Bears and Traps. Our Grand Alaska Sea & Land Tour
Sep 1st, 2014, 09:35 AM
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August 11, Seward
We had planned to stay for three full days in Seward. Seward has enough to offer for three days – a small boat cruise into the Kenai Fjords on one day, Exit Glacier and a float plane flightseeing trip another day, a helicopter flight to a glacier and dogsledding on the glacier plus visiting the Sealife aquarium the third day.
However, all these activities require fairly good weather. What we got were three days with intermittent rain, drizzle and low-hanging clouds. Aircraft flights were cancelled, and so were the boat trips. We tried to make the best of our time, but we certainly did not reach the activity level that we had enjoyed in Skagway.
Our first day in Seward started with rain and we decided to drive to Exit Glacier. Luckily, it stopped raining when we started around 10 a.m. Exit Glacier got his name from “exitus”, the Latin word for death, because you can watch a dying glacier there. It retreats from year to year and is not overly impressive any more. We hiked from the visitor center to an overlook above the glacier. There were still maps that showed trails to the toe and the edge of the glacier, but they had been closed for security reasons. The guidebooks said you can touch the glacier, but no chance anymore. Our boys who were very eager to experience a glacier were quite disappointed. We all knew glaciers from the Alps and from Norway, but our boys had never stepped onto a glacier and had hoped that they could do that in Alaska. However, yellow ribbons made that impossible.
The next disappointment came a few minutes later. We had planned a floatplane flight from Trail Lake, but they told us it was too windy today – a situation that should repeat itself during the next two days.
Never give up. We searched our next chance. We drove to Seward Airport and asked for a helicopter ride onto the glacier. They made a reservation for 5 p.m., but later told us they were running late and the reservation was changed to 9 a.m. next morning.
The afternoon had somewhat been spoilt, but we tried to do the best and visited Sealife aquarium. We had seen many aquariums of this kind in Miami, San Diego and Brest/Brittany, and we appreciated very much that Sealife in Seward was completely focused on critters living in the region. Salmon (of course!), puffins and a giant octopus were quite nice.
This evening we did not want to spend much money, so we had dinner at a very atmospheric place called “Smoke Shack” in a converted railroad wagon. Their specialty, the green chile burrito, had no chile at all (at least nothing that was spicy) and it was a great disappointment for us Germans that they did not serve beer, but they played great blues music (like every BBQ spot in Alaska).
Back at the hotel, we made ourselves cosmopolitans and margaritas on the hotel room and hade wines and beer. After all, when it is raining, a party on a hotel room is not the worst option.
August 12, Seward
We had set our alarm clocks early, because we were scheduled to be at the airport at 8:40. However, the fog was anything but a good omen. Weather did not improve, so the heli flight was postponed. Instead, we tried to get tickets for the Kenai Fjord cruise. Again, all fjord cruises were cancelled for this day because of fog.
What to do? Since it did not rain anymore, but rather drizzle lightly, we drove to Lowell Point and walked along the beach which was composed of black slate and black sand and looked pretty eerie with the fog above our heads. It was low tide and we found crabs, jellyfish and shrimp. Miller’s Landing is a cute place where we found bearded fishermen sitting around an old-fashioned blazing oven. Like a scene from an old movie. After all the tourist traps in the cruise ship ports, we finally found a piece of true Alaska.
Afterwards, we drove up Seward Highway to Moose Pass, stopped at a few lakes and walked a bit. The floatplane rides were still postponed.
In the early afternoon, we had an extensive picnic lunch in our hotel room. A freshly purchased bottle of High West Whiskey, an effective means to catch jackalopes, helped us through the rainy afternoon.
In the evening, we wanted to spoil ourselves. We made a reservation at Ray’s, Seward’s best restaurant. It rained so hard that we got soaked when walking just 100 yards to the restaurant. The wind was so strong that umbrellas broke.
Ray’s rewarded us with the best food in Alaska so far. The price level was the same as Chinooks’ but the food was way better. As appetizers we had oysters, outstanding seared ahi tuna (in fact, better than any ahi we had in California) and excellent crab cakes, made from king crabs. As entrees, we had halibut and sockeye salmon. For the first time in North America, we got salmon cooked medium rare (as it should be). It was brilliantly spiced in Mexican style, with green chile, Spanish rice and vegetables. Really good!
