This road is very scenic, however, the condition is worse that we remembered, especially after the border stop. The road to Chicken was a gravel, dusty and very curvy adventure. However we did find an respite at the Chicken Saloon for about an hour. The break was definitely needed.
Look closely there is an RV following in the dust.
Thor wants to know when this ride is over... shake, shake, shake.
The Top of the World Highway refers to an approximately 78 mile dirt and gravel road that leads to the Canada-US border.The remote highway is so named because, along much of its length, it skirts the crest of the hills, giving looks down on the valleys. It is also one of the most northerly highways in the world at those latitudes.
Rest stop and lunch just before heading to the US border.
The Walker Fork Campground is on the way to Chicken and offers 18 primitive camping sites (many pull through) for $12 a night fee ($6 for seniors). In the 1930s and 1940s, this was the site of Lassen airstrip.
Google Maps said this trip from Dawson City to Tok, AK should take about 4 hours. The road conditions made it more than double that, however we did find respite in Chicken where we stopped and celebrated the descent from the summit of the Top of the World Highway in Chicken, Alaska.
You can't imagine how many hats, undies, and bras hang in the Chicken Saloon.
In the corner of this little saloon was a vinyl record player where patrons could select the record they'd like to hear while enjoying a beverage and talking with other travelers.
The road between the Chicken and Tok was also very rough and the poor Jeep had succumbed to the dirt of the road...because we left the window slightly open. The layer of dust is deep.
It was a short stay in Fairbanks, however we had a great time at the Fountainhead Antique Car Museum, Midnite Mine (dive bar with fun bartenders), Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center, and the Farthest Most Harley Dealer. The campground had a lot of pull through sites with full hook ups and a delicious restaurant (with excellent service) on the property. We had stuffed shrimp, halibut, seafood fettuccine, seafood chowder, and shrimp & crab mac n cheese.
On the way to Fairbanks we stopped at Delta Junction, the official end of the Alaska Highway; it’s here that the famed highway joins the Richardson Highway to complete the route to Fairbanks. Delta Junction is the first place to see the famous Trans-Alaska Pipeline. The best viewing point is where the pipeline crosses the Tanana River.
Momma moose trotted across the highway as we rumble by on our way to Fairbanks.
North Pole, Alaska, where Santa is always present. This little town is just before Fairbanks as you travel along the Richardson Highway.
Absolutely stunning collection of pre-1950's cars. This museum is planning on opening a bigger venue in 2025 with more than a 130 more cars.
Nothing better than a Duesenberg!
If this car was mine, I would name her Salted Carmel. Just Wow!
Look at that boat tail...just exquisite
First station wagon
Lincoln that served as a limousine.
First car made in Alaska, originally from Skagway.
1936 Packard
After the museum we headed over to the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitor Center to view the Interior Alaska Antler Arch. This iconic arch made up of over 100 moose and caribou antlers and was collected from hunters all over the Interior Alaska. The hope was to imagine the personal stories and respect the intertwined lives represented in the arch.
Stopped in the Midnite Miner to enjoy some of the local atmosphere and people. Enjoyed the Scooby Snack: Coconut Tequila, Midori Melon liquor and Pineapple juice.
The Love Alaska sign along the Chena River near Pike's Landing.
Cantwell RV Park is located 1/2 hour south of the entrance to Denali National Park on the Denali Highway west of the Parks Highway. The prettiest weather day was when we arrived, the other few days were wet.
Cantwell is at the western end of the Denali Highway. Once an Alaska Railroad flag stop at the junction with the Denali Highway.
Camp spots 64 & 65 in the back row of the pull through sites.
Trying to grab a glimpse of Denali. We heard it was out in all its glory on the afternoon we arrived, but we were too late, it had already disappeared behind the clouds. All we can see is about 1/2 the mountain. Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side, each day had a good chance of rain.
Scenic outlook along the Parks Highway near the Nenana River Bridge.
The Nenana River, a glacial river, forms the eastern boundary of Denali National Park and is possibly the most popular river rafting destination in the state.
Tucked between Alaska's biggest city and North America's biggest mountain, you'll find the small village of Talkeetna, a place known as both the gateway to Alaska's most famous national park and for the nearly 20-year reign of its most notable mayor, Stubbs the Cat. Talkeetna is located at the confluence of three rivers, the Susitna, Chulitna, and Talkeetna. Talkeetna began in 1916 when the area was chosen as a district headquarters for the Alaska Railroad. It was also a gold mining center, that has retained much of its early Alaska flavor. Log cabins, a roadhouse, and clapboard storefronts still line the streets.
Traveling down the Parks Highway a few hours to Talkeetna, you'll come across Igloo City. At Igloo City in Alaska, visitors can see the striking remains of a large, igloo-shaped hotel structure (built in the 1970;s and never opened) that stands as a unique architectural feat.
Parks Highway heading toward Denali State Park.
Alaska Veteran Memorial at Denali State Park. From behind this statue you should be able to see Denali, not today.
