These are some pictures around the cabin we used in Seward, Alaska. Don't know what the tall yellow things are, but they are very cool. 
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Alaska the Flower Garden
These are some pictures around the cabin we used in Seward, Alaska. Don't know what the tall yellow things are, but they are very cool.
Denali or "Bust"--ed
Our second stop on the crazy whirlwind that we shall call our "vacation" was Denali National Park. Somehow or somewhere I got this crazy notion that National Parks were for the "people" of this country. The reality is that some of these parks are for the "rich", and the rest of us can hope that one day we too can save up enough money to get to see it. It wasn't the Park system that was the problem--I applaud our Park System for making something pretty reasonable. It was 20 for a family to have access to the park for 7 days--that's not bad at all. And, it wasn't too bad to take the bus trip for 8 hours into the park, 23.00/person. It was all of the stuff around the park that sucks. Hotel rooms close to the park, 200/night. Gas outside the park, 3.53/gallon, a bag of chips at the concession right outside the park, 9.00 dollars. Give me a break, why are companies allowed to rip people off because they are a captive audience? I think the Park should take a more active role in determining who can work with them, or around them, so that it can be something that "all the people" can appreciate.
So, to save money--we stayed at some cabins 13 miles south of the park. McKinley Creekside Cabins--well with all the rain, they were almost creek surrounded cabins. $130.00 for a little cabin with two double beds, a bathroom, and a little table. There was no TV, no phone, no radio, and for the most part, might as well have been no heat. I don't think it ever got above 60 degrees in the cabin, and that's with the thermostat set on 90. I would have complained more, but I didn't want to move all of our stuff. We were trying to save costs by bringing stuff for breakfast and lunch, and only having to eat dinner out. So, if you plan to go to Denali--I wouldn't recommend the cabins.
The ride into the park was long, and we didn't see any animals until the last 10-15 miles (out of 63 one way). The road is basically one lane, dirt, and only buses for the most part are on it. However, when you are 2-3000 feet above the valley floor, on a one lane ledge--it isn't much fun meeting another bus. I must give cudos to our bus driver--he was really great, and tried hard not to scare us to death.
We did see grizzlies, a mom and her cubs and a lone bear, caribou--a small herd, dall sheep, and a wolf. Of course, when you see them, they are barely more than specks, and even with zoom on cameras, they are still barely more than specks.
The park is very picturesque, but due to the clouds and rain, we never even got a glimpse of McKinley (Denali). I wish they would make up their minds on the name. By the way, McKinley never even made it to Alaska.
The bad part was that while we were on the bus tour, we found out that due to all of the rain, the road to Anchorage had been washed out, along with 100 feet of the railroad. Now, you would think that there would be at least 2 ways to get to Denali from Anchorage--unfortunately, there are really only 2--the Park Highway (which got washed out) or a drive to Fairbanks to take the Richardson and Glenn Allen Roads. So, given that we had to get to Seward on Monday, we toughed it, drove to Fairbanks (it was then, only then as we drove away from the park that we saw Denali in the rearview mirros), then to Richardson Highway, through the North Pole (town, not place), to Glenn Allen, which was the best part of the trip--the backside of the Chugash mountains--full of snow, some glaciers, and spectacular scenery.
More later
Nancy
So, to save money--we stayed at some cabins 13 miles south of the park. McKinley Creekside Cabins--well with all the rain, they were almost creek surrounded cabins. $130.00 for a little cabin with two double beds, a bathroom, and a little table. There was no TV, no phone, no radio, and for the most part, might as well have been no heat. I don't think it ever got above 60 degrees in the cabin, and that's with the thermostat set on 90. I would have complained more, but I didn't want to move all of our stuff. We were trying to save costs by bringing stuff for breakfast and lunch, and only having to eat dinner out. So, if you plan to go to Denali--I wouldn't recommend the cabins.
The ride into the park was long, and we didn't see any animals until the last 10-15 miles (out of 63 one way). The road is basically one lane, dirt, and only buses for the most part are on it. However, when you are 2-3000 feet above the valley floor, on a one lane ledge--it isn't much fun meeting another bus. I must give cudos to our bus driver--he was really great, and tried hard not to scare us to death.
We did see grizzlies, a mom and her cubs and a lone bear, caribou--a small herd, dall sheep, and a wolf. Of course, when you see them, they are barely more than specks, and even with zoom on cameras, they are still barely more than specks.
The park is very picturesque, but due to the clouds and rain, we never even got a glimpse of McKinley (Denali). I wish they would make up their minds on the name. By the way, McKinley never even made it to Alaska.
The bad part was that while we were on the bus tour, we found out that due to all of the rain, the road to Anchorage had been washed out, along with 100 feet of the railroad. Now, you would think that there would be at least 2 ways to get to Denali from Anchorage--unfortunately, there are really only 2--the Park Highway (which got washed out) or a drive to Fairbanks to take the Richardson and Glenn Allen Roads. So, given that we had to get to Seward on Monday, we toughed it, drove to Fairbanks (it was then, only then as we drove away from the park that we saw Denali in the rearview mirros), then to Richardson Highway, through the North Pole (town, not place), to Glenn Allen, which was the best part of the trip--the backside of the Chugash mountains--full of snow, some glaciers, and spectacular scenery.
