Alaska with the Stocks 2009

Day 55 part 3

More photos.

July 17, 2009 Day 56 Anchorage, AK

We said a sad good-bye to Williwaw on an overcast morning. We drove right by Girdwood since we wouldn't be able to see through the clouds if we took the tram to the top.  Maybe we'll return.  We had "swivel neck", looking for birds on the mudflats on our left and for moose in the lush green foliage on our right. We saw one bald eagle chasing a kittiwake.  On our last cruise, we learned that bald eagles will kill kittiwakes.  When a bald eagle is nearby, all the kittiwakes fly in haphazard patterns, trying to confuse the eagle.  This kittiwake was all by himself.  I hope he survived.
We arrived in Anchorage and checked the weather report. It said we'd be having 4 days of rain starting on Sunday, so we set out to see our outdoor sights.  We went to the Botanical Garden ($5 donation requested).  I did see several plants that were new to me, but this is a "B" attraction.  I so admire the Alaskans and their ingenuity.  After WWII, they had this area by the airport where they had established paths when they practiced how to drive tanks and jeeps.  Since paths were already in, they decided to put in a botanical garden.
We needed groceries, since Portage doesn't have any stores-not even a market or gas station.  So we did "must do's". In the evening we went through about 100 pictures, savoring the last 3 days, trying to choose just a few to post, and reliving the moments.  Hours flew by!

Miles driven 51.

Overnighted at:  Golden Nugget RV Park, $45, FHU, 30 AMPS, TV svs, good WIFI.

High Temp:  High 60's, overcast burned off somewhat in the afternoon

July 18, 2009 Day 57 Anchorage, AK

We were anxious to do our outdoor activities before the rain comes, so we started early when the Saturday market opened.  They had huge vegetables, beautiful wildlife photographs, jewelry, handmade crafts, and entertainment.  You do have to be careful, however.  They had a leather purse just like the one I was carrying, made in the Lower 48, for $10 more.  We saw delicious food and drank fresh lemonade, but everything was expensive.  We spent two hours there, most of it viewing photographs.  We bought two photographs and one cat bed-Sherlock had outgrown his old one.
We had planned to go to the Native Heritage Center, but it was too late.  Parks here don't close until around 10:00, so we went to the Visitors' Center to learn more about the handicapped-accessible trails. The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail is approximately 15 miles long. We spent about 1.5 hours on it, seeing little wildlife on the mudflats, just a few ducks, but seeing lots of bicyclists (age 3-70+), in-line skaters, fast runners, joggers, and walkers.  In talking with one couple about where the trail exited, I learned that Kincaid Park has many moose.  Hmmm...  The seed of an idea was planted.
We had only eaten one lumpia (Philippine egg roll) since breakfast, so we were hungry. The Lucky Wishbone, a pan-fried chicken restaurant which was  highly recommended to me, was not too far away (nothing really is, Anchorage is not very large). The owner, George Brown, who started the caf? 55 years ago still works there shaking customers' hands, bussing tables, carrying large tubs of dirty dishes, and serving customers ice water.  He is 87.5 years old, and makes me feel guilty for retiring when I was only 60.  Oh, and he flies an airplane in his spare time!  The restaurant was packed with 102+ customers, not one empty seat, and had a very active drive-through.  But, no one waited long because every employee, even George, really hustles.  They served hamburgers, halibut sandwiches, malts (when did you last see a malt?), strawberry shortcake with homemade old-fashioned buttermilk biscuits, and sundaes with 10 different toppings.  Even in a bad economy, and everyone says it's especially bad up here, the old-fashioned values of hard work and producing a good product at a reasonable price still work.
My tummy was full, but my soul wasn't.  I talked Dean into going moose hunting in Kincaid Park.  We were only going 10-15 mph, looking left and right, when Dean said, "Look behind us!"  A mama moose and her calf were following right behind our Jeep.  We pulled over to the side of the road and stopped, and they slowly came alongside.  Wow!  I hope the pictures come out good.  I was so excited that my hands were shaking!  They stayed for a few minutes before going off into the forest.  It was the same exhilaration I felt when we got to see the bald eagles close up in the wild.