August 13, Seward
When we saw the low-hanging clouds and the heavy rain in the morning we forget about our 11:20 reservation for the heli flight. Instead, we prepared to drive to Anchorage to spend the day in the museum. Just when we were ready to leave, the heli office called us: “We can make it.” I could not believe it. The mountains were still in clouds but they assured us: “There is some visibility.” We quickly took on our winter clothes, hats and gloves and headed for the airport.
We got knee-high overboots, and in two portions, they flew us to Godwin Glacier. The flight was short, yet incredibly scenic. The pilot’s name was – what else? – Mike. We emerged from the clouds, flew over hills and saw the glacier coming in sight. We flew over the glacier with its crevasses, spotted the dog camp and landed. Two puppies gaily rushed at us and wanted to be hugged. The musher told us that the dogs are usually shy and that they let the tourists pet the puppies to accustom them to humans. The older dogs were excited. Because of the bad weather, they had been idle for eight days and got terribly bored. We learned that the dogs love to work. Strange creatures!
We mounted the sleigh and off they went. The sleigh was so fast that the ride over cracks and bumps was like a roller-coaster ride. We stopped at a huge crack in the ice and we peeped down into an 80-feet-deep hole in the ice. Back we went, and the musher, a most friendly guy, photographed us in front of the dogs. Finally, we had to feed the dogs. The bolder ones ate directly out of our hands.
The boys were happy. Finally they stood on a glacier. And walked. And felt the snow. And peeped into the cracks.
The flight back was even more scenic. It had cleared up a bit, and we had incredible images with the glacier below, the mountains on the sides and Resurrection Bay in front. The heli flight with dog-sledding on the glacier was one of the most memorable travel experiences I ever had – and I had a lot in all parts of the world.
This experience was enough for the day – we were completely satisfied. My proposal to visit Seward’s historical museum did not find much acclaim. My second proposal that the boys should visit the museum and deliver a written report for the elder ones failed too. O tempora, o mores! No one interested in culture.
For dinner, we chose to dine at Ray’s again. And it had been so good, and it was good again. This evening, they prepared the salmon with blueberries.
The next morning, we would leave Seward. BTW, Seward has only one taxi, Mike’s taxi.
To be continued.
We had planned to stay for three full days in Seward. Seward has enough to offer for three days – a small boat cruise into the Kenai Fjords on one day, Exit Glacier and a float plane flightseeing trip another day, a helicopter flight to a glacier and dogsledding on the glacier plus visiting the Sealife aquarium the third day.
However, all these activities require fairly good weather. What we got were three days with intermittent rain, drizzle and low-hanging clouds. Aircraft flights were cancelled, and so were the boat trips. We tried to make the best of our time, but we certainly did not reach the activity level that we had enjoyed in Skagway.
Our first day in Seward started with rain and we decided to drive to Exit Glacier. Luckily, it stopped raining when we started around 10 a.m. Exit Glacier got his name from “exitus”, the Latin word for death, because you can watch a dying glacier there. It retreats from year to year and is not overly impressive any more. We hiked from the visitor center to an overlook above the glacier. There were still maps that showed trails to the toe and the edge of the glacier, but they had been closed for security reasons. The guidebooks said you can touch the glacier, but no chance anymore. Our boys who were very eager to experience a glacier were quite disappointed. We all knew glaciers from the Alps and from Norway, but our boys had never stepped onto a glacier and had hoped that they could do that in Alaska. However, yellow ribbons made that impossible.
The next disappointment came a few minutes later. We had planned a floatplane flight from Trail Lake, but they told us it was too windy today – a situation that should repeat itself during the next two days.
Never give up. We searched our next chance. We drove to Seward Airport and asked for a helicopter ride onto the glacier. They made a reservation for 5 p.m., but later told us they were running late and the reservation was changed to 9 a.m. next morning.
