Review Sapphire Princess and 7 Day Independent Land Tour

[LarryF]

OK, now I've been forced to add the Hope Hwy and Bean Creek Road to my itenerary, as well as the Boardwalk Cafe in Ninilchik!! Another FABULOUS review Larry!! :D

 

LOL! Just remember, a lot of things we did were spur of the moment and some of them panned out and some didn't. But the ones that do pan out are really special, so leave room in your itinerary so you have time to just let things happen!

 

Larry

[Tyrkitty]

Quite an adventure.

[cjnky]

lot of things we did were spur of the moment and some of them panned out and some didn't. But the ones that do pan out are really special, so leave room in your itinerary so you have time to just let things happen!

 

May be that's one reason I enjoy your reviews so much - DH is like you - and despite all the trip planning I do, our best adventures are his spur of the moment ideas to take a back road! :D Yes, there's always room in the itenerary to change it. ;)

[Solara]

Larry, Your land trip so far sounds so wonderful, wish we could have continued on with you and Amy. Maybe the next time. Donna

[flaglinda]

Larry , I can't wait to read the rest of your trip. Thank you for taking the time to put this all in writing for us . And your pictures are FANTASTIC!! The Mt Mc Kinley pics are wonderful. I was really excited to go ,but now the days can't pass fast enough. We are going on a cruisetour with princess on july 22 with southbound cruise on the island princess.Your information has been very helpful. Thanks again. Linda

[LarryF]

Larry, Your land trip so far sounds so wonderful, wish we could have continued on with you and Amy. Maybe the next time. Donna

 

Thanks Donna. The land portion of our trip was fantastic. We are definitly going to go back within 2 or 3 years...we'd love company!

 

Larry

[themerle]

Everyone is going to want to go with you and Amy!

[LarryF]

You're all welcome to come along on our next trip, but the cabin might be just a little crowded and I do snore pretty loud! LOL!

[bagelme]

Hi Larry,

Well you said at the dinner we shared (last dinner on the cruise :( that you were "thinking" of writing a review. Well....this is some review! What a wonderful job!

 

It has taken me this long to find this thread, as since being back to work, I've had little time to read the boards. All I can say is that this has helped me relive my wonderful trip. I spent all yesterday evening reading your review...quite a feat in one evening! ;) and then my husband and I looked at all the wonderful photos together. Thank you so much.

 

It was such a pleasure meeting you and Amy. I'm glad you had the great time you were hoping for.

[LarryF]

Thanks Pat...We enjoyed meeting you as well. I see you're taking another cruise to the Caribbean in October! I'm so jealous!!

 

Have a great time...

 

Larry

[LarryF]

Hey everyone,

 

I am sorry I don't have the next chapter ready yet, but I had to work most of the weekend. I've been working on it tonight, but probably won't have it completed and posted until sometime tomorrow.

 

So hang in there...

 

Larry

[cjnky]

:D Still "hanging in there" waiting Larry!! Shame on them making you work when we so anxiously await your reports!!;)

[Alaska surprise!]

Larry....Know what you mean about the busy weekends!! I cant believe you have found time to have written so much all ready...and you just got back too :) When you are done, you are going to have a wonderful memoir of your time in AK.

 

I wanted to let you know that I have copied and pasted everything you wrote so far into a word document and avidly read it....I gave it to my husband to read as he just left on a business trip to London....he is anxiously awaiting further chapters! We are leaving in August for our trip and if it is half as wonderful as yours has been, we will be so happy!!

 

sue

[LarryF]

Larry....Know what you mean about the busy weekends!! I cant believe you have found time to have written so much all ready...and you just got back too :) When you are done, you are going to have a wonderful memoir of your time in AK.

 

I wanted to let you know that I have copied and pasted everything you wrote so far into a word document and avidly read it....I gave it to my husband to read as he just left on a business trip to London....he is anxiously awaiting further chapters! We are leaving in August for our trip and if it is half as wonderful as yours has been, we will be so happy!!

 

sue

 

Thanks Sue...I surely will be done by the time you leave in August!:rolleyes:

 

I will defintely post the next chapter tonight. Just have few questions for Amy before I can finish it up...

