A Wonderful Alaskan Journey

Our room in the Upper Kenai River Inn had its own private bathroom and a large deck that looked out onto the Kenai River. The Kenai River is a beautiful aqua-colored river that is full of salmon and trout. Our bed was king size and so comfortable that we didn't want to get up each morning. The area was very quiet and we felt well rested each morning. At 8AM, the owner, Peggy Givens, serves a delicious breakfast to her guests. While we were there, I don't think she ever served the same breakfast twice and each seemed to be even better than the last one she served. Everything was absolutely wonderful! (When's the last time you had juice, fresh fruit, coffee, and Eggs Benedict for breakfast?) Peggy also has the ability to make you feel so welcome and that is a wonderful attribute for the owner of a B&B.

We stayed in Beavers Hideaway, a cabin right on one of the two lakes on the property. We had beautiful views of the lake from three rooms. Our cabin was a one bedroom, one bath cabin and was quite large. It could have accommodated six people nicely, if they could all live with just one bathroom. We had a full kitchen with all of the dishes and cooking ware that any cook would be happy to use. There were two paddleboats and two canoes for guests to use, free of charge. We loved the paddleboats and enjoyed using them during our stay. We also enjoyed taking evening drives along Petersville Road looking for wildlife. The scenery is great, the hosts are friendly and helpful, and we believe that Gate Creek Cabins is a good first stop on an Alaskan trip, because it provides a relaxing atmosphere. Guests can slow down and enjoy the peace of being in such a remote place while enjoying the beauty of Alaska. (In summer, our cabin rents for $135 per night, plus tax. I indicated $75 to $100 above, because there is no option that includes that price range.)

Dining at the Talkeetna Roadhouse is like stepping back 50 years or so in time. The tables, with few exceptions, are community tables and are located in a restuarant which has been in operation since 1944, and has undergone very little change over time. The servers are very friendly and helpful, and the food is wonderful. We ate lunch at the Roadhouse, and since it was a fairly cold day, we each had a bowl of homemade soup, a sandwich, and coffee. The cost for our meal, including tip and two cinnamon rolls "to go" was about $35.

On our way from Anchorage to Trapper Creek, we turned onto the Talkeetna Spur Road and visited the tiny town of Talkeetna. The purpose of our short visit was to eat at the historic Talkeetna Roadhouse Restaurant. We also wanted to walk around the town, and hopefully, catch a view of Mount McKinley. Talkeetna has several neat little shops, several museums and restaurants, and a railroad station for the Alaska Railroad. The town is charming and on a clear day, Denali (Mt McKinley) is in full view. We did not visit on such a day, but still found beauty in the old buildings and the beautiful scenery. Talkeetna is the jumping-off point for many climbing expeditions to Mt. McKinley (Denali).

Talkeetna has many exciting activities to offer the visitor, and we were sad that we didn't have several days to spend there. There are riverboat cruises, airplane tours of Mount McKinley, guided fishing expeditions, and wonderful hiking trails to explore. The town also has some neat celebrations, such as the Bachelor Auction and the Moose Dropping Festival. It would be fun to return to Talkeetna and experience the celebrations and also see Mount McKinley and the Alaska Mountain Range.

When we left Trapper Creek, we drove north to visit Denali State Park. We wanted to get a good view Mount McKinley and also to visit the Alaska Veteran's Memorial. It took us about an hour to make the drive to the Park, and the scenery was quite spectacular on the drive. We had a couple of sightings of Mount McKinley from Parks Hwy. We stopped at Mile 135.2 at the Denali Viewpoint South. It was a wonderful, sunshiny day. The parking lot was fairly full on cars, RVs and buses and the view was spectacular. After we finished viewing and photographing Denali, we drove over to the Alaska Veteran's Memorial at Mile 147.2. There was a small Visitor's Center near the Memorial with a couple of Alaska Park Rangers available to answer questions about the Park. We walked through the beautiful Veteran's Memorial.

As we left the Memorial, we enjoyed another beautiful view of Mount McKinley near the entrance to the Memorial. Denali State Park has hiking trails, beautiful water falls, scenic mountain views, and great picnic areas. We especially enjoyed the salmon stream near Lower Troublesome Creek. The water was shallow and the salmon were plentiful. We enjoyed watching the salmon, but did worry that a bear or two might be watching, too.