Anchorage, Denali & Kenai Fjords
Greetings from The Land of the Midnight Sun where, for a period of time in the summer, the sun never completely dips below the horizon! I cannot believe it has been one year since my last "blog" post. In that time, we have been very busy with exploration, milestones, academics, athletics, playdates, and hangouts (apparently, that's how tweens socialize), as well as planning for this year's adventure! As promised, the Metz Girls have made their way to Alaska, but not without countless hours of research, as Alaska's massive size (it's twice the size of Texas), endless options and the difficulty of reaching some of its most beautiful scenery, proved to be a bit overwhelming as I worked to develop an itinerary that is both exciting and manageable. Hence, our decision to book our very first cruise and explore various flightseeing options, as there is simply no other way for us to see many of the must-see sights. In this first installment, I will focus on the first few stops on our adventure -- Anchorage and two of Alaska's awesome national parks, Denali and Kenai Fjords. I hope you're excited to take this journey with us!
ANCHORAGE
The highlight of Anchorage for me was having my Aunt Patricia and Uncle Elsie surprise us at the airport! It was such a treat to see my late-father's sister and her family, and to have them play host during this leg of our journey. My heart still aches with the loss of my father, but spending time with his family always fills my soul. Honestly, our time together would have been enough, but we also managed to visit some great sights. Here are a few of the highlights but first, some key facts.
With a population of roughly 736,000, Alaska is the largest and most sparsely populated U.S. state. On its face this would be an amazing tidbit, but it's even more amazing when you consider that New York could fit into Alaska 12 times and yet has a population of close to 20 million!
Although Juneau is the capital of Alaska, Anchorage, with over 40% of the state's population, is Alaska's largest city and serves as its economic and political heart.
Anchorage, and nearly all of Alaska, is in Alaska Standard time, one hour behind Pacific Standard Time and four hours behind Eastern Standard Time.
Every adult in Alaska receives an annual payment from the Permanent Fund, which was set up four decades ago as a way to share the wealth of Alaska oil revenues with residents and to provide a financial cushion for the state. In 2015, each adult received $2,072.
A Spectacular Drive Along the Turnagain Arm
Despite an overcast and rainy day, a drive south on the Seward Highway is one of the most stunning roads I have ever traveled. The two-lane highway curves around Turnagain Arm, the body of water extending into the Cook Inlet, which separates the Kenai Peninsula from mainland Alaska. The highway is surrounded by the snow-capped Chugach Mountains and alpine meadows. There are many must-see stops along the way, including Aleyska Resort (where you can ride a ski tram up Mount Aleyska and enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding area), the Begich-Boggs Visitor Center (located on the shores of Portage Lake, where Portage Glacier has retreated just out of view, but still deposits icebergs into the lake), and Whittier (a small town of a little more than 200 residents located on the western edge of Prince William Sound). A few key facts about Whittier. First, almost all of its residents live in a 14-story former Army barracks built in 1956. The building, called Begich Towers, holds a police station, clinic, church, grocery store, school and laundromat. Second, it's accessible only by boat or a one-way, one-lane 2.5 mile long tunnel cut through Maynard Mountain that is shared by cars and trains traveling in both directions -- they switch the direction of travel every 30 minutes, with the tunnel closing at 11:15pm during the summer. Can you imagine?!
