Fairbanks Flotilla Fun – Alaska Adventure 2010

July 25:  The summer is a festival! That’s how it was put to us by an Alaskan who worked at one of the visitor centers where we stopped to ask what was going on for the next few days. We understood.  The summers are short and there’s so much daylight that each week there’s another reason to celebrate something.  As we have wound our way through and around towns up here we’ve come across different types of festivities.

We encountered the Golden Days Festival last weekend in Fairbanks.   Felix  Pedro, an Italian immigrant, discovered gold in the hills outside Fairbanks in the late 1880s and the rush was on. The Golden Days Festival celebrates the founding of Fairbanks, establishing the biggest boomtown in the north.  And everyone sure seemed to be having fun.

Our parking spot at the Elks Lodge, next to the Chena River, was perfect for one activity during the festival – the Red Green Regatta, described by the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner as “a watery …spectacle without compare.”  The name is after The Red Green Show, a comedy on Canadian public TV that was a parody on home-improvement and fishing shows. The only rule we knew about for the floating entries was that one roll of duct tape be used on the craft.  But it isn’t really about racing, it’s about do-it-yourself, non-motorized watercraft and having fun on the river.  It was a hoot to stand on the bank and watch imaginative people making their way, sometimes with crossed fingers.  Some rafts were riding very low and a few might have been bailing as they went.  It was hard to tell for sure if the water inside some of them was from the water fights or seeping through in between some of the duct tape.  Mind you, there were judges taking note of the special features and creativity.  Some of the awards were for “Most Un ‘fathom’ able,” “Best Appreciated at a Distance,” and “Harold’s Debacle.”  There must be some history to that last one.  The Grand Prize went to “Possum Lodge Space Program.”  I don’t believe I got a photo of that one, but you can use your own imagination based on the title.  Our favorite was “The Octopuses Garden,” a floating trampoline.  These young men won second place and were doing back flips off their raft all along the waterway. 

Alaskans do know how to have a good time.  Hope you are doing so.  Talk to you later.

Humor Break – Alaska Adventure 2010

Since we are in the big city of Fairbanks for a few days we have a nice Internet connection and some time to catch up on email, etc.  I felt like this forward from my sister merited a blog post.  They say laughter extends your life.  Here’s a few more seconds. 

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A new teacher was trying to make use of her psychology courses. She started her class by saying, 'Everyone who thinks they're stupid, stand up!' After a few seconds, Little Larry stood up. The teacher said, 'Do you think you're stupid, Larry?' 'No, ma'am, but I hate to see you standing there all by yourself!'

Larry watched, fascinated, as his mother smoothed cold cream on her face. 'Why do you do that, mommy?' he asked. 'To make myself beautiful,' said his mother, who then began removing the cream with a tissue. 'What's the matter, asked Larry 'Giving up?'

The math teacher saw that Larry wasn't paying attention in class. She called on him and said, 'Larry! What are 2 and 4 and 28 and 44?' Larry quickly replied, 'NBC, FOX, ESPN and the Cartoon Network!'

Larry's kindergarten class was on a field trip to their local police station where they saw pictures tacked to a bulletin board of the 10 most wanted criminals. One of the youngsters pointed to a picture and asked if it really was the photo of a wanted person. 'Yes,' said the policeman. 'The detectives want very badly to capture him. Larry asked,"Why didn't you keep him when you took his picture ? "

Little Larry attended a horse auction with his father. He watched as his father moved from horse to horse, running his hands up and down the horse's legs and rump, and chest. After a few minutes, Larry asked, 'Dad, why are you doing that?' His father replied, 'Because when I'm buying horses, I have to make sure that they are healthy and in good shape before I buy. Larry, looking worried, said, 'Dad, I think the UPS guy wants to buy Mom ....'

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We’re gearing up for more Alaska discoveries, planning our next few moves.  But for now, it’s time to restock, clean and whatever while here in Fairbanks.  Talk to you later.

Encounters in Nenana – Alaska Adventure 2010

July 23-24:   Our Alaska Adventure is a sum total of the places, the events and the people.  It all adds up. The tiny town of Nenana (50 miles south of Fairbanks on the Parks Highway) provided yet another piece of the Alaska experience.  Mind you, this is not at all a resort location.  Actually, this is a barge town, supplying villages along the Tenana and Yukon Rivers when the river isn’t frozen.  The history of the tiny town of 553 includes the Nenana Ice Classic, an annual event that yields a large cash prize for guessing the exact minute that the spring break up occurs on the Tanana River.   This fund raiser dates to 1917, starting with a group of local railroad workers who bet each other when the ice would make its annual surge signaling the welcomed flow of the river for another season.   There’s a picture here of the tripod that is placed on the ice and then wired to a tower so that when the ice gives way an ax hits the line, an alarm sounds and everyone can come to watch the tripod collapse and float away.  The total prize last year was around $280,000. Of course, we did enter.  Now our name will be in those record books they publish every year listing each ticket sold, the person’s name, date and time of their entry.  Hopefully we’ll be in the record of the annual winnings. What a great way to celebrate the end of the long winter.

