A city on the edge of civilization, Anchorage is situated at the end of the Cook Inlet, where coastal lowland gradually rises up to the Chugach Mountains. With a population of 301,000, Anchorage is Alaska’s largest city home of 41 percent of the entire state’s population – a big...
Palmer Alaska & Evolution vs Extinction
Palmer Alaska, located just an hour or so north of Anchorage was a good place to layover for a few days. The Elks Lodge has RV parking with electric hookups right on an awesome lake between Palmer and Wasilla. Upon arrival I wasted no time assembling my stand up...
Talkeetna – Tourists & Climbers Collide
Talkeetna Alaska billed as “A little drinking town with a climbing problem” is nestled at the base of North America’s tallest peak, at 20,320 feet (6,194 meters), Denali (read about Denali in a previous post). Talkeetna’s entire downtown area is listed on the Register of Historic Places. Its wilderness...
Denali NP – Our Dedication to Wildness
Most mountains have “Mount” in their names (Mount Whitney, Mount Rainier) not so with Denali. Denali has no use for such petty titles, it is an awesome sight rising out of the landscape, a mammoth snow covered monolith. We marvel at its grandeur and its aloofness from everything else...
Resilience & Natural Beauty – This is Valdez
“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu As I mentioned in my last post, Valdez wasn’t originally in my plan for this trip. Before actually visiting my only perception of this place was shaped by the Exxon Vadez oil spill...
Top of the World to Chickenstock
The Top of the World Highway connects Dawson City, Yukon to Tok, Alaska. While most roads traveling through mountains wander through lower elevations, this 187 mile highway winds along the top of the mountain range for a truly breathtaking drive literally on top of the world. The views are amazing:...
Miles of Awesome – Alaska Highway #2
The Alaskan Highway adventure continues…….. Sometimes it is hard to wrap my brain around just how far it is to Alaska. And just how much of that distance is vast wide open wilderness sprinkled with small outposts of civilization where the highway traveler can refuel, pick up supplies, find...
Loosey Goosey at Liard Hot Springs
Somewhere along the Alaska Highway between Dawson Creek and Whitehorse lies a place called Liard River Hot Springs. Previously known to the local Kaska Indians the hot springs natural heated mineral pools provided year-round warmth to weary travelers. Back in the 1940’s when the highway was being constructed the...
Banff NP – Creation of a Canadian National Park System
It was here in Cave and Basin National Historic Site (located in Banff) that Canada’s first National Park was born. Back in the 1880’s the Canadian Pacific Railway was stretching it’s way across Canada opening in its wake a path for pioneers (very similar to US history). Although Aboriginal...
Washington, Idaho & North to Canada
The route to Canada has taken me up through Washington and into Idaho before crossing the border on Hwy 95 into Canada. Traveling through Washington gave me another opportunity to stay at a Thousand Trails Campground while I have my one year membership. The other TT campgrounds that I...