 

Larry

[cjnky]

Larry, you're writing is like a novel I can't put down! Your hard work is definitely appreciated!:)

[LarryF]

Larry, you're writing is like a novel I can't put down! Your hard work is definitely appreciated!:)

 

Thanks so much...just for that I'll post my next chapter right after this post!

 

Larry

[LarryF]

Tuesday May 29, 2007

 

Today was our 30th wedding anniversary!:) This trip was our anniversary present to each other and I would have to say it’s the best present I ever had for any anniversary and Amy totally agrees!

 

We were up by 7:00 a.m. and I was anxious to get on the road as I had estimated we would be driving for about 6 hours from Coopers Landing to Chickaloon, which is about 75 miles northeast of Anchorage on the Glenn Highway. The weather was overcast this morning and cold with temperatures again in the low 40s.

 

We checked out of the Princess Lodge around 7:30 a.m., loaded the car with all our stuff again and made our way back to the Sterling Highway. One of the reasons I booked us at the Princess Lodge was because they had a special price of $99 for the month of May and it was well worth it! Also, I don’t know if I mentioned before, but we stayed in the Holiday Inn Express in Seward as we had Holiday Inn Points for the two nights! So our lodging for our first three nights of the land trip only cost us $33 per night!

 

We had noticed a little Inn and café when we first drove down the Sterling Highway on Monday and I made a mental note to stop there for breakfast when we headed back north. The name of the Inn is the Sunrise Inn, http://www.alaskasunriseinn.com, and is located at mile marker 45. There were a couple of other diners when we sat down. There was only one waitress and she was movin kinda slow at the junction (sorry it just came out that way). She didn’t appear to be a morning person (as in she was a little grouchy), but I put on all the southern charm I could muster and called her sugar and little by little she began to smile and perk up. Sometimes you just have to help someone to smile! :)

 

The breakfast was very good. I had eggs scrambled with smoked salmon and Amy had blueberry pancakes which she enjoyed very much. We both had hot chocolate with our meals. I definitely would recommend this restaurant for breakfast. The cost of the meal was $17 including the tip.

 

We got back on the road about 8:30 a.m. and turned north on the Seward Highway. I considered going back to Portage Glacier since we missed it on the way down because of the bad weather, but the weather today was not much better so we kept on going. We decided to go to the Alyeska Resort. To get to the Resort you turn right on to the Alyeska Highway at mile marker 90 off the Seward Highway. The Alyeska Hwy. is only 3 miles long and dead ends at the Resort. We arrived there about 9:30 a.m. and found out the Tram to the top of the mountain was not running until 10:30 a.m. Since it was still very cloudy we determined we most likely would not be able to see the beautiful views, so we decided to forego the tram and get back on the road. We walked around for a while and thought it was a very nice Resort.

 

We stopped at the Beluga Point turnoff for one last look at Turnagain Arm. The weather had improved a little and the views were so much nicer than they had been on our drive to Seward on Saturday. We climbed down an embankment from the parking area on to a gravel area and walked along the railroad tracks and over to some rocks that were closer to the water. There was also a large rock formation that jutted up in front of the water that was about 20 or 30 feet high. I had seen some other people sitting on the rock in a picture I found on-line, so I just had to climb up there so I could have my own Kodak moment! There is a little trail you can climb to get up there and it’s not very difficult at all.

 

Amy was an excellent navigator as she used the Milepost to get us through Anchorage without us getting lost! The Seward Highway is also known as Highway 1 and as you arrive in Anchorage the highway turns into a surface road through Anchorage and then turns back into Highway 1 on the north side of Anchorage; however, the name of the highway changes at this point to the Glenn Highway. The highway continues northward and the turnoff to get on the Parks Highway (Highway 3) is at mile marker 38.8 off the Glenn Highway; however, we continued on the Glenn Highway and stopped in Palmer which begins at mile marker 42.