Interesting & Sad Fact:  Mr. Whitekeys Fat Whale Follies at the Fly By Night Club has closed.  Too bad because it was supposed to be hilarious.

Overnighted at:  Golden Nugget RV Park.

High Temp:  65?F, mostly overcast, tried to rain but didn't succeed

Li nda and Dean,

You just can't imagine how much I am enjoying your travels.  The crusies you took and enjoyed , we saw in the fog and rain.  Recall we a went to Alaska summer of 2006 which was their wettest winter on record.  Your photos and exeriences  make me certain we will make a return trip to Alaska  health and budget willing! Keep the  stories coming!

Betty

July 19, 2009 Day 58 Anchorage

We slept well with the rain gently falling all night.  Rain during the day gave us a chance to do chores and plan the future.  We are hopeful that the rain will put out the fires in Denali to help the firefighters and give us clearer skies to see "The Big One", Mt. McKinley.  We know that we have been so fortunate to have great weather.  Tonight on the news they said we've had 18 consecutive days with no rain, the longest dry spell since 1938 and second longest in all of their records since they started keeping track.  We did go to Costco when we had a brief recess from the rain.

Temperatures:  High of 65?F, Low of 52?F, rain most of the day, with about 3 hours of mist in the afternoon.

July 20, 2009 Day 59 Anchorage

We went to sleep with rain on our roof and woke up with rain on our roof. It was clearing pretty well by noon, so we went to the Wells Fargo Alaska Heritage Museum (only open 12-5, M-F).  They had many interesting exhibits of high quality, although it is a small museum. The curator had an excellent background and was very knowledgeable, answering many questions with detailed answers.  We really enjoyed this museum, and we stayed over 2 hours.
We then went to the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts to see "Aurora", $8.75 buy one/get one free.  They had a film about the aurora borealis, but it wasn't very good.  We were both disappointed.
But, Humpy's happened to be right across the street.  Every time I asked locals where to get the best Alaskan king crab, they recommended this alehouse.  I've eaten crab dinners about 6 times, but never Alaskan King Crab.  I was determined to have Alaskan king crab while I was here, and Humpy's didn't disappoint.  I ordered their smallest portion, 1 pound, and nothing else-no rice, salad, etc., and it was $28-and well worth it. Dean was also pleased with his halibut and chips.  My crab came up a little after Dean's dinner, and the waiter felt so bad, he offered me free dessert. I had their delicious bread pudding with an extraordinary whiskey sauce, and it was wonderful.  It was such a large portion that I brought half home.
We finished our evening with a trip to Earthquake Park and the end of Northern Lights Rd., where I'd heard we might see moose.  And we did see one!  Now Dean is really getting into moose hunting, and he wants to see a bull moose. 

Weather:  High of 66?F, rain all morning, we're seeing some

Linda:

We stayed in Centennial Park, a city campground there in Anchorage and every night a cow moose and her calves would come around to entertain us.

July 21, 2009 Day 60 Anchorage

The rain persists, but it is kind enough to give us a clear window from noon to eight or nine, so today we went to all the art galleries along G Street.  We were extremely attracted to the oil paintings of Steven Gordon when we were at a state show in Homer, but the only place his work is on display is at Artique in Anchorage.  They had 6 of his works, which were excellent, but not jaw-dropping amazing to us, which is necessary for us to spend that much money.  We saw some beautiful ivory carving, but I learned at the Wells Fargo museum that if it's white or cream-colored, it could mean that the walrus was slain for his tusks.  Therefore, I admired, but didn't spend.  We saw beautiful glassware (see the sailboat photo), carvings in ivory, wood, and soapstone that were very intricate and high-quality, oils, minerals, photos, jewelry, and watercolors.
The area reeks of ?tourist trap?, but the art pieces were well done, as well as expensive.  We have enjoyed all the pretty flowers throughout the city.  Most have bright colors (see photo). The blooms on all the plants are large, but not as humongous as I remembered seeing 10 years ago. 
We then went to see "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" at the Regal Theatre (6 screen, comfortable seats, clean). It may be now or never, and we definitely wanted to see it.  It was a dark movie, but with each movie, I become more "hooked."  Seniors were $6.50, and popcorn was $1 because it was Tuesday.

