Last updated on December 21st, 2024
Alaska Itinerary
Day 1: Evening in Anchorage
Apparently Denali is visible from the other side of the plane as we come into Anchorage. Even though we can’t see it, I’m taking that as a good sign.
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The sunshine that greats us in Anchorage seems like a good sign too. I know that Alaska has been suffering through a summer that never really came – with cool weather and lots of rain. We are lucky to see the sunshine.
I am expecting our hotel to be near downtown, but it isn’t. Still, it has good views and comfortable enough rooms, so I’m ok dumping our stuff there and then immediately heading out to get another view of the city.
We aren’t sure where to go, so head for the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, which wanders along the Knik Arm and provides a good view of Anchorage’s setting.
Pretty impressive.
The trail is lovely too, with woods, meadows, and wetlands on one side and tidal flats on the other. I love the tidal flats, which are rich with color and waterfowl and seem to stretch away forever.
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Day 2: Day trips around Anchorage
Morning at Potter Marsh
As much as I enjoy seeing birds, I’ll never be much of birder because it’s too hard for me to get up before dawn. Thus, we pretty much have Potter Marsh to ourselves when we arrive some time well after dawn.
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It is lovely and serene, with large numbers of ducks and wading birds quietly going about their business.
We slowly work our way along the elevated walkways that connect various viewing platforms, but we don’t get all the way to the final platform. Not because we don’t want to, mind you, but because that spot is already occupied by a young eagle who has no interest in surrendering it to us.
Instead, we are the ones that decide to move on.
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Touring Along the Turnagain Arm
The Alaska Botanical Garden
Dinner with Aunt Jody
Growing up, the kids next door had an aunt who lived in Alaska. Periodically they would share a letter from her talking about her life in Alaska. We were all fascinated – Aunt Jody seemed to live in an incredibly exotic place.
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Now it has been many, many years since I’ve lived next door to the Mehelich kids and got regular updates from them on Jody’s life in Alaska. Despite that, I’ve never forgotten about Jody, still think of her as “Aunt Jody,” and still get periodic updates on her life in Alaska from my folks. Now that we are in Alaska, it seems only right that we stop in to visit.
After a delay to search out a hostess gift (Where can I find flowers in Alaska? How about wine? What if they don’t drink? Where do they hide the liquor stores in this town?), we pull up in front of Art and Jody’s house just as dusk begins to fall.
Even though she’s not actually relative and we’ve only met a couple of times, Lane and I are greeted as if we really are family.
It is a lovely evening spent eating, drinking and talking about vacations past and future, our extended families, travel, and life in Alaska.
What a treat.
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Day 3: On the road to Denali
The Alaska State Fair
Watching for Denali
Having satisfied our need for a fair fix before the day’s drizzle turned to rain, we are back on the road in search of Denali.
The Milepost conveniently lists all the spots along the way where we can pull off and enjoy striking views of the oft-shrouded mountain, so we eagerly stop at a few.
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I’m convinced that the Alaska Range and Denali are somewhere behind these clouds. If only the skies would clear for awhile!
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Day 5: The 7:15 Bus to Wonder Lake
Day 6: Back on the road in Denali
Denali National Park, Take Two
The View from Eielson
What a Difference a Day Makes!
Yesterday at Denali’s Eielson Visitors Center:
Same spot, today (after the clouds started to sweep in around Denali):
And We’re Walking (Along the Road)
Day 7: Leaving Denali for the Kenai
A Perfect Denali Morning
Not-So-Wildlife
Kenai Scenery
Rain or no, the Seward Highway provides plenty of wonderful scenery, with plenty of tumbling rivers, jagged peaks, and alpine meadows.
Seward Harbor View
At Ray’s Waterfront Restaurant we are seated at a corner table with huge windows that hardly separate us from the harbor.
The seafood is great, but that view. . . !
Day 8: Exploring Kenai Fjords (Monday, August 25, 2008)
Day 9: (Tuesday, August 26, 2008)
Almost Up-Close and Personal with Exit Glacier
Vibrant Wetlands Along the Sterling Highway
Russian Orthodox America: Old Kenai
Russian Orthodox America: Ninilchik
Cook Inlet from a Distance
View from the scenic overlook:
View from my deck:
The View from Homer Spit
On the beach in the evening.