The uniqueness and friendliness of Nenana is just there for anyone to find.   First of all, we were hungry  and looking for a local eating spot to enjoy. Wasn’t difficult to find Brandi’s Cafe on Main Street and we had some great Mexican food.  Yes, Mexican.   The owners, Brandi and Bob, are formerly from Belen, New Mexico, another small town we know from our travels. It was great to taste the green chilis from Hatch, NM, one more time.  Bob was a congenial guy, so we inquired about where we might park in order to experience Nenana. His answer: “Just drive down toward the cultural center and there’s plenty of room for you to park in the lot. That’s no problem with anyone around here.”  

We followed his direction, drove about three blocks to the other end of town and found a nice area next to the river.  Thinking it the courteous thing to do, we went inside the cultural center to let someone know we would be next door. That’s the next part of this short story. We met an interesting and cordial citizen who is the host at the Nenana Cultural Center, Russ Kesler.  You know how it happens. We were just asking a few questions because we recognized that Russ is a native. Because he was willing to share, we talked about his grandparents’ and parents’ involvement in Nenana.  He pointed out photos of them in the historical displays.  We have been curious to meet someone that was Alaska born, older than 20 that is.   Russ is the guy. He can trace his family’s history generations back in Nenana, where he and his family live today. Along with relating the past for us, he showed us a plan for the future roads system in Alaska. Quite extensive, whenever it happens.  He even filled us in on some of the local oil exploration developments.   Also, somehow we started a conversation about fishing.  Can’t imagine that subject in Alaska, right?!  (Ha, ha)   Anyway, Russ is a subsistence fisherman. For anyone who is unaware, this is an allowance given to Alaska natives to catch fish for their own food over and above regular fishing limits.   The state fish and game department announces the certain dates this fishing is allowed. 

Russ was patient with our many curious questions, explaining that he was going out, along with a partner, at 6:00 that evening to set his nets to catch King salmon, pointing in the direction up the river a little, to “his spot.”  The story is that they catch enough fish in a couple of weekends of this fishing to last the entire winter for both families. He noted that this is many pounds of salmon and fills several large freezers. In fact, he says they usually give away some of the catch, after everyone’s freezers are full. It takes the whole family and lots of friends to clean them all and package them for storage. He also mentioned that many qualified people do not take advantage of the fish allowances because of the expense and the hard work. The nets are heavy, boats take upkeep and freezing facilities and other equipment cost also. But it’s worth it to many Alaskans.  By the way, Russ’s favorite is sockeye (red) salmon. We enjoyed sharing his personal Alaskan life experiences.   

In town later we were looking for a bank machine. The ATM sign hanging on the outside of the Jester’s bar brought Jerry inside.  I was waiting in the car.  But….he was gone longer than it takes to get the machine to spit out your money.  Soon, he came to the door to wave me inside. Turns out the machine was out of order. Alas, this was the only machine around….but the owner was busy with repair.   We took a seat and had an Alaskan Amber while we talked with the bartender and a few local citizens.  What can I say. That’s just how it goes.  This is where we ran into Jack Coghill (among others that we could talk about later if anyone’s interested).  Jack is an elderly man who just happens to have been lieutenant governor of the State of Alaska and among the writers of the constitution of Alaska, in addition to an entrepreneur in several respects.    He’s one of those characters that make up the history of any place that any of us have been. In these small communities though, you might run into them more easily.   Jack’s journey brought him back to his hometown of Nenana, to the apartment where he and his wife lived many years ago and where he built his rooming house, oil business and others.  Now, he’s situated in the little town where he has so many good memories.  The people are thrilled he’s back.  He can take it easy, running the general store that he owns and being a business partner in this local pub.  His dog can come inside with him.  Everyone in town knows him.  He has a history longer than anyone can imagine and the fortitude to pass along his wisdom.