Weather:  High of 66?F, rain & thick overcast

July 22, 2009 Day 61 Anchorage

Rain in Anchorage is scheduled, and it promptly quits at noon and resumes sometime after 8 PM and rains continuously until noon the next day. So, when it quit, we set out for the Alaska Native Heritage Center, a gem-rated AAA attraction.  It cost $24.95 (buy one/get one free).  There are 6 native village houses situated around a pond, and each is staffed by 1-3 Native Americans.  We really enjoyed listening to them explain the artifacts inside each house and tell of what they had learned from their parents and grandparents or by actually living in the villages.  They are trying to get those who have drifted away to come back, and inside one house was a Navajo (related to the Athabascans) from Arizona.
The heritage center itself is a beautiful building with a minimum of artifacts that raised lots of questions.  The emphasis inside seemed to be on the way they ?lost? their heritage through the influence of the Russians and Americans, disease, having their children taken to boarding schools, and assimilation.  There were lots of quotations from those who have watched this happen painted on the walls and posters.
Now, they are trying to resurrect their culture through educating themselves and their children.  We went by an area where they were making hides into tunics and dresses for them to wear when they work in the center.  They were doing beading using designs from drawings made by the elders.  We saw three films in the theatre.  ?Living Dena?ina? was very good; the others were vague and left us with many questions.
I?d bet that this will be ten times better ten years from now.  Very dedicated people seem to be working hard.
We then went to New Sagayas Market.  It is a mid-size market with more choices than most supermarkets.  They have just one row of each item, so they had many different brands and varieties.  They also had unusual items.  I bought a wonderful seaweed salad at their deli.
We contacted Centennial Park Campground this morning.  There was a tape which said they are only open on Thursday-Sunday, and everyone has to leave by noon on Monday.  We needed one more day to do laundry, etc., and when Dean went up to extend here at the Golden Nugget RV Park, he found we qualify for a free day (buy 7, get the 8th free).  Free is good!

Weather:  A cold 65?F & a thick overcast?I?m ready for some sun!

July 23 Day 62 Anchorage

Today was a ?taking care of business day?, but in the evening I kept a promise to myself and went out for fresh fish sushi.  Dish, located at 639 W. International (Int?l) Road, is a ?MUST DO? for sushi lovers.  It has a pretty, modern, glass and wood motif, and probably  seats 200.  I sat next to an Inupiaq foursome from Nome at the sushi bar.  They recommended the FBI roll, but said that everything was delicious, which got many nods from others at the bar.
My dinner started with miso soup and salad with an orange dressing (free with any roll).  I had a Northern Lights coupon for $10 off of a $30 dollar  order, so I ordered two of the most expensive rolls and green tea.  The FBI is their most popular roll, and if you order one, you?ll see why.  I asked for medium spice, and it was great.  They shake what appears to be ground red chili on top (consistency of a very fine salt).  My second roll was a salmon & cream cheese roll.  Yesterday, at the Native Heritage Center, one of the ?natives? told me that he hates salmon that has been caught in the river because it is very bland compared to the ocean salmon.  The rolls were generous in size and quantity of fish, and well-packed so they didn?t fall apart.
For the non-sushi lovers they had teriyaki everything, halibut tempura that looked delicious, vegetable & shrimp tempura, and udon (noodle soup).  They finished with a tempura covered, fried oreo cookie, with whipped cream and chocolate syrup (FREE).
The bill arrived, and it was only $26 because the cups of green tea were also free, and there is no sales tax in Anchorage.  At home, I would have been charged for each cup of tea separately.  They let me use my $10 coupon anyway.
I went to Carl?s Jr. and got Dean the Six Dollar Burger combo (fries & coke), and the total was $7.69.  I think that?s about what we would pay at home.

Weather:  65?F, threatening rain all day, but no follow-through  Unfortunately, the rain and dampness are not happening at Denali and their fires continue to rage.