The afternoon had somewhat been spoilt, but we tried to do the best and visited Sealife aquarium. We had seen many aquariums of this kind in Miami, San Diego and Brest/Brittany, and we appreciated very much that Sealife in Seward was completely focused on critters living in the region. Salmon (of course!), puffins and a giant octopus were quite nice.
This evening we did not want to spend much money, so we had dinner at a very atmospheric place called “Smoke Shack” in a converted railroad wagon. Their specialty, the green chile burrito, had no chile at all (at least nothing that was spicy) and it was a great disappointment for us Germans that they did not serve beer, but they played great blues music (like every BBQ spot in Alaska).
Back at the hotel, we made ourselves cosmopolitans and margaritas on the hotel room and hade wines and beer. After all, when it is raining, a party on a hotel room is not the worst option.
August 12, Seward
We had set our alarm clocks early, because we were scheduled to be at the airport at 8:40. However, the fog was anything but a good omen. Weather did not improve, so the heli flight was postponed. Instead, we tried to get tickets for the Kenai Fjord cruise. Again, all fjord cruises were cancelled for this day because of fog.
What to do? Since it did not rain anymore, but rather drizzle lightly, we drove to Lowell Point and walked along the beach which was composed of black slate and black sand and looked pretty eerie with the fog above our heads. It was low tide and we found crabs, jellyfish and shrimp. Miller’s Landing is a cute place where we found bearded fishermen sitting around an old-fashioned blazing oven. Like a scene from an old movie. After all the tourist traps in the cruise ship ports, we finally found a piece of true Alaska.
Afterwards, we drove up Seward Highway to Moose Pass, stopped at a few lakes and walked a bit. The floatplane rides were still postponed.
In the early afternoon, we had an extensive picnic lunch in our hotel room. A freshly purchased bottle of High West Whiskey, an effective means to catch jackalopes, helped us through the rainy afternoon.
In the evening, we wanted to spoil ourselves. We made a reservation at Ray’s, Seward’s best restaurant. It rained so hard that we got soaked when walking just 100 yards to the restaurant. The wind was so strong that umbrellas broke.
Ray’s rewarded us with the best food in Alaska so far. The price level was the same as Chinooks’ but the food was way better. As appetizers we had oysters, outstanding seared ahi tuna (in fact, better than any ahi we had in California) and excellent crab cakes, made from king crabs. As entrees, we had halibut and sockeye salmon. For the first time in North America, we got salmon cooked medium rare (as it should be). It was brilliantly spiced in Mexican style, with green chile, Spanish rice and vegetables. Really good!
August 13, Seward
When we saw the low-hanging clouds and the heavy rain in the morning we forget about our 11:20 reservation for the heli flight. Instead, we prepared to drive to Anchorage to spend the day in the museum. Just when we were ready to leave, the heli office called us: “We can make it.” I could not believe it. The mountains were still in clouds but they assured us: “There is some visibility.” We quickly took on our winter clothes, hats and gloves and headed for the airport.
We got knee-high overboots, and in two portions, they flew us to Godwin Glacier. The flight was short, yet incredibly scenic. The pilot’s name was – what else? – Mike. We emerged from the clouds, flew over hills and saw the glacier coming in sight. We flew over the glacier with its crevasses, spotted the dog camp and landed. Two puppies gaily rushed at us and wanted to be hugged. The musher told us that the dogs are usually shy and that they let the tourists pet the puppies to accustom them to humans. The older dogs were excited. Because of the bad weather, they had been idle for eight days and got terribly bored. We learned that the dogs love to work. Strange creatures!
We mounted the sleigh and off they went. The sleigh was so fast that the ride over cracks and bumps was like a roller-coaster ride. We stopped at a huge crack in the ice and we peeped down into an 80-feet-deep hole in the ice. Back we went, and the musher, a most friendly guy, photographed us in front of the dogs. Finally, we had to feed the dogs. The bolder ones ate directly out of our hands.
The boys were happy. Finally they stood on a glacier. And walked. And felt the snow. And peeped into the cracks.
The flight back was even more scenic. It had cleared up a bit, and we had incredible images with the glacier below, the mountains on the sides and Resurrection Bay in front. The heli flight with dog-sledding on the glacier was one of the most memorable travel experiences I ever had – and I had a lot in all parts of the world.