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Day 10: (Wednesday, August 27, 2008)
A Prettified Picture of Homer Past
Dining with Cranes
After a morning of museums and art galleries, I’m craving a relaxed lunch back at our house – but without having to cook, of course! Take-out pizza from Fat Olives seems to be the perfect answer and in no time at all we are sitting on the deck, basking in the sunshine, and watching a pair of sandhill cranes.
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They provide excellent entertainment for a long time before flying off.
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Views from Above
Skyline Dive offers some of the best views of the surrounding mountains and glaciers, including Grewingk Glacier directly across Kachemak Bay.
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At this time of year, the views are often framed by fireweed, the northern plant that is to me synonymous with Alaska (although it grows in many places, including Minnesota).
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Homer Spit
Evening from Our Deck
Day 11: Thursday, August 28, 2008
Wilderness Along the Beach
We are too late for morning bird watching, but the road and trails behind the Alaska Islands & Oceans Visitor Center offer a fascinating glimpse of the flora found in this area – along with a tiny peek into the lives of the people who have settled here.
Goodbye, Ninilchik
I was hoping the Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord might be open today.
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Of course, it wasn’t (it’s usually only open for regular worship services). There are other tourists here, including a loud and obnoxious family. I escape them for awhile in the far edge of the cemetery, surrounded by tall grasses and hardy native flowers.
It’s almost enough.
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Along the Road
Hope at the End of the Day
Day 12: Friday, August 29, 2008
Whittier
Politics
John McCain has chosen Alaska’s governor as his running mate.
We learn this from the woman who is checking us in for our cruise, who – although professing to dislike the governor – is nearly giddy with excitement.
Apparently this news is as unexpected by most Alaskans as it is to us. (Actually, I thought our Governor was supposed to be the nominee and I suspect he is having a very, very bad day.) I only know who the governor of Alaska is because the one newspaper I have read since arriving here had a story about a scandal involving her firing her ex-brother-in-law . . . a story that ran next to a piece on Senator Stevens’ troubles. Is the nation really ready for Alaskan-style politics?
On the other hand, she sounds a lot more interesting than McCain.
Around Prince William Sound
Surprise Glacier
Belugas!
Day 13: Saturday, August 30, 2008
In the Air
Wrangell
Totems
Alaska Really is a Small Place
Day 14: Sunday, August 31, 2008
The Stikine River
Petroglyph Beach
A Very Long Way from Home
I made the mistake of checking some internet news sites from home.
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Thus far I’ve ignored the headlines that pop up every time I pick up mail, but perhaps the talk on the boat this afternoon about politics and the conventions made me curious . . . or maybe seeing the headline “Police smash doors, search for bombs, cameras and urine” got my attention.
It seems weird, to be far away while things seem to be going nuts at home, the police acting like goons breaking down doors at private homes in order to round up people they think might be planning protests. (Is that even legal?) Meanwhile, the convention itself seems to be half on hold while everyone tries to figure out the hurricane situation in the south and how to make themselves look best. It’s madness.
While I worry a little about my house, I think it is in good hands and that the police won’t come barging in to arrest our house-sitter. (Although, it may be a possibility.)
Mostly whatever is going on in St. Paul seems far away and unreal. It could be happening in another country where I don’t know anyone and don’t speak the language. . . a few incoherent tales from a faraway land.
It’s a weird disconnect, but I am happy to be here and not there.
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Day 15: Monday, September 1, 2008
Finally We are on the Ferry
Petersburg
Day 16: Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Another Day on the Ferry
Day 17: Wednesday, September 3, 2008
To Gustavus via a Tiny Plane
We need to get from Juneau to the tiny town of Gustavus, which sits at the entrance to Glacier Bay.
During the summer there are a number of regular flights into Gustavus, as well as limited ferry service. However, now that the peak season has come to an end, Air Excursions was our only reasonable option for traveling between the two cities.
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I’m eager to get to the airport and check-in, as my dealings with Air Excursions thus far have been pleasant, but unexpectedly informal. For example, when reserving our flights, I wasn’t required to provide a credit card number and when inquiring about receiving a confirmation I was told: “You don’t need one. I wrote it in the book myself. I’m the only one here, so just tell them Cam took care of it if there’s any question.” Last night when I called to confirm our reservation I laughed when I was asked to hang on a moment while she checked “the book”, but the agent also laughed: “Yup, we write it in a book. No computer here!”
I’m thinking I’m going to like this airline a lot.
