EMED2010

Tuesday, August 18, 2015 – Independence Mine / Talkeetna / Denali

We were staying for two nights at McKinley Creekside. I had booked a twin cabins which shared a front porch overlooking the creek, or so I thought. Apparently when you book online it does not necessarily link your reservations. So cabins 8/9 shared and 10/11 shared. We got 9 and Jennifer and Kenny got 11. We tried to get this corrected but they were booked. They said that cabin 8 would become available tomorrow and that they could move Jennifer & Kenny while we were in the park. We settled for that. By the time we checked in, it was around 6:30. I had wanted to go up to the park to get our shuttle tickets so we wouldn’t have to wait in line in the morning. We had tickets for the 7:30AM shuttle. The Parks road is under construction; in fact it was down to the dirt in some places. The construction was going on from 7:00PM to 7:00AM so we knew we would get stuck in it in the morning. We got to the Wilderness Access Center where you get the tickets and I picked them up. Then we went to Glitter Gulch for gas and to get supplies for our lunch in the morning. We got stuck in the traffic on the way back.

Once we were back, we unpacked and went to the McKinley Creekside Café for dinner. This was so convenient and the food was really good. They had halibut, salmon, steaks, pasta and homemade breads and desserts. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and are open at 6:00AM so you can eat before you head into the park.

Doug putting beer in the creek to cool them.

This was taken around 10:15PM.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015 – Independence Mine / Talkeetna / Denali

After lunch, we did a little shopping, got some homemade ice cream and then headed back to Parks Road to continue to Denali.

We were hoping to be one of the 20 percent of people to see Denali. We did have three days to do so. Today, driving in; tomorrow in the park or Thursday driving back to Anchorage. Here is today’s view.

The views along the way were of course beautiful.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015 – Independence Mine / Talkeetna / Denali

My plan was to have lunch in Talkeetna which is about a 20 minute detour off the Parks Road. I had always loved the show Northern Exposure and knew the town of Cicely was based off of Talkeetna so I definitely wanted to see this quirky little town.

We had lunch at the Wildflower Café. This is a place I would highly recommend. The food was delicious! The sun came out a bit while we were here and we were able to sit outside under umbrellas.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015 – Independence Mine / Talkeetna / Denali

I already knew when we went to the mine that I wanted to travel over the Hatcher Pass road through to Willow. Although it is a dirt road, it is well maintained and very scenic. I would have to recommend not missing it. We all loved this road.

When we arrived where this road meets the Parks Road in Willow, you could see all the fire damage and why the road was closed during that time.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015 – Independence Mine / Talkeetna / Denali

There were signs in front of all the buildings to tell you what everything was.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015 – Independence Mine / Talkeetna / Denali

And now back to our regularly scheduled review.

We got up and showered while Kenny made us a wonderful breakfast of eggs and reindeer sausage. We packed up to begin our journey to Denali with a few detours on the way. We were headed to Independence Mine State Historical Park. And it was raining again. Did you think I would say something different?

The scenery along the way to the mine was gorgeous, although what in Alaska isn’t?

They had an unmanned area to pay $5.00 to park and put in an envelope along with the standard outhouse type bathrooms.

Thank you for all of your review and pictures and tips. We had decided to take the Alaska cruise but you really made us want to go.

 

Thanks for the info on where you got the clothing. I just have one question. Where did you get the bear had? For some reason I just love that hat. I definitely need to get one. I may only be able to wear it on that cruise but it just really tickled me.

 

Sherry

It's a Siberian husky hat, not a bear:D. I ordered it from eBay last winter. I love wearing it in the winter when I walk my Siberian Husky.

i am also looking to book in May 16 and wonder what kind of weather to get?

From everything I've read, I believe it is a lot colder in May.

I finally have the time to catch up and wanted to thank you for your thorough review and gorgeous photos! Really appreciate the time you have taken. [emoji4]

Thanks! It's fun to relieve it all.

Beautiful review. I may have missed it, but could you give some recommendations as to brand of rainwear and how much you needed to layer?

Booked for May 2016 and your pictures make me want to go now!

I believe you will have colder weather in May so temperature wise I can't say. I always wore a base layer of a tank top underneath long sleeve tees. I hate bulk and not being able to move. I'm also not fond of turtlenecks but you will see my sister-in-law wore them a lot. She also had nice rain pants by Columbia that she got at Bass Pro Shops. She wore them for the dog sledding and fishing and they kept her dry. I wish I would have gotten them. She also had a nice pair of waterproof hiking boots from Columbia as well. She had a fluffy parka which roles up into a little ball and packed into a small drawstring bag that was regally nice.

