2009 - Friday, July 24 (Alaska)

MEM-FAI
Alaska
July 17 - July 25

• In the morning, we went to a dog sled demonstration. It was pretty interesting, despite the absence of snow...the sleds were modified with small wheels so that the dogs could pull them. We departed Denali N.P. and headed north/east to Fairbanks, where we were flying from to Memphis the following day. Once in Fairbanks, we checked into the Hampton Inn off the interstate (well, highway).
• A nice lady on the plane from Memphis to Fairbanks had told Nick about the University of Alaska Museum. She recommended going if we had time. So, since we had time today, we opted to check it out. The newest addition to the museum had quite the assortment of exhibits, ranging from Native Alaskan art to a room called "The Place Where You Go To Listen," which was essentially a light and sound show tuned to the seismic activity of the Earth in real time. The older part of the museum was really just a mess, we thought. It appeared that everything that was in the museum before the addition had been shoved into one gallery and then signs and placards were placed on the stuff to try to teach you things. Not to mention the extreme oldness of the busload of people that were there. They enjoyed walking in front of us and stopping to look at an exhibit...right in front of us. Multiple times. We couldn't handle it anymore, so we went outside for a photo op.
• After leaving the museum, we went downtown to find out what there was to do. The answer is 'not much.' We walked around for a while and finally went into a bar called Mecca. The locals there stared us down while we ordered and drank a beer. They were all buying pull tabs (a version of the lottery) and swearing/yelling loudly. We had only one beer - that was plenty of time spent there.
• After that we decided to go back to the Pump House bar/restaurant that we had gone to the first day of the trip. We had several beers and played pool for a while before heading back to the hotel.
  
• After getting back to the hotel, we ate and then watched television. The next morning we packed everything up, headed to the airport and back to the god-awful heat of the Memphis summer.
  

2009 - Thursday, July 23 (Alaska)

MEM-FAI
Alaska
July 17 - July 25

• We took the 9:30 AM green bus to Eielson stop 66 miles in. During the trip, we saw 3 grizzlies and about 5 cubs, lots and lots of caribou and a couple Dall Sheep. No moose...
• Our driver was Elton Parks - he was quite a storyteller. He had been driving the summer buses for many years, and was pretty knowledgeable on the animals, plants, and geologic formations in the park. At any time, if a passenger wanted to stop to take pictures, or view wildlife, you just yelled "STOP" and he would stop the bus and everyone would take pictures or ask questions about whatever it was that we were seeing.
• Overall, the drive to the Eielson Visitor Center was beautiful - the scenery alone was pretty amazing. We were at the Visitor Center for about an hour, then got on the bus back to the park entrance. While boarding the bus, we became aware that some rednecks in the back of the bus had brought a cooler (which was ok) but it was full of beer and they were pretty inebriated. A ranger (gun included) was brought on to escort the gentlemen off the bus. Apparently alcohol and drunkenness is discouraged on national park-sanctioned vehicles. Go figure.
• Mt McKinley (Denali) is the tallest mountain in North America at 20,000 feet. It is generally not visible due to weather - clouds, rain, etc. However there are days where even just a few minutes of visibility is possible. This is still pretty rare though. We were on the bus, returning to the park entrance, and suddenly a passenger yelled "STOP" meaning there was something to look at! Sure enough, we turn around toward the way we were coming from (the visitor center, in the direction of Denali) and the north face of the mountain had suddenly come into view! We got some pictures (we were about 60 miles from the mountain) and then headed off again.
• Back at the campsite, we cooked dinner (potatoes and beans).
• It was very cold and windy. We didn't pack enough warm clothing!
• BOD: leftover Alaskan
• Mileage: 0 (132 on the bus)

2009 - Wednesday, July 22 (Alaska)

