Great Alaskan Road Trip: Photos and a Recap

Now that we are have spent a few days resting and catching up at home, it's time to finally share our trip photos!  I put them in flickr albums for easier access, rather than inserting a ton into the blog format.

Denali National Park Photos
Fairbanks Photos
Talkeetna Photos (this is where we have the best views of Mt. McKinley (Denali)!

Now for a few musings and tips from the trip:

-The entry area to Denali National Park is VERY touristy and geared toward the bus-loads of cruise ship passengers who are on land excursions into the park.  While it's great that those visitors get a chance to see the park, as an independent traveler I felt like a second- class citizen in the eateries and especially the Denali Princess hotel.  I highly recommend staying in the surrounding areas (like the McKinley Creekside Cabins) and driving the extra 15 miles to the park.  We will be taking the train back up in August, and will be without our own vehicle, so I'm sure we'll learn some more tips then for avoiding the cruise ship masses.

-We drove our own car into Denali, just the 13 miles to Savage River that personal vehicles are allowed.  With small kids, it was perfect for seeing enough of the park, even providing a spot for a glimpse of the mountain if the clouds are cooperating, while still being in control of our own schedule.  When we return, we'll try taking the shuttle bus further into the park.  I think the furthest we will attempt is the Eielson Visitor's center, which is 66 miles each way but a 5-6 hour roundtrip.

-Fairbanks was my least favorite destination out of the three because I'm not much for city traffic and driving, but it was the favorite stop of my kids.  They loved Pioneer Park and the Riverboat Discovery. I would spend an extra day in the area if we go back so we cold check out the Chena Lakes recreation area and go on a hike at Angel Rocks, toward Chena Hot Springs.

-Mosquitoes in the Interior are ginormous! No amount of OFF could protect us.  I even have a photo of one biting Little Man right in the middle of the forehead (not staged, of course, just crazy timing of the shutter.)

-Talkeetna is awesome.  It has a great mix of locals and travelers from around the globe.  It's like Homer, only even more laid back (who knew that was possible?!).  We already have another reservation at the Roadhouse for Labor Day weekend, after a visit to the Alaska State Fair.

Would I do that trip alone with the kids again? Absolutely!  The driving was easy, with a 2-lane highway most of the way, and plenty of pit stop locations.  The only thing I would change is my planned driving times.  I did not take into account that Little Man still likes his afternoon naps.  We drove in the mornings and adventured in the afternoons.  Next time, we will be sure to flip that plan.  By Thursday his patience (and mine) was running thin!

Kids doing what they do best!

Great Alaskan Road Trip: Day 5

We began our day with a cruise on the Riverboat Discovery on the Chena River. We were accompanied by six bus loads of cruise ship passengers, but the boat was massive, with plenty of room for everyone. The tour company really has this trip well thought out. A float plane pilot performed two take-offs and landings right alongside the boat in the river.

The boat passed by the kennels of late Iditarod champion Susan Butcher, and her husband, Yukon Quest champion Dave Monson, showed off new puppies and demonstrated the power of a dog team as they pull him in an ATV around a pond. He then let them outbid their harnesses and into the river for a cool-down swim. We have seen a few other sled dog kennels, and this one outshines them all in dog yard living quarters, at least from what we could see from the boat. Note: sit on the left side of the boat from the beginning, as that is where most of the action is.

The trip included an hour-long stop at a replica Athabascan village, where we learned about the native lifestyle. Even better, the guides in the village were mostly college students who are from native villages themselves. I wasn't sure if the kids enjoyed this part until my little guy asked his dad on the phone if he would build us a fish wheel to catch salmon when we get home. He also remembered the floatplane pilot's name, who spoke with the boat captain over the loudspeaker.

Lance Mackey was even waiting at the dock when we returned, available to talk with tourists about his multiple Iditarod and Yukon Quest wins. The kids really wanted to talk to him, but the cruisers were top fast and too many for us to wait at lunchtime. All in all, a very impressive range of info from this family-run business!

We finally had time and hotel room for an afternoon nap, so we rested up before heading to North Pole. Not the actual north pole, but a town by that name about 15 miles from Fairbanks. I was debating whether it was a worthwhile stop to include, but several locals recommended a Chinese restaurant there. We have no Chinese restaurant in Homer and really miss it, so I can now say that I drove to North Pole just for the fried rice. The restaurant, Pagoda, was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives awhile back.

As an added bonus, the Christmas cheer in North Pole was so over the top (candy cane streetlamp posts on Santa Claus Lane!) that we couldn't resist a stop at the Santa Claus House for our moment to act like tourists. We met four of Santa's reindeer, and the kids spent a good amount of time calling to them through the fence to see if any of them would answer to "Prancer" or "Blitzen." They didn't. Inside, we met Santa and bought ourselves a North Pole, Alaska float plane ornament to add to our collection before escaping the store filled with expensive breakables placed on low shelves. This place was not actually set up with kids in mind, which struck me as pretty funny.

Everyone is now tucked in their beds with bellies full of lo mein, ready to start our journey back south tomorrow. Destination: Talkeetna, Mountain High Pizza Pie, and the Talkeetna Roadhouse.

Photos: the pups at the sled dog kennel, waves made by the paddle wheel (there's some math in there somewhere...sine waves, perhaps?), watching the river go by, Santa Claus House, and a ridiculously huge Santa with a teeny tiny sleigh-can you even see the kids in it?