This experience was enough for the day – we were completely satisfied. My proposal to visit Seward’s historical museum did not find much acclaim. My second proposal that the boys should visit the museum and deliver a written report for the elder ones failed too. O tempora, o mores! No one interested in culture.
For dinner, we chose to dine at Ray’s again. And it had been so good, and it was good again. This evening, they prepared the salmon with blueberries.
The next morning, we would leave Seward. BTW, Seward has only one taxi, Mike’s taxi.
To be continued.
Sep 2nd, 2014, 12:38 PM
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August 14, from Seward to Denali
It rained cats and dogs, and since we already had our scenic trip on Seward highway, it did not bother us. As often, in Anchorage the rain stopped and we even caught a spell of sunshine when we stopped in Eklutna. Eklutna is a small Athabaskan village and has a most interesting cemetery. There are two Russian-Orthodox churches, one from 1870 and one from the 1930ties which have the typical iconostasis, but rather the poor way. The main attractions are not the churches but the graves.
Most graves are spirit houses combined with Orthodox crosses – striking examples for syncretism. We got an excellent introductory tour, brief and precise. The traditional Athabaskan belief is that when a human passes away the spirits stay for a while with the dead body. Therefore they build small houses for the spirits. The houses are brightly painted according to the family colours, e.g. one family had red and white spirit houses, the other family blue and white houses. Some houses were red and blue and white – indicating intermarriage. It is believed that the spirits do no stay for long in their houses, so they are not maintained and eventually start rotting and collapse. Eklutna cemetery has spirit houses in all states – from brand new to completely rotten. But most of them are still looking pretty.
Neither the Athabaskans nor the Orthodox Church had problems with combining the beliefs. The most fascinating fact about this cemetery was that it is still used and has some very new spirit houses, still syncretist.
There was a Jewish grave for a man named Rosenberg, without a spirit house, but with a stone on the gravemarker. Next to it was the grave of his Athabaskan wife – a very elaborated large and modern-looking house, a kind of doll-house with a door and windows. Through some of the windows you looked on pictures of Mary and other holy images. There was another new grave with a spirit house which was decorated with fresh flowers, an American flag and a bundle which combined Christian and Athabaskan symbols like feathers and a claw. Among the Christian symbols was a key with the inscription “God never shuts one door without opening another” – certainly a belief that is shared by traditional Athabaskan and Christian belief.
All in all, Eklutna was not just a hidden gem right at the highway, but a most fascinating site to study the blend of pagan and Christian beliefs. We would later find more syncretist graveyards, but Eklutna is the best of them.
Overall, we found the highway between Anchorage and Denali not scenic at all, but rather boring. So, we were looking forward to our next stop, Talkeetna. However, when we drove into town, everything cried “tourist trap!” To be sure, Talkeetna has a few historic structures, but most of them had been converted into gift shops and tacky restaurants. And hordes of tourists swarmed through the small town. How atmospheric had Carcross been in comparison to Talkeetna!
There were two buildings in Talkeetna which we found interesting, both log cabins. The oldest structure in Talkeetna was the log cabin of the railroad engineer who started the town. It was built like stone-age houses in Europe and erected in 1916, a time when people in other parts of the world drove automobiles and flew airplanes.
We briefly paid the local grocery store a visit, which is still a grocery store and which has its charm. We did not see the cat and, frankly, did not care for it because the legend that they elected a cat as mayor did not seem authentic any longer in this tourist-swarmed town. To be fair, Talkeetna could still have some charm but it has been corrupted by mass-tourism like many other historical villages in the world, including many villages in Europe.
On our way to Denali, we stopped at two roadside viewpoints. At this point, I have to say something: if you travel to Denali do not expect to see Mount McKinley. It is obscured by clouds most of the time, as we were told by local guides. We spent four days around Mount McKinley and had never the slightest chance to see it. IF you see the mountain take it as a kind of lottery win. You may be lucky but never count on it. But, without seeing Mount McKinley, Denali National Park is fascinating enough.
