Another beautiful day to drive along the Cook Inlet; the tide was out so no chance to see the Beluga Whales, but the mud flats were interesting with many waterfalls and glaciers in the distance; had to slow down for the Dall Sheep near the roadside. Denise, my friend Carol’s sister from California, was excited. Leaving from Anchorage, our drive took about thirty minutes to get to the tunnel entrance, the only way to get to Whittier by car. Denise was a bit apprehensive driving through a two and half mile tunnel on railroad tracks. Me too; hadn’t done it for a long time. It was cool; we were in and out in five minutes but it seemed like fifteen. The tunnel had lights and nice restrooms at both ends. We arrived early so waited and watched the train have its turn. Another five minutes out of the tunnel and we were parked.

Whittier is totally Alaskan. I don’t think it’ll ever grow up. I love to watch the diversity of humanity enjoying their independence; doing what they like to do best near the most beautiful stretch of water in all America. Boats everywhere-such a sight. I’ve never seen so many boats, all kinds: little dinghies, huge beautiful private cruise-like boats, floating in the water or parked on lots near where we parked our car. A few more steps and we were on the ramp shaking hands with the smiling crew as we boarded our own beautiful boat, Major Marine Tour’s Emerald Sea. (more…)

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My friend Elaine and I had the opportunity to visit the Kantishna Roadhouse this past week, a true journey into the wilderness, yet with the comforts of home:  home spun, healthy meals, up-to-date firm mattresses on the beds, good shower heads, fresh coffee early in the mornings, and best of all the sweetest and most pleasant service personnel and guides one could ever ask for.

I loved the peace and quiet of the surrounding woods around the cabins and sounds of the rambling brook in front of the roadhouse. Sitting in a rocking chair, soaking in the warm sun, and listening to the birds chirping was just what I wanted to do as I left behind the hectic city of Anchorage, the usual phone calls, and my busy fingers at the computer.  Elaine enjoyed the hiking more than I did. We did get a van ride up to Wonder Lake to see the mountain. It’s the closest either of us had been. The sun was shining with just a touch of cloud at the tip. Wow! What a sight. (more…)

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We’re always on the look out for adventures which get visitor’s off the beaten path and that can reasonably be experienced in a day or less while in Denali National Park or in the South Denali – Denali State Park region.  So working with two of our local Alaska guide services, we’re excited to be able to showcase two new adventures which we’re sure will be among the highlights for visitors this summer.

The Denali State Park Raft & Kayak adventure starts with a visit to Byer’s Lake in Denali State Park, one of my own favorite places to visit.  Byer’s Lake is located in a pristine setting at the foot of the Kesugi Ridge and offers spectacular views of Mt. McKinley.  Along with your guide, you’ll use sit-on-top kayaks to paddle through the tranquil waters while on the watch for resident trumpeter swans, loons, and beavers. If you haven’t ever tried a sit-on-top kayak before you shouldn’t worry as they are easy to use even for new kayakers. One of the highlights for me while at Byer’s Lake is kayaking over pools of spawning salmon – I’ve also seen signs of bears along the far shore of the lake and the local guides say they occasionally see them from a safe distance away while kayaking. 

From Byer’s Lake you’ll head to a unique, Alaskan lodge & café called Mary Cary’s where you’ll have lunch while enjoying views of Denali and the Alaska Range. Then its onward to your launching ground on the Chulitna River to embark on a peaceful, scenic raft trip that takes you through the stunning Chulitna Canyon and ends 19 miles downstream in the town of Talkeetna.  Transportation is provided from both Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge and McKinley Princess Lodge, or if you have your own car you can meet the guides at Byer’s Lake and they’ll bring you back to your car at the end of the day.

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We often get asked, “how do you get around in Denali if we don’t have our own car?”  Well, it is fairly easy with a little planning and knowledge of the transportation options to get to Denali. Our recommendations include the Alaska Railroad and the Park Connection Motorcoach.  Once in Denali, there is a network of National Park Service shuttles and local Denali hotel and tour operators that provide complimentary services to prospective clients. The next key to visiting Denali National Park without your own car is to select a hotel which provides a shuttle service into the Denali Park entrance area and to the Alaska Railroad Depot. 

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Last winter my husband had business he had to travel for to Fairbanks, Alaska.  At first the thought of going to Fairbanks in the winter was not too thrilling to me since temperatures can be extreme that time of year but we decided to gather up our family as well as my cousin’s and make the trip north with him.  Fairbanks is just over 300 miles from our home in Chugiak via the scenic George Parks Highway (Hwy #3).  Traveling this road in the summer you will find many activities and places to stop at and visit but in February most services are closed but it is still a very scenic road to travel, regardless of what time of year it is.  The ride up to Fairbanks took us about 7 hours and as we made our approach into the city we were fortunate to witness the Aurora Borealis in the night sky.  It is incredible to see the colorful mysterious lights dancing in the skies.  We do get to see the Northern Lights at our home but as you go further north into Interior Alaska they appear more often.  (more…)

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Denali National Park has three visitor centers inside the Park.  The Denali Park Visitor Center and the Murie Science & Learning Center are both located just inside the Denali Park entrance, about a mile up the Park Road.  The third is the Eielson Visitor Center which is located at mile 66 of the Park Road. A stop at Eielson Visitor Center is included in both the Kantishna Wilderness Tour and the Kantishna Experience Tour.  Because these tours are about 12 hours long, their best suited for adults and families with older children.  The most popular park tour, the Tundra Wilderness Tour, is shorter but does not go to Eielson due to only traveling to mile 53 of the Park Road.  You can also reach the Eielson Visitor Center by purchasing a shuttle bus into the Park.  This option is popular to local Alaskans and other returning visitor’s to the park as well as those who are camping inside the park.  But be sure to not purchase the Toklat shuttle if a visit to Eielson is important to you as it turns around before the visitor center. (more…)

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Over 550 photos were submitted for our 2010 Alaska Travel Photo Contest.  Our staff and several other Alaska travel industry managers have spent the last month judging which photo would be selected from among many amazing photos depicting Alaska’s wildlife, scenery, people, and adventure.   This year the photograph Denali Cow and Calf in Amber by Edward Krumanaker has been selected as the Contest’s grand prize winner.    (more…)

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For the past five summers I have been visiting Denali and enjoying the locally owned restaurants.  When you arrive in the Denali National Park area you find several large lodges and of course each of these has one if not multiple restaurants, ranging from casual cafés to more upscale restaurants.  These restaurants are great but somtimes you want to explore the local fare, and there are several located within a few miles from the Denali Park entrance.

In the area known as the Denali Canyon you will find a full service restaurant & bar, a fish and chips restaurant, two beer and pizza joints, a hot dog stand and, and a burger joint with the best views in the canyon. The Denali Park Salmon Bake is located across from the Denali Princess Lodge and serves a hearty breakfast, has a full service bar and has a great lunch and dinner menu with local favorites such as Salmon Quesadillas and Halibut Tacos. (more…)

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