Alaska - The Last American Frontier!

This was the trip of a lifetime, thanks largely to my job! With a large regional conference scheduled for Wednesday through Friday, we traveled to Anchorage the weekend before and stayed through the July 4th Holiday weekend! All in all, we were in Alaska for 10 days. We feel that we got to experience a lot of what this vast wilderness has to offer her guests.

In addition to the 3 days of "work" in downtown Anchorage, we were able to take a day cruise to see the wildlife and glaciers of Prince William Sound...and explore Denali National Park and the Mt. McKinley region. Our only real disappointment was the the weather while in Denali was poor with chilling rains throughout our 3 days there. The sun did come out on the afternoon of our Wonder Lake shuttle ride, so we did enjoy that part of our day.

Quick Tips:

We started planning for this trip close to eight months out. Knowing that Alaska has far more to do and see that can be reasonably done in just a week or ten days, we wanted to be sure to plan our time wisely.Amazon.com was our friend! We used our IgoUgo.com gift certificates to buy several tour guide books. We found the following to be very valuable in planning for our Alaskan vacation: Frommers - Alaska 2005, Discovering Denali by Dow Scoggins and The Milepost, considered to be THE guidebook for Alaska.Planning in advance is critical, especially during their peak tourist season (summer). We were able to book an intermediate rental car through Alamo over eight months in advance. The same car reserved less than a month before our trip was going for that price per day!!If you are interested in buying some of that wonderful smoked salmon to take home to friends and family, consider a trip to Wal-Mart where you can find the exact same brand/package for half as much as the local tourish shops in downtown Anchorage.

Best Way To Get Around:

You cannot consider adventuring beyond the city without a car. While there is the Alaska Railroad system that will get you to where you probably want to go, our suggestion is to get a car and go exploring where YOU want to go. While staying "in" Anchorage, we did not have a car but to do the weekend trips to the Kenai Peninsula and up to Denali, we did.Expect to pay higher prices for gas the further north you get, with the highest in and around Denali.

You will want to pick up all you can read about Alaska. It is a huge place, with so much to see and do. I would suggest you prioritize and plan your time so that you won't leave disappointed that you missed something you really wanted to experience. And DO NOT underestimate the amount of time that it will take you to get from one place to another. Distance on a map is deceiving!!

There are several resources that we found very helpful. Frommer's Alaska 2005 and The Milepost were beneficial. If you had to choose one or the other, I'd suggest Frommer's. We also bought the book "Discovering Denali" by Dow Scoggins which was very informative in helping us to plan our Denali weekend.

You can also pick up visitors information from any of the Alaska Dept. of Tourism and most visitors' bureaus in the larger cities. Of course, the Internet is also a wealth of information. As you might expect, it is easy to go into information overload!!

Knowing that I had this business trip scheduled a year ago, I started shopping airline prices at that time. Probably more importantly, with car rental being a MAJOR priority, I started looking at booking our cars in early fall.

I ended up taking one rental car for the first part of the trip (Saturday through Tuesday) and another for the other weekend (Friday through Monday). For the first rental the car was $22.50 for the weekend days and $34.50 for the weekday. For the second rental, we were able to again get the $22.50 per day...these prices were for a mid-size/intermediate sized car (Pontiac G6).

As the time grew closer to our trip, I was monitoring pricing just to make sure they weren't going down. By the first of May, the same rentals were up over $60 per day. And the week before our trip...$119.95 PER DAY!!!

I felt like I had such a good deal I could have sublet my rental through an eBay auction (just kidding Alamo!!).

Anyway, the point being, if you are going to go to Alaska in the summer, start your planning early and book as soon as you feel comfortable with your pricing.

I should also say that we booked our airline from Des Moines to Anchorage with one-stop in Minneapolis. Our tickets were "just" $595 per person. I had seen them as high as $1,100 for coach on the very same itinerary, although the pricing seemed to flatten out at around $800 per person. We were very happy with our deal!

