Best Views of Mount McKinley Yet (Tuesday, August 4, 2009) We awoke to very strong winds. Our schedule called for us to depart the campground by 8 AM, so we had to hustle to get everything ready to travel—put things away inside the motorhome, take the windshield cover off, dump the black and gray tanks, unhook from water, and unplug from electricity. We departed about 7:45 AM, and drove through Nenana Canyon area with wind warnings. About an hour down the road, Mount McKinley came into view, and we were blessed with clear weather once again. We made several stops, including the Alaska Veterans Memorial Park, for still closer views.

However, the best views came at the South Entrance to Denali State Park, where I shot photos from many different angles. We had planned to stop in Wasilla for food and gasoline, but the opportunity didn’t present itself (Note: during the last election, we were led to believe that Wasilla, home of Sarah Palin, was a small suburb of Anchorage. Actually, it is quite large, both in geographic size and in its commercial development. Also, despite her being a very popular governor, a good number of people of Alaska were deeply offended when she resigned, believing she should have served her entire 4 year term.) We drove on to Eagle just north of Anchorage at Fred Meyers, and filled up with gasoline, got food from the deli, and Kay got a haircut. It began raining before we left the parking lot, and we drove the last 30 minutes in the rain, arriving at Golden Nugget Camper Park at 4 PM. Everything we had heard over the internet about the hostess was true; she was not a real “people” person, yelling at several of us to get out of the way (when a caravan of 18 RVs arrives about the same time, in the rain, and there’s only two places to park before getting an assigned slot, it gets kind of crowded). I unhooked the Saturn, found the assigned spot, and set up in the rain. We stayed in the rest of the evening.

Day 2 in Anchorage, AK (Wednesday) As has become the norm for large towns/cities, we started the day in Anchorage with a city tour. Included was a visit to the Alaska Native Heritage Center. It was still raining, but we saw exhibits inside, and a couple of great demonstrations of native games, and native dancing; Kay saw a couple of the exhibits outside and indicated they were very good. (Note: the natives in Alaska, and Canada as well, seem to be very happy people, and quite comfortable in today’s culture.) Our visit to the Heritage Center was followed by a stop at the Ulu Knife Factory, then the Anchorage Visitor Center, then the RV Park. For the evening, we ate at Sourdough Mining Company, enjoying another family style dinner, followed by Dusty Sourdough singing and telling stories at an adjoining tent theater.

Day 3 in Anchorage, AK (Thursday) This morning saw us visiting the Anchorage Museum at Rasmussen Center. Though still under construction, the Alaska Gallery, an exhibit on the history of Alaska, was great, and the docent who led the tour was the best either of us had ever seen. The art annex was good as well. After returning to the campground for a brief stop, we drove south with the intent of taking the tram to the top of the mountain at Alyeska, Anchorage’s ski resort. Regrettably, an accident on the Seward Highway closed the highway for several hours, forcing us to cancel plans for the day. (The accident involved 4 automobiles, killing two, and injuring several others. Some guy tried passing 4 vehicles, and didn’t quite make it, hitting a small car with 3 teenagers head on, killing two of them; the guy who hit them had only minor injuries.) That put a damper on the rest of the day. The sun did come out, though, and we saw a rainbow late in the evening.

Day 4 in Anchorage, AK (Friday) This was catch up day. We departed the campground at 9 AM, headed to Alyeska, where we caught the tram to the top of the mountain. Shrouded in clouds, we were unable to see what is normally an extraordinary view. We ate a quick lunch, and walked around a short time before heading back down the mountain. Our next stop was the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, where orphaned or injured wild animals are kept in an open air environment. We drove through the area a couple of times; stopping to take photos each time. We continued driving south to the Portage area and took a 45-minute cruise to the Portage Glacier—glaciers are always amazing to us, and especially interesting are those at water’s edge. The ice blue color is almost hypnotic. While we were adjacent to the glacier, a small chunk of ice about the size of a car broke off, and we got to see it hit the water. On our return to Anchorage, we stopped at Bird Creek to witness combat fishing for salmon. I had intended to fish for salmon, but just couldn’t bring myself to stand side by side and snag fish. We also stopped at Beluga Point in an attempt to spot whales, but the tide was out, and all we saw was a big mud flat. Tomorrow, Kay will take the Saturn in for servicing, and make a mandatory visit to the Saturday Alaska market downtown.

