Talkeetna to Wasilla to Anchorage to Seward

Leaving Talkeetna we were immediately treated to a wonderful view of Mt. McKinley from the hill on the south edge of town. Talkeetna is the staging location for most of the climbers attempting to climb Mt. McKinley.

As we traveled further south, we got additional looks at this majestic mountain. On a clear day and from the right vantage points, you can see Mt. McKinley from Fairbanks and Anchorage.

After Talkeetna we stopped in Wasilla, which is about 50 miles north of Anchorage, to have our broken moon roof glass replaced at a Chevrolet dealership. The replacement went well considering that we arranged the repair in Fairbanks two weeks prior to getting to Wasilla. The parts had to be shipped in from the lower 48. We saw some beautiful snow covered mountains west of Wasilla (the Tordrillo Range).

The main event in our visit to Anchorage was catching the Alaska Railroad train service to Seward. The trip started with a 6:45 a.m. departure. The 120 mile, four hour ride was along the Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet for the first 2 1/4 hours. The views of the water were really nice and we saw 10-12 Dall Sheep on the rugged hillsides. The rest of the trip featured mountains, glaciers, rivers, lakes, and cascades. The round trip (down on Sunday and back on Tuesday night) was a real visual treat all on its own.

In Seward, we heard the story of the 1964 earthquake. The epicenter of the quake was just miles south of Seward. The quake registered 9.2 on the Richter (sp) Scale and shook for 4 1/2 minutes. Land in the area rolled like waves on the ocean for over 4 minutes. One town, Portage, north of Seward sank 12 feet during the quake. Seward was hit by a series of huge waves for close to 45 minutes following the quake. The waterfront was changed forever. The oil tank farm was destroyed. It exploded and burned. The railroad servicing the waterfront was destroyed. A locomotive was turned over. Homes, businesses, and docks were decimated along the shoreline. Luckily, the village's elevation rises quickly from the shoreline sparing most structures. Some, like the Van Gilder Hotel, where we spent two nights, are original to the town.

In Seward, we signed up for another wildlife/glacier cruise with Major Marine Tours. The 7 1/2 hour tour had several highlights. We saw humpback whales twice. We saw 2 pods of Orca Killer whales (a total of 8 - 9). We saw two incredible glaciers. The National Park Service ranger that was narrating the cruise said that in 5 years he's never seen such a large piece calve off of a glacier. Our boat had to turn the bow towards the glacier to make riding the waves safer. We saw probably 8-9 glaciers altogether. We saw sea lions, sea otters, Dall porpoises, sea birds of many kinds, and gorgeous mountains. If there's one cruise you sign up for, make it this one.

Most of you know me. I love good food. I don't need fancy "fru-fru" creations. I love comfort food that is prepared well. So far on our trip we have not been impressed with the cooks in Alaska and meals are expensive. Typically, breakfasts (bacon, eggs, potatoes, toast, and coffee) are $24.00 - $30.00 for the two of us. Dinners are $38 - $50 for cod, halibut and up to $70.00 for a couple of steaks. This is at roadside restaurants - not St. Elmos or Sullivans. How is it possible to destroy deep fried cod, hash browns, crab, cole slaw, tartar sauce, toast, bacon, etc. Hamburgers seem to be the most important menu item. Many advertise their famous award-winning hamburgers. Nuf said. We have chosen to visit grocery stores (also expensive - one pound of bacon was $9.95 in Valdez - not so bad in the bigger cities) and cook as much as we can in the motor home.

Mt. McKinley as we are leaving Talkeetna