The other booking that we did months in advance were our Denali National Park shuttle/tours. Because they are limited and do sell-out, you should buy them as soon as you know you are going to Alaska and have your plans and dates firmed up. Also, do not fall prey to the various tour operators that offer Denali National Park tours. All of the tours authorized and that take INSIDE the park are conducted through a joint partnership between ARAMARK and the US Park Service. Buying from other tour operators will only get you on the ARAMARK tour at a higher price! You can buy your tickets directly on the Internet at: http://www.reservedenali.com/ .

I believe the same sort of thing is true with the trains that run throughout Alaska. While there is just one rail system, we saw the Alaska engines pulling passenger cars for other tour operators including Princess and Holland America. My guess would be that it would be cheaper if you can avoid these tour companies. Do your shopping early and then compare prices as your trip gets closer. You will surely save yourself a few bucks in doing so.

Good advanced planning will help you to maximize your time in Alaska and help you to keep your expenses down.

ENJOY!!

In order to drive from Anchorage to Whittier for our Sound Eco Adventures tour with Capt. Gerry we had to be up and out by 6:00am. Ordinarily a drive of about 90 minutes, our trip had some added adventure when we arrived at the Whittier Tunnel and found it closed. You see, there is a 2.5 mile tunnel that leads into Whittier. It is a one way road, that is also shared with the Alaska Railroad train. It costs $12 roundtrip.

The traffic is opened each way for just 15 minutes. As many cars as is safely allowed through is all that will go through at each tunnel opening period. The tunnel is open INTO Whittier on the half hour and is open coming OUT of Whittier on the hour.

Because of technical difficulties with the railway system, the tunnel had been closed, awaiting someone to come out and fix whatever the problem was. They didn't expect the tunnel to open until 10:30, at the earliest.

We used the 2 hour delay to go out and explore the Portage Glacier area, which includes Portage Lake, Portage Glacier and the Byron Glacier. There is a visitors center in the area (Begich-Boggs Visitors Center) but it didn't open until 9:00am so we passed on stopping in.

The Portage Valley area is part of the Chugach National Forest. Unfortunately the Portage Glacier has receded back and is not visible from the visitors center. You can see it via a boat tour or from the other side of the Bear Valley (free) tunnel.

There were some icebergs in the Portage Lake, but small in comparison to those found in the Icy Bay of Prince William Sound. I've included a picture of the lake with an iceberg so you can see what it was like.

In this area there was a GRIZZLY BEAR ALERT as one had been seen in the park area 2 weeks ago, with the remains of a moose calf. We didn't feel like being very adventurous so we passed on hiking in this area.

After looking around this area for a while, we did head back out to the Seward Hwy and drove down to the Kenai Peninsula. When we stopped to take a picture, we realized we were being swarmed by mosquitoes! YUCK!

We ventured about 30 miles and down the road towards Hope before turning back to get to the Whittier Tunnel by 10:30am.

The views were beautiful and we are planning to make another trip down into the Kenai area before heading home in a week.

During our trip to and back from Whittier, we did see some wildlife in the Chugach State Park. We saw some young dall sheep in the morning and a moose with her calf around dusk on our return. It was pretty cool to see them close to the roads through the area.

Capt. Gerry Sanger was our host and tour guide. We did the whale watching tour with the Icy Bay add-on. Overall the tour lasted about 9 hours! We were scheduled to go 10 to 12 hours but had a bit of a challenge getting to Whittier due to the tunnel being closed for 3 hours that morning. Not to worry, Capt. Gerry made sure we packed in everything and took plenty of time to make sure we saw all that Prince William Sound had to offer!!

His custom 30' boat was very comfortable and protected us from the cool breezes and occasional rain showers. With a small and intimate group of just the four of us, it was perfect!!

Getting up early for the drive from Anchorage to Whittier was part of the adventure, especially since we arrived in Alaska the evening before. Even with the time zone differences, getting up at 5:00am is still a rude awakening! (See separate travel journal on this part of our adventure!)