Our last encounter in Nenana occurred over a yummy (late morning) breakfast back at Brandi’s.   Chatting with a few fellow patrons and Bob and Brandi again, we learned about a regular customer named Camper Jack. The pelts adorning the restaurant wall were pointed out as his contributions.  Bob very lovingly explained that Jack “ran out of runway,” but is a good friend and local citizen.   A few minutes later the folks at the next table said thanks and adios all around.  Then one more customer walked in and sat down.  Yes, that’s right.  It was Jack.  We were entertained for about 20 minutes by the stories he had to tell of his life.  He had me touch each fur, the lynx, the wolf and the fox, to see that the lynx was the coveted coat over all.  He’s right. There doesn’t seem to be any comparison to the richness of the lynx.  Jack was another person comfortable in Nenana with people with whom he likes to share coffee and stories.

The history in the cultural center, the railroad depot museum and other buildings of Nenana did relate many interesting stories of the town. But our encounters with these citizenry surely added some ‘special features’ to our Alaska memories that we wouldn’t have gathered if they hadn’t reached out to us.

We’re moving along again.  Take care and stay cool if you are in the high temperatures we are hearing of in the lower 48.  Talk to you later. 

Regrouping and Revisiting – Alaska Adventure 2010

July 18-22:  Sometimes it just rains. Sometimes things aren’t perfect.   These last four or five days could probably fit into that category.  There’s the rain and more rain.   There’s the airplane ride canceled again.  There’s another tooth problem.  And because of circumstances, we’ve been repeating some driving routes.  However, things are “fine.”  It’s a simple matter of some regrouping.  After all, our plans are always in jello.

As far as revisiting some of the same routes, there’s more than one reason. First, there are only a few roads in  Alaska, so retracking becomes necessary.  But really, these repeats of scenery are a pleasure. Second, we headed back to Talkeetna so that we could try again to take the small airplane ride over Mt. McKinley and land on the glacier.  Rats, foiled again!  The rain and cloud cover hung on for several days and no one was flying anywhere over those mountains.  That’s okay….we did see “the mountain” already and glaciers by boat.  So instead we roamed the hills and lakes around Talkeetna, walking in some drizzle, but seeing these local sites more closely than we might have otherwise. For instance, just nosing around Lake Christiansen we came across these unusual-to-us mushrooms.  Does any mushroom expert out there know why they are so bright orange?  Or what particular type this is?

Also exploring more around the lake we encountered what seems more common in Alaska than anywhere – a float plane docked alongside a fishing boat.  In fact, according to our personal, non-scientific study, there are more licensed pilots and  private planes in this state than any other.  Without many roads and with the vastness of the state,  small planes are more often used for transportation.  Anchorage has an airport downtown where lot after lot of small private planes are parked.  We see the float planes often as we travel.  After traipsing around local lakes, forests and roads,  a stop in town at Mountain High Pizza Pie sounded great.  Well, the pie was going down just perfectly when I felt something strange. Yes, to add to my other dental nightmares, I broke a tooth.  It took a little regrouping on this situation, too.   Since I had found a dentist that I felt very comfortable with in my recent dental escapade, we went south on the Parks Highway about 100 miles to Eagle River -- once again.  But wait, it could be worse.  Dr. Land stated that, “It was a clean break.”  As a temporary fix and “being as kind to the tooth as possible,” he filed off the jagged edge and advised I get a crown later.  As it stands, I’m doing well.  It was a quick visit and we’re back on our way north on the Parks Highway.

And again - we enjoyed the gorgeous views.  One of our favorite scenes on this roadway was in Broad Pass,  where a tremendous valley stretches out between two mountain ranges.  This is the divide where the rivers and streams of Alaska empty either into the Cook Inlet to the southwest or the Yukon River to the northeast. It was nice to have an opportunity for another look.

Also, on our repeat north, we stopped at a restaurant along the Parks Highway that we missed previously.  Way back when, on our trip through Canada in late May, we met a couple from North Pole who recommended we stop at Rose’s Cafe in Healy.  But it didn’t work into our plans on our first pass.  This time up the road we added the stop to our regrouping plan.  

Not only was the special of the day excellent,  turkey etal, but we enjoyed the owner as well.   Rose was a great conversationalist and a delightful lady.   She told us the story of her family building the restaurant themselves six years ago and her experiences in being a small business owner in Alaska.  Rose’s Cafe would be a revisit for us if we came this way again. 

In short, regrouping and revisiting ain’t always so bad!  Take care and stay tuned.

Roughen It On The Denali Highway – Alaska Adventure 2010

July 15-16:  Whether to go on the Denali or not!  This is the question. This road would take us directly west, about 200 miles closer to our latest destination than the northern route. But most visitors to Alaska avoid it because it is rough going, gravel, mud, dust, no shoulder, whatever. However,…. this would be a chance to have a wilderness experience, one that the Alaskans are said to love.  We debated the risks and issues during our drive north on the Richardson Highway from Valdez to Paxson, about 100 miles.  Until we stopped for breakfast at the turnoff, we hadn’t really decided. Keep going north on the Richardson or take the Denali west?   Jerry says, “By God, let’s go for it! ”  Nancy says, “I’m game.” We turned left onto the initial 20 miles of asphalt, wondering what we’d bump into later.

