskan rubber boots, and an old fisherman jiving to the music. Locals mix with tourists from all over the world, and all of us are having a great time.

SOARING AROUND MT. McKINLEY & LANDING ON RUTH GLACIER

6/16/2014

There are moments in life where the world stops – and you know that there is nowhere on earth you’d rather be. Getting married, the birth of our children, and flying around Mt. McKinley with Talkeetna Air.

The photos say it all. The day is perfect. Clear with blue skies and just a few fluffy
clouds. Calm and still, allowing us to fly close to the mountain. Spectacular, while in the air, while landing on the Ruth Glacier, and while walking around on the glacier, in awe.

The rugged Alaska Range

Can you see the old man in this picture?

Denali - The highest point in North America at 20,320 feet

One of the 40 named glaciers created by Denali. Some are over 40 miles long.

Denali is typically visible only one out of every three days. Our weather luck is astounding.

Coming in for a landing on Ruth Glacier

Our Pilot, Brad, enjoys a not-so-typical balmy day on Ruth Glacier with the Don Sheldon Amphitheater in the background. Don Sheldon was a legendary pilot who made many flights to this area. Not far from this spot is a small hut called the Mountain House. Don tied lumber to the wing struts of his plane until he had enough material to build. The hut was completed in 1966 and is now available for rent. For more information see http://www.climbalaska.org/mountain-house.html. It is a highly sought after accommodation and rental dates are limited. To get a spot, it is recommended that reservations be made a year in advance.

IF YOU GO:

Company Name: Talkeetna Air Taxi
14212 E. Second St.,
Talkeetna, AK 99676

To book or for more information:

Email is [email protected]
Web page: www.talkeetnaair.com
Phone: (907)-733-1434 or (800)-533-2219

PALMER FRIDAY & THE MUSK OX FARM

6/15/2014

This morning, we begin our excursion toward Denali National Park. Our first stop is in Palmer. We’ve lucked out – pulling into Palmer just in time for their Friday Fling, a downtown farmer’s market with a band and food stands. Jhan enjoys stopping at the Tundra Comics booth. This national cartoon is one of Jhan’s favorites, and the cartoonists are based in Palmer. We buy a T-shirt and a book as gifts for relatives we’ll be visiting in Washington State, who we believe will appreciate the humor.

Just north of Palmer, we visit the Musk Ox Farm. In 1954, John Teal became concerned that wild musk oxen were nearing extinction. He also saw impoverishment in native villages of coastal Alaska. After a decade of research funded by W.K. Kellogg Foundation, John alleviated both issues by beginning Alaska’s first domestic musk ox farm. The musk ox hair, called qiviut, was combed and spun into yarn, and in 1968, the Musk Ox Project begun by John started teaching native Alaskan women how to knit qiviut garments.

IF YOU GO:

Contact: www.muskoxfarm.org
Address: Mile 50 Glenn Highway, Palmer, Alaska
Phone:   (907)-745-4151
Email: [email protected]

Open 7 days/week 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. from Mother’s Day to mid-September.   Tours
begin every 45 minutes, with last tour departing at 6 p.m.

Adults: $11 per person; Seniors: $9; Children over five $5; Children under 5 free.

TURNAGAIN ARM AND A CAMPING BEAR IN ANCHORAGE

6/14/2014

Heading from Whittier toward Anchorage, we stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center to see bear, elk, moose and other wildlife up-close.

The Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet south of Anchorage is home to the second highest bore tide in North America, where a wave is created as incoming tides funnel into the inlet and oppose the current from the rivers going out. Some days when tide is coming in, surfers ride the wave.

Mud flats abound when tide is out. We’re warned to stay off the mud flats, which are made up of a substance that can shift from solid to liquid without notice, capturing people with suction that doesn’t release.

As we drive up Turnagain Arm toward Anchorage, we stop at the 20 Mile Creek bridge to see Hooligan dip netting. Fishermen and women in standard Alaskan rubber boots wade into the water and scoop the Hooligan with a net. The Hooligan, an oily fish containing potent anti-oxidants, are typically 6-10 inches long run. They run in the Turnagain Arm somewhere between late April and early June, when they migrate from salt water into streams and rivers to spawn. Alaskans are permitted to take as many Hooligan as they want for personal use during season.