One of the best things about this tour is that it was like having your own private boat. He is limited to just six passengers per trip. This allows for a very personal tour. No fighting crowds to get to the edge for that prime photo op!

Pricing was very reasonable given the intimate nature of this tour. It was just under $500 for the two of us. I think that the big tour operators of 6-hour trips get around $150 per person. Our trip also included lunch (very yummy homemade salmon salad spread sandwiches), healthy snacks, trail mix, and plenty of water and juices.

All totaled, we traveled around 180 miles throughout the Prince William Sound. Because there is too much to share in a single travel journal, please see each of the others that specifically discuss the wildlife in Prince William Sound, The Chenega Glacier (Icy Bay), humpback whales and the sights along the way.

I assure you, you cannot go wrong with booking yourself on this tour! It was simply awe inspiring and a pleasure.

For more information about all of Capt. Gerry's tours, check him out at: http://www.soundecoadventure.com/ .

The primary purpose of our tour was whale watching and we were not disappointed!! Capt. Gerry's expertise allowed us several opportunities to observe and follow the humpback whales in their home waters around Prince William Sound.

These massive creatures first let their presence be known by "blowing" air, puffing as they surface from underneath the water. They may "blow" several times over the course of many minutes, before arching their backs up, and then diving deep. Just before they take the dive, they often "fluke" their tails which for whale watchers, is the money shot! It is a spectacular thing to see.

Once underwater, they stay down for as much as 5 to 8 minutes, later surfacing perhaps in the very same area where they dove or perhaps in a new location if they were just passing through the area where you observed them. You have to keep a keen lookout for the next "blow" so as to follow them for your next photo op.

In this journal, I have included several photos showing the stages of the "watch"...from the surfacing blow, to swimming along the surface, and then fluking before their deep dive.

If you have never seen these huge mammals in their natural habitat (Prince William Sound in the Summer and around the Hawaii Islands in the winter) you have no idea what you are missing.

For more information about all of Capt. Gerry's tours, check him out at: http://www.soundecoadventure.com/ .

The Prince William Sound has rich and abundant wildlife. In addition to the humpback whales (the goal of the tour), we saw sea otters, seals, harbor seals, dall's porpoises, and many birds.

As much as we would have loved to have seen orcas and bear, we didn't on this trip. Still, who could be disappointed??

The dall's porpoises loved to hook up with the boat and "bow ride" in front of us. They would jump a little, but not like their acrobatic cousins who jump and dive in the boat's wake. They are also much more interesting in their colors as they are very black with contrasting white markings. During the course of our 9-hour tour, we have dall's porpoises tag along with us four or five times.

The sea otters could be seen throughout the trip as well, often just swimming on their backs, watching the world float by them. If you got too close or moved too quickly, they would dive under water and not seen again for several minutes.

Not being particularly interested in birds, we didn't spend much time on the rocky ledges as you exited the harbor. It was very interesting, however, seeing these cliff dwellers with their many nests built right into the cracks of the sheer rock.

There were also these interesting black birds that had red markings including their feet. There is a photo of a group of them with this journal.

I cannot express enough, how exciting and fun this trip was. The wildlife in Prince William Sound is unlike any we've ever seen before.

For more information about all of Capt. Gerry's tours, check him out at: http://www.soundecoadventure.com/ .

We did the "add-on" of Icy Bay to our whale watching tour with Capt. Gerry and boy was it a delight! While the whale watching was great and we saw a lot of humpbacks, this was probably the highlight of the trip!!!

As we entered Icy Bay, there were some icebergs of varying sizes floating in the water. Most were 3 to 5 feet across but some were smaller (like bowling balls) and others rather massive. While it is known as "Icy Bay" these early icebergs were no way adequate in preparing us for what we would soon see.

Making the turn around a small point of an island, in front of the boat stood Chenega Glacier. While we were probably a good 4 or 5 miles away yet, you could tell that this was one big piece of ice!

As Capt. Gerry navigated through what would become increasingly challenging waters, we at no time felt at risk or that our safety was in jeopardy. He was first and foremost about assuring our safe journey and return. He delighted us by getting us approximately one-quarter mile from the face of the glacier.