 

The weather had now improved immensely with mostly sunny skies and the temperatures had warmed up well into the 50’s. Palmer was a very picturesque town located in the Mat-Su Valley. It’s referred to as the Mat-Su Valley because it sits in the middle of the Matunuska and Sustina Valleys. There was a charming downtown area with a number of shops and restaurants.

 

We decided to stop for a while to stretch or legs and get some information about the area. We went to the Visitor Center which is located in a pretty log cabin right across the street from the public library. There they had lots of brochures and information about the area and the two women working that day were very friendly and gave us lots of great information. They have free hot chocolate, coffee and apple cider and the apple cider really hit the spot for me.

 

I had obsessed for months about driving the Hatcher Pass Road. I had learned on this board that we would only be able to drive the 17 mile paved road up to the Hatcher Pass Lodge. One of the women provided us a very easy map to get to Hatcher Pass and I didn’t realize how close Hatcher Pass actually was to Palmer.

 

We left the visitor center and got back on the Glenn Highway and drove to Hatcher Pass. We drove 7 miles north to mile marker 49.5 and turned left on Palmer Fishhook Road which dead ends at Hatch Pass Road. As we began or ascent up this incredible mind boggling road, it occurred to me that if this was what it looked like going up to the Pearly Gates, that would be just fine with me!

 

The paved road winds it way back and forth up steep switch backs with 360 degree breath taking views everywhere you look. The pavement ends in a large parking area and dead ends at a small security gate where the road turns to gravel for the next thirty something miles until it connects with the Parks Highway near Wasilla. The gate was closed and usually opens between mid June and July 1.

 

While doing my research about the Hatcher Pass Road, I was always overwhelmed by the pictures of this massive alpine area that just dwarfed the Hatcher Lodge and other dwellings in the area. As great as those pictures were, nothing could have prepared me for the real thing. As you know, I’m usually not short for words, but I just cannot find the words to describe the vastness and beauty of this incredible place. Sometimes I think God created most of the earth in 5 days and he saved the 6th day to place little pieces of heaven in different locations around the world. If that’s so I think Hatcher Pass is one of those little pieces of heaven on earth. ;)

 

The temperature had dropped significantly and there was a steady breeze that made it feel colder. Neither the Hatcher Pass Lodge nor the mine was open yet and there were only a few cars parked in the lot. We saw a few people hiking beyond the gate on the snowy gravel road and they looked like tiny specs below the surrounding massive snow covered mountains. We would have liked to stay here for hours, but the ride had made Amy a little nauseous so we only stayed for about 20 or 30 minutes. Even though Amy didn’t feel 100%, she said she thought the views of Hatcher Pass were the most incredible sights she had seen the entire trip!

 

We backtracked our way to Palmer to have lunch. It was close to 1:00 p.m. and we stopped at the first place we saw. The name of the restaurant was the Vagabond. It was a health food type café that served sandwiches, salads and wraps. Most of the items were vegetarian, but hey did have turkey. It would not be my first choice, but we were hungry and didn’t want to look for another place. We ordered from a counter and they called our name to come pick our food up when it was ready. Amy had a pasta salad and I had a black bean and cheese wrap. Amy enjoyed her salad and my bean wrap was ok, but as you know, I am much more of a cheeseburger kind of guy! The cost of the meal was $13, so it was a very good value especially if you’re a vegetarian.

 

Chickaloon is about 35 miles north of Palmer and it took us about 45 minutes to get there. The reason for our visit to Chickaloon was because we were going to Ice Trek on Matanuska Glacier which is located about 25 miles north of Chickaloon. I had come across a B&B on-line named Castle Mountain B&B, http://www.castlemountainb-b.com, at some point in my research. Their website was really nice and the pictures of the B&B intrigued me. I could not find anyone on-line that had ever stayed there and most people recommended Sheep Mountain Lodge. I struggled with where to stay, but eventually I went with my gut and decided to make a reservation at Castle Mountain.