At the airport we are cheerfully greeted, promptly checked-in, our extra bag sent off for storage, and assured that a cab will be arranged to meet us on our arrival in Gustavus. Perfect.
Soon the pilot arrives and escorts us and the other passenger on our flight to the plane. It turns out to be the smallest plane I have ever flown in (smaller even than the flight-seeing helicopters) and perhaps the smallest plane I have ever even seen close-at-hand. It is really tiny.
We slip in, buckle up, and in a matter of moments Juneau, the sea, and the surrounding mountains disappear behind the clouds.
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The Great Sea
Lane has always wanted to visit Glacier Bay as part of this trip, but it isn’t a particularly easy place to get to and only a few cruise ships are granted permits.
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It wasn’t included in the Majestic American cruise we had originally booked, so the cancellation of that cruise gave us a second opportunity to try to get there.
In the end we settled on an operation I found on the internet called Woodwind Sailing Adventures. Aside from the minor fact that I couldn’t find a single independent source of information on the company, it sounded perfect – a sailing adventure led by an experienced captain (and talented amateur photographer) on a custom-made boat.
That boat is the Great Sea, a 40′ catamaran that sleeps eight. On this late-season trip there will only be Lane and I; Captain Fritz and his wife, cook and naturalist Kate; and their friends Amy and Judith.
Fritz welcomes us on board, informs the others that we are hiding out from the Republican convention, and assures all of us that he subscribes to Sirus radio, so no one will need to miss a moment of convention coverage. We all groan and laugh.
I think we are going to have a very good time.
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Reid Glacier
Day 17:
Morning Fog
We anchored last night in Reid Inlet’s quiet cove. It was a lovely spot, with the glacier in the distance and just one other boat nearby, but today we have awaken to a landscape transformed by fog – a wispy gauze shrouding our world, creating a silent, shifting, ethereal landscape. . . the physical world as mirage.It is otherworldly and utterly beautiful.
Reid Glacier is also nearby, but, heavily draped with fog, it is silent and invisible.
We set off through a magical world.
Glacier Gazing – Lamplugh
Glacier Gazing – Johns Hopkins
Glacier Gazing – Margerie and Grand Pacific
Shore Leave
Day 18: Friday, September 5, 2008
Glacier Bay
Day 19: Saturday, September 6, 2008
Winging Through the Mountains
Heading back to Juneau from Gustavus, there are too many boxes of fish and too much luggage scheduled to go out with us and the other couple on our flight.
However, some judicious packing and an agreement to send some items on a later flight allows us to take off – immediately flying toward the enticing mountains that lie just beyond the runway.
I am amazed to suddenly find myself at the same level as the surrounding alpine meadows.
We swoop through the mountains, curving along with the valleys far below.
It’s glorious and exhilarating.
I don’t ever want to land, but it is only a 20 minute flight and too soon Juneau and its glacier are in view.
Juneau
The Details
Around Anchorage
Denali
On a clear day, the drive between Anchorage and Denali National Park is stunning. Plan to take your time and enjoy it, as many of your best views of Denali itself may be from the road as you travel toward the park. In addition to my photos, there are some lovely pictures of Denali at terragalleria.
Lodging
Lodging within the park is EXTREMELY limited and quite expensive, although there are some wonderful-looking campsites available to those willing and able to rough it a little.
The McKinley Chalet Resort is one of a number of Aramark operations in the Denali area. (We’ve stayed at Aramark properties in other parks as well.) It was actually better than I was expecting, although the note on Trip Advisor regarding unpredictable scalding water is absolutely true. The rooms are laid out along long, mostly covered, boardwalks. In the rain these can be slippery, but it makes the rooms a little more private and really increases your odds of having a view. (It’s a LONG ways to haul your luggage though.) There isn’t any internet access available in the rooms (although it is available in the lodge). Our room was small, but adequate, with a nice view over a lovely rushing river and up to Mt. Healy. . . no large windows from which to enjoy that view, but I did enjoy the sound of rushing water.
Despite the large groups of Holland American cruise tourists, service was excellent and independent travelers were treated very well.
Not being able to stay in the park itself wasn’t the disappointment I expected it to be. It was a quick drive into the park and, since most of the park is accessible only by shuttle anyway, we really wouldn’t have been able to move around the park more easily even if we were staying there. However, some of the park’s campgrounds looked really tempting. . . as do the lodgings located at Kantishna.