Day 5 in Anchorage, AK (Saturday) Today was work day. Kay took the Saturn into town for servicing while I washed clothes and reorganized the motorhome’s large outside storage compartment. We downloaded photos and videos after lunch, shopped at Sam’s Club, and attended a potluck hamburger/hot dog cookout at the campground. Tomorrow, we visit Anchorage Independent Baptist Church and drive to Seward.

Our Recommendations for Anchorage and Vicinity, AK We’ll make this quick: Alaska Native Heritage Center, Rasmussen Anchorage Museum, Alyeska Resort (if weather permits hiking and photography) in the Portage area, and the Portage Glacier Cruise. We didn’t spend enough time in the Portage area; there are many trails and lots of photo ops, and staying at the Chugach National Forest Williwaw campground would allow one to do these things. We are biased, however, and prefer forested campgrounds. Neither of us has a desire to visit Anchorage again, but it is definitely worth seeing once. However, be aware that there is little available parking in the downtown area.

Kay’s Take Everybody was kind of excited to be in a ‘big’ town again. Not that we really needed to shop, but it’s comforting to know you could if you wanted to! LOL I guess it’s a gal thing. I especially liked the Alaska Native Heritage Center. It was the most well done and planned center we’ve seen. Young people were being taught their native culture by elders with craft skills, etc.; they were also being junior docents – as speakers about their culture in the outside demonstration areas. They seemed proud of what their ancestors had accomplished with what was available to survive and they were carrying on the history by being involved in preserving the stories and passing them on. The docent (an older woman – possibly a retired teacher, don’t know) at the Alaska Museum was the most knowledgeable about Alaskan history and native culture I have ever heard. She would have been wonderful to have a dvd of. The Chugach National Forest is beautiful with huge mountains, glaciers, ice fields, and the Turnigan Arm. The Seward Highway runs right along the shore. I was amazed to see a boat high and dry in the mud flats when the tide was out yesterday on our drive back to Anchorage. I guess they ‘tarried’ too long. We think the high tide will be mid-day on Sunday so I’ll definitely be looking for ‘whales’ as we drive down to Seward. I’m getting ‘geared up’ for a halibut fishing trip in Homer in several days! Oh, yes, one couple in our caravan was involved in a wreck today in their tow vehicle and it may be ‘totaled’. The man is sore and the wife may have cracked a rib.

The accident was their fault; not being familiar with the roads, he was looking at road signs and missed the red light. It could happen to any of us! The Milepost publication has been so helpful in knowing where to pull over; where fuel is, etc. Anyone ever thinking of coming to Alaska must have a Milepost – It’s essential! I’m somewhat hungry for news from friends, etc. E-mail us and let us know what’s going on with you.

Campground Golden Nugget Camper Park is OK as there are no better options in Anchorage. The sites are tight, the 30-amp electricity is marginal, wi-fi did not work at our site, and the manager is a very disagreeable person, just like everyone says on the internet who has stayed here. They do have a soup-type meal each evening with pretty decent entertainment. If we ever make the trip again, we would opt to stay at the Chugach National Forest campground near Portage. It is dry camping, but has paved roads and paved sites, many with breathtaking views.

Driving Statistics
Beginning Mileage: 13,742.8
Beginning Time: 7:45 AM Alaska DST
Ending Mileage: 13,990.0
Ending Time: 4:00 PM Alaska DST
TOTAL MILEAGE FOR THE DAY: 247.2
CUMULATIVE MILEAGE: 4,598.5