Monday, 20 May 2013
We spent the morning in Seward where we found a wonderful little art gallery called Resurrect Art filled with local works set up in an old church made of wooden shingles – it was also a coffee shop and as it was cold outside, we spent some time there. We also visited the Post Office where I bought Alaskan stamps depicting Puffins - beautiful. I shall frame them when I get home.
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| Windsong Lodge, Seward where we stayed the night after disembarking the Zaandam. |
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| Resurrect Cafe and Art Gallery |
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| Puffin stamps! |
In the afternoon we went by bus from Seward to Anchorage that took about 3 hours. As you can see from the photos the scenery was stunning!
Anchorage – as we were having an early start (5.30am) the next day to catch the McKinley Explorer, we had a quiet afternoon and night. However, daylight until 11pm made it quite difficult to sleep!
Tuesday 21 May 2013
We really enjoyed the McKinley Explorer to the Denali National Park – similar to that of Rocky Mountaineer with the clear dome shaped double decker carriages – the outside landings were larger, so we were able to spend more time outside taking photos. As there had been a snow storm a few days before our arrival, the countryside was a winter wonderland as rivers and lakes had frozen over. We were told this had disrupted tourism, but it all looked fabulous to us. We were still warm in our Antarctic jackets. The train stopped at Wasilla as a passenger had collapsed and was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. One of the locals of Wasilla came over to the train to chat – I was standing outside on the landing. He told me he had lived in Wasilla for 30 years and the train had never stopped there before – he was quite impressed that I had come all the way from Australia. He also mentioned that Sarah Palin lived up the road!!
Tuesday 21 May 2013
We really enjoyed the McKinley Explorer to the Denali National Park – similar to that of Rocky Mountaineer with the clear dome shaped double decker carriages – the outside landings were larger, so we were able to spend more time outside taking photos. As there had been a snow storm a few days before our arrival, the countryside was a winter wonderland as rivers and lakes had frozen over. We were told this had disrupted tourism, but it all looked fabulous to us. We were still warm in our Antarctic jackets. The train stopped at Wasilla as a passenger had collapsed and was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. One of the locals of Wasilla came over to the train to chat – I was standing outside on the landing. He told me he had lived in Wasilla for 30 years and the train had never stopped there before – he was quite impressed that I had come all the way from Australia. He also mentioned that Sarah Palin lived up the road!!
When we arrived at the Train Depot in the Denali National Park, a bus transferred us to the McKinley Chalet where we settled into our cabin – very comfortable with a separate lounge – and well heated!
That night we had dinner and a show called “Cabin Nite” – we walked through the snow to a large cabin in the woods. It was about 35 degrees and we had to wait outside until the doors sprung open and the actors jumped out and started singing. A crowd of us sat at trestle tables and consumed huge amounts of local produce that included Alaskan salmon and pork ribs. A cabaret style show followed about the history of Alaska (gold rushes etc)– impossible to describe!! It was fun and we all participated and drank Alaskan beer – mine was raspberry flavoured!!
Wednesday 22 May 2013
The next day we were up at 5am for a 6am start for the Tundra Wilderness tour! We boarded very antiquated American buses for a tour of the Denali National Park in search of moose, caribou, wolves and bears. We didn’t see all of these, but I managed to take photos of Ptarmigan – Alaska’s national bird, Dal sheep, snow squirrels, caribou and moose and bear footprints!! It was an exciting day – we drove for 8 hours along the one road into and out of the park - we climbed up the dirt road into the mountains (about 3,000 feet) around hair-raising bends. We had been given food boxes – reindeer meat, rolls, carrots and cheese and ate lunch on the bus. The guide was quite fanatical about not leaving crumbs in the Park as this would encourage the animals to become dependent on outsiders for food.