One thing’s definite about the travel on the Denali Highway.  The color of your vehicles will change.  Here we are starting the gravel area of the road, about 20 miles inside our westerly journey. (Remember, there are sometimes extra comments if you put your cursor on the photos.)  

After the rainy and muddy trip our vehicles  had several layers of mud.   It will be quite a job getting the layers of dirt off.  But, the rain is slowly rinsing us off as I write.  And we will find the washing facility somewhere.

Back to our Denali Highway trek.  Since we had clouds and rain,  our views of the Alaskan Range and the vast valleys of rivers and kettle lakes were fogged.   But there was still much to see. There are lush green rolling landscapes with  swift creeks and scattered ponds backed up by the ever-present mountain ranges. It was so peaceful, intercepting a limited number of vehicles.  Anyone would quickly understand why Alaskans take the Denali to enjoy fishing, hiking or just the overall surroundings.  Even though we had clouds hanging low over the mountains and the rain adding to the mud puddles, we enjoyed the various terrains, stretched-out green valleys changing to spruce covered hills. At one point, a chubby porcupine meandered across our path.

It is slow going, that’s for sure.  The gravel road is mostly packed solid but there are many soft shoulders, washboard areas and potholes.  I would say that both driver and passenger need to stay alert to the condition of the road.  But the slower going helped us take in the full dose of true Alaska wilderness. Tillie, our GPS, told us that we averaged 26.5 miles per hour over the 134 total miles. 

Of course, each sojourn has its own special features. This one was complimented by, first, our selected home for the night and, second, this morning’s wildlife viewing.   Since it was so wet many of the pull-off spots looked too soft for our size of rig. We very carefully examined the many selections.  There were places that seemed nice for smaller rvs to spend a night or two.  We saw a few folks setup with their atvs or fishing poles. But we waited until about mile 123 on the road where we found a safe-looking, larger spot.  Here we are at our home for the night, with grimy vehicles. 

 

An hour or so after we made our late afternoon stop, the rain ceased.  We watched the sun squeeze through slits in the clouds and the colors and shapes of the landscape change in front of us. 

And then we were given a bonus, a rainbow shooting up from the evergreens straight out the top of the mountain peak into the clouds. No one else was there to see it.  We watched until it disappeared.

The sleeping was peaceful that night.  We lollygagged in the morning, taking a few more photos and sipping some coffee, watching our surrounding spruces and thick juicy green shrubs for a bear or moose who might be out for a morning feeding.  But no, there weren’t any visitors at our spot.  So we pulled back onto the road for the last ten miles of our journey on the  Denali.  There were what are called kettle lakes (small ponds made by melted glacier ice) strewn everywhere on this road.  A couple of miles into this mornings drive we noticed ahead a pond. Soon there was a sure sign of wildlife, a vehicle stopped for no apparent reason at the side of the road with the occupants peering out the windows. Usually, before you see the animal you spot the humans in this position.   Here’s the casual moose we  found having her brunch in the pond. She had a few of us nosy humans watching her for a while but that didn’t seem to concern her very much. We were quiet and she munched away, giving us a few stares between sinking her head under the water for the most delicious greens.  The Denali Highway journey was topped off appropriately.   At the end we were glad that we made the left turn, even with the dirt.

Northeast to Matanuska Glacier – Alaska Adventure 2010

Whoops! This post is out of order.  I missed it when I was catching up ---  Here’s July 9:  It was late on Friday afternoon.  The Jeep repairs were completed.  And we thought it best to move out of the Anchorage area before the mass exodus of citizenry heading for the fishing holes and campgrounds for the weekend.  A big thanks goes out to our friend Mat Rude, an Anchorage resident, for the referral to a repair shop for the Jeep.