Dining
Dining within the park really isn’t an option, so be sure to bring provisions for each day. The options at the park’s Transportation Center are very limited, so don’t plan on purchasing food there. Our trail food for our long days in the park consisted of Indian River meat sticks and jerky, dried fruit, and granola bars. Not exactly gourmet, but it worked.
The Perch Resort and Restaurant is located at Mile 224 on the Parks Highway.
There is something about eating in a restaurant where the front door nearly deposits you in the kitchen and where the chef – a chunk of raw caribou in one hand and a slice of bacon in the other – directs you toward a table for two near the back window.
Small, local, friendly. . and great food. Seems perfect.
Indeed, dinner was lovely. (Although I do wonder why chefs always think they have to mess with the Caesar salad. A perfectly made Caesar IS perfection. Don’t mess with perfection.) At any rate, the caribou medallions were delicious, as were the garlic mashed potatoes and the anything-but-boring vegetable medley. Lane’s pasta carbonara with scallops was fabulous.
With only a couple of people in the kitchen, each dish is literally prepared specially for you, but this means the meal proceeds at a more European pace. The wines were nice and we got a lovely loaf of bread (that would have been beyond lovely had it been warm) and the views (even through pouring rain) were splendid, so it didn’t seem like that long of a wait. Certainly not long enough to break out the cards as one of the families near us had done. (But be warned if you are impatient.)
The turn for Perch is well-marked from the road, but you have to follow a rather rough gravel road up the hill to get there. It’s worth the effort. I would eat here every day if I could.
The McKinley Chalet Resort has two restaurants, the more formal of these is sort of a steak and seafood place. The food is good, but fairly expensive. It seems to always be busy, so plan accordingly. The café is where everyone goes for breakfast. It has an enormous breakfast buffet (at a fairly enormous price), if you are into that.
What to See
Denali National Park consists of 6 million acres of wilderness. Only about 90 miles of road within the park is open to the casual visitor and, of that, only 15 miles are accessible by private vehicle. For all but the most fit of hikers, Denali is viewed via tour bus or park shuttle (both of which are run by Amarak or in partnership with Amarark). The shuttles seem to vary between reasonably comfortable school buses (on longer routes) and regular school buses.
The shuttles are supposed to be just that, but most of the guides at give at least a little tour and help visitors spot wildlife. (Our Wonder Lake shuttle driver provided great information.) There are designated rest areas, but the time available at each rest area depends in large part on how much time was spent animal watching and can be very short. (Shuttles are supposed to stay on a schedule.) You can treat the shuttle like a tour bus and just stay with the same one out and back (like we did on our first day) or you can hop off and on wherever you want. The ability to get on and off wherever you want (or as far into the park as your ticket allows) provides flexibility to stop and take pictures or hike whenever you see something interesting. However, on the way out it is a bit problematic as you have to stick with a bus headed to your same final destination – of which there are relatively few and in the morning, almost none with empty seats. It works better on the return trip, when you may have to allow a few buses to pass, but eventually you’ll find one with space. This allowed us to stop at a couple places and hike along the road on the second day. We also discovered the “Sweeper” bus on the second day, which was sort of an unofficial express route that included animal watching, but only when the animals are near the road (thus no time wasted on distant-specks-that-might-be-caribou) and no stops beyond bathroom breaks. However, it shaved a considerable amount of time off our trip up the second day, allowing us more time for hiking. If your goal is just to get out and hike, see if there’s a sweeper available.
There are almost no shuttles that go all the way out to Kantishna. By the time I booked our shuttle (a little less than a week before we left), there were no seats available to Kantishna, so I booked us out to Wonder Lake (the second to last stop) instead. This limited availability means you are totally at the whim of the weather – by the time you think it will be a clear day, it’s going to be too late to book a shuttle out to the farthest reaches of the park road. (Of course, considering how fast the weather changes around Denali, it’s probably nearly impossible to guess anyway.)
As noted, there is no food available in the park once you catch the shuttle, so be sure to have plenty of provisions. Keep in mind that you will probably stay with the same bus all the way into the park, so you can pack your food in disposable containers, eat most of it and dispose of the containers at lunch. They’ll be no need to haul empty containers around after lunch.
The park does issue permits for private vehicles to professional photographers, but even these are issued on a very limited basis, meaning there is little traffic on the road besides the buses.
The Kenai
The Inside Passage and Glacier Bay
Juneau
