After recovering from the loonng trip from Oz and baking in Florida for two months we are going to Alaska. One state we have not been to. I stopped at Anchorage briefly to refuel on my way to Viet Nam in 1972 but neither of us have spent any time there. Rather than take a ship and skip around the outside coastline, we are flying to Anchorage, taking a train to Denali, tour Denali, and then a train to Fairbanks. Then drive a car back across to Valdez and other points south. Many activities along the way, every day.
14 July 2022 – Good Morning …. Happy Birthday Christian!! Hello Everyone!! We made it to Alaska, Anchorage Specifically, at 8 PM Anchorage time. It was a long day with two fairly long flights but everything went well with no delays or cancellations. (Yeahh Delta). We were in Seattle long enough to get a sandwich and a beer, then on to Anchorage. It occurred to us that we had traveled, diagonally, across the North American Continent. Wow!
Only pictures I have so far is of Mt Rainier from the airplane, the snow capped mountains, from the airplane, and the view from our hotel room. We checked into our hotel, unpacked a little, waited until 10:30 PM to call our Grandson Christain in Australia who is celebrating his Sixth Birthday today (yesterday for him). We had a nice chat and watched him open a few pressies.
Today was an extra day we had added to our itinerary to ensure we did not miss part of our planned events due to arriving late. We looked at it as an extra day to explore Anchorage and see what happens in Alaska’a largest city.
First I must apologize for not posting anything for a couple days. Our schedule got the best of us and we are finally taking a break so I can catch up.
We started the day with an Uber ride out to the Alaska Native Heritage Center. The center was created to help preserve and promote the culture of Alaska’s native population. We arrived there and spent a several hours watching native dances, a talk about native customs, and listened to some native songs. After that we walked around a nicely presented area that contained native houses, some artifacts, and interesting sculptures. We concluded our time there by walking through their museum and some local artists selling their crafts. All very interesting.
A quick note before we get to the pictures. July is Alaska’s rainiest month. The good part of that is all the flowers are in full bloom and very beautiful. Where they don’t grow wild, they are planted. Very nice. The down side was we ended up with a bit of rain and plenty clouds. It rained part of the day and cleared up in the afternoon. The cultural center was part inside and part outside. We were fortunate that most of the time that it did rain we were doing the inside. Interesting thing about Alaskan rain. It seldom rains hard, it’s mostly just a misty type rain or foggy. Now for some pictures.
After the Cultural Center we Ubered back to downtown Anchorage just to check it out. Lovely City. Downtown is modern but picturesque. Lots of flowers, shops, restaurants, etc. Had lunch at a popular local watering hole called Humpy’s. We had Reindeer Cheeseburgers and a beer. We were going to go out to the site of the Earthquake damage from the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake. We asked at the information center and they recommended seeing a movie about it shown at the nearby Federal Building … So we did. No pictures from the movie but was quite the catastrophe. You can google it and there are many pictures and the story on the internet. Funny how we forget these things happening. Anyhow, we bummed around for a wile and ended up at the 49th State Brew Pub, sat way up on the top deck, and had a local brew. We had along day and an early start the next day so we went back to the hotel for a good nights sleep. Here are some shots from Anchorage.
15 July 2022 – Leaving Anchorage today via the Alaskan Railroad. We depart Anchorage a little after eight AM and were scheduled to arrive in Danali in mid afternoon. Took an Uber from the hotel to the train station, checked in and had a latte waiting for the train. We departed on time and we were happy we had selected to sit in the “Gold Star Class” because we sat up high with big windows that went right over the top. Train was full but comfortable.
We were escorted down to the dining room for breakfast and later Lunch along the way. Scenery was impressive but a bit redundant (lots of trees). It was an interesting ride, food was good and nicely served. Met some interesting people but didn’t get many good photos. One of the reasons I don’t like public ground transport is you can’t stop to look at or take pictures of stuff. You just hope to see it as it whisks by.
Okay … We arrived in Denali, we were scooped up by our Hotel, and taken to our room. Got to the room about 4:30 and prepared to go on our 6:30 River Raft Adventure.
Our Hotel was way up on this mountain side so every time we went somewhere I had to put on my mountain goat attitude. Anyhow, we met the pick-up bus for the Raft Ride and checked in. Because the rivers here are coming directly from a melting Glacier, the water is about 34 Degrees, Fahrenheit. If you fall in you don’t last long. Consequently, everyone has to wear a dry suit with neoprene cuffs around your neck and arms and your legs are in neoprene boots that are part of the suit. Took a while to get all this stuff on and was very cumbersome. After everyone was suited up we bused over to the Nanana River and jumped into our boats and were off. It was a two and a half hour float and we got started at about 7:30 PM. The float we went on had a number of level two rapids and a couple level three. We were not looking for thrills, just a float trip. The guide was good and the other six people in the raft were pleasant people so it was a nice trip … no one fell in. We got back to the hotel at about 10:30 PM after turning in all our gear and walking back to our hill top cabin. Our Hotel is actually a series of cabins. So … here are the pictures.