MEM-FAI
Alaska
July 17 - July 25

• We left Anchorage at 10 AM via Highway 1. Drove through Wasilla (home of you know who), and headed toward Denali National Park via George Parks Highway.
• We arrived at the park around 2 PM. We found a campsite in the park for $28/nt, paid our entrance fee of $10 per person. Then we ate lunch ($25) at the cafeteria/restaurant at the visitor's center.
• At the visitor center we also watched a short film on the history of the park, the mountain after which it is named, and this area of Alaska.
• In Denali, cars are not permitted to drive through the park. Auto access is limited to about 15 miles in. This is a park the size of the state of Massachusetts, covering about 6 million acres. In order to see the interior of the park, visitors must purchase a bus pass. The park operates buses that take visitors in to different points along the 92 mile park road. We decided to go to the Eielson stop, about 66 miles in. We purchased tickets for the ride, at $32 per person. The trip to Eielson takes 8 hours, round trip (the innermost point in the park, Kantishna, takes 13 hours for the 92 mile [184 RT] trip).
• Mileage: 1190
• Gas: $25
• Beer of the Day: Alaskan White, Moose Drool

2009 - Tuesday, July 21 (Alaska)

MEM-FAI
Alaska
July 17 - July 25

• We left Skilak Lake around 10 AM via Seward Highway and grabbed breakfast at Sunrise Cafe in Cooper Landing.
• Drove Highway 1 along Turnagain Arm to Anchorage. We got to Anchorage around 2:30 and checked into the Hilton downtown.
• Walked around downtown to check out the sights. We decided to rent a couple bikes from Downtown Bicycle Rental and go for a ride. We chose the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, which goes from downtown, through a park, and around the airport and then back. We rode about 10 miles, during which a rogue biker stopped along the trail and Nick crashed into him, resulting in a banged up knee and leg. Everyone survived though, and we made it back downtown where we stopped at a gift shop to buy some stuff for Amanda, who was watching the doggies back in Memphis.
• Had dinner at Orso then headed back to the hotel and watched a movie (Adventureland).
• Mileage: 940

2009 - Monday, July 20 (Alaska)

MEM-FAI
Alaska
July 17 - July 25

• Departed Primrose at 10 AM and on the way to Skilak Lake, we stopped in Moose Pass, AK so that Nick could mail his mom a package of stuff.
• We took the Sterling Highway to Skilak Lake and set up camp at Upper Skilak Lake campground. Found an excellent site (C6, $5), pitched the tent, then headed to Kenai.
• In Kenai, we found an old Russian Orthodox Church that overlooked the Cook Inlet. The priest tried his best to sell us trinkets and other junk that the church was selling, but we resisted him

In Soviet Russia, junk sells YOU

• Walked next door to a cafe (Veronica's Coffee) and had the best food we've eaten so far on the trip. There were a lot of fishermen salmon fishing on the shoreline outside the area where the church and cafe were located.

• Stopped at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge (.pdf) visitor center in Soldotna and ended up reading a lot of material about the wildlife and checking out all the interpretive exhibits.
• Saw TWO black bears! Separate sightings, but both times they ran across the dirt road as we were driving. No time to get the camera out and snap a quick photo.
• That afternoon at the campground we went for a hike (Vista Trail). The trailhead was in the campground, about 4 miles round trip with an elevation gain of about 800 feet. Very steep, but there were some amazing views of the lake at every turn. ...M C A
  
• At the very beginning of the hike, we came across bear scat, so throughout the walk, we were pretty vigilant about keeping an eye out and making noise to ward off a nasty bear mauling.

Really? You couldn't have walked 2 feet off the trail to do that?

• After that the weather was moderately shitty - rain on and off all day and pretty windy. We ended up cooking over the fire (first cooked meal of the trip - a record!).

Nick, exploring bear proof storage

• An island several hundred yards off the lake appeared to be home to hundreds of water birds that screeched and squawked all night. Very odd.
• Mileage: 817 Gas $31
• BOD - Blueberry Lager

2009 - Sunday, July 19 (Alaska)

