June Days Last Weeks

Overview

Quote:

Never before have I felt remote and cut off from the world. Maybe it was the way we got there. The actual remoteness may have had an effect. Their satilite phone was on the fritz. No phones, Internet, TV, or newspapers. No problem. What really got me was the six hour bus ride over dead-end primitive road. We were deep in Denali National Park.My goal was to see North America's highest mountain, Denali. (On the map it is called Mount McKinley.) The great one is also the shy one. I got my Chamber of Commerce picture while staying in Talkeetna, outside the park.In the Inside Passage, we saw settlements accessible only by sea. No roads. Off the grid.On the train, we saw settlements ...Read More

Cheer!
Flag

Denali Backcountry Lodge

Hotel

Quote:

No telephones. No television. No Internet. No newspapers. Remote. The Denali Backcountry Lodge is roughly 75 miles (six hours) by bus from the Denali Park Entrance. The Lodge's staff is helpful and friendly. They did a good job of making me feel welcome. The guides who accompany guests on hikes and other activities are GREAT!Not only is the Lodge staff excellent, but the other guests were interesting people. The guests were the kind of people that are able to make casual interesting conversation. It was a joy to be thrown together with them at meal times, happy hour, and during nature outings.Food came with our stay. There are no restaurants or alternative food services in the area...Read More

No telephones. No television. No Internet. No newspapers. Remote. The Denali Backcountry Lodge is roughly 75 miles (six hours) by bus from the Denali Park Entrance. The Lodge's staff is helpful and friendly. They did a good job of making me feel welcome. The guides who accompany guests on hikes and other activities are GREAT!

Not only is the Lodge staff excellent, but the other guests were interesting people. The guests were the kind of people that are able to make casual interesting conversation. It was a joy to be thrown together with them at meal times, happy hour, and during nature outings.

Food came with our stay. There are no restaurants or alternative food services in the area. You are definitely at the mercy of the cooks in Denali. The cooks are good enough. However, meals felt a bit repetitious. We stayed four nights. Every dinner seemed the same as the other dinners except that the entrée had changed. One word of caution: if you don't eat pork as some religions don't, you are in trouble. Pork is common. The kitchen tries to accommodate vegetarians by providing a vegetarian entrée alternative for dinners.

The accommodations are simple; uncomplicated, uncluttered.

The Main Lodge is where guests sign up for hikes, eat breakfast and dinner, meet for happy hour, and just generally hang out. There is a second story deck that covers a screened-in porch. The screening is important because of the mosquito problem. Lunches are normally held in the Day Lodge nearby.

Guests can take part in a number of activities. Bikes are available for guests. There are a number of calf-length boots as well as hip waders available for guests. The boots and waders are often necessary because much of the area is marshy. Like one big giant wetland.

Cabins are typically arranged in rows. The cabins are off the ground a few feet. Wood decking connects all of the cabins together so you don't get wet or muddy going between the cabins and lodges. Unless guests specifically ask for room/cabin keys, all of the guest cabins are unlocked. I got a key. Not because I'm uncomfortable with the staff or overnight guests having access to my room. At some level, the lack of keys is sort of cute and nostalgic. It helps create a nice atmosphere.

Rooms are cabins. We had two queen sized beds in our cabin. While we made reservations about as far in advance as possible, we were unable to secure a single king-sized Bed. It was cramped but in a cozy sort of way. If you travel with lots of electronic equipment like we do, you may want to consider bringing a power strip. We ended up unplugging lights. Electricity is by generator. The lights flicker all the time.

Bathrooms are smallish as well.

The lodge is quirky in a good way. Worth staying at to be inside the park. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on June 26, 2007

Denali Backcountry Lodge
Denali National Park
Kantishna, Alaska
(907) 376-1992

Cheer!
Flag

Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge

Hotel

Quote:

Outside our window, across the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, the Alaska Range explodes from the valley floor. The centerpiece is Denali, the tallest mountain in North America.Often shrouded by clouds, visitors don't always get to see the mountain.The RoomOur West Wing third floor mountain range-facing room was larger than quite a few apartments I've lived in. We had a kitchenette which included a breakfast bar, cabinets, full-size sink, microwave, refrigerator, and coffee maker. The living room, in the same space as the kitchen, had a bookshelf, fireplace, leather couch, leather loveseat, plasma TV, DVD player, CD player, and a large window.The bathroom had a corner jacuzzi...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 26, 2007

Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge
23601 Talkeetna Spur Road
Talkeetna, Alaska 99696
(907) 733-9500

Cheer!
Flag

Museum of Alaska Transportation & Industry

Attraction | "Museum of Alaska Transportation & Industry"

