Anchorage, Talkeetna, and Home
(Part Three of Three)
Part one can be found here.
Part two can be found here.
When we woke in Seward on Tuesday morning, it was still raining. Everything inside the camper felt wet: our clothes, the bedding, the air - everything. We were both very tired of the damp air and were ready to go home. We even discussed canceling our overnight stay in Talkeetna and driving all the way back to Fairbanks, but the thought of driving 500 miles didn’t appeal to either of us. Towing the camper, it would have easily been a 10-12 hour driving day. So we stayed with our original schedule and made our way to Talkeetna.
The rain continued even after leaving Seward, but it became more of a misty drizzle rather than a windy pelting. Thank goodness! What we really hoped for was sunshine - and warmth - but it didn’t come. We stopped again at the Turnagain Pass rest stop, but this time on the opposite side of the highway, and Steve made us sandwiches, while I walked Sedona down the foot trail nearby.
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Here’s another photo of the view from the rest stop. There was a lot of fireweed blooming on this side of the road:
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South of Anchorage, near Portage, you will find the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. From the website:
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Alaska’s wildlife through public education. AWCC takes in injured and orphaned animals year-round and provides spacious enclosures and quality animal care. Animals that cannot be released into the wild are given a permanent home at the center.
In all the years we’ve lived here, and all the trips we’ve made past the AWCC, we’ve never had the time to stop and check it out. We decided before leaving Seward, that we would take the time for a visit on this trip. I’m glad we did. The entry fee is $10.00/adults, but there are military and senior discounts that reduce that fee to $7.50. The maximum cost per car is $30, so if you’ve got a family of four or more there’s a savings in that. Here’s a map of the different areas and animals at the AWCC.
You are free to drive around the park, or park your vehicle and walk. We elected to drive. There are plenty of places to pull over and get out of your vehicle for a closer look. We saw moose, muskoxen, brown bears, a grizzly bear, black bears, wood bison, buffalo, elk, a porcupine, an eagle, owls, and caribou. The lynx was not there, as they are being held at the Anchorage Zoo while their area is being refurbished, and we didn’t see the coyote either.
While there are fences around the animals, you can still take some pretty good photos by shooting between the fence wires. And many of the animals hung out fairly close to the fence too - which made for some great close up viewing and photographs.
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The moose at AWCC were orphaned as calves. Due to protocols of the ADFG, these animals are not eligible to be released back into the wild. The AWCC provides a permanent home for them. |
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| Photos above: Wood Bison After more than 100 years of extinction in Alaska, wood bison have found their way back to the state. The AWCC herd arrived in November 2003 from the Yukon Territory in Canada and is part of a wood bison recovery program designed to reintroduce the species to Alaska. AWCC is home to the only wood bison herd in the United States. The first release date is scheduled for 2010. |
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| Photos above: Brown Bear named “Joe Boxer” Joe Boxer has a sister named Patron. In the town of Willow, a brown bear sow killed a moose calf in a resident’s backyard. The man was afraid that the bear might try to attack his dog, so he killed the sow not knowing that she had cubs. In Alaska, killing a bear in defense of life or property is legal. Once he saw the two cubs at the top of a very tall and skinny birch tree, he called the area wildlife biologist to notify him of the situation. The bears (two brown bears and one grizzly) are kept in an 18-acre enclosure, which they share with 4 coyotes and other visiting wildlife. Also, a one-acre pond and a coniferous forest are in place and provide a wilderness setting where animals display their natural and wild behaviors. In the above photos, Joe is enjoying a moose thigh - donated to the center as a result of a road kill. |
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We also visited with black bears. I think this is Uli - the female. She was found wandering the streets of Juneau. She was alone and her mother was nowhere in sight. There is also a male named Kuma who lives at the AWCC. He was found alone in a hole in a backyard in Trapper Creek, AK. The homeowner was putting in a septic system and when the mother bear passed by, the cub fell in and was unable to climb out. When the cub was discovered, the sow was nowhere to be found.
And who can resist cute baby moose calves?:
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We didn’t get to Talkeetna until just after 6pm. We were exhausted! We quickly set up the camper, made dinner, and then at around 8pm, we took a very short drive around town (Talkeetna isn’t a big town). The only folks we saw milling about were young people who were hanging around the bar, or sitting around outdoor tables drinking. I took a few photos out the window, but my heart really wasn’t in it. I couldn’t wait to get home the next day.