July 24, 2009 Day 63 Anchorage

Weathermen on last night?s news predicted continuous rain all day today, and we planned accordingly.  They were wrong, but we had a good day anyway doing maintenance, laundry, all those jobs necessary to keep going.  But, we made time for fun in the middle and went to Century 16 Theatres to see ?G-Force? in 3-D.  It?s a lovely theatre complex with great large screens, comfortable seats, and clean surroundings.  It was a silly, but enjoyable children?s film.
We went to Vallarta?s Restaurant?a super place to eat if you like great Mexican food, wonderful service, but in a ?no atmosphere? place.  It is a family-run restaurant.  I ordered the scallops in garlic butter and received instead a seafood medley in a complex red sauce.  The waiter offered to replace it, but I had already tasted it and wouldn?t let it go.  When Dean got a refill on his diet coke, we tried to verify that it was diet (important because Dean is a diabetic).  They weren?t sure, so they immediately replaced it with one they knew was diet.  The waiter said they should give us our dinner for free, but we said ?no, it was so delicious?, and I was especially happy that the mistake on my dinner was made.  He insisted that my homemade flan, which was outstanding, should be free.  I had a $9 off coupon from the Northern Lights book, which we did use.  It was even a bigger bargain because my meal was so large that I had enough left over to have a full-size dinner tomorrow. If this restaurant were near our home, we would eat there often.

July 25, 2009 Day 64 Talkeetna

It was a nice change to waken without the sound of rain on the roof, and Dean especially appreciated it while he unhooked.  We got a late start so we were ready for lunch when we went through Wasilla and came to the Alpine Gardens Bar & Grill.  I had picked it out last night because it sounded like a little garden of Eden, ?nestled within a setting of landscaped perennial gardens, sculpted ponds, waterfalls, and greenhouses, creating a truly unique dining experience.  With RV parking??  NOT!  It is a cute little place, but not only is it lacking any RV parking, but it has no turn-around, so Dean stopped the RV & went exploring.  He found a way to make a loop around the whole place?tight, but he could do it.  Then, the owner came out and parked his pick-up so it blocked our path.  I was both proud and relieved when Dean didn?t go punch him in the nose.  He was furious, but he unhooked the toad, backed up, and re-attached it.  All he said was, ?Write this up in our log!? 
Dean had expressed interest in the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry, located at Mile 47 on the Parks Highway. I re-read the ad to him again, noting that it said, ?RV parking and turnaround?, and asked if he was sure he wanted to travel one mile off the road to get to this place after our last experience.  A worker guided us into an area right in front of the museum. It was very interesting?boats, trains, planes, fire engines, antique ambulance, tractors, and Dean thinks a V-1 Buzz Bomb.  They were having a quilt sale to raise money for a ?barn raising? to house more exhibits. Museum admission was $5 for seniors. As we left, gentle rain got more serious, and Sherlock entertained incoming visitors by chasing and attacking the windshield wipers.  Both visitors and workers were really nice people.

Overnighted at: Talkeetna Camper Park, $34, 50 amps and water, dump station, wonderful Wifi, surrounded by trees.  If the rain lets up tomorrow, we may see river rafters right by the camp.

Weather:  high of 65?F, rain started about 3:00 and hasn?t stopped

July 26, 2009 Day 65 Talkeetna, AK

We had gentle but steady rain throughout the night and this morning.  When it became drizzle, we went into the small town of Talkeetna. It has the most "touristy" feel of any town we've been in while in Alaska, and there are several gift/souvenir shops.  We see many large coaches from Princess and Celebrity Tours transporting people who are going on glacier flights or flights to see Mt. McKinley.
They have two small museums, but they each have some special items in them.  You can tell that they were each a labor of love and represent a lot of work, and I did learn several things in each one.  The $1 admission at the Visitors' Center Museum, which was the better of the two, was worth it.  We talked with the cashier for a bit and she gave us some "local" info on how they live.  The history museum was $3.  It was right across from the small Sunday Market, where we bought a few gifts, including a pair of socks made of bamboo.
Our RV camp is right next to the RR tracks.  They don't make any noise late at night, and it's kind of nice to see and hear the train go by.  We slept well.

