Tarrying in Talkeetna, AK Day 2

This morning, I walked into town to finish up where I left off yesterday. It's a 10 min walk for those of us with long legs, 15 for short ;) It is another gorgeous clear day. I wanted to walk the trail to the end of town to another viewpoint of Denali. It is part of the Alaska Range and is the highest peak in North America. That's why so many mountaineers come here to hike to its summit.

And lo and behold, I not only got to see it yesterday, but today too! I am truly blessed :)

"The Great One" :)

What better way to celebrate than brunch at the Roadhouse! ;) Famous for their sourdough pancakes that are so large, they are actually dripping over your plate. Today's special was "berry barb" a medley of blueberries, blackberries, cranberries and rhubarb! Yes, they actually grow rhubarb here! I thought I was back in PA for a minute ;) I couldn't finish it all, but I put a heck of a dent in it and it was delicious! :)

I walked off my brunch doing the historical walking tour of the town. There were more old log trapper cabins still in existence.

And for my Mama, the fireweed is just now starting to bloom. The tops aren't filled out yet, but it is getting really pretty :) The natives go by this plant to determine when winter is upon them. The flowers start dying off from the bottom. When the dead reaches the top, it's winter time again!

I stumbled upon one of the shops I missed yesterday. Yeah! A chocolate shop! LOL 

And of course I had to indulge for later ;) I am used to Texas boasting big, but Alaska really has us beat!

Lastly, I toured the Mt. McKinley Climbers Memorial for those who were not fortunate enough to make it back down the mountain alive. It was located within the town's cemetery.

It was a very somber experience reading all the names dating back to 1932

A close up of the John Muir quote chosen to honor them. John Muir was a great advocate for the preservation of wilderness and his writings are beautiful in his appreciation of all things nature.

A memorial to one of the fallen.

I have so enjoyed my time here. It's like walking back in time. There is not even a gas station in town, but there is on the spur. I may go visit the Mountain High Pizza Pie before I head up the road to Denali National Park tomorrow ;)

Tarrying in Talkeetna, AK Day 1

Thursday, July 26th, I arrived in the quaint little town of Talkeetna. It's located 14 miles off the Parks highway on the Talkeetna Spur road that dead ends at the town. Three miles before you get to the town, there is a pull off to view Mt. McKinley/Denali on a clear day. As luck would have it, it was a gorgeous day and I can now count myself as one of the 30% who got to see Denali! That's what the natives prefer to call it instead of Mt. McKinley. Even though it was named after McKinley, he never actually ever visited Alaska, so they don't recognize that name for the mountain. And it was gorgeous! :)

I got a site nestled in the birch trees at the only RV park with hookups and wifi and headed off to check out the town!

It's a very quaint, old rustic town that started off as a mining town, then the railroad came thru followed by aviation and a mountaineering heritage followed. This is the starting point for climbing Denali.

Most of the buildings here have a historical significance, such as this General Store.

There are trappers pelts on display

And an old mushing sled

Some of the old cabins have been re-purposed into gift shops or museums.

The brewery

I'm dying to try out the pizza here. I understand the owners are from Pittsburgh, PA and are great Steelers fans. So they've got to make great pizza! :) 

The chef at the Wildflower was formerly the chef for George Bush Sr., so I bet that food is great too! 

But my first choice so far goes to the infamous Roadhouse. You just walk in and set down at any table with soon to be met friends :) 

I was hungry and their cinnamon buns looked great! So I indulged of course ;)

But the real draw here is their infamous sourdough pancakes! I'll be back in the morning for that ;)

Alaska Zoo in Anchorage

Wednesday, I took a little trip to the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage. I wanted to see more native wildlife that I hadn't seen yet. And I was not disappointed. I won't have time to go to the antarctic, but I got to see polar bears anyway! :)

There were two. One was sleeping and this guy just finished a head of cauliflower for breakfast ;)

I think he needs a teeth cleaning ;) 

He's like me, gets his belly full then gets sleepy ;)

And does he ever know how to relax! Just draped himself right over those rocks :) LOL!!!

A beautiful Snowy Owl :)

A young musk ox

Gorgeous grey wolves

I tried to get a photo of a sleeping snow leopard, but this was the best I could do.

My favorites, the eagles. I never tire of looking at them or attempting to get better photos.

Another favorite...the Grizzly :) I would never get these close up opportunities in the wild.

Dall Sheep. This is a first I have seen any sheep or goats this trip. Those horns are impressive!

There were Mountain goats there too, but they were sleeping and I couldn't get any photos. That's the only thing left I want to see yet on my list of wildlife. Hopefully, in Denali in a couple of days :)

Gold Panning in Girdwood, AK

After leaving the Wildlife Center, the Crow Creek Mine was just right down the road and I wanted to try my hand at some gold panning! ;)

This mine dates back to 1898 and most of the buildings are still standing. There is a nice quarter mile long walking path through the buildings and down to the creek to pan. I was issued my trusty equipment and off I went!

This is the map of the buildings, which are landscaped beautifully.

Loved the signs on this old truck. I even spent the night here.

The walking path along the buildings

  The mine owners home

  

Another old truck and a duck pond

And, if you get thirsty along the way...just drop your money in the bucket and pull a cold one out of the stream :)

This is a meat cache, which I have learned while I was here that there are still alot of natives here living off the grid. This is how they store their goods in the winter without a refrigerator.

The path down to the creek

And I'm ready to find some gold!. I was issued an initial bag of soil and guaranteed a find. So of course I did that first! ;)

And lo and behold, I found 14 gold flakes! Each flake is equivalent to 50 cents. So I made a total of $7.00! LOL!!! I dug some more soil out of the creek too after that, but to no avail. Think I'll keep my day job ;) 

But it was fun, and I had to do it just once! It was a beautiful walk in a picturesque setting :)