The vivid blues and loud sounds all around were spectacular. You see, as the glacier "calves" (ice sheering off the face of the glacier) it makes a very loud and thunderous noise. Sometimes the noise sounded like a cannon or long rumbling thunder and it would last up to 6 to 10 seconds. Truly, the sound is beyond adequate explanation. The sheets of ice sheering off the glacier and dumping into the water below was difficult to capture in photographs, but hopefully you can see it in the picture included with this journal.

The other rather wonderful sight here were all of the harbor seals basking on the icebergs floating in the water. Literally hundreds of them!! We took pictures one group of four rather close to our boat as well as one little curious guy who swam towards our boat, probably 50 feet away. Photos of both of these are also included in this journal.

We strongly encourage you to take the Icy Bay add-on if you do the whale tour with Capt. Gerry, keeping in mind that ice and water conditions vary daily. We were truly blessed with a great experience!

For more information about all of Capt. Gerry's tours, check him out at: http://www.soundecoadventure.com/ .

Denali National Park is a leisurely five hour drive from Anchorage, although you can probably make it in around four if you want to. We enjoyed taking our time and enjoying the views, in spite of the rainy and overcast skies.

As you get to within an hour or so of the entrance to Denali NP you will come up on a couple of scenic overlooks that allow you your first view of Mt. McKinley. For us, however, the weather wasn't cooperative so we didn't get to see it during our travel to or in the park.

One of the nice benefits to the rain were the rainbows that we saw almost every day. At one point we even saw a double rainbow but by the time we found a safe place to pull off and set up for the picture, the shot was gone. DRATS!

If you are thinking about a trip to Denali do not cut yourself short on time. You will surely want to spend at least two nights in the area. We opted for three so that we could have two full days in the park. I would suggest you avoid the tourist area that is right outside of the park (about 5 minutes north). The prices are high and the area was rather crowded. We found a small lodge another ten minutes up the road, which was comfortable, clean and priced right. There are also a number of bed & breakfasts in the area as well as camping areas if you are traveling via RV.

Taking photos in Denali NP felt like being a photojournalist for National Geographic or something. We were lucky on our first day on the Wonder Shuttle to have several opportunities to take some beautiful photographs. While I'm including a few here in this review, please check out my journal specifically on Denali National Park. There you will find over 20 photos taken during our three day weekend in Denali.

During our fishing day on the Kenai Penisula, we enjoyed seeing eagles and moose. The moose are everywhere! As you enter Soldotna, there is even a "give them a brake" sign advising motorists to keep an eye for the moose. Every year hundreds are killed in accidents with motor vehicles.

As we were driving back out to the Seward Highway, we passed a moose in a rather deep marsh, where it was standing shoulder high in the water. It would dive its head deep into the marsh dragging up debris and roots from the bottom. It was fun watching him eat as a crowd gathered on the side of the road.

There are also a lot of very pretty flowers throughout this area. With this journal are a couple of photos of the types of flowers we saw along the roads and foot paths.

The only bad thing about getting out to walk and explore is the mosquitoes! They are very thick and rather aggressive to bite. Be sure to spray with OFF or some other repellent.

What started out as just an leisurely afternoon drive on the Kenai Peninsula, landed us down in Seward and at the National Parks office for Kenai Fjords. As a national parks annual pass holder, we always try to work in visits to the US Parks whenever possible. This was a relatively unplanned visit as we thought you had to take the boat tours to see the Kenai Fjords and glaciers that make up this national park.

The visitors center is in downtown Seward, right near the small boat harbor. There you can take in a short documentary movie about the glaciers and fjords, as well as shop the really cool gift shop. There is always unique posters, postcards and books in the park shops. For us, we really enjoyed looking at the beautiful candid photos of the wildlife of not only the Kenai Peninsula but all of Alaska.

