Our Memorable Journeys

Day 22 - 9/12/2018 - Killing Time in Anchorage

It’s 5 pm in Anchorage and we are sitting on the outside deck of the Lakefront Hotel by Lake Hood having a cold-one and watching the seaplanes take off and land. The clock at the bank said it was 71 degrees. What a nice ending to the day.

Since our last day in Alaska will be a long one (our flight doesn’t leave Anchorage until 11:15 pm) we had a lot of time to kill! Since it was a rainy day when we arrived in Anchorage 3 weeks ago and today is sunny, we decided to drive south again along Turnagain Arm to enjoy a few sights and so glad we did. Today when we stopped at Beluga Point we were able to see some Beluga Whales. The name “Beluga” means “white one” in Russian and aptly describes these small (9’-15’) toothed whales.

Can you see the Beluga? Hint - look upper right.

Our next stop was at Bird Point where we took a walk and enjoyed walking the trail to the point.

After lunch in Girdwood, we walked part of the Winner Creek Trail at Chugach National Forest. The trail, which winds along Winner Creek, is through boreal rainforest with tall trees, dappled light, moss, berries, and assorted foliage.

Next we went to Earthquake Park in Anchorage. On Friday, March 27, 1964, at 5:36pm one of the most devastating earthquakes to hit North America struck Alaska. The park sits on what once was an upscale housing development called Turnagain Heights, which sank almost 19 feet along a 1200 ft. stretch as a result of the 9.2 magnitude quake.

We drove on to the Anchorage Overlook along Cook Inlet and then to the Lake Hood Seaplane Base which is the largest and busiest seaplane base in the world. The tower at Ted Stevens International airport is responsible for all air traffic in and out of Anchorage including all seaplane traffic on Lake Hood.

It is now 8:30 pm and we are all checked in for our red-eye to Chicago. If all goes as planned we will be arriving back home tomorrow afternoon. So here is our summary: 2,434 miles put on our Jeep Grand Cherokee rental car, we spent 21 incredible days here….what a wonderful experience…..trip of a lifetime!

Majestic scenery, massive glaciers, curious wildlife, and the most stunning mountain ranges we have ever seen! Stops and explorations in the cities of Anchorage, Girdwood, Homer, Seward, Whittier, Wasilla, Talkeetna, Fairbanks, Copper Center, and Valdez revealed gems and increased my knowledge on many things. How many individuals are aware that Japan occupied Alaska during the early part of WWII? Or that there is a difference between Alaskan Huskies (that still pull sleds in the winter) and dogs used for sled dog racing (Iditarod)?

Seeing the glorious fall colors in the sub-alpine tundra was one reason we planned the trip for late August and early September. We were not disappointed! The fall foliage was spectacular! All the locals told us about the rainy summer they had here and it ended just as we were arriving. And we were so fortunate to see the Mountain (Denali) out in full glory. It was incredible in its size and beauty. I had read somewhere before coming that seeing Denali actually alters the soul a little, and we feel that is true in every sense.

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