By about 3:00 p.m. we chose a tentative destination about 80 miles east on the Glenn Highway and Ferd cruising east through the Mat-Su Valley. Around the community of Palmer we noticed our first views of farms. These agricultural fields are a part of the colony established in 1935 as a federal relief program.  Descendants of the 203 original colonizing families that migrated mostly from Minnesota and Wisconsin still produce an abundance of vegetables for local sale.  We were enjoying the variations of terrain when I noticed a caution note in the Milepost:  “Narrow, winding road eastbound…no passing lanes…7 % grades, 35-mph curves, soft dirt shoulder, steep dropoffs…..”  No kidding!  Sometimes there were no guard rails.  The  Matanuska River below was a nice view, but it wouldn’t be much fun descending via the steep dropoff.  So, we enjoyed the scenery a little more slowly, Jerry doing a top-notch driving job, of course.  :D

Since we had a late start we were considering making it an 80-mile day anyway, perhaps stopping at the Matanuska Glacier area for the night. That roadway helped us decide.  When we arrived at the glacier,  the generous parking area and super views cinched it. It was a great place to soak up another glorious nature show.  As the evening passed, people from around the world stopped by to enjoy the show with us.  We were relaxed and ready to be on our way early toward Valdez the next morning.

Here are some scenes from the day’s drive:

Hatcher Pass is near Palmer, Alaska.  It is named for the gold miner Robert Hatcher who had success during the Gold Rush in these mountains. Point at the photo below with your cursor for another aspect of this scene. 

Matanuska Glacier on the Glenn Highway, 101 miles east of Anchorage.  The glacier’s average width is two miles and it is over 18,000 years old.  At the terminus the melt water drains into a stream that flows into the river in the photo above.   This was our overnight spot, but it wasn’t that cold! We were about a mile away.

Discovering Valdez – Alaska Adventure 2010

July 10 – 13: Four days in Valdez was a combination of rain, sun, cruising, museums, salmon, halibut and piles of laundry.  To start off, we chose the Valdez Glacier Campground as our home. It’s a woodsy setting about two miles north of  town that offers electrical hookups, water and a dump for $25.00 per night. The non-hookup sites are $15, but we were in the mood to plug-in for a while. The electric sites are in a new portion of the campground, are generously sized and the price was reasonable. We prefer the less crowded, non-rv-park type places, so this was just right for us.  Besides, as we traveled the road to and from our spot we got to see the black bear at the pizza joint’s front door or shuffling across to another location where he smelled food.

Our first evening in Valdez, we took our usual get-acquainted drive. It was still rainy, but that doesn’t stop people in Alaska from getting out. It didn’t take long to find them fishing.  On the other side of the Valdez Inlet there’s a fishing campground and a salmon hatchery. It was fun to nose around there watching the salmon in the endless pursuit upstream to spawn.  Many people were fishing at the 300-foot distance away where it was allowed.   The limit was six fish per person and we saw a good many walking out with their catches.  Eagles were hanging around as well, waiting for a few leftovers.

The next morning we awoke to sunshine.  Wow!  Let’s get moving. We were hoping for a clear, sunny day to go on the Valdez glacier cruise. There’s been plenty of rain lately.  So we threw the cameras, binoculars, hats and jackets in the backpack and hustled off to find the cruise office in the harbor.  We had an excellent recommendation on the Stan Stephans Glacier and Wildlife Cruise, plus we had our TripSaver coupon that gave us two-for-one on the $115 trip.  We were living right today, I guess. We walked up with just ten minutes until the departure for the nine-hour cruise that we were hoping to catch.  

What a day!  Captain Stan and his staff brought us the excitement of the Prince William Sound’s marine wilderness and we met some very interesting people.  During the nine hours on the water we were entertained by wildlife, gazed at awesome glacial and mountain scenery, learned about the Alyeska pipeline and terminal at Valdez and enjoyed our fellow passengers and a friendly, knowledgeable crew.  Our group included travelers from Ohio, Texas, Kansas, Washington, Italy, Japan and Germany.  Actually, there might have been more non-English speakers on the boat than otherwise.  We found that we were sharing our experience with 24 Germans who were together on a unique type of bus tour.  A member of that group, Gelinde, made a special contribution to our day on the Sound.  She is a fun lady and spoke fluent English, having been married to an American.  We talked about not only her fascinating trip across Canada and Alaska in the “red bus” but about Germany and our lives in general.  It was great to spend a while with her. (Their bus is self-contained, beds, kitchen and touring seats. I have photos in the album at the end of this post.)

There were several highlights of the cruise on Prince William Sound.  Perhaps, thinking back now, we would choose being close by for gazing at the Columbia  and Meares Glaciers. Or maybe it was witnessing the humpback whales performing their acrobatics for us. We know it wasn’t the choppy waters we experienced late in the day.  Really, I think it was the total package that will be a part of our good memories. We have jillions of photos of the floating ice and glaciers.  I’ve included a couple below and will also put some into the album. But this is one of those experiences that is so awesome in person.  First the boat starts gliding through the huge chunks of ice floating in the water, clunking on the hull. We learned that the ice floating in the water after chunking off the glacier replenishes every 24 to 36 hours.