I like the colors of this shop:
Barn Hinges:
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The next morning, we were up and out of the campground before 10am. For once it wasn’t raining, but it wasn’t sunny either. The drive home (about 245 miles) seemed to take forever. We did stop and stretch our legs, and put gas in the truck (Steve carries extra cans with us). The area where we often stop is wide open and just beautiful. Depending on the time of year, you can see caribou migrating throught that part of the state, and on a clear day, Denali is visible. We didn’t see Denali or Caribou unfortunately.
On the road that goes to Talkeetna (which is 17 miles off the Parks Hwy), there are several businesses that offer flight seeing, or fly-in fishing. Some are situated on lakes/ponds and use float planes to fly you out. I just had to take a photo of this place with the pond and the planes on it:
Here are two photos of some of the ‘quirkier’ places on the Parks Highway:
This is Wal*Mikes - a nice take on Wal*Mart, with his selection of fine wares for your perusal. LOL I wonder how business is? Looks like you can pick up some nice snowshoes, gardening equipment and dogsleds there.
And then there’s the Igloo building. This four-story building was originally supposed to be a hotel. At one time there were gas pumps and a convenience store on the premises, and some called it ‘Igloo City’. Now, the gas pumps are gone, and the building is boarded up. Sadly, a few of the dormer windows are starting to collapse too. At least it fits into the Alaska landscape:
This is the view from the pull-out near Broad Pass. Nothing for miles and miles, except for beautiful nature:
This is the reason Steve brings extra gas with us:
Just outside of Nenana, we saw the smoke. It billowed above the horizon, orangey-brown in some places, and trailing off into thick clouds of gray and white… towards Fairbanks. Ugh. We were not happy about that at all. But we were also so tired of rain, that we almost felt that smoke would be more tolerable. I can’t say either are agreeable. Here’s what we saw from the Parks Highway just south of Fairbanks:
It is good to be home, but not home to this smoke. Yesterday, I had to cut my errands short because I had a hard time breathing. My house is closed up tight and still I can smell it. We can’t open the windows to take advantage of the cooler overnight air because of the smell. Today, it’s not as bad - but any amount of smoke is too much. I do hope the winds shift.
This concludes my trip blog. I hope you enjoyed traveling with us. We’re going away again in a few weeks - this time to explore new territory. I hope the weather cooperates better!
I’ve taken some photos since we arrived home: a young squirrel who has been hanging around our bird feeders - and who allows Steve to pet him, Steve’s vegetable bounty from the zucchini and tomato plants, and some of the wildflowers that bloomed in my wildflower garden while we were gone.
This afternoon, I am attending a dance recital at the Salisbury Theater at UAF. My friends Abby and Carmen will be dancing (Middle Eastern Dance), and I want to get some photos of them. I love to watch the dancers.
I’ll have photos to share at some point….
Until next time…
As always, beautifull pics. Thanks for sharing them with everyone!
[Reply]
susanstevenson Reply:
August 1st, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Glad you enjoyed them, Scotty. Thanks for commenting.
Take care,
Susan
[Reply]
Comment by Scotty from LJ — August 1, 2009 @ 4:47 pm
Again you have wonderful shots. I’m sorry it wasn’t what you had hoped for. You have to admit though, Alaska is a wonderful and one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Hope the smoke gets out of there.
Take care.
Tammy
[Reply]
susanstevenson Reply:
August 1st, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Hi Tammy and thanks for commenting. I’ve had much better experiences on wildlife cruises, so this was definitely not one of the better trips. I wish it wouldn’t have rained so much, but that really didn’t stop us too much. The scenery is beautiful whether the sun shines or not.
The smoke, on the other hand, is not welcome. Today was a better day - still a faint aroma of fire, but cooler and not as smokey. I hope things continue to improve. It’s killing my lungs.
I hope you’re having good weather!
Susan
[Reply]
Comment by Tammy Kauffman — August 1, 2009 @ 5:02 pm
Just read your comment from part 2 of your trip. Mike has already reserved two hotel rooms. I told him to get the townhouse. Oh well. I’ll just have to cook on the grills outside or get takeout from Safeway. We really like Seward and now that you showed the pictures from the AWCC, I’ll have to make that a day trip while hubby and son are fishing. It should be a lot of fun. Hopefully my pictures are half as nice as yours.