We had reserved accommodation in November last year, and the Denali area had already been booked so much that we had very limited choice. So. without any real alternative, we ended with a reservation at McKinley Creekside Cabins which is a 15-minute drive away from the park entrance. We found the place quite charming, with rustic cabins and a small restaurant that always played good music and served hearty homemade food. Most we loved to sit on comfy wooden chairs directly at the creek and sip our pre-dinner and after-dinner drinks.
August 15, Denali
Months ago, I had reserved the park shuttle to Wonder Lake at 6:15 a.m. The park shuttle is the most economic way to visit Denali. You can also book tours like the “Tundra Wilderness Tour” or others which have exactly the same school bus-type buses and drive exactly the same way and stop exactly at the same place but which cost three to five (!) times more than the park shuttle. The only difference is that you get a sandwich on one of the overpriced tour buses.
So, we did the right thing. Our driver was named – you guess it – Mike. He wore a beard as all bus drivers in Denali (except the female ones) and had a very deep voice. In the park brochure, there was an ad for the Denali Brew Pub which boasted to have a good choice of whiskeys and Mike’s voice was as if he was a regular customer. The rest was done by his smoking habits – three cigarettes at each pit stop.
Mike talked about the wildlife. He said that grizzly bears are not really dangerous. “It’s not true that they are chasing people. Usually they don’t care for people. Only once in a while they would consume a human.” Quite comforting!
We were sure that a fight between a grizzly and Mike would have no clear winner. Most probably it would end with Mike and the grizzly having a whiskey together afterwards.
So, how was the tour? Firstly, it was incredibly scenic. We explored one of the most fascinating landscapes on Earth. We drove through tundra, taiga, dramatic mountain scenery, over broad rivers. The most spectacular place on the drive is Polychrome Pass which deserves its name well. There are stunning vistas. We had started with an overcast sky and low clouds, obstructing the view of Mount McKinley but leaving enough snow-capped mountains in sight. At Polychrome Pass, the clouds opened a bit and we got some sunshine, creating a most dramatic combination of sunshine and shade. And if God had not done enough to show his skills to create spectacular scenery he added a rainbow on top of a hill! Awesome.
Scenery is one part of the bus drive, wildlife is the other. During our 9 hour drive (plus two hours at several stops) we saw moose, dall sheep, lots of caribous (at one place a herd of 28), ground squirrels, golden eagles, a red fox and we no less than eight (!) grizzly bear sightings. Three of them were munching blueberries, one was sleeping on a rock, one mother bear went with her two cubs, one climbed a steep slope while harassed by a magpie and one was walking around our bus, so it was at a very close range. Everyone opened the windows and took photos. After all, such a school bus has advantages over a modern bus where you cannot open the windows any more.
Whenever we saw wildlife, Mike stopped the bus and we would open the windows and get excellent pictures. Besides Polychrome Pass, we loved Eielson Visitor Center, where we stopped twice for 30 minutes each time. Eielson is a tranquil place in the tundra where you are encouraged to leave the trails and walk just straight through the tundra. Keep in mind that Denali National Park has just 8 species of trees but 600 species of moss! On our second stop at Eielson, we could see a grizzly eating blueberries right from the visitor center’s terrace. The rangers were aware and closed the paths that led towards the bear who did not care for the humans with their cameras. After a while, they reopened the trails that led into the other direction. Eielson has also facilties and picnic tables, so we were able have our box lunch there.
We proceeded further to Wonder Lake. On this way, we climbed even higher and got into clouds and rain. There is only one reason to drive to Wonder Lake: to see the reflection of Mount McKinley in the lake, otherwise there is nothing to see. Also, there was little wildlife between Eielson and Wonder Lake. So, next time, we would probably turn back at Eielson, because the Wonder Lake tour is quite lengthy. My tip would be: reserve the trip to Wonder Lake and go there if there is clear weather, if not, turn back at Eielson.
The total tour took 11 hours, including stops. We had started early, because I have read that in the early hours, wildlife is most active. On this cool day, this was not true. We saw all kind of wildlife during all hours of the day. In fact, four of the grizzly sightings were on the way into the park in the morning and the other four were on the way back in the afternoon. And only in one case, it was the same bear.