I started collecting clothes for the trip after I booked so I didn't have to spend it all at the same time. I actually bought everything online. NorthFace 3-way jacket. You can wear it altogether or just wear either layer, fleece or waterproof outer by itself. My jacket was a previous season so it was a little cheaper. I got a pair of waterproof sneakers by Keen from Zulilly. The waterproof rain boots were by Kamick and they worked great. I ordered them from Amazon.

It all depends on what is comfortable for you but I highly recommend waterproof.

This review is wonderful. The pictures are beautiful!

Thank you!

Great review and beautiful pics!

Thanks!

Thank you for your response. We already contacted them and waiting to book. I'm a train collector and have a White Pass and Yukon Engine for my model trains so it will be fun to actually ride the train.:D

If the model isn't too big, you should bring it with you. It would make a nice photo opp.

When you were in Juneau which company did you use for the Dog sled? This review is really wonderful as I have already requested bookings with all the same companies. Did you hear anything about the White Pass and Yukon Railroad when you were in Skagway?

Thank You for your response. Paul

We used Coastal Helicopters. The railroad sounded great. The only reason I didn't book it was that I wanted to spend some time at Emerald Lake. If we ever return to Skagway, I would book the train ride to try it out.

INTERLUDE: While going over the beginning of my review, I found something that broke my little OCD heart. I have missed an entire post from the dogsledding on my Juneau day. Between post #38 where we landed and post #39 where we met the puppies, there was supposed to be a post with pictures from the dogsledding and meeting the dogs and seeing the sleds. Since I want this review to be complete, I am going to add that post here even though the fact that it is out of chronological order drives me crazy! I will change the font color of this post to show that it doesn’t belong. So consider the following post to be #38 ½.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015 – Juneau

When we landed, we were told to follow the roped pathway. They divided us into groups of three. Doug and I went to the sled to the left and Jennifer, Kenny and the Norwegian went to the right. They pulled a young boy from another group to go with us. I chose the first seat because I wanted to get good pictures, Doug sat behind me and the musher stood behind him. Then there was a rope with another seat where you had the choice to sit or stand. The boy stood. The seats were wood and since it was still pouring, they were soaked. I chose not to invest in rain pants before I left and had on jeans. Word of advice: BUY RAINPANTS. There is nothing like sitting down in a seat that you know is wet and being instantly soaked. Oh and it was pretty darn cold there too. I think high 30’s low 40’s. My inappropriate gloves were soaked and useless. BUT…I had the best time ever! It was so much fun. The dogs were excited, but other than that there was a peaceful stillness that is hard to explain.

They stopped twice to give the dogs a break. The first time, we were introduced to the dogs.

Hey, great review and pictures. Will be goin to Alaska next week, on Rcl Jewel Ots. Can't wait. When your ship was docked in Juneau, was it next to Tracy's Crab Shack, and was it crowded? The Jewel is due in Juneau on Sept 13 at noon til 9 p.m. Thanks.

 

Virginia

Yes and yes. If you look at the picture of Tracy's you can see the ship right behind it. You stand in line to give your food order and pay. They give you a number but you have to find a seat and then they call your name out and deliver. Then right across is where you can get your drinks. It seemed to move quickly.

Just found your review and am all caught up. The Med was our first cruise in 2010 and we had the best time ever. I'm really enjoying your review and your pictures are beautiful. I'm looking forward to more.

Really enjoying your review. Thanks for taking the time to write it. As many others have said, reading along and seeing your pics makes me more excited for our cruise next Aug.

 

Wondering how you found The Breeze Inn, in Seward. We plan on staying in Seward for 2 nights before our southbound cruise and are trying to decide right now on where to book. Your insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thx :)

Thanks! I lived off of other people's reviews when I was planning so I wanted to give back.

The Breeze Inn was nice. It's a typical motel set up. Our room was newly refurbished and a nice size. I would have had no problem staying there for an extended day and would stay there again if I came back to Seward. One of the nice things is that there were lots of restaurants within walking distance and if you are going on any boating excursions you can walk there as well.