After snooping around there, we headed out to Exit Glacier. Just about 15 minutes from Seward, it was a nice drive in as we approached the glacier. While you can see it as you approach, you cannot really get the perspective of the size of this piece of ice until you get out of your car and do the hike up the short 1.7 mile trail.

If you are concerned about the slight incline, don't let it worry you too much. I am asthmatic and was able to do it alright. If you are just not able to, there is a shorter .5 mile flat surface walk that you can take to the bottom of the glacier. The higher/longer trail goes up a bit so that you have the perspective "on" the glacier even though you are roped off from being able to get too close.

If you are really industrious and in good shape, there is a longer 7+ mile trail that goes all the way up to the top, approaching the Harding Ice Field. It was on that trail that a momma black bear and her three baby cubs had been observed earlier in the day.

We didn't see any wildlife ourselves, only the signs they had been around. There were several piles of moose scat throughout the trail we took. The stuff looks like larger pellets and when it breaks down, looks like sawdust. Anyway, probably more than you wanted to know about moose poop. But just in case you are really interested, I'll include a photo with this journal.

Tern's Lake is located at the junction of the Seward Highway and the Sterling Highway, that branches off to Soldotna and the fishing communities along the Kenai River and the other rivers and steams known for their salmon.

When we were driving back to Anchorage on Monday evening, there was a very heavy fog in the valley at the junction at Moose Pass. The next morning we were heading back down the Kenai Peninsula to go fishing in Soldotna. The morning air was crisp and clear. We could see the beautiful mountains rise high above the valley below.

This entry features photos of the valley during these two periods in time, just 12 hours apart. I hope you'll agree, it's a rather amazing sight!

If you are in this area, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for black bear. While we did not see any around the lake, we had been told by several people during our week in the area that they had seen a momma and a couple of cubs. The waitress at the Summit Lake Lodge Restaurant told us that she routinely sees black bear there on her drive to and from work as she lives down the Sterling Highway in Cooper Landing.

As you head south out of Anchorage on the Seward Highway, you will find the scenery to be expansive and breathtaking—I know we did! What we were perhaps most surprised by was the wildlife scene right along the highway.

Dall sheep were seen on each of our three day trips along the Turnagain Arm. One the first day, there were several on the cliffs and hillside. The other 2 days, we only saw one single male. Funny thing, the one night that we were coming through the area, he was out walking along the ledges. We were the first car to pullover in the turnout. He came right down the rocky ledges to the ground not more than 10 feet from us. By that time, there were several cars in the area and many cameras snapping his photo. It was almost as though he was prancing and posing for the tourists.

There was also a bald eagle watching out over the water's surface, looking for fish I'm sure. He sat still for several minutes before we drove on.

Of course, moose are also plentiful throughout this area from the city limits of Anchorage and throughout the Chugach State Park, Chugach National Forest, and through the Kenai Peninsula.

The other thing that we noticed through the Turnagain Arm area was the extreme stages of the tide. On some trips through the area, the tide was so low that you could see long silt basin surfaces for yards and yards. Later in the same day, the tide would be up and over the rocky shoreline. Buluga Whales are known to be in the water and visible around milepost 110-112 but we weren't lucky enough to see them!

The other beautiful sight through this area was the Alaska Railroad train as it made its way to (or from) Anchorage. With the backdrop of the snowcapped mountains, it was a great photo op!

Alaska is known for the glacial ice fields throughout her glorious land. It is theorized that glaciers have been around as long as there has been an Earth. The closest connection to the age of dinosaurs, they are truly a miracle of nature. To be able to see them relatively up close, is spectacular!

Each day during our day trips through Alaska we were treated to glacier sightings. Whether it was down in Seward at the Kenai Fjord National Park, out in Icy Bay in the Prince William Sound, or inland in Girdwood or even up in Denali National Park, the glacial ice was an incredible vision.

Most glaciers are still moving bodies of ice. Often their movement is not visible to the naked eye and can really only be tracked over time. On the other hand, to have the opportunity to witness glacial calving, where the face of the glacier sheers off, was really beyond description. Not only the visual, but also the sounds. The Chenega Glacier was loud as it creaked moving through the earth's surface. The rumbling and thunderous cracking and ripping of the face of the glacier as it dumped more ice into the bay left me speechless.