DENALI NATIONAL PARK
Originally established in 1917 with the name Mount Mckinley National Park, 63 years later the park boundaries were expanded to 6 million acres and it was renamed Denali National Park and Preserve. If you’re like me, it’s hard to comprehend 6 million acres, so consider this — the park is approximately the size of Massachusetts and includes massive expanses of tundra, spruce forest, glacial lakes, wildlife such as grizzly bears, wolves, moose, caribou and Dall sheep, and towering mountains, with North America’s tallest peak, the 20,310 foot high Mount Denali, as its centerpiece! So, where to begin when trying to take in the incredible wildlife, breathtaking scenery and untamed wilderness of a park as large as Denali? The good news is that there is only one road, Denali Park Road, in the park. At 92 miles long, the road parallels the Alaska Range and travels through low valleys and high mountain passes, giving you ample opportunity to take in the beauty of the park. The bad news is that private vehicles are only permitted to drive the first 15 miles of the road, to a place called Savage River. Beyond Mile 15, you have to utilize a bus system. And, while I understand the need to preserve the park’s wilderness, it was more than a little frustrating to be at the whim of a bus driver and having to compete with other bus passengers for the perfect photo or viewing area. That said, we had an amazing time, beautiful weather, breathtaking scenery and best of all, incredible views of Mount Denali, which is even more special when you consider that the mountain is only visible one in three summer days. It truly is one of the most awe-inspiring sights in Alaska! Take a look at the photos and judge for yourself but first, a few interesting tidbits:
Denali has the only working dogsled team in the National Park Service. In winter, they run patrols and deliver researchers and supplies into the wilderness. In summer, rangers train the dogs (Alaskan huskies) and run demos for visitors.
Denali means the "High One" and is the name Athabascan native people gave the massive peak. However, in 1896, gold prospector William Dickey renamed it Mount McKinley in honor of Ohio politician William McKinley, a staunch champion of the gold standard who one year later would become the nation’s president. For decades Ohio’s congressional delegation successfully blocked attempts to rename the mountain. Then in 2015, the Obama Administration used its executive power to restore the original name. Of course, the renaming hasn't been without controversy.
Tonglen Lake Lodge
I wanted to avoid Glitter Gulch, the town outside the Denali park entrance with t-shirt shops, hotels and restaurants, and so I was excited to find this lakeside oasis with hideaway cabins only seven miles south of the entrance to Denali National Park. Our stay was enhanced by the views of Tonglen Lake and the towering mountains of the Alaska Range surrounding the lodge, nightly s’mores by the fire pit, friendly guests and staff, including the owner, Donna, and a guided interpretative hike on the trails adjacent to the property.
The Alaska Railroad
After our long road trip to Denali and a slight miscalculation in the distance between gas stations on the Parks Highway (hey, what can I say, other than running out of gas in Alaska with cell service is much easier than our experience in Oregon!), I decided to enjoy a relaxing train ride on the Alaska Railroad to our next destination, Seward. We chose the Goldstar Service, as it has cars with glass-dome ceilings offering panoramic views of the landscape and an outdoor, upper-level viewing platform -- the only of its kind in the world -- which is great for capturing photos and enjoying a little fresh, if cold, air. We all loved the experience, including the 6:45am departure time, as it gave us a chance to visit Kenai Fjords National Park before embarking on our cruise.
KENAI FJORDS NATIONAL PARK
Created in 1980 to protect some of the most incredible and impenetrable wilderness in Alaska, Kenai Fjords National Park is all about remote rocks, mountains, ice that meets the ocean, and abundant wildlife. Snow and ice cover nearly 51% percent of the park, including the vast Harding Icefield, which at 714 square miles of ice up to a mile thick, is the park’s crowning feature. The park is named for the numerous fjords carved by glaciers moving down the mountains from the massive icefield. The fjords are glacial valleys that have been submerged below sea level by a combination of rising sea levels and land subsidence (a fancy word for the gradual caving in or sinking of an area of land). A tour boat, operating out of Seward, is the only practical way to see the tidewater glaciers and the park’s abundant wildlife. After plenty of research, I decided to book a cruise with Kenai Fjords Tours and we were not disappointed, as we were able to see the incredible beauty of the park, including the active calving of Aialik Glacier, the stunning landscape, humpback whales, Stellar sea lions, harbor seals and numerous bird species!
Okay, that's all for now. We are currently cruising the Inside Passage, so stay tuned for my next blog that will focus on my cruise experience and more of our amazing adventures!