P.S. (written on July 30) Apologies for our not posting.  We kept thinking we were going to get WIFI, and we ran into problems.

Overnighted at Talkeetna Camper Park, which had awesome Wifi.

Weather:  high of 65?F, rain & overcast conditions

July 27, 2009 Day 66 Denali, AK

We had a pleasant drive from Talkeetna, no rain, and almost saw the sun.  Lots of tall fireweed blooms by the side of the road, as well as some cotton grass.  We could clearly see the Alaska Range, but not Mt. McKinley.  Much of the route was next to rivers.  I called ahead to make reservations because in 2006, logs had shown this park was full.  I laughed when we came in because the only motorhome here was the manager's.  By 11:00 tonight there were 14 RVs + 1 tent, which means there are 56 vacancies!  The economy has really hurt Alaska's tourist business.  We learned that Fannie's Flapjack Feed (recommended to us & in our coupon book) has shut its doors forever.

As soon as we got to Denali, the wind started howling, and it is REALLY blowing. The manager says he got up at 2:00 a.m. to bring in his slides because it was blowing so hard. No bar-b-q tonight!

We unhooked and drove into the Wilderness Access Center to get our bus tickets for the Denali Wildlife trip.  The longest trip to Kantishna is 12 hours, but the NP agent recommended just going to Wonder Lake, an 11-hour trip.  There was availability on both, but she said that Kantishna has become so populated with private lodges and tourists who fly in that you don't see much wildlife in that last hour.  They showed us a good 18-minute film.

We drove into the park about another mile to the Visitors' Center.  They have 2 floors of interesting exhibits as well as a good movie, and we left when they closed at 6:00.  We'll go back tomorrow.

We'd seen so many models of animals that I wanted to go see the real thing.  We drove as far into the park as you're allowed, 15 miles.  On the way back we saw 2 GORGEOUS caribou.  The female had velvet on her impressive antlers.  The male was quite large and he stood and posed for us.  Unfortunately, we had left our camera in the RV because we had only planned on making bus reservations and  buying milk. We also saw 2 snowshoe hares. New rule: If we go out, the camera comes with us.

We made reservations for Cabin Nite's 8:30 historical musical revue/dinner.  I am glad I went because it makes me appreciate the RV life-style so much more.  Cabin Nite and the huge motel/hotel/cabin condo set-up that it's in are all owned by Princess Cruises.  I had the feeling I was at the tail end of a herd.  We were seated at a picnic table at the rear of a huge cabin.  We were given a large bowl of salad, which was passed to everyone, along with a vinaigrette salad dressing.  When this was finished, we were expected to scrape anything left on our plates into a bucket on the table and RE-USE THE SAME PLATE for our hot food.  At $62/person, I would think they could have given us a clean plate.  Fortunately, we had a buy one, get one coupon. Everything was family style. The salmon and ribs were very good.  The sides were canned corn, a biscuit, a boiled potato, and baked beans.  Dessert, which we passed around, was a good berry cobbler.  The musical performance left a lot to be desired.  We would not recommend this event, even at our price of $31 each.

Overnighted at Riverside RV Park, pull-thru, 50 amps, electric & water, no WIFI, TV re-broadcast through DISH network, but DISH has been out for two days due to wind, $38.52/day. 

July 28, 2009 Day 67 Denali, AK

The wind howled all night, sometimes rocking the coach.  We slept in, and then took care of business phone calls, etc., so we didn?t get to the Visitors? Center Part II until late.  We donated 2 months of aluminum cans into their receptacle, one can at a time, and I?m glad we found a place to get rid of them.  We finished viewing the interesting exhibits.  Then we went for another drive where we had seen the caribou yesterday, camera at the ready.  We couldn?t find any animals at all, so we stopped to buy water for tomorrow?s adventure, then came home, ate dinner, and went to bed early.