The 11-hour tour is quite strenuous and the drive to and from Wonder Lake was a waste. Do it only if you have a clear day and you can see Mount McKinley. Better take some time to hike in the Eielson area. It has good sight and is safe because you cannot be surprised by bears there.
August 16, Denali
We did not take the shuttle bus again. After eight bear sightings the day before, there is nothing more you can expect. Instead, we drove our own car to Savage River which is at the end of the paved section of the park road which is allowed for private cars. Along Savage River, there is an easy loop trail which is two miles long which was manageable for MIL (she is 82, just to remind you).
At the end of the maintained trail, we hiked a bit further up on a hill with additional vistas. The trail leads mostly through tundra and a bit through taiga. We spotted several ground squirrels and a flock of willow ptarmigans, Alaska’s state birds, which were not shy at all.
We could have hiked more, but it was cold and extremely windy. On the pass at the end of the trail, we could name it a storm. It was the fourth day in Alaska that we needed our winter clothes, hats and gloves (after Mendenhall Glacier, Glacier Bay and dogsledding on the glacier). The late afternoon we spent at the banks of our creek and enjoyed being in Alaska.
To be continued.
It rained cats and dogs, and since we already had our scenic trip on Seward highway, it did not bother us. As often, in Anchorage the rain stopped and we even caught a spell of sunshine when we stopped in Eklutna. Eklutna is a small Athabaskan village and has a most interesting cemetery. There are two Russian-Orthodox churches, one from 1870 and one from the 1930ties which have the typical iconostasis, but rather the poor way. The main attractions are not the churches but the graves.
Most graves are spirit houses combined with Orthodox crosses – striking examples for syncretism. We got an excellent introductory tour, brief and precise. The traditional Athabaskan belief is that when a human passes away the spirits stay for a while with the dead body. Therefore they build small houses for the spirits. The houses are brightly painted according to the family colours, e.g. one family had red and white spirit houses, the other family blue and white houses. Some houses were red and blue and white – indicating intermarriage. It is believed that the spirits do no stay for long in their houses, so they are not maintained and eventually start rotting and collapse. Eklutna cemetery has spirit houses in all states – from brand new to completely rotten. But most of them are still looking pretty.
Neither the Athabaskans nor the Orthodox Church had problems with combining the beliefs. The most fascinating fact about this cemetery was that it is still used and has some very new spirit houses, still syncretist.
There was a Jewish grave for a man named Rosenberg, without a spirit house, but with a stone on the gravemarker. Next to it was the grave of his Athabaskan wife – a very elaborated large and modern-looking house, a kind of doll-house with a door and windows. Through some of the windows you looked on pictures of Mary and other holy images. There was another new grave with a spirit house which was decorated with fresh flowers, an American flag and a bundle which combined Christian and Athabaskan symbols like feathers and a claw. Among the Christian symbols was a key with the inscription “God never shuts one door without opening another” – certainly a belief that is shared by traditional Athabaskan and Christian belief.
All in all, Eklutna was not just a hidden gem right at the highway, but a most fascinating site to study the blend of pagan and Christian beliefs. We would later find more syncretist graveyards, but Eklutna is the best of them.
Overall, we found the highway between Anchorage and Denali not scenic at all, but rather boring. So, we were looking forward to our next stop, Talkeetna. However, when we drove into town, everything cried “tourist trap!” To be sure, Talkeetna has a few historic structures, but most of them had been converted into gift shops and tacky restaurants. And hordes of tourists swarmed through the small town. How atmospheric had Carcross been in comparison to Talkeetna!
There were two buildings in Talkeetna which we found interesting, both log cabins. The oldest structure in Talkeetna was the log cabin of the railroad engineer who started the town. It was built like stone-age houses in Europe and erected in 1916, a time when people in other parts of the world drove automobiles and flew airplanes.
We briefly paid the local grocery store a visit, which is still a grocery store and which has its charm. We did not see the cat and, frankly, did not care for it because the legend that they elected a cat as mayor did not seem authentic any longer in this tourist-swarmed town. To be fair, Talkeetna could still have some charm but it has been corrupted by mass-tourism like many other historical villages in the world, including many villages in Europe.