Okay then … That was our raft trip. Got finished at about 10:30 PM. walked back to the mountain top cabin (It’s still daylight) and hit the sack because we have a 5:15 pickup for our Tundra wilderness tour (Denali National Park formerly Mt McKinley NP) tomorrow morning.
16 July 2022 – Got up at 4:30, (it’s still daylight … or daylight again!) had a coffee, and headed down the mountain to meet our pick up. Got on the bus at 5:30 AM and started our bus tour of Denali. Cars are allowed to drive only thirteen miles into the park, our bus (A National Park Tour Bus driven by a National Park bus Driver/Guide) can go to 43 miles … the end of the drivable roads in the park. Only one road in the park, this was it. Guide was good, knowledgeable, witty, and a good driver. Our tour took five hours and included many stops and much explanation. Good tour, saw lots of stuff. Thing to keep in mind as you enjoy the pictures … we are on a bus, bumping along and everything is far, far away! Many shot s are just views. An incredible place to see.
That ends our time and adventure at Denali. Tomorrow we sleep in a bit, have some coffee, and catch the train to Fairbanks. Had a delightful dinner this evening, going to get some well deserved rest. Next Post from Fairbanks.
17 July 2022 – Today we spent a lot of time waiting to do something. Our checkout out of our mountain top retreat was 11:30 so we checked out. Our train for Fairbanks left at four so we only had four and a half hours to kill. We sat in the lobby, took a shuttle to the station, waited in the station, and finally got on the train. I will admit, the train ride from Denali to Fairbanks, although only taking four hours vice eight from Anchorage to Denali, was far superior to the first leg (Anchorage to Denali). The views of the canyon where we rafted a couple days ago were terrific, then following the Yenana River to Fairbanks was interesting. We had dinner on the train, it was good. Had dinner with a Russian gentleman who spoke no english or german. Very nice guy. Was going to visit his daughter who lives in Fairbanks. Here are some Photos from our train ride.
Once we arrived in Fairbanks we grabbed a hotel shuttle to out hotel, checked in, had a night cap, and went to bed. Early up tomorrow.
18 July 2022 – After an early breakfast we took the airport shuttle to the airport and picked up a rental car which we will be using for the next eight days. So we flew in, rode a couple Ubers, a train, a bus, another train, and now we are going to drive a car … Using many modes of transportation. We had two major events today. One visiting a Gold dredging operation and the other a Steamboat paddle ship ride on Alaskan waterways. Both turned out to be very interesting, informative and fun. We even panned for Gold and Nancy and I, in one scoop of gravel each, panned out forty dollars worth of gold. Here are all the exciting pictures! They will be in three parts. We saw the Alaskan Pipeline (Biden hasn’t shut it down yet but did reduce the flow) A gold dredging operation, and the paddle boat ride.
Then the Gold Dredging Operation
… and our Paddle Ship Cruise
That concluded a very busy day in Fairbanks. Tomorrow we drive on the Richardson Highway from Fairbanks to Valdez. No tours or attractions planned but keeping an eye out for interesting things. See you then.
19 July 2022 – Welcome to Valdez. We got a good night’s sleep, a pleasant breakfast, and an early start for our nearly 400 mile road trip from Fairbanks to Valdez via the famous Richardson Highway. Rain, fog, washouts, and construction filled our day but we had a nice trip, saw many interesting sights, and made it safely to our hotel by just after 3 PM. One of the bridges just south of Delta had washed out a little over a week ago so about 30 miles of the road was one lane and you had to be escorted by a pilot vehicle to get through. We past through several other construction sites, some of which were one way, but we didn’t lose much time overall. Sometimes the stop was a welcome break. Once past the Denali turnoff, about 100 miles from Valdez, we climbed our way through Thompson pass in the Alaska Range and then down through Keystone Canyon. A deep narrow canyon with many waterfalls along the sides from the snowmelt. Very beautiful. The Alaska Pipeline runs kinda along the same route so every so often we would spot it running along beside us like a an old friend. Sometimes it would go under ground or under a river but eventually, there it was on its way to Valdez as well. It passes 35,000 gallons of oil every minute which equates to 500,000 barrels a day. Heres our trip.
See Ya Tomorrow!
20 July 2022 – Incredible day cruising Prince William Sound. An amazing place abound with sea life, islands, ancient forests, and commercial activities. We departed around 8:30 AM. It was quite foggy as we slipped out of the marina into the Sound. There were many commercial fishing boats heading out, some small, some bigger. Today was what the locals call an “opening day”. Some days you can fish, some days you can’t. It’s the way the Department of Natural Resources manages the salmon population to ensure it does not get overfished. As today was an “Open Day” everyone was headed out to make a living catching the Pink Salmon that hatch here and come back two years later to spawn.