Overnighted at Riverside RV Park, TV is still out. RV Park count is now 13 RVs + 2 tents=56 vacancies again  I feel so sorry for people trying to make a go of their businesses.

July 29, 2009 Day 68 Denali, AK

4:00 a.m. is mighty early, even in Alaska.  We had an early morning 11-hour shuttle tour scheduled, and we wanted to get there about half-an-hour early.  We made sandwiches and packed our water into a small cooler and trudged out the door, anxiously hoping we'd see lots of wildlife.
Our shuttle bus had stops every hour to hour-and-a-half at restrooms with flushing toilets.  There was no food or water available anywhere. We were encouraged to eat on the bus, lest we drop crumbs which wildlife might find. 
We had 5 different grizzly sightings, and twice the bears had cubs.  I learned that the cubs stay with their mothers for two years, and the gestation period is 3 months.  Cubs are born in the winter in the den and weigh only one pound.  With Dean?s long lens, he was able to get good pictures.
We saw too many caribou to count, but they were all far away.  We also saw dots of white on a hillside that were Dall sheep.  We saw a fox running away from us.  A ptarmigan and her chicks crossed the road right in front of our bus.  I saw the ptarmigan clearly, but not the chicks.
As the day progressed, we saw more and more of Mt. McKinley.  This was truly thrilling, as we weren't able to see it last time we were in Alaska.  The climbing season is over. The warmer temperatures of summer has caused the snow to melt somewhat and the danger of falling into a deep crevasse or being in an avalanche is much greater.  As you can see from the photo with the flag the wind was very strong.
Fall is already starting in Denali.  Some of the fireweed has already lost all their blooms, and there is an abundance of orange and yellow coloring everywhere as we scan the landscape.
We enjoyed the day, but we wish we had seen more wildlife close up.  One advantage of starting an Alaska trip at the north is getting to see more wildlife in Denali.  Other RVers we've talked to who came to Denali 2 weeks to a month earlier saw much more wildlife and much closer.  I overheard one of our fellow passengers making plans to go on the same tour tomorrow.  I noticed on their signboard that there was space available on all but 2 of the 30 trips tomorrow.  When we were doing our advance planning in January, Denali told that we needed to call at least 2 days in advance for a reservation because they are always sold out for the day when you come in and the next day.
I have enjoyed Denali. I'd like to come back and spend a few days boondocking in their Riley Campground.  The Forest Service has done a magnificent job here of handling large numbers of people and preserving the habitat.

Interesting Fact:  A group of ravens is called a MURDER!

Overnighted at Riverside RV Park, TV is still out.  RV Park count is now 11 RVs + 1 tent=59 vacancies

So you would recomment hitting Denali earlier? Denali would be my main reason for visiting Alaska. But I can't think of anything I've ever wanted to do at 4:00 AM !!