As your boat slowly approaches the glacier,  you start to see the massive ice creation in the distance.  The brilliant blue colors become clearer in the cracks of this magnificent, thousands-of-years-old, wall of ice. 

In Alaska there are 30,000 square miles of glacier ice.  The glaciers in the Sound are both retreating and advancing.   The first one we visited, the Columbia Glacier, is 460 square miles and extends 1600-2000 feet below sea level.

Our captain brought the boat within a quarter of a mile of the Meares glacier (below) and then idled, keeping the boat steady for what seemed like forever - while we all gazed quietly and snapped our photos.  We heard and saw some calvings, the ice clapping against the water after it slid down in sheets off the front of the glacier. .    

The sea otters, sea lions, harbor seals and humpback whales entertained us on the way to and from the glaciers.  The Steller sea lions average 1200 pounds for males.  This guy was sunning and resting on the buoy, posing for us. 

The sea otters with their old-man whiskers are floating around on their backs in the water, looking as though they might be waving or clapping.   An exciting part of the day was the whales. We were lucky enough to have humpbacks around us for quite a while.  They puffed and glided and shot out of the sea, twisting in the air and flopping powerfully back into the water. We just watched rather than try to catch photos.

Then there were the harbor seals, with their cute little round heads, large eyes and tiny front flippers.   They live out on the ice bergs and dive up to 600 feet for food. Take your pick. They’re all fascinating in some way. 

The day after our cruise the weather returned to rain, so it was perfect for exploring the historical museums and catching up on laundry.  The history of Valdez involves the Gold Rush in the late 1800s and early 1900s, as does much of Alaska.  And most of us remember the Exxon Valdez tanker accident that spilled millions of gallons of oil into the waters of this area in 1989.  But there is another historical event that moved the entire town, the 1964 earthquake that measured 9.2.   It is the strongest ever recorded in North America, devastating much of South-central Alaska.  In Valdez the waterfront area dropped 35 feet into the bay and 30 people lost their lives.  The movie at the Valdez museum includes moving accounts of several people who experienced the quake. Most of the buildings in Valdez were impacted, some totally ruined. But the townspeople decided to rebuild.  They moved some buildings that could be salvaged and built new ones.  The town site selected was four miles away, on a more solid base than the original town.   Of course, since that time the town of Valdez has changed somewhat.  In addition to commercial fishing and tourism as a means of support, many depend on the oil industry for their livelihood. The 800-mile pipeline from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, completed in 1977, results in an average of 52 tankers per month docking in Valdez.   In the photo above you can see the tanks that hold 500,000 gallons each of crude oil in storage waiting for the tankers to carry the oil to refineries in other parts of North America. 

After our museum visits, it was time for the laundry.  We put it off way too long this time and it took more loads than I want to mention.  But now the drawers and closet are stocked again. Our water tank is full and the waste tanks are empty.  We’re ready to go north on the Richardson Highway.  Who knows what’s next. Stay tuned and take care.

P.S. If you’d like to take a look at a few more Valdez cruise photos, click on the album below.

View Full Album

Riding the Glenn and Richardson – Alaska Adventure 2010

July 10:  Our travels on July 10 included an unusual event, beyond the customary awesome Alaska scenery. We looked forward to our 200-mile trip east on the Glenn Highway and south on the Richardson Highway to Valdez. Usually we take our time and may get on the road anywhere from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.  Today, we had some early activity at our Mat-Su Valley overnight spot. Beginning around 5:00 a.m. a  steady flow of vehicles stopped in at the rest area carrying bicycles on their cars.  Maybe this isn’t especially unusual on a Saturday, but the frequency seemed high for the early hour.  About 6:00 a.m. there were car doors slamming next to us, so we looked out to see a lady donning her cyclist clothing.  Oh well, we decided to get moving. And as it turned out, we got on the road early enough to see a moose and her calf out searching for breakfast.  Food sounded good to us, too. So I looked ahead a few miles in the trusty Milepost guidebook for an eating establishment that might have room for us to stop.  Let’s see, how about the Sheep Mountain Lodge that’s only a few miles away? I kept reading for more descriptive information that might help us decide.  In the category of other-interesting-facts the listing explained that the lodge is the starting place for Alaska’s Annual Fireweed 400 Bicycle Race.  Guess when?  July 9-10.  It all became clear. That’s the answer to our early visitors this morning.   We learned more later about the magnitude of this race. And we traveled more cautiously, passing a steady parade of smoothly peddling athletes who braved the steep inclines, the rain and wind.

