Lana Gates
  • Home Page
  • Gulliver's Travels
  • Lana's Book
  • Life Speak Blog
  • About
  • Contact

​
​​​​
Gulliver's Travels

Experiencing Alaska’s Uniqueness

6/27/2023

3 Comments

 
Picture
Alaska is a destination for people looking to experience spectacular scenery, vast open spaces, and abundant wildlife. Top attractions include fishing for halibut, witnessing a salmon run, and exploring Denali National Park. 

There are plenty more opportunities than those to get a good taste of Alaska’s uniqueness. In addition to the amazing things we did in Fairbanks, we took advantage of some of those while spending time with family in the lower interior, near Wasilla. 


Dog Mushing

Alaska is home to the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, one of the most famous dog mushing contests in the country. The nearly 1,000-mile race takes mushing teams from Anchorage to Nome, following a freight route and paying homage to the important role of sled dogs in Alaska history.

Encouraged by our friend and Iditarod finisher Richard Burmeister and his wife Janet, we headed to the Iditarod Headquarters, which is not easy to happen upon if you’re not looking. While there, we watched a captivating video about the history of the competition, life on the trail, and care of the sled dogs. 

Then we paid $10 each to experience what it’s like to be led by a team of dogs. Iditarod veteran Riley Dyche answered all of our questions about his 32 dogs and the race while a team of 10 of the pack animals rested. 
Picture
As we climbed aboard a cart attached to the dogs, they stood at attention, eager to take us on a run. Dyche gave the command for the dogs to go, and off we went on a short course around the grounds, holding on tight as we picked up speed and the wind flew in our faces. It was just enough to give us a good feel of sled dog racing, at a very reasonable price.


Glacier Viewing

Glaciers form when accumulated snow turns to ice and starts to flow downward under the pressure of its weight, collecting and moving rocks and sediment in its path. The majority of glaciers in North America can be found in Alaska, offering plentiful viewing opportunities. 

We took a day trip and drove to the aptly named town of Glacier View to see Matanuska Glacier, the “largest in the U.S. that can be reached by vehicle,” according to the Alaska Travel Industry Association. Driving to, and even walking on, the glacier requires purchasing a tour, to the tune of $150 per person. We opted to forgo that and take in the panorama instead.
Picture
A turnout on the side of Glenn Highway provides the perfect spot to get out of the car, gaze at the glacier’s allure, and attempt to capture it in photos (they don’t do it justice). A short distance away is Mantanuska Glacier State Park, which features more photo and viewing opportunities. It also includes a trail with placards along the way, educating passersby about glaciers and flora and fauna in the area. 


Historical Talkeetna

Somewhat off the tourist-beaten path, the little village of Talkeetna beckons visitors to its history and charm. Its location as the jumping-off point for climbing Denali, aka Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America at 20,310 feet, brings many to its borders. Others are drawn by the arts and crafts shops and eateries lining its quaint city streets. 

On the National Register of Historic Places, Talkeetna is known for gold mining, the railroad boom, and a viewpoint for solar eclipses. We spent time there investigating its shops, watching the rush of the three rivers that converge there, and sampling locally made ice cream in unusual flavors: black licorice and fireweed -- a popular wildflower in the area.
Picture
Exquisite Beauty

With wide-open spaces and abundant daylight hours, Alaska is the ideal place to get outside and soak in God’s astounding creation. From kayaking on any of the many lakes to spotting wildlife, nearly everywhere we looked made us want to pull out our cameras and snap a photo. 

After visiting Talkeetna, we headed to Denali View South, where you can get out and see the Alaska Range in the distance. You can even take a short hike to another viewing spot that overlooks a braided river, marked by criss-crossing streams and large swaths of sediment.
Picture
Clouds shrouded Denali that day, but we managed to glimpse the towering white peak. On another day, we saw it from about 60 miles away. 

Another popular area, Hatcher Pass, offers consuming scenery and numerous hiking trails along its winding and ascending route. One led us beside a stream to expansive views of mountains and wildflowers. Some parts of the trail were a bit muddy due to recent snow melt, but the beauty all around us made the 3-mile or so hike very worthwhile.
Picture
The icing on the cake was watching a mama moose and her calf cross the road in front of us. We thank God for the blessing of being able to witness incredible scenery and experience the uniqueness of Alaska.

​You might also like
5 Amazing Things to See on the Alaska Highway.

Picture
3 Comments
Becky
6/28/2023 08:01:40 am

This blog definitely made up for skipping last week! 😍😍 Those are such beautiful pictures! I hope the tour is going well! 💜 Love you guys! 💜

Reply
Carole Grijalva
7/2/2023 04:48:28 pm

WOW!..Its like a Adventure Movie..Pictures are so vivid and clear..Can't help but be slight envious..The skies, mountains and the trees..Well you can imagine what I am feeling..lol Thank you for sharing the moments.🥰

Reply
Mom
7/2/2023 08:22:26 pm

Ver nice. Really enjoyed the pictures and accompanying story.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    This is the travel blog of full-time RVers Bob and Lana Gates and our truck, Gulliver, and fifth wheel, Tagalong. 

      Subscribe

    Subscribe to Blog

    Categories

    All
    Alaska
    Detours
    Lessons/Challenges
    Lists/Rankings
    Preparation
    Q&A
    RV Living
    RV Tips/Tricks
    Sightseeing

    Archives

    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home Page
  • Gulliver's Travels
  • Lana's Book
  • Life Speak Blog
  • About
  • Contact