Still enjoying your travels....keep it up !
Wendy

July 30, 2009 Day 69 Fairbanks, AK

Before we said a final good-bye to Denali, we went to see the sled dog presentation at 10:00, even though we'd seen it when we were here 10 years ago.  The ranger gave us a lot of good, new information in a light-hearted manner. Then he did a demonstration on the sled being pulled by 5 dogs.  I got to pet Willow, who would be working in the afternoon.  I'd rate this as a "Don't miss!"
The smell of smoke in the air is so strong that I called 511 to check for highway closures before we headed north.  We were told yesterday that there are about 150 fires burning in the area around Denali.  This evening in Fairbanks, we were told that there are 1.25 MILLION ACRES burning.  They let the fires burn because it's a natural occurrence, though they do protect structures when they can.  It has been an exceptionally dry summer, and lightning caused these fires. 
We got settled into our RV camp, and we met our RV neighbor.  He told us that Pioneer Park is closed because of the smoke and high particulate count.  He says they don't want people to be outside.  We saw a biker wearing a mask.  I actually like the aroma of the smoke.
We went to the beautiful new Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitor Center to get questions answered and find out what places were open.  They were wonderful and full of information.
At 7:00 every night, native Americans do cultural presentations at the VC. Admission is $5 each, which they didn?t tell us about, and they forgot to collect.  We will pay when we return there tomorrow.  This summer the performing group is the Athabascans.  We enjoyed songs and stories from the elders of the Koyukon.  They bemoaned that their youth were not learning the language and the ?old ways?.  However, these ladies, who were in their 70?s and 80?s, sang songs that had been written in the last few years, and one of them didn?t know the words.  One lady sang a true ?old? song that she had learned from her uncle, but she did not understand what she was singing, and apparently none of the others could translate it.
The second group was from Arctic Village and were Gwich?in.  Their group had learned songs from the fur traders that came in the mid-1850?s, so their heritage is not ?Indian? songs, but good old bluegrass.  They pass down this bluegrass as their songs, and they love to dance, primarily Texas two-step and square dances very similar to those I taught in 6th grade.  At the end, each dancer spoke.  They shared their love for their village, but they also revealed that they only go ?home? once or twice a year, usually at Christmas.  The call of jobs and/or education pull them to Fairbanks, where they try to keep their culture.  How long will the village be there if all the young leave?
We asked the VC for a recommendation of a restaurant that would be moderately priced and still open.  They suggested Gambardella?s Pasta Bella, and our meal was delicious, but not my idea of moderately-priced.  Dinners ran $22 and up.  We each ate only half of our dinner, which was generously-sized, so that will bring the cost down.

Overnighted at:  River?s Edge RV Park, $34.15, FHU, 50 amps, Wifi, some trees, Cable TV

Wendy said:

So you would recommend hitting Denali earlier? Denali would be my main reason for visiting Alaska. But I can't think of anything I've ever wanted to do at 4:00 AM !!

Still enjoying your travels....keep it up !
Wendy

Click to expand...

If I were coming for the first time, I'd do it exactly as we have done it, and as the Brewers recommended.  But, if I were to do it a second time, I would reverse it and do Denali first.  We talked with people who did it in late June who saw lynx, bears, caribou, ptarmigan, even a marmot.  They said their driver was snapping her own pictures, and she said it was the best day she'd ever had.  That means that in a lot of other late Junes, she didn't see as much.  That lady was lucky!  I've heard that earlier in the season, the animals are closer to the road.  We talked with others who did it earlier this summer, and they all also saw more animals and closer up than we did.  Last time we were here, we saw almost nothing, and the driver told us that it was so warm that many of the animals went to higher elevations.

The flip side is that our current neighbors in the RV park did the Kenai Peninsula(Valdez, Seward, Homer) just when we left it and had two solid weeks of rain every day all day.  They left Homer after just a couple of days, even though they'd planned on staying a week, because they were so sick of the rain.  We only had 4 days planned and ended staying 10.  If you recall, Betty bought rainboots and trekked through mud daily when they did Valdez toward the end of their trip.  Our top two favorite things happened in Valdez.

A lot of this trip is luck--luck of the particular day(s) you're at Denali, luck of the weather gods (The RV park manager told us that the wind we encountered was really rare.), luck of the animals being where they usually are in the ocean, luck of having your RV running well and not encountering delays, and for us this year, the luck of not many other people up here. We can just go to any event or RV park whenever we want.  But, this also means that some businesses that we enjoyed will undoubtedly have folded by the time you get here.  At the VC yesterday we learned that Moose Nuggets & Other Alaskan Gems is gone, as is the Ester Gold Camp & the Malamute Saloon, and we've seen the "For Sale" signs all over.  However, maybe other new ones may open.  We found one here in Fairbanks called Yukon Quest.

One other thought is that you can go on the shuttle bus two or three times.  The downside is that it's $85/two people each time.  You can drive those first 15 miles into the park several times, and we saw bear and my 2 unphotographed, up-close caribou there.  I think we drove it 3 times, and only one of the three did we see anything, but that time we saw the snowshoe hare and the caribou.  Being a lucky person helps.

I hope this answer, convoluted as it is, is helpful.

Linda

Thanks Linda. Convoluted yes, helpful yes. I keep filing away all this Alaska and Maritimes info in the unlikely event that we make it to one or both of those places.

Wendy