The boat was comfortable and not crowded so we could move around, up and down, forward and aft, as much as we wanted. It was also quite cool, breezy, and cloudy but there was promise of nicer weather as the day progressed. The day ended up being quite erratic as the sun would come out occasionally and it would get foggy or rain every so often. We just tried to enjoy as much as we could. It was along trip and included a little breakfast and a bigger lunch. The trip took nearly eight hours but was well worth the time.
Once we got away from the Marina and out into the sound our pilot and guide stopped the ship and we watched while he explained the fishing process. In order to ensure they don’t kill off all their livelihoods, the commercial fishing industry funds several large Salmon hatcheries in the area where millions of small Salmon are hatched. Once they get to be about the size of your little finger they are released and they all head out to the Pacific Ocean. They live, eat, and grow there for about two years, then, guided by nature and their DNA they head back inland, up the same course they followed out, to lay thier eggs, and die. When they are still in the ocean they are large, plump and healthy. As they swim inland, up the streams, they use all their body fat and eventually, by the time they lay their eggs, are skinny and exhausted. Consequently, the sooner you can catch them coming in from the ocean, the better they are to eat. The problem is they are all spread out in the ocean so they are more difficult to net. Once they get into the Sound, they tend to swim close to shore so that’s where the fisherman try to catch them.
The moutains around the Sound are snow capped and incredible.
We came upon a great herd of Stellar Sea Lions enjoying a day at the Beach.
The sea has been lapping at these rock islands for thousands, even millions of years. The edges of the islands are very interesting.
The captain spotted a Pod of Orca Killer Whales. He tried to cruise next to them for a while so we could watch then swim.
Three ladies shared the seat we had. All three were from China. One was a tour operator from Las Vegas, another was a dealer for Harrah’s in Las Vegas, and the third baby sat her grand daughter in San Fransisco. They were an interesting group to spend the day with. Very pleasant ladies.
We also met two couples from Denmark who were traveling together. One of the guys collects Amber on the beaches in Denmark. He gave Nancy a couple rather big pieces. Nice people.
The Islands in Prince William Sound are abundant and interesting. Most have at least a few trees on them, others many. Some are of the Islands are large, some tiny. All Interesting.
Soon we started to see small chunks of ice floating in the water. As we went along they became more abundant, bigger, and some had seals on them.
Our destination was to see Mears Glacier. This Glacier is actually advancing rather than shrinking. It once was way past where it currently is, receded for a couple hundred years, and is now advancing again. A truly impressive sight. While we parked by it, we could hear the ice crack, then a big chunk would tumble into the water ( Calving)
We proceeded back to Valdez from there. The captain told the story of when the Exon Valdez dumped 2 million barrels of crude oil into the sound and all the things they have done since to prevent that from happening again.
The Valdez end of the Alaskan Pipeline was more visible so I took a couple more pictures of it.
So that was it for our tour of Prince William Sound. We had a pleasant dinner and sacked out for the night.
21 July 2022 – A travel Day. We are going from Valdez to Seward. The agancy split the trip into two days so we are spending the night in the Sheep Mountain Lodge near Sutton. Interesting place with several glaciers on one side and impressive mountains (including Sheep mountain) on the other side. All the rooms are little cabins. We’ll spend the night here and drive the rest of the way to Seward tomorrow.
See you tomorrow on our way to Seward.
22 July 2022 – Yeah!!! We made it to Seward. Once again, fog, rain, sunshine, etc. Alaska in July. Good trip though. Saw a bunch of interesting scenery, Nancy spied a couple Sheep on Sheep Mountain, interesting parts of the world.
23 July 2022 – Today we are going on a cruise that includes Kenai Fjords National Park. OK … Got’er done! Cruised the Kenai Fjords National Park. It was a cold, windy, rainy cruise but interesting. Much like our cruise out of Valdez. Saw a few more hump back whales and a mountain goat (not a Dall Sheep). The glacier was big, but not as impressive as the Mears Glacier in Valdez. Guess once you’ve seen one they all kinda look alike. Here’s my photo’s. Alibi here … taking pictures of things a long ways off using max telescopic is like trying to find something looking through a straw. Then, with the ship biobbing up and down it gets really interesting. To placate the fussy I have added some pictures I have taken of posters, pictures, and other photograph’s that are a bit more impressive. They are of things we have seen but I just didn’t get a picture, at least a good one, of the subject. Enjoy.
We shared our seating spot with a couple from Isreal … interesting people, enjoyed their company. One of the better parts of traveling is meeting people from different places and different walks of life.
I know the pictures are pretty underwhelming. Like I said .. the boat was bobbing up and down and shooting a distance was tough. Here are some good pictures of things we saw that some professional photographer shot. Enjoy.
That wraps up the day. Was one of the coldest and wettest so far. Tomorrow we drive back to Anchorage to start our return to home.
24 July 2022 – Driving back to anchorage today .. Sunny day, temps supposed to reach the 70’s. Go figure! Just a few shots from along the way.
We arrived in Anchorage with no problems, went downtown for dinner, and ended our trip. Flying back to Tampa tomorrow. Thanks for coming along. Next trip will be to Europe. See you then.