 

The turnoff for Castle Mountain B&B is located at mile marker 77.6 off the Glenn Highway. From there it is about 2 miles through a wooded area and as we drove along this bumpy gravel road in the middle of nowhere, Amy started to give me funny looks! I began to have my own doubts when we finally came to a clearing and saw two beautiful large houses made from logs that were separated by an air strip. We drove up to the largest house which had 3 airplanes parked on the property. Our arrival was announced by a loud barking dog who we found out shortly was named Radar. A woman came outside and said in a real friendly voice, “you must be Amy and Larry”, and I knew right then that I had made a good choice. The woman’s name was Corrie and she was a great hostess! I had spoken to her several times during my planning stages and she was always very kind.

 

She told us we were early, but it was no problem and our “house” was all clean and ready for us. There is a house across the airfield from her house that has 3 bedrooms, living room, dining room and 1 bathroom. The house is very open and decorated in a homey relaxed style. It had a nice stereo with a good selection of mostly classical music and had no television, which was actually very nice. Most of the walls were adorned with very unique and pretty quilts made by a local artist and were for sale.

 

Corrie told us another couple was supposed to be at the house, but they had canceled and we had the entire house to ourselves. I didn’t realize the house only had 1 bathroom and was really relieved to here we would not have to share it! The house was very pretty and had a large deck with a gorgeous view of King Mountain. Corrie showed us all around the house and how to work everything. She had water, sodas, coffee and snacks in the kitchen for the taking. She told us she would come back in the morning around 7:00 a.m. to cook breakfast for us and we should plan on eating and leaving by 8:30 a.m. in order to make our 10:30 a.m. scheduled Ice Trek expedition.

 

We brought all our stuff in from the car and decided to take a trial run to the Glacier even though we were going back up that way for dinner later in the evening. In all my research, nothing had prepared me for the 25 mile drive from Chickaloon to Matanuska Glacier. In fact I had just never read or thought about what the drive would be like. Alaska just continued to amaze me, as once you thought you had seen it all, more and more just keeps coming at you! The drive is 25 miles of winding narrow roads with hairpin turns that kept twisting up and down the mountain! The scenery was just magnificent and it reminded me of past drives I’ve taken through the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains, but on steroids! :eek: I had to watch the road carefully because the road zig zagged so much and there were many shoulders without guard rails. We pulled off the road frequently just to marvel at the vast scenery.

 

There is a major road construction project going on between mile marker 92 and mile marker 97 with only one lane open. So they alternate use of the road and there can be delays up to 30 minutes. We drove this road roundtrip 3 times and had to wait about 10 to 15 minutes each time. We never minded waiting at all as the scenery is so incredible we just enjoyed the views while we waited.

 

The Matanuska Glacier turnoff is located at mile marker 101 and our tour company, MICA Guides, was located about a mile north of the turnoff. Satisfied with how much time we should allow for the drive back up tomorrow, we turned around and drove back to the B&B enjoying the scenery just as much as on the way up. While we waited at mile marker 97 for our turn to go forward, I chatted with the worker holding the stop sign and asked if she got tired from standing there all day and she told me there was no way you could tired with all the gorgeous scenery surrounding her. She also said she saw moose and black bear on several occasions.

 

At my request, Corrie had made 7:30 p.m. dinner reservations for us at the Sheep’s Mountain Lodge Restaurant. Sheep Mountain Lodge is 10 miles north of Matanuska Glacier, so when we returned to the B&B around 5:30 p.m., I knew it was kind of stupid for us to make the test drive to the Glacier since we would be going that same way for dinner. But the drive was so magnificent we really didn’t mind having to retrace our steps.

 

So we relaxed for about an hour, then drove back past Matsnuska Glacier to Sheep Mountain Lodge, http://www.sheepmountainlodge.com., for dinner. As I mentioned before, today was Amy’s and my 30th wedding anniversary. I had read that the Restaurant was very good and hoped that it would live up to its reputation for our anniversary dinner. And indeed it did.

 

We really enjoyed our dining experience at Sheep Mountain. The restaurant was in a log cabin structure and had about 10 tables in total. The walls were adorned with pictures of the owner’s winning Iditarod sled dogs! The restaurant was very cozy, unpretentious and had the best food we had had the entire trip. Amy had Grilled Salmon on top a yummy Rice Pilaf. She really enjoyed this meal and while she had eaten salmon about a gazillion times on the trip, this was her favorite. I had a Hungarian mushroom soup that was very delicious and I had a New York Strip that was one of the tastiest Strips I can remember. Also, their sourdough break was very good. We had a berry cobbler smothered in ice cream for dessert which we demolished! It was just the perfect meal to celebrate our anniversary!