More later
Nancy
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Find Your Way Back
Two years ago, my husband and I made our first excursion to Alaska. He had heard Clark Howard talk about cheap tickets to Anchorage as he was driving back from one of his weeks out in Southern Georgia. If I hadn't mentioned it before, he is an archeologist and spends at least 40 of the 52 weeks out in the field. He called me on his cell phone, I got on line, and the next thing I knew, we had tickets to Anchorage. This was in February, and the tickets were for August.
Two years later, we decided to do a similar trip, this time taking my Mom (If you have been a loyal reader, you know my Dad died in November, 05) and we thought she would enjoy the trip. In March, this time, I got a little voice in my head that said go check travelocity for tickets--and amazingly enough, they were on sale. Tickets from Atlanta to Anchorage, for just over 300/person.
I spent several weeks trying to figure out a schedule that would get the most in with the availability of places in Homer, Seward, Denali, and Anchorage. Things get booked up early in the year, so there was no time to waste. Schedules made, it was just a mater of waiting and waiting and waiting until August.
I should have been forewarned when my friend in Sitka had complained of how cold and wet summer had been. So we made it to Anchorage with no problems other than leaving my cell phone in the terminal in Chicago. We found a hotel while on the plane waiting to take off to Anchorage, and the next day picked up our rental car and drove to Homer. It was the first of many rainy days.
We stopped in Soldatna for fishing licenses and food, and arrived in Homer just in time to check into our digs for the next four days. We lucked into finding a two bedroom cabin with a full kitchen so we had all the comforts of home, including a dog who seemed to magically appear every time we cooked.
So, here were my impressions of Homer after two years.
There is now only one gas station--used to be three.
Groceries that used to be 20% higher than Atlanta were now 50% higher.
The oil craziness has had a major role in decimating Homer. Yet, somehow, Homer continues to be the salvation for those that need it the most.
In the major drug store, I asked the clerk how she ended up in Homer.(One of those questions I always like to ask). She told me that it was a long story, but God brought her to Homer, and it had been a miracle. This was a common story I had heard two years prior.
What is it about a place like Homer--way the "hell" out of anywhere that draws people in and helps them that have lost their way find it again? Sometimes I feel jealous that they have found their "home", when I still seem to be searching for mine.
This trip, I did feel a little more like a "local". I found the other couple of grocery stores other than Safeway, and went to both of them. The U-Store It was amazing, from garam masala to french butter, from dried cherries to fishing gear. You could be English, Irish, French, German, as well as Russian, Asian, and Mexican) Everyone was represented in that store. (I applaud you)
The bottom line was things have changed. I don't see the same spirit of oneness that I saw two years ago, and may be it was the weather, but maybe it is a statement of how our government can change things, not always for the better---but for the rich, the fancy--those that can afford it, leaving the rest of us behind to wishful think and hope.
Two years later, we decided to do a similar trip, this time taking my Mom (If you have been a loyal reader, you know my Dad died in November, 05) and we thought she would enjoy the trip. In March, this time, I got a little voice in my head that said go check travelocity for tickets--and amazingly enough, they were on sale. Tickets from Atlanta to Anchorage, for just over 300/person.
I spent several weeks trying to figure out a schedule that would get the most in with the availability of places in Homer, Seward, Denali, and Anchorage. Things get booked up early in the year, so there was no time to waste. Schedules made, it was just a mater of waiting and waiting and waiting until August.
I should have been forewarned when my friend in Sitka had complained of how cold and wet summer had been. So we made it to Anchorage with no problems other than leaving my cell phone in the terminal in Chicago. We found a hotel while on the plane waiting to take off to Anchorage, and the next day picked up our rental car and drove to Homer. It was the first of many rainy days.
We stopped in Soldatna for fishing licenses and food, and arrived in Homer just in time to check into our digs for the next four days. We lucked into finding a two bedroom cabin with a full kitchen so we had all the comforts of home, including a dog who seemed to magically appear every time we cooked.
So, here were my impressions of Homer after two years.
There is now only one gas station--used to be three.
Groceries that used to be 20% higher than Atlanta were now 50% higher.
The oil craziness has had a major role in decimating Homer. Yet, somehow, Homer continues to be the salvation for those that need it the most.
In the major drug store, I asked the clerk how she ended up in Homer.(One of those questions I always like to ask). She told me that it was a long story, but God brought her to Homer, and it had been a miracle. This was a common story I had heard two years prior.
What is it about a place like Homer--way the "hell" out of anywhere that draws people in and helps them that have lost their way find it again? Sometimes I feel jealous that they have found their "home", when I still seem to be searching for mine.
This trip, I did feel a little more like a "local". I found the other couple of grocery stores other than Safeway, and went to both of them. The U-Store It was amazing, from garam masala to french butter, from dried cherries to fishing gear. You could be English, Irish, French, German, as well as Russian, Asian, and Mexican) Everyone was represented in that store. (I applaud you)
The bottom line was things have changed. I don't see the same spirit of oneness that I saw two years ago, and may be it was the weather, but maybe it is a statement of how our government can change things, not always for the better---but for the rich, the fancy--those that can afford it, leaving the rest of us behind to wishful think and hope.
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