All that exercise made us even more hungry. But we drove on by the Sheep Mountain Lodge headquarters when we saw the crowds in the parking area.  At about 50 miles into our trip we came to the Mendeltna Creek Lodge.  The small, rustic log building with an easy-access parking area looked welcoming.  The inside gave us the same impression, with fireplace seating area, wooden-planked floors and flowers on the  tables.  Our stomachs were growling by now, so we both had a generous meal. The biscuits, gravy, potatoes and eggs, along with large mugs of coffee satisfied us for breakfast and lunch. Great food and reasonable at $10 a piece. 

On the way inside we bought a newspaper to get some idea of what’s happening in the world. On the front page, along with the latest attempt to stop the gulf oil spill, we got an idea of the magnitude of the cycling event we were witnessing first hand.  More than 800 cyclists compete in a variety of races ranging from 50 miles  to 400 miles. We were discussing these motivated competitors when two attractive young ladies came in wearing distinctive clothing.   While they were waiting to get coffee to go, we said hello. Our conversation gave us a closer look at the cyclers we were watching out on the highway.   Here are Sara and Kara, cyclists from San Francisco who came to Alaska to participate with their friends from Anchorage.  They are two members of a four-person cycling team competing in the 200-mile portion of the Fireweed 400.  The cold, cloudy, windy weather wasn’t exactly attractive, especially  for two San Francisco-ites.  We agreed the wind must be pretty difficult to take today. Maybe cyclists are more accustomed, or prepared, for these conditions.  But Sara and Kara were set to ride the last portion of the route that includes the brutal 2600-foot Thompson Pass before entering Keystone Canyon and the final leg leading into Valdez.  No doubt, they seemed to have the right can-do attitude, ready for the challenge.  I am sure they did very well. What nice people!   Meanwhile, they were enjoying their first visit to Alaska.  Sara commented: “This is the first time in a long while I have paid only $2.00 for a coffee.”    Thanks ladies for your smiles and sharing your experience.  Best of luck in your cycling future.

Four the remainder of the 200-mile trip east on the Glenn and south on the Richardson we glided along with cyclists.   It reminded us of our friend Karen who we admire for her skills as a cycler on a team in Florida. (Go Karen!) Parked at intervals along the route were team members ready to take their turn and supporters offering encouragement.  What determined folks to stay with it in those chilling conditions.  The leg muscles must be soooo ready for coasting down the steep hills after pushing up the repeated inclines.

The six-hour journey included an assortment of colorful valleys, rivers and mountains, as we’ve grown to expect in Alaska. For instance, here’s a look at warm geological variations of the Talkeetna Mountains north of Chickaloon. 

 

 

 

 

 

When we reached the summit of the 2678-foot Thompson Pass the clouds were making rings around the black mountains in the distance. Just the tops were peaking out.  Made for some interesting views.

 

 

At Bridal Veil Falls in Keystone Canyon we stopped to listen to the roar and smell the freshness of the spring water cascading 100 feet down the cliff next to the road.  There we came across a cycling team making a change in riders.  Here’s the competitor taking

 

off from the falls on the last leg of the team’s ride.  After 9:00 p.m.  that evening, when we were settled in our campground and roaming around Valdez, the hardy cyclers were still streaming into the finish line in the blustery temperatures.  That does take drive!

There’s more to tell about Valdez. See you later.

Independence Day in Talkeetna – Alaska Adventure 2010

July 4:  Happy Independence Day everyone!  Thank God for our freedoms in this country. And for those that sacrificed and suffered so that we  have them today.  There was cause for celebration and smiles all around at the Talkeetna 4th-of-July parade.

This small community stepped up to put on quite an event, the 2010 Moose on Parade.  There were floats of every variation of moose:  The Patriotic Spruce Mama Moose and Calf, Wood-N-Ski Moose,  Merlot Moose, Mr.. Moostafarian, Moose-tress Mary, Buttonwinkle, and more. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Volunteers handed out flags along the route, which was two blocks up and two blocks back down Main Street. The band played “She’s a Grand Old Flag.” And the fire trucks brought up the tail, sirens blaring away.  What more can I say.  

Oh yes, I have to mention that I was actually, for a short while, a part of the festivities.    This dashing young man on his motorcycle stopped to offer me a ride.  I was whisked away for my own parade, up and down Main Street.  The thumbs-up and cheers from parade-watchers was fun.

 

 

 

 

Didn’t get my picture taken, but I do have witnesses. This community definitely puts effort into bringing the warm atmosphere of Talkeetna to their 4th-of-July celebration..