Tammy
[Reply]
susanstevenson Reply:
August 1st, 2009 at 8:03 pm
The resort has covered picnic areas with grills on the property, so you could do that. Or you could just do light fare (sandwiches, etc.) but that’s not always very much fun. The hotel rooms have microwave ovens, so you’re not totally out of luck for a hot meal. Would have been nice to have a full kitchen though, to save some money on food. I know we appreciate being able to cook in the camper, so we don’t have to spend a bundle at restaurants.
You’re going to have a blast down there for July 4th next year. The Mt Marathon race is pretty exciting. After they get off the starting line (or before they even leave the starting line) walk up to the base of the mountain, where the trail goes up the side and wait for them to come back down. You see some pretty banged up people. I am always amazed by their agility and endurance to make that run. True athletes!
I think you’d enjoy a trip to the conservation center while your husband and son are fishing. Or you could book yourself a wildlife cruise through the resort and go out on one of those. I’ve done them by myself a couple of times while Steve was fishing. I end up talking to other passengers, so I didn’t feel too lonely.
As long as it’s not raining and high seas, you’ll see some pretty great stuff (whales, otters, etc.)
Take care,
Susan
[Reply]
Comment by Tammy Kauffman — August 1, 2009 @ 5:07 pm
When we were in Seward during the 4th in 2007, we saw many banged up runners. I enjoyed it a lot. I actually checked out a blog called Ina in Alaska and she has a son who lives in Seward. Ina’s son just married and his wife ran the Marathon. The son and wife have a blog and they showed pictures from atop Mt. Marathon and wow were they gorgeous. Wouldn’t want to even think about walking up there. Take care
[Reply]
susanstevenson Reply:
August 3rd, 2009 at 8:39 am
I’ve seen some photos from the top of Mt Marathon and they are indeed spectacular!! But I’ll never see that view unfortunately, so I have to appreciate it through the eyes of others.
[Reply]
Comment by Tammy Kauffman — August 2, 2009 @ 8:01 am
Hi Susan,
I enjoyed reading about your trip. I too got tired of the rain, but Alaska is even beautiful in the rain:-) At least you can try again next year for better weather. Not sure we will ever make it up here again. So sad. I don’t want to leave.
Dick and I enjoyed meeting you and Steve. Thanks so much for the great pictures of Cricket. As always, your pictures are the greatest.
Linda
[Reply]
susanstevenson Reply:
August 3rd, 2009 at 8:41 am
Hi Linda,
I’m sorry your time in AK has come to an end. It seems to have gone by so fast - I know it’s gone by quickly for you too.
It was pleasure for us to meet both of you too, and I’m glad we had time to spend together. I do hope you’ll have the opportunity to come back to Alaska someday (maybe in the winter?). You really need to see the Northern Lights.
Take care, and safe travels,
Susan
[Reply]
Comment by Linda Kauffman — August 2, 2009 @ 9:33 pm
Susan, again gorgeous photos. I especially like the fireweed and mountains. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing them.
[Reply]
susanstevenson Reply:
August 5th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Thank you Linda. There is so much beauty here. I do love the fireweed, but was a bit dismayed to see it’s pretty much at the top here in the Interior. Where did summer go?
[Reply]
Comment by Linda Douglass — August 5, 2009 @ 9:06 am
Love the Fireweed pictures and that store was a neat looking place.
[Reply]
susanstevenson Reply:
August 5th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
We didn’t spend too much time exploring Talkeetna this time. We were so beat, and the younger “partying” crowd was out that late. I couldn’t wait to get home.
That store is really cute. I’d have liked to have gone in and looked around.
[Reply]
Comment by Abby C. — August 5, 2009 @ 11:40 am
Hi Susan and Steve
We really do sympathize with you guys Having such a really great time and then all that rain does hit you all at once Just so happy that you stll could make a very wondeful trip out of it Then having all of that smoke sure didn’t help I’m sure you will be pretty much happier in getting back home
Yet Susan with everything that has happen You still are able to take some very wondeful pictures (as always) Just keep up the great work along with the Journal
Please take care Love you both John and Shirley
[Reply]
Comment by John & Shirley Strauser — August 5, 2009 @ 2:35 pm