The memorial consists of five 20-foot tall concrete panels, one each to represent the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard, arranged in a semi-circle. On each panel is a short history of that branch's contribution to Alaska.
Went to Talkeetna Inn Lounge where the locals hang out in a little A-frame bar with a casual atmosphere.
Left our mark at the Talkeetna Inn Lounge.
With as much pizza I have eaten in my lifetime, I definitely earned my pizza wings at Mountain High Pizza Pie.
At the Homestead Kitchen we enjoyed dinner on the patio. Greg had the Halibut (Halibrick is more like it, it was huge) sandwich and Lars had the salmon BLT (maybe not as impressive 😅)
First glimpse of Denali down the tracks at the train station while riding our e-bikes to Talkeetna Riverfront Park.
It took three trips to Alaska and 6 days on this trip to finally get a clear morning this shot of Denali. It is just stunning! The other two very large mountains to the left of Denali are Mt. Foraker (right) and Mt Hunter (center), and Denali on the left. Susitna River is in the foreground. Photograph was taken from Talkeetna Riverfront Park.
Zoomed in on Denali at 8:14am on August 5, 2024.
The weather was not in our favor for this short stay in Seward. This city of Stewart campground is reservable with water/electric at the sites and a great view of Resurrection Bay and the harbor (if the weather cooperates).
The Steward Highway from Anchorage to the Kenai Welcome sign along the Turnagain Arm waterway has to be one of the most scenic drives with mountain and ocean views. Here is the Bore Tide & Beluga viewing point where on a good day you can see surfers, seals, and whales.
We went to the Salmon Viewing at Moose Creek in the Chugach National Forest along the Seward Highway area to see salmon do their upstream migration.
We revisited the Trail River Campground where we stayed in 2018. It is set between the Trail River and Kenai Lake, provides lake, river and snow-capped mountain scenery among the hemlock and spruce forests.
Seward is the end of the line of the Alaska Railroad and the historic starting point of the original Iditarod Trail to Interior Alaska, with Mile 0 of the trail marked on the shoreline at the southern end of town.
Looking out our front RV window we saw this "ghost ship" (cruise ship) through to the foggy harbor in the early morning hours.
The selection of camp sites offered include beach front (primitive), beach view (electric only), full hookup, and XL sites (electric only). The amenities include a beach area, showers, restrooms, laundry, dump station, and water.
We met this local, LB when we were at the Salty Dawg back in 2018. We had some great laughs with his fella.
On the Land's End beach, a memorial of Jean Keene the "Eagle Lady" of Homer can be found which overlooks the Kenai mountains to the east, west and south.
Breakfast view at Lands End, the Chart Room.
Not Denali...looks like it could be but this is actually Illiamna Volcano, a cone-shaped volcano that soars to 10,016 feet tall from nearby Cook Inlet. This active stratovolcano is covered in glaciers and sits in the Chigmit Mountains within Lake Clark National Park and Preserve.
We were camped out for a couple of days at the end of Homer Spit, the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula. The spit is a 4.5-mile long piece of land jutting out into Kachemak Bay. The spit is also home to the Homer Boat Harbor.
From the Skyline Drive Viewpoint you can take in the gorgeous glacier, Grewingk Glacier
Another vantage point of Home Spit as seen from the Skyline Viewpoint.
The plan was to stop along the Turnagain Arm (near Anchorage) and watch the tide come in this evening and go back out in the morning, but the weather had other plans.
King Mountain State Recreation Area is nestled beneath King Mountain on the banks of the Matanuska River. It's primitive camping with a very helpful host.
Matanuska Glacier is a valley glacier that is 27 miles long by 4 miles wide, it is the largest glacier accessible by car in the United States. At its end it feeds the Matanuska River. It lies near the Glenn Highway about 100 miles northeast of Anchorage in Glacier View, AK.
Some 15,000 years ago, this glacier reached another 50 miles west to the Palmer area. Matanuska Glacier Park is privately owned and charges per person every time you go through the gate.
Along the Glenn Hwy near Chickaloon.
As you make your way to Valdez the Worthington Glacier come into view. It is a 5,774-acre valley glacier located adjacent to Thompson pass and is a 2,600 foot-high gap in the Chugach Mountains northeast of Valdez. It is the snowiest weather station in Alaska, recording 500 inches per year on average.
We stayed at Bear Paw RV Park in town and just outside of town (just a few blocks) there is Bear Paw RV Park II, an all adult park right on the water at Port Valdez. We would definitely stay here if were to visit Valdez again.
The Chugach Mountains that surround Valdez jut out of the North Pacific Ocean at steep angles. Between the endless array of peaks, ridges, and glaciers, lie endless gullies, and frozen waves, wide-open faces, powder-filled bowls, and scenic glacier runs.
Greg and Benny go for a walk near the Valdez Harbor.