The other thing that left a lasting impression on me was the variety of shades of blue being reflected through the ice surfaces. Each glacier we saw had its own distinct blue features. As I understand it, the ice absorbs all of the other colors of the spectrum but blue is reflected back which is why water looks blue and why the glacial ices send back such beautiful and deep shades. When contrasted with the "white" of the ice, the color even looks more dramatic!

Many of the glaciers in Alaska are only approachable by boat. Most of the Alaskan cruise ships cruise by the faces and through the glacial fjords. You can also do part day boat tours to see glaciers out of Whittier, Seward, and even on Portage Lake. I'm sure there are more places to go to take boat tours of the glaciers. There is even one tour company that advertises a "26 Glacier Tour" on a daily basis.

If you don't have the time or cash to do a glacier boat tour, don't worry! You will have plenty of opportunities to see glaciers within a 2-hour drive of Anchorage. I would suggest a road trip to Exit Glacier, which is part of the Kenai Fjords National Park...Portage and Byron Glaciers at Portage Lake...or the glaciers in Girdwood (which is less than an hour from Anchorage).

For the most part, the flowers we saw in Alaska were rather small and delicate. The Lupine would be the major exception as those found around Anchorage were somewhat tall (4-6”) and rather sturdy. They are the taller, purple flowers.

The Alaska State flower is the Forget-Me-Not and is also purple. The Hare’s Bells have a bluish purple tinge to them. They are also tiny ones that appear to be very frail.

In Denali National Park we saw these little white flowers that were so small, it seemed you could put 25 on the face of a dime! Along Park Highway, there were a lot of flowers. Often when we wanted to stop to take photos of the pretty flowers along the roadside, there was too much traffic to stop and get out of the car. It is unfortunate, as I really wanted to get some pictures of the lovely tundra flowers growing wild in that area! I do have one photo with this journal page that has some of the flowers from Polychrome Pass in Denali NP, all on a single picture. The small dainty red ones were probably my favorites!

This was a business trip with some personal time on either end of "the business." Arriving 4 days before my conference, we thought we'd enjoy a more personal touch to our stay in Anchorage. We found Zoya's B&B on the Anchorage B&B Association website.

Providing for a private entrance and lodging in this suburban Anchorage home, this was an outstanding find! At just under $107 per night (including taxes), we were pleased with the value received at this price.

Our home away from home was like being home in a condo or timeshare unit. A studio type unit, complete with a kitchen amenities (2-burner stove, microwave, refrigerator and sink), living room, and private bath was perfect for us!

The refrigerator was well stocked when we arrived, with milk, juice, eggs, and breads. Everything needed to make a hot breakfast was awaiting us. Each evening while we were out, fresh pastries were left for our morning breakfast.

In addition to the king sized bed, there was also a fold-out type bed that would sleep two more. I would think that while comfortable for a family of four including kids, four adults might find this a bit tight in total space. For just the two of us, it was prefect!!

The only negative, or drawback, was the train tracks that were less than 5 blocks away. We've never been anywhere that they blast the train whistle throughout the night. If you sleep soundly, you won't notice but light sleepers should beware.

We would recommend Zoya's to anyone looking to stay in Anchorage.

During the "business" portion of our trip, we stayed here at the downtown location of our 3-day meeting. The hotel is central to all that is available in Anchorage. Ror our conference, the room rates were $179 per night—not bad considering how much prime time hotels cost on the East Coast and other summer vacation locales.

Our room was adequate but nothing too special. Probably the best thing was the view. Room 1441 on the "club level" was a corner room with one set of windows overlooking the downtown area including a small park that featured live music in the afternoon. The other wall had a series of three windows facing Cook Inlet. Watching the sunset at 11:45pm from this vantage point was beautiful.