As we were slowly wandering back toward the car, we decided to go inside the Fairview Inn to see how the inside of this old establishment looked. It was the home of Talkeetna’s first bathtub and continues to be a popular gathering place, just as it was in 1923.  We found not only the tell-tale memorabilia of the building’s  history, but friendly people striking up conversations.  One couple overheard us saying our home town was Indianapolis and stopped us to say they were from just down the road in Bloomington, Indiana.  A local fire fighter shared his Talkeetna experiences with us. One lady was on the search for a man since she had heard tell that there were nine for every woman in Alaska.  She did find a few to get her photo taken with, including Jerry, but I believe she left by herself. (Oh well, another day I guess.)  We met a couple of nice folks from Atlanta that we sat down to talk with for a while. You know how time slips away…… Tonya and Don, became our new friends after we shared thoughts and lies for a couple of hours.

Hope everyone had a super holiday weekend.  Talk to you later.

 

Time for Talkeetna – Alaska Adventure 2010

 July 1-3: The other day we hit the road again, destination Talkeetna.This small town is off the beaten path somewhat, 14 miles north on the Talkeetna Spur Road off the Parks Highway, 100 miles north of Anchorage.  Situated at the confluence of three wild rivers and serving as a busy railroad depot, it was a gold mining supply town from 1896 to the 1940s.  Now the influx of people is flightseers, sightseers, fishermen, rafters and mountaineers from around the world who come to tackle Mt. McKinley.  The shops and restaurants on Main Street cater to groups who come daily on the train from Anchorage, on busses from lodges in the area and individuals like us that meander up the highway.   But the signs of the historic old town are still evident in the National Historic Site buildings, such as the Roadhouse and Nagley’s General Store.  Most are still in use, just serving a different type of public than they did 100 years ago.

We found a new home at the Talkeetna Boat Launch Campground just outside town. It’s a little pricey at $20 for no hookups, but the convenience suited us and we thought it best to stay put as the July 4th weekend was about to begin. We’ve been happy overall. Mind you, we’ve had a few over-energetic (loud) neighbors.  But all is well.  After all, we were entertained by people doing wheelies on their atvs at 1:00 a.m. Now wait a minute, remember that day does not become night until maybe 2 or 3 in the morning. They survived and so did we. Things are calm as I write this post. 

Our first day in town, we did the usual investigation, driving around the area first to get familiar and then taking a walk. After a quick browse in the general store and learning some history from the museum, Jerry was ready to sample the Denali Brewing Company beer at Twister Creek.  After all, we do want a flavor of the town overall.  He was very pleased with their Chuli Stout. I actually heard him say out loud to someone that is was quite close to Guinness.  Yes, he did! 

The next day I took the assignment of examining the shops more thoroughly.  What sacrifices I make.  I was pleased to find a considerable percentage of Alaska-made products, with the right amount of shirts and hats to please everyone, too.  Also, this July 4 weekend there is a market of local artisans at the community center.  While I was browsing around, I struck up a few conversations. I talked to wait staff, shop clerks, town employees and vendors about how they came to be in Talkeetna.  Now after this very scientific study, I have concluded that most people living in this Alaskan town with a population of 800 are transplants from the lower 48.  The majority chose to move here for the slower-paced life with sense of freedom and independence. More than one mentioned that economic status is less important. Everyone I asked was happy to share their story.  They came from California to Florida to Colorado, men and women, various stages of their lives.  But universally, they all are glad they came.  They love their simpler life.  I’m sure there are those that came and went, but it was still fun to get the feel for those who stayed.

We had our own reasons to come to Talkeetna, other than curiosity.  One reason is flight seeing.  It involves a goal for our Alaska trip, to take an airplane ride to see Mt. McKinley up close as well as land on a glacier.  Well, we quickly learned that we should have called ahead.  In order to use our 2-for-1 coupon we needed to make a reservation two weeks out. Thinking we were staying in town for four or five days and preferred to talk about the arrangements in person, we didn’t call ahead.  Oh well.  Judging from talking to others who have experienced the ride, it  will be worth it to swing back this way later.   We’ll let you know how that works out.

But then there’s another reason why we were curious about Talkeetna. It involves Chris, Maggie, Joel, Holling, Shelly, Ruth Ann, Marilyn and Maurice and more.  Some of you are nodding your heads because you enjoyed Northern Exposure as much as we did.  But those that weren’t aware, it’s a 1990s TV series that took place in the fictional town of Cicely, Alaska. The characters were both simple and complicated, humorous  and wise.  The local KTNA radio station broadcasts do make you believe the rumors about Talkeetna being the inspiration for Cicely. We’ve enjoyed the local announcements and the discussions about issues of importance to the citizens. The historic Fairview Inn definitely conjures up images of The Brick, if you can relate. After talking to townsfolk and looking around, I choose to believe those characters could have come from here.

Stay tuned for more from Talkeetna.