You continue to delight us with your informative posts and spectacular pictures. I wish we had time after our planned cruise next year to have a land trip, but due to work commitments we can't. Meantime we are enjoying your trip with you. Our weather here in the north of Scotland looks like yours in Alaksa , ite cold wet and miserable.

Continue to enjoy your trip, best wishes to you all, Jean.:)

Ooh Scotland! That's in my top five bucket list. I'm hoping we can get there within the next five years.

I'm glad you're enjoying it. I have some really pretty Denali pictures.:)

Monday, August 17, 2015 – Turnagain Arm / Palmer

There was one more stop I wanted to make before we went to our bed & breakfast. I wanted to stop in Wasilla and see the Iditarod Headquarters. I knew they were supposed to have puppies!

We went in and the girl told us she has just started a film so we went in and got seats. It was an interesting film and was about 20 minutes. Afterward we looked around at the trophies and pictures that they had.

We also got a few things in the giftshop. I asked where the puppies were because I had seen cages outside but they were empty. She said the dogs had not been there and all sled rides had been canceled for the last two days because of the rain. It had made the ground too muddy.

We continued on to Palmer where we would be staying at Alaska Garden Gate Bed & Breakfast. Or so we thought. When we arrived, there were a lot of buildings so the guys waited in the car and Jennifer and I looked for the office. We had rented the only two king bedroom/two bath apartment that this place had. First, it was a cost savings. The split price of this one room was less than getting two separate rooms. Second, we thought it would be fun to have a shared living room to kick back and relax that evening. This was a beautiful looking place and most of the building looked new. The girl at the office asked our names and when we told her she said to wait a minute she was going to get the owner. Okay. I didn’t say anything to Jennifer but I had a feeling something was up. When the owner got there, she said there was a problem with our room. The previous occupants were still in it because the man and broken his ankle and was getting surgery. She said we had several options. We could either take two separate rooms and she would charge us the same amount or there was another B&B that we could stay at where we would have the same set up. We decided to look at the two rooms she had. Well the first room she showed us was a separate building with a kind bed, garden tub, shower, separate tiny two person sitting room. Really nice but no room for guests to sit. The second room she showed us was way down a path away from this one but in the basement of their own home. This one had a bedroom with a queen bed plus bunk bed with no windows and very small. It had a living room that we could have all fit in but who wanted that bedroom. The other thing was, you could hear people walking around above. We decided to let her take us to this other B&B. She drove in car and we followed and the other place was about 15 minutes away. The owner was supposed to leave the key outside and she was away at dinner. The key was not there, we all looked. Our B&B owner made several calls. We are all standing in the rain searching for this key. Finally we get through and she gives us a lock box code to get into the maids building where the key was – not outside like she said. We go and look and really at this point, I was ready to stay in the car. The place was nice; we got it for the same price so we thanked her and moved our stuff in. The new place was called Alaska Adventures Unlimited Chalets. Apparently they do tours as well.

We were really hungry by now because it was around 8:30 or so. While the guys were in the car waiting for us at the first place, they were looking for a place to eat. They said they found a sports bar they wanted to try because they were looking for preseason football. We found this place in Wasilla and it was pretty much a dive. The food was okay but Jennifer and I agreed that it was the first and last time the guys picked a restaurant.

We stopped at store on the way back for some supplies. The B&B we were staying at provided eggs, milk, muffins, bagels, cereal, etc. in the refrigerator but we wanted to get some reindeer sausage. We headed back to our new home for the night. We lit a fire and watched some TV and Kenny made us some coffee. They had a grinder and all kinds of coffee syrups. Tomorrow we would have a nice breakfast together in the cabin and then head for Denali with stops at Independence Mine and Talkeetna.

Monday, August 17, 2015 – Turnagain Arm / Palmer

I had picked the Moose’s Tooth for our lunch stop. It had good reviews and all the choices of wood fired pizzas sounded good. It was crowded even though it was around 3:30 and we had to wait. I took the opportunity to go outside and call my son to wish him happy birthday. I promised to bake a homemade cake as soon as I was back.

It was really good pizza. Everyone got something different. It was also a brew pub so they had many beers to choose from.

Monday, August 17, 2015 – Turnagain Arm / Palmer

I don’t know if they only had one bear but that’s all we saw and he was in a pond of all places chewing on a bone. Doug said he was probably eating the last tourist who climbed the fence.