This hotel is also owned by one of the cruise line companies. There were a lot of guests who were transitioning to or from their Alaskan cruise. Expect to see a very diverse guest population with a lot of senior citizens and young children. The restaurant didn't really seem ready to handle the influx of people at breakfast time.

As with many other Hilton Hotels, this one also features a 'Top of the World' restaurant on the 15th floor, which is open for lunch and dinner. With a full view of the Chugach Mountains and Cook Inlet, you can really get a nice perspective of Anchorage and Alaska's landscape. They say on a clear day you can even see Mt. McKinley (aka DENALI).

If you are driving, expect to pay $8 per day for self parking or $14 per day for valet service that includes unlimited 24/7 in/out privileges.

Admittedly, when we arrived here we were a bit skeptical. Looking somewhat like a typical Denny's with counter service at the front and booths around the perimeter of the restaurant, we weren't sure how good the food was.

Well, we were pleasantly surprised with not only the outstanding service but also the delicious dinner! Having just arrived in Anchorage that evening, I wasn't very hungry so the appetizer, salad, and steak sandwich were plenty for me. My husband shared in the appetizer sampler, had a salad, and feasted on fresh halibut. His steak had to be doggie-bagged and saved for breakfast the next day.

Do not be afraid to adventure outside of the downtown area of Anchorage and give this gem a try!!

Be sure to check out www.restaurant.com to purchase $25 gift certificates for just $10!

A lunch stop for a business meeting, this was a great location for an outdoor cafe meal. Ask to be seated upstairs on the outdoor balcony! The view of Cook Inlet and the entire mountain range was very nice.

Is it possible to have too much fish while in Alaska? I don't think so! I had the halibut sandwich (eaten open face without the bun top) and substituted veggies for the fries. A nice mix of spices really added to the flavor of this carrot, squash, and zucchini medley.

They do feature a micro-brew assortment of beers, although for this business meeting, I had to pass on the libations.

For a break we thought we would try a Chinese restaurant in Anchorage. Unfortunately, we didn't realize just how far from downtown Anchorage it was. After a $40 cab ride from the airport, we enjoyed some of the best Chinese food we've had in a long time. (Note: Cab fare back to downtown Anchorage was "just" $20!)

The egg rolls were unlike anything either of us have ever had. They had a unique exterior wrap, that looked more like a crunchy burrito than an egg roll. Inside, was a nice mix of vegetables and pork. Prepared in the traditional way, they were nearly 6 inches long.

I had the orange beef which was prepared with medium hotness. My hubby had the Mongolian beef. Both dishes were flavorful and filling.

If you happen to be out in the "Muldoon" area of Anchorage, or have a car, I would recommend it. I would not suggest it if you have to take a cab out there, as the cab fare will be more than your entire meal!

Dining gift certificates are also available from www.restaurant.com. For $10, you can get $25 off your dinner bill.

This was a nice place to catch a burger or fish sandwich for lunch. The aroma of the charbroiling of burgers drifts throughout the downtown area. Service was prompt and attentive, food served fresh and hot.

Be sure to stop in, especially if you have just a short time frame to catch a fast sandwich that is better than fast food.

Prices are a bit high, with a burger and fries running right at $10. The halibut sandwich and fries was a buck more.

A nice local place with plenty of atmosphere, and very convenient within the downtown area of Anchorage. The patio seating was open and had tall area heaters just to take the bite out of the chilly night air.

They had several seafood specials including salmon, halibut, and king crab legs. My husband really enjoyed his salmon dinner, prepared with a light lemon pepper over a grill. I sampled his dinner and agree, it was outstanding.

My crab legs were the "sections special" which essentially means no actual LEGS, just the partial legs that have broken off. I felt that they were overcooked with the shells very rubbery and impossible to crack open. The tender meat inside was water-logged and rather salty. Even at the special, $19.95, it was a bit over priced. And speaking of overpriced, their one pound Alaska King Crab legs were $39.95!

With all entrees you received marginal sides...1/2 slice of sour dough bread, three red skinned potatoes, and a half an ear of corn. For $2 extra you could sub fries for the potatoes and for another $2.95 you can add a side salad (which was actually very good).