On our way to Denali, we stopped at two roadside viewpoints. At this point, I have to say something: if you travel to Denali do not expect to see Mount McKinley. It is obscured by clouds most of the time, as we were told by local guides. We spent four days around Mount McKinley and had never the slightest chance to see it. IF you see the mountain take it as a kind of lottery win. You may be lucky but never count on it. But, without seeing Mount McKinley, Denali National Park is fascinating enough.
We had reserved accommodation in November last year, and the Denali area had already been booked so much that we had very limited choice. So. without any real alternative, we ended with a reservation at McKinley Creekside Cabins which is a 15-minute drive away from the park entrance. We found the place quite charming, with rustic cabins and a small restaurant that always played good music and served hearty homemade food. Most we loved to sit on comfy wooden chairs directly at the creek and sip our pre-dinner and after-dinner drinks.
August 15, Denali
Months ago, I had reserved the park shuttle to Wonder Lake at 6:15 a.m. The park shuttle is the most economic way to visit Denali. You can also book tours like the “Tundra Wilderness Tour” or others which have exactly the same school bus-type buses and drive exactly the same way and stop exactly at the same place but which cost three to five (!) times more than the park shuttle. The only difference is that you get a sandwich on one of the overpriced tour buses.
So, we did the right thing. Our driver was named – you guess it – Mike. He wore a beard as all bus drivers in Denali (except the female ones) and had a very deep voice. In the park brochure, there was an ad for the Denali Brew Pub which boasted to have a good choice of whiskeys and Mike’s voice was as if he was a regular customer. The rest was done by his smoking habits – three cigarettes at each pit stop.
Mike talked about the wildlife. He said that grizzly bears are not really dangerous. “It’s not true that they are chasing people. Usually they don’t care for people. Only once in a while they would consume a human.” Quite comforting!
We were sure that a fight between a grizzly and Mike would have no clear winner. Most probably it would end with Mike and the grizzly having a whiskey together afterwards.
So, how was the tour? Firstly, it was incredibly scenic. We explored one of the most fascinating landscapes on Earth. We drove through tundra, taiga, dramatic mountain scenery, over broad rivers. The most spectacular place on the drive is Polychrome Pass which deserves its name well. There are stunning vistas. We had started with an overcast sky and low clouds, obstructing the view of Mount McKinley but leaving enough snow-capped mountains in sight. At Polychrome Pass, the clouds opened a bit and we got some sunshine, creating a most dramatic combination of sunshine and shade. And if God had not done enough to show his skills to create spectacular scenery he added a rainbow on top of a hill! Awesome.
Scenery is one part of the bus drive, wildlife is the other. During our 9 hour drive (plus two hours at several stops) we saw moose, dall sheep, lots of caribous (at one place a herd of 28), ground squirrels, golden eagles, a red fox and we no less than eight (!) grizzly bear sightings. Three of them were munching blueberries, one was sleeping on a rock, one mother bear went with her two cubs, one climbed a steep slope while harassed by a magpie and one was walking around our bus, so it was at a very close range. Everyone opened the windows and took photos. After all, such a school bus has advantages over a modern bus where you cannot open the windows any more.
Whenever we saw wildlife, Mike stopped the bus and we would open the windows and get excellent pictures. Besides Polychrome Pass, we loved Eielson Visitor Center, where we stopped twice for 30 minutes each time. Eielson is a tranquil place in the tundra where you are encouraged to leave the trails and walk just straight through the tundra. Keep in mind that Denali National Park has just 8 species of trees but 600 species of moss! On our second stop at Eielson, we could see a grizzly eating blueberries right from the visitor center’s terrace. The rangers were aware and closed the paths that led towards the bear who did not care for the humans with their cameras. After a while, they reopened the trails that led into the other direction. Eielson has also facilties and picnic tables, so we were able have our box lunch there.
We proceeded further to Wonder Lake. On this way, we climbed even higher and got into clouds and rain. There is only one reason to drive to Wonder Lake: to see the reflection of Mount McKinley in the lake, otherwise there is nothing to see. Also, there was little wildlife between Eielson and Wonder Lake. So, next time, we would probably turn back at Eielson, because the Wonder Lake tour is quite lengthy. My tip would be: reserve the trip to Wonder Lake and go there if there is clear weather, if not, turn back at Eielson.