Quote:

We found the Museum of Alaska Transportation & Industry by accident. We saw the sign on our way from Anchorage to Talkeetna then decided to stop by on our way back. Stop by we did.I enjoyed spending a few hours looking through all of the old stuff. I saw lots of bits of equipment and machinery that made me think back to earlier times. They have lots of old stuff.Problem is, there is no context for the stuff they have. I suspect folks have trouble figuring out how any of the equipment really fits into the history of Alaska. The questions I asked and made up my own answers for were, how was this used, who used it, where was it used, what does it do, and so on.This museum is...Read More

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on June 26, 2007

Museum of Alaska Transportation & Industry
P.O. Box 870646
Wasilla, Alaska 99687
(907) 376-1211

Cheer!
Flag

The Inside Passage - Alaska State Ferry Columbia

Story/Tip

Columbia - Alaska State Ferry Photo - Juneau, Alaska

Quote:

The Alaska Marine Highway System describes the M/V Columbia as having the following statistics:* 931 passengers* 134 vehicles* 44 four-berth cabins* 59 two-berth cabins* Dining Room (restaurant)* Cafeteria* Gift Shop* Cocktail Lounge* Solarium* Forward Observation Lounges* Washer/Dryers* Public Showers* Vending Machines* 418 feet long* 85 feet wide* 17 knot cruising speedPassenger accessible decks from top to bottom are:* Bridge Deck* Boat Deck* Cabin Deck* Upper Deck* Car DeckAlaska State Ferries are not cruise ships. We were reminded time and again. In fact, it has become a running joke betwee...Read More

Cheer!
Flag

Denali Star Train

Story/Tip

GoldStar Service Observation Car Photo -

Quote:

The Alaska Railroad's GoldStar Service costs more. For the extra money, passengers get assigned seating in an observation car with an open-air observation deck and a private dining room below. Also, you get complementary beverages (alcohol costs extra), cute little gift pack, priority check-in and boarding. Basically, GoldStar is equivalent to First Class service on a domestic airline.We chose the Denali Star Train to get us from Fairbanks to Denali National Park and then on to Anchorage.Fairbanks Train Depot is a new facility with a few surprising features. However, eat before you come to hang out. There isn't any food service. You will end up eating on the train if you are hungry....Read More

The Alaska Railroad's GoldStar Service costs more. For the extra money, passengers get assigned seating in an observation car with an open-air observation deck and a private dining room below. Also, you get complementary beverages (alcohol costs extra), cute little gift pack, priority check-in and boarding. Basically, GoldStar is equivalent to First Class service on a domestic airline.

We chose the Denali Star Train to get us from Fairbanks to Denali National Park and then on to Anchorage.

Fairbanks Train Depot is a new facility with a few surprising features. However, eat before you come to hang out. There isn't any food service. You will end up eating on the train if you are hungry.

Even though GoldStar service provides faster check-in, don't wait until the last minute to check in at the train station. It gets pretty busy just before boarding.

The Fairbanks train depot has a large model railroad on display. The layout (which is under construction) features terrain showing what the traveler might see when traveling from Fairbanks to Anchorage by train. The model railroad is courtesy of the Tanana Valley Model Railroad Club. I talked to one of the club members while admiring the train layout. Nice folks. Good job guys!

The outside observation deck at the back of the car is covered providing some protection from the elements. The sides and back are open. The railing is very sturdy so you can really lean into it for that special photograph. This is a good place to be for the Fairbanks to Denali run. The last 40 or so miles before Denali provides some spectacular (if not scary) views.

Dedicated tour guides provide color commentary about the sites along the way. Mid trip, the guides dress up in clothing and trinkets available for purchase in the train's Alaska State Railroad Store. Even though the store is on the train, they (and the dining cars) take credit cards.

One aspect of Alaska train travel that you might find peculiar is the baggage handling. All of the bags are loaded into these large plastic baskets. The plastic baskets are then loaded and unloaded from the baggage car using a forklift. I'm assuming that the baskets are labeled by the destination. While it is pretty fast, it is hard to watch. You can't possibly imagine how or where your bags will show up.

Riding the train is its own special experience. In populated areas, the tracks guide the train through backyards. In remote Alaska, the tracks run along the front yards. That is, remote cabins, if they have a front yard at all, face the tracks.

Bear, moose, deer, and other wildlife are commonly seen along the way.

On the Fairbanks to Denali segment, the views are especially amazing. The train clings to cliffs, creaking along mountain gorges. Rivers raging below. Read Less

Cheer!
Flag

IgoUgo

Alaska Journals

June Days Last Weeks