 

We left the Lodge around 9:30 p.m. to drive back to our B&B in Chickaloon and I still could not get used to the fact that it was still broad daylight outside! We made it back around 10:30 p.m. We made some coffee and took it outside on the deck and sat and watched the beautiful views as the skies turned to twilight and you actually could see a couple of stars. A few moments later a moose came running across the airfield right in front of us…another nice anniversary present!

 

After relaxing for a while, we toasted each other with our coffee cups and gave each other an anniversary kiss and told each other, “I love you”, and we called it a night…:D

 

To be continued...

[NancyIL]

Larry - thank you for another wonderful installment! We also stopped for a meal at Sheep Mountain Lodge - ours being lunch. We enjoyed our food very much, and the service was excellent. We opted not to detour to Hatcher Pass, so we'll do that the next time we're there.

[cjnky]

I didn't think you could get any better Larry - but this has to be your best yet!! You started me off with giggles:

She didn’t appear to be a morning person (as in she was a little grouchy), but I put on all the southern charm I could muster and called her sugar and little by little she began to smile and perk up.

I was debating on Hatcher Pass, but you've convinced me on that one!

 

This forum has kept my excitement up for the last year - but NOTHING like your reports have! Belated VERY HAPPY ANNIVERSARY WISHES, and now I can't wait to see where we're headed next! :D

[ecpc1302]

Dear Larry,

You are a genius, don't stop writing. We are staying in Wasilla the night before our trek on Matanuska Glacier. How long do you estimate it will take us to drive there? Will we be going through Chikaloon? Our trek is at 2 pm with MICA guides and I was hoping to stop at the Independence Mine for about an hour on the way to the glacier. I value your opinion on this. Thank you.

Elsie:cool:

[mulecruizer]

I so much enjoyed your page. We are sailing back to back on the sapphire on July 14 and 21. I had already booked the misty fjords with shona at Island wings. Going to try to rent a car for skagway what a great review!!!

 

Your pictures were excellent and I really enjoyed the slide show... so if you don't mind what do you do (or did you do) for a living you have such a gift for writing and pictures.

 

did you ever try the fresh fruit sorbets? They are my favorites!!

[qiangf2]

Larry, by the time you finish all the installments, I would suggest to compile them into one big article and re-post it again. This will be classical textbook reading material for every alaska cruiser, new or veteran! again, thanks for another wonderful chapter well done!

[LarryF]

Thanks for your kind words everyone. I'm enjoying my 15 minutes of fame! LOL...

 

Elsie, It's about 75 to 80 miles from Wasilla to Matanuska Glacier. If you drive it straight through it will probably take about 1.5 - 2 hours, but you need to allow 30 minutes more for the construction delay at mile marker 92. Also you need to be at MICA guides 30 minutes before your expedition.

 

You probably should leave Wasilla about 8 - 8:30 a.m. to give yourself plenty of time for Hatacher Pass and lunch..

 

We loved the ice trekking...I'll be writing about our time on the Glacier today or tomorrow...

 

Mulecruizer - I am very actively employed and can only dream about retirement right now! I am a partner and VP of sales in a hospitality service company that provides audio visual equipment and services for meetings, conventions as well as concerts and other large extravaganzas. I've always had a knack for telling stories; I think I got it from my father.

 

I never tried the sorbets since there was always the option for Ice Cream!

 

GiangF2 - I was planning to do a little editing and put the chapters together. I'm just not sure if this site will let me place such a large amount on information on one page...but I will try.

 

Thanks everyone,

 

Larry

[ecpc1302]

Thank you Larry!

Elsie:cool:

[Jebbear]

Larry,

The waiting is similar to waiting for J K Rowling's next book! We are cruising right along with your reviews and anxiously awaiting our cruise on the Diamond in August.