MEM-FAI
Alaska
July 17 - July 25

• Packed and left Lake Louise at 10 AM. Took Glenn Highway (AK 1) to Anchorage. Had Mexican for lunch. Left Anchorage via AK 1 and 9 (Seward Hwy), which was an amazing, scenic drive. The highway runs down the coast of Turnagain Arm, part of the Cook Inlet around the Kenai Peninsula. Going south, Chugach State Forest is to the left. The drive was a slow one - drizzling rain and RVs poking along held up traffic. The good thing was, it was a Sunday, so most of the traffic was coming back north toward Anchorage. Plus we didn't have anywhere to go and were in no hurry to get there.
• We had read in the guide book about a private area of the forest where camping was allowed, so we started looking for it. There weren't any clear markings (even road signs), so it was a bit difficult to find. Eventually we drove into the forest far enough (after not driving far enough initially and turning around) and spotted a great site to throw down camp.
• It was still pretty misty and cloudy, so we decided to drive to Exit Glacier, located outside of Seward in Kenai Fjords National Park (about 15 miles away). It's hard to describe, but 'massive' sums it up in one word. It was a nice hike to the base of the glacier - just about 1/2 mile or so. Once at the base, we walked around (no touching; only looking).
• After exploring the glacier, we drove into Seward and did some junk shopping, then had pizza and a couple beers at a local eatery. The town of Seward is a port of call for cruise lines, so everything in the stores tended to be overpriced, but it was a nice town.
• Still drizzling/raining so we called it a night. Only had one beer today (this is very rare)...BOD was Alaskan Coffee Porter and IPA. Headed back to camp to plan the next day's travel.
• Mileage 670. Gas $30.

2009 - Saturday, July 18 (Alaska)

MEM-FAI
Alaska
July 17 - July 25

• Went to Wal-Mart for some supplies. We only spent $60 compared to the $150-200 that we usually spend at the beginning of our summer trips.
• We got on the road out of Fairbanks on the Alaska Highway around 9:30. It was one of the most scenic drives we've been on. We saw lots of moose (7) and other wildlife, in addition to the oil pipeline that followed the highway. We drove through North Pole, Alaska ("Where the spirit of Christmas lives year round"), where there tallest Santa in the world resides. There was very little traffic on the road.
• We stopped along the way and picked up some firewood from a long-fingered lady at Birch Lake. Ate lunch in Glenallen - a place the guidebook says that "the best thing a tourist can find to do is leave." Wich was the truth. Even the lunch was bad. And expensive. We got gas there as well for $41 (@ $3.40/gallon).
• A couple hours later, around 3 PM, we came up on Lake Louise State Recreation Area and decided to camp. Camping was $15/night. We had a great spot away from other people. The scenery at the lake was beautiful. Took a small hike down the shore of the lake and came across moose droppings. They're much smaller than one would think, coming from a massive animal. Kinda disappointing, actually. Yes, the moose poop disappointed us.
• Beer of the day was Alaskan IPA and Amber, along with Natty Light.
• We went to bed around 1:30 and it was still pretty light - just getting dusk.
• Mileage - 320

2009 - Friday, July 17 (Alaska)

MEM-FAI
Alaska
July 17 - July 25

• Depart Memphis (first class, bitches!) at 10:30 through MSP then on to Fairbanks.
• Alaska! From Netstate: On January 3, 1959, Alaska, with a land mass larger than Texas, California and Montana combined, became the 49th state in the union. It is a large state, 1/5 the size of all the other states together, reaching so far to the west that the International Date Line had to be bent to keep the state all in the same day. It's also the only U.S. state extending into the Eastern Hemisphere.
• Arrived in Fairbanks around 6 PM and went from the airport to the Hampton Inn to check in.
• We got a recommendation to check out the Pump House, a restaurant and saloon overlooking the Chena River. It's a National Historic Landmark with lots of very old furniture and decorations - some as old as 150 years old. On the menu (and complimentary postcards) there was a local artist's illustration of a bear tending bar and a patron yelling, "hey beartender" which we thought was the most clever thing all day. The Pump House claimed to be the northern most oyster bar in the US. Which isn't really a stretch, since we were pretty far north, as far as northern-ness is concerned. In addition to oysters, fresh Alaskan salmon is delivered to the restaurant's dock by floatplane. We were in the mood for a couple beers after a long travel day, so we did just that. A few games of pool and several pints later we were ready to head back to the hotel.
• In bed by 11 PM, and it's still very light outside. Midnight sun, indeed.