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| 'Cabin Nite' Welcome |
Wednesday 22 May 2013
The next day we were up at 5am for a 6am start for the Tundra Wilderness tour! We boarded very antiquated American buses for a tour of the Denali National Park in search of moose, caribou, wolves and bears. We didn’t see all of these, but I managed to take photos of Ptarmigan – Alaska’s national bird, Dal sheep, snow squirrels, caribou and moose and bear footprints!! It was an exciting day – we drove for 8 hours along the one road into and out of the park - we climbed up the dirt road into the mountains (about 3,000 feet) around hair-raising bends. We had been given food boxes – reindeer meat, rolls, carrots and cheese and ate lunch on the bus. The guide was quite fanatical about not leaving crumbs in the Park as this would encourage the animals to become dependent on outsiders for food.
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| Mt Denali (McKinley) in the distance |
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| Caribou |
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| Ptarmigan, Alaska's national bird |
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| Dall sheep protected by the Denali National Park |
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| Treacherous roads |
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| Our transport! |
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| Caribou |
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| Moose |
After our trip to the Tundra Wilderness, we caught another bus to the Husky Centre for a Mushing demonstration – we patted the huskies and watched them pull the sleds – Alaskan huskies are all colours and bred for pulling loads, not like the racing huskies that participate in the Iditarod (a sled race held every year from Anchorage to Nome).
Thursday 23 May 2013
We boarded the McKinley Explorer again to travel from Denali to Fairbanks – a 4 hour train journey this time. Fairbanks located 120 miles from the Arctic Circle – very flat land – snow beginning to melt. Lucky for us the sun was shining and skies blue. The temperatures in winter can go below 30 degrees F – a dangerous place without heat! Our big bags were waiting for us at the Westmark Hotel (these had been sent ahead when we left the ship), so we did a big repack in readiness for our flight home out of Fairbanks in a couple of days.
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| Inside the Denali National Park Visitor Centre |
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| Outside the Denali National Park Visitor Centre |
Thursday 23 May 2013
We boarded the McKinley Explorer again to travel from Denali to Fairbanks – a 4 hour train journey this time. Fairbanks located 120 miles from the Arctic Circle – very flat land – snow beginning to melt. Lucky for us the sun was shining and skies blue. The temperatures in winter can go below 30 degrees F – a dangerous place without heat! Our big bags were waiting for us at the Westmark Hotel (these had been sent ahead when we left the ship), so we did a big repack in readiness for our flight home out of Fairbanks in a couple of days.
Friday 24 May 2013
A fabulous last day in Fairbanks - we went on an excursion that included a visit to a Gold Dredge and the Alaskan Oil Pipeline that runs 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay to Fairbanks. We travelled on a small train (to the sounds of Johnny Cash music being played by a local guitarist) to the dredge where we all panned for gold (Peter and I found $30 worth!). This was followed by lunch and a cruise on a Paddlesteamer.
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| Lance Mackey, 4 time Yukon Champion and 4 time Iditarod Champion speaking at our lunch before we boarded the Paddlesteamer |
We later boarded a huge Paddlesteamer that took us up the Chena River. It was fascinating seeing the huge waterfront homes and watching the inhabitants emerge after their long winter hibernation.
There was action everywhere - a float plane took off and landed on the river beside the boat while the pilot spoke to us by loudspeaker!
We also moored beside a Husky Kennel where we witnessed about 15 huskies pull a tractor – I should say “race”, as they went at an amazing pace.
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| Huskies pulling tractor! |
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| Caribou |
Then the paddlesteamer moored at an Alabaskan village where we all disembarked to learn about the culture of the native Alaskans before they were westernize.
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| Mink, Beaver and Fox |
Saturday 25 May 2013
We flew from Fairbanks to Seattle to Los Angeles by Alaskan Airways - then a Qantas flight to Brisbane. Peter managed to upgrade us to first class by paying $50 each between Seattle and LA, however it was back to economy for the 13 hours flight to Brisbane!! Great to be home.
We flew from Fairbanks to Seattle to Los Angeles by Alaskan Airways - then a Qantas flight to Brisbane. Peter managed to upgrade us to first class by paying $50 each between Seattle and LA, however it was back to economy for the 13 hours flight to Brisbane!! Great to be home.
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