Then we went to look at the Wood Bison or what we call Buffalo. Apparently the Wood Bison in Alaska are bigger than the Plains Bison found in the lower 48. They may be meaner too judging from our experience. We saw three babies and we wanted to get their pictures. Jennifer and I got out of the car but the boys stayed in. There was a little grassy incline and a small flat area next to the fence. The babies were just passing by and I was lining up my camera so I could shoot between the wire squares of the fence and not get a line when I heard Jennifer scream. I glanced up and a bull was charging the fence straight at us. I scrambled backwards and feet got no traction on the wet grass. I fell on my butt into a mud puddle luckily still holding tight to my good camera. The bull tapped the fence and ran off. Jennifer snapped the most amazing picture on her iPhone.

Boy, were we scared. There were other people standing to the left of where this happened and they couldn’t believe it. We did nothing to antagonize the animal so it was really shocking. I am always one that shakes their head in amazement when you see the stupid people getting out of their cars in Yellowstone. I think he was trying to scare us because he thought we were too close to the babies. It made for an unforgettable experience. Here is a picture I took after the fact of the cranky bull. Sorry it’s blurry but my hands were still shaking. I personally think the fence is a little flimsy for something with that power.

After that excitement, we continued onto the other animals. This is a really nice place, especially if you have kids. We continued on down the Turnagain Arm and everyone was getting hungry. We were trying to plan it to eat lunch in Anchorage.

Monday, August 17, 2015 – Turnagain Arm / Palmer

Today I a bit melancholy because it was my oldest son’s 25th birthday and I was not there. Believe me, I was WAY more upset than he was! When we were at dinner at Gwin’s the night before, we saw that they served breakfast. The other three are big breakfast eaters so the continental breakfast at The Hutch did not cut it for them. They planned on going back to Gwin’s. I just didn’t want that much food so I told them to go without me. I ran downstairs and got a coffee, half a muffin and some applesauce and I was good. Then I downloaded some pictures, showered and packed up. By that time the others were back and we checked out and were on our way.

I had really been looking forward to driving up the Turnagain Arm because I had seen a lot of pictures and read reviews where everyone said how beautiful it was. In fact, it is supposed to be one of the most scenic roads in Alaska. Well, it was RAINING again and a bit foggy so visibility was poor. We did not have the views I was hoping for.

I had thought about stopping along the way at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Since we couldn’t see much of the scenery, this seemed like a good idea and everyone wanted to do it. We figured we could at least see a grizzly bear in case we didn’t see any in Denali. You could walk around the center or drive your car from spot to spot and either roll the window down or get out. We chose to drive around since it was raining. We would get out at each area to take photos.

Sunday, August 16, 2015 – Cooper Landing

Jennifer is the queen! She caught two of these right in a row (plus the one in the beginning).

This was such a fun day. I would definitely do this all over again. It was fun, the scenery was beautiful and you got quite a bit of a workout. I was beat when we got back. Heather picked us up at the end and they hooked up the boat and we drove back to their building. We walked back to The Hutch. It was time for a nice hot shower. Then we were really hungry because we only snacked on the boat. Kenny was feeling better by this time so we all went to dinner at Gwin’s Lodge. It was a rustic place with good food. When we got back it was still early. We decided to watch a movie and play cards.

The majority of The Hutch is a three story log cabin. There are rooms on every floor. They also have some other buildings but since we got there late the one night and fished all day and the rain, we didn’t really explore much. We were on the third floor and Jennifer and Kenny were on the second, right underneath us. All floors had a shared common area with a refrigerator and TV. You could borrow DVD’s and VHS from the main office because the TV’s (there are none in your room) did not appear to have cable. We had a nice evening playing cards, drinking wine and watching the movie. Tomorrow we would be driving up the Turnagain Arm and heading for Palmer where we would spend the night.

Sunday, August 16, 2015 – Cooper Landing

My view on the way back from the “facilities”. The color of this river is just incredible.

Jennifer caught a Dolly Varden.

We all caught different size trout and Dolly Vardens while in the boat. John started showing us how to fly fish since none of us had ever did that. It was a lot of fun! Doug and Jennifer picked up on it right away. I struggled. Finally John said he would show me the way little kids do it. He told me to pretend I was a Jedi and swing the pole like a light saber. And guess what? It worked!

Then Doug caught one.

John is a blast. He has a great sense of humor and gets so excited when anyone catches a fish. He is very encouraging and would be great for any group. He is very gentle with the fish and makes sure they get back into the water safely.