All in all, this was OK but not the best dining experience we've had in Anchorage, nor the best value.

If you are considering this restaurant, be sure to check them out on www.restaurant.com for dining gift certificates. You can buy a $25 gc for just $10! That got our $50 meal down to a more reasonable $35 for two.

How can you not try a place called Solstice during the Summer Solstice week?? Located in the WorldMark Hotel, it is not your typical hotel restaurant affair. If sushi is your thing, they have that. With this being our last dinner in Anchorage, we opted for fish one last time.

I did the halibut fish fry while my husband chose the blackened salmon. With a salmon spread appetizer and salad, this was the complete meal...and an outstanding choice.

Because this is in a hotel, there isn't as much atmosphere as you might want but for a decent meal at a good price you can't be disappointed.

Be sure to check into $25 gift certificates for just $10 from www.restaurant.com!

Let me start out by stating perhaps the obvious...I am not a professional photographer! I do, however, enjoy shooting pictures and attempting to capture my experiences "on film." Perhaps more appropriately in this day of digital and electronic media, I should be saying "on disk."

I have long been a traditional photographer, enjoying my now rather old and antique Canon T50 cameras. In the past, at any given time I might have had two or three with me, using an assortment of film speeds and lens combinations for just that right set of conditions. Several years ago I took up stereo/3D photography as a hobby, adding a whole new dimension to my creative work.

Knowing that this Alaska trip was coming up and after several missed shots and photographs that have been less than adequate to save the experience, I finally took the plunge and bought a nice digital SLR camera. I couldn't be happier that I did!

All of the photographs taken and published in this journal on Alaska were taken by me, with an Olympus Evolt 500 digital SLR. Most were with the 40-150 lens, fully zoomed especially to capture the wildlife and other far off subjects.

The level of detail picked up with this six megapixal camera and your later ability to crop shots using any Photoshop type program on a PC, allows for the creation of some rather spectacular images.

As you have seen (or will see) in this journal, some of the photographs look as though I was dangerously close to the subject. The bear photos taken in Denali are especially intense in that regard. In all of those photos, and the others of the wildlife in Denali, I was on the bus, shooting through an opened window. More often than not, I was at least 100 feet away. Some even further.

The marine animal photos from Prince William Sound are more examples of just how good this camera is in getting the shot in spite of the vast distance between me and the subject.

If you are planning a trip and you want to be able to capture it for the future, I encourage you to consider buying a decent digital SLR. This one that I bought in April 2006 was just under $700 at Sam's Club. In addition to the body, it came with two lenses...the 40-150mm that I previously mentioned and another for more close range (14-45mm). I have seen this exact same package at prices approaching $1,000! Be sure you know how you want to use the equipment and shop around for the right match at the best price.

A word about photography on the Denali buses. You cannot get decent photos with the windows up or when shooting through glass! I could not believe the number of people with traditional film cameras and digital SLRs shooting into glass with the flash on. You cannot expect to get good crisp pictures through dirty glass!

I hope that you enjoy your trip to Alaska and are able to capture photos that look like they've come off the pages of National Geographic!

I wanted to provide an illustration of how the digital SLR technology works for photographing subjects at a great distance. Sometimes you want the full image, as it captures the area and context around the subject. Other times, you may want just your subject in the frame of the photo.

This journal has two pictures. The first is the original, as photographed. It is the front-side of a whale's tail fluke. You can see the vastness of the Prince William Sound along with the beautiful glacial mountains behind it.

The second photo is created by cropping down to the specific object and saving that as a picture. The added detail is made possible from the high quality SLR along with a decent zoom lens.

Sometimes it is difficult to really know which is the "better" photograph, as so much is in the eye of the beholder. With wildlife, it is especially nice to be able to zoom in on the animals in their natural habitat!

When it is all said and done, while I think I took nearly 400 photos on this trip, I will end up with probably 600+ actual pictures because of the option and ability to crop in tight on the object of the photograph.