After an exciting day, we’re thankful for the long days since it’s nearly midnight when, in full daylight, we pull into a campground just north of the city of Anchorage. Tonight brings our only middle-of-the-night excitement. It turns out that we missed a sign posted on the campsite we pulled into. At about 3 a.m., when we’re in a deep sleep, we hear pounding on the door of our motorhome.   Apparently, this space had been claimed and the occupant had been out for the night. We move to a space a few campsites away. In the morning, we see that the person who disturbed us is asleep in his car, which he pulled into the campsite. We wonder why he didn’t simply pull into one of the many vacant sites. Perhaps alcohol was involved. We learn a lesson, though. We’ll always check for posted notes before pulling into a campsite.

The campground has a visitor in the morning. Unfortunately, a bear sow was killed on the road a few days ago. What appears to be her yearling cub has visited the campground. We keep our distance, but can’t help but smile as we watch him sit at the picnic table, looking like he’s waiting for a menu. We hope he’ll either stay away from the campground, or be taken in by a refuge.  Otherwise, his future could be in jeopardy. Bear visiting campgrounds can end up being destroyed by fish and game to protect tourists.   He is
adorable. We hope he’ll stay safe.

HMMMM Doesn't look like this seat's been taken.

Yeah that's right girls. You're goona want some of this.

What's a guy got to do to get some service in this joint?

WHITTIER – A TOWN OF CONTRASTS:

6/13/2014

Getting to Whittier is half the fun of the Whittier experience. To access Whittier by vehicle, you must drive through the tunnel that’s shared with trains. The Whittier Tunnel (officially the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel) is the longest combined highway and rail tunnel in North America, as well as the second longest highway tunnel in North America.

Initially, we were concerned about a potential wait, since the tunnel opens only once per hour for traffic going in each direction. We discovered that this wasn’t an inconvenience at all since any wait leaves you right next to the Portage Glacier. There’s no hardship in having to stop and look at these views.

Whittier is a unique and interesting town, with population of less than 300, but annual visitors exceeding 700,000. It’s the hop-off point for excursions into Prince William Sound including glacier tours, cruise ships, and the Alaska State Ferry for transport to Valdez, as well as a railway stop with nonstop service to and from Denali National Park. Prince William Sound is beautiful.

The City of Whittier was actually established by the U.S. Army during WW II. In 1943, the Whittier port became the entrance for U.S. soldiers into Alaska. After WW II, two huge buildings were constructed to house soldiers and government offices. One of these buildings is now a condominium which houses nearly all of Whittier’s residents. The other building, which sits next to the rail area, is now abandoned. The town is a unique combination of ocean and huge mountain beauty and an industrial/military atmosphere.

For full comfort, the Inn at Whittier, an attractive gray building next to the marina, built in 2004, has full hotel, restaurant and bar, all overlooking the harbor.

For more casual dining, there are a few small restaurants with attractive outdoor seating and great clam chowder. Small shops are fun to browse while waiting for a cruise or to drive back through the tunnel.

PLAYFUL PORPOISES, BEAUTIFUL GLACIERS & AN UNEXPECTED WEDDING

6/12/2014

We’ve been on land for a few days, so it’s time to check out glaciers in Resurrection Bay. We again choose a small boat option, the Alaska Saltwater Lodge Small Group Whale Watching, Wildlife & Glacier Tour. We have another gorgeous day, and enjoy our ten cruise mates including a couple who will be married on this cruise. Our captain has spent the morning at the courthouse getting his authorization to officiate at the wedding.

Sea otters play by our boat, Puffins play in the water, and humpback whales surface.

Glaciers are around every turn. The largest we get close to is the Bear glacier.

This is the location the bride and groom have selected for the wedding. I’m honored to stand in as their wedding photographer.

One of the highlights of the trip was porpoises who played with us for about 10 minutes, jumping in and out of the boat’s wake.

Heading back toward Seward, we see various rock formations, a sea lion rookery, and an area completely covered with perched and flying kittywakes.

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Writer, photographer, coach, consultant and attorney Colleen Cowles writes this blog to enhance readers' travel, dreams and experiences whether on the road or in imagination and memories. Cowles42 references 'the meaning of life' from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. To Colleen, the meaning of life is all about the journey, and sharing discovery, reflection and adventure with others.

"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." -Henry Miller

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