The Horsetail Falls cascade plunges down a 300-foot cliff inside Keystone Canyon near Valdez. Horsetail is one of many snow-fed crevices within the three-mile-long canyon, just up the Richardson Highway from town.
Bridal Veil Falls is the largest waterfall in Keystone Canyon at 600 feet, and the tallest roadside waterfall in Alaska. In the driest parts of summer it can slow to a thread of water, and during the wettest parts of the year it generates so much spray it fills the canon.
Valdez, Alaska has a population of feral rabbits that are descendants of domesticated rabbits that were released years ago. The rabbits are as common in downtown Valdez as squirrels are in other parts of the United States.
And who knew this girl, even with her aging issues (21 years old) still had game. She was in her camp chair when I heard a noise outside and this little black cat took off two campsites over in the rain to check out the rabbits that out weighed her by more than double.
Glacier/ wildlife cruise aboard Lu-Lu Belle at Prince William Sound in Valdez. We saw Otters, Orcas, Sea Lions, Puffins, and Seals. Columbia Glacier is the second largest tidewater glacier in North America and the largest in Prince William Sound. At over 1837 feet thick at some points and covering an area of 400 square miles, this glacier is a sight to behold. It snakes its way 32 miles through the Chugach Mountains before dumping into the Columbia Bay.
The Lu-Lu Belle was built by her owner and Captain, Fred Rodolf (now age 86, who still hosts every cruise). Captain Fred designed and had this boat built to his specifications.
Entrance Island is a small, picturesque island located in Port Valdez near the Valdez Narrows.
The day began by waking up the sea otters.
Heading out the Valdez Arm near Potato Point, AK.
Spectacular views in all directions.
Look who is at the helm, Lisa...what was Captain Fred thinking?🤣
The trees just grow directly out of the rocks.
Captain Fred took us up close to the rock walls and caves to see the Puffins.
So much fun, the cruise allows for guests to brings their own food and drinks or you can purchase items from their snack bar.
So many beaches with so many sea lions of all sizes.
Oh the thrill of seeing Orca whales.
As you gaze out the window, you'll see many, many icebergs as you get closer to Columbia Glacier.
Since the density of ice is about 90% the density of water, most of an iceberg's mass is below the surface while only about 10% sticks out of the water. When you see an iceberg floating, you're really only seeing a small portion of it since most of it is hidden below the surface.
While it is a long day, it is one of the best tours ever and well worth every dollar to go on this adventure.
Many people call this Columbia Glacier West.
As we were making the approach to the glacier the seals were out sunning on the arctic ice.
Lars on the bridge watching the maneuvering and navigation through the ice fields.
The Columbia Glacier face is part of the Chugach National Forest found in the waters of the Columbia Bay.
The number of peaks surrounding Haines, visible from just about everywhere in town, is astounding. It isn’t just the presence of mountains, but proximity, they are just a couple miles away with peaks rising between 4,000 to 6,000 ft straight out of the sea.
Willow Lake with the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve in the background.
Copper River and Wrangell Mountain Range Scenic Viewpoint
Haines Road leading to the northern part of the Alaska Panhandle and near Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.
Chilkat River along Haines Road.
Just before getting into downtown Haines.
Seven miles south of Haines on Mud Bay Road is Chilkat State Park Rd
Near Glennallen , AK on the Richardson Hwy.
The road to Haines, is just a beautiful ride. Kluane Lake - National Park and Reserve near Destruction Bay
Near Three Guardsmen Lake
Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve
Looking out Lutak across the inlet that leads into the city of Haines.
Across the Chilkat Inlet from the day use area of the Chilkat State Park.
The Chilkoot River flows into Lutak Inlet, and is one of the more easily reached bear viewing spots in Southeast Alaska. Salmon spawn in the Chilkoot each year, attracting brown bears between mid-June and October, with July and August the peak months for bear viewing.
Head out to Lutak Road for unbelievable views. A stop at Chilkoot State Park is a picture taking bonanza. It's a favorite hang out for bears and eagles.
Haines contains the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve—site of the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world. Each October and November, between 3,000 and 4,000 bald eagles descend upon this 48,000-acre preserve.
Fogcutter Bar for after dinner drinks for Lisa's birthday and Lars showing off his middle finger splint.
Today I left a piece of my heart ❤️ in Haines. Freya (Godess of Love)🐈⬛️ passed after nearly 21 years on the road with us. My little girl, she waited for us to wake up on Sunday morning, curled her paw around my finger, cried a little 😢, and I told her it was OK, then she passed over the rainbow bridge. Some pets steal your heart ❤️, others are a part of your soul, rest in peace little kitty.
Freya, AKA Pocket Puma or Night Furry was such a great companion. She would call out when she thought she was alone, always wanting to be in the same room with us. She also loved to hang out in the kitchen by the fridge... where those big eyes would always be looking up hoping for a little snack.
On the way out of Haines we made sure to visit the Thirty-Three Mile Roadhouse for great burgers and fries as recommended by the locals.
And just like that, our three weeks in Alaska was over.