The total tour took 11 hours, including stops. We had started early, because I have read that in the early hours, wildlife is most active. On this cool day, this was not true. We saw all kind of wildlife during all hours of the day. In fact, four of the grizzly sightings were on the way into the park in the morning and the other four were on the way back in the afternoon. And only in one case, it was the same bear.
The 11-hour tour is quite strenuous and the drive to and from Wonder Lake was a waste. Do it only if you have a clear day and you can see Mount McKinley. Better take some time to hike in the Eielson area. It has good sight and is safe because you cannot be surprised by bears there.
August 16, Denali
We did not take the shuttle bus again. After eight bear sightings the day before, there is nothing more you can expect. Instead, we drove our own car to Savage River which is at the end of the paved section of the park road which is allowed for private cars. Along Savage River, there is an easy loop trail which is two miles long which was manageable for MIL (she is 82, just to remind you).
At the end of the maintained trail, we hiked a bit further up on a hill with additional vistas. The trail leads mostly through tundra and a bit through taiga. We spotted several ground squirrels and a flock of willow ptarmigans, Alaska’s state birds, which were not shy at all.
We could have hiked more, but it was cold and extremely windy. On the pass at the end of the trail, we could name it a storm. It was the fourth day in Alaska that we needed our winter clothes, hats and gloves (after Mendenhall Glacier, Glacier Bay and dogsledding on the glacier). The late afternoon we spent at the banks of our creek and enjoyed being in Alaska.
To be continued.
Sep 3rd, 2014, 10:20 PM
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August 17, from Denali to Chena Hot Springs
Again, an overcast day. Driving from Denali to Fairbanks is pretty boring – with the exception of Nenana, a historic town that has stayed authentic. Nenana was a major transportation hub – with a railroad depot (the historic station still stands, also the historic hotel), a port and the highway.
Fairbanks is a widely scattered town, still, as the name indicates, with pretty riverbanks and two paddlewheel steamers lying there. We visited Pioneer Park which features a historic paddlewheeler, inside with excellent dioramas showing historic settlements in Northern Alaska. There is also a replica of a gold-rush town, with some original structures and some mock-ups. There is a cute historic museum which looks a bit like Grandma’s attic. We especially liked the gloves which were made from wolves’ heads. The railroad museum is more like a railroad workshop, and there is a rather insignificant airplane museum. Most of the exhibitions are free, but we made a donation.
In Fairbanks, it started raining and it did not stop until evening. Our destination was Chena Hot Springs Resort, which we had selected because we had thought it would be the end of the world.
How surprised were we when we found it – on this Sunday afternoon – crowded by people, creating a lively hubbub. A band was playing country music, children were running around and everything was very busy – until the rain got really heavy and the place quickly emptied. We later found out that they had been there for the annual renewable energy fair. The next days would be quieter.
We had selected Chena Hot Springs because we wanted to relax at the end of our trip. We must say, it was by far the most expensive accommodation we had in Alaska (and everything was expensive, including chain motels), but the accommodation part of the resort was disappointing. The resort is a peculiar blend of beauty and ugliness. The landscaping is fantastic – with flowers everywhere, even vegetables (like cabbage and artichokes) used for decoration and a lot of antique cars and machinery, also used as flowerpots. On the other hand, there is rubbish everywhere and several really ugly buildings. On the positive side you find a lot of activities – like hiking, biking, canoe rentals, ATV rentals, dog sledding, flightseeing, the ice museum etc. On the negative side is the poorly managed hotel.
In our family suite, practically everything was broken – the handle of the door, the window, the blinds, the sinks, the lamp, the shower was leaking heavily – and it was stinking from cigarette smoke (although smoking was forbidden in the room and on the premises). We also found the service unsatisfyingly – the girl at the front desk was grumpy, we had no phone in our suite, they have no fridges on the rooms etc.
Anyway, dinner was another positive experience. The restaurant is very atmospheric, in a log cabin with many stuffed animals and Iditarod memorabilia. The great surprise was that the food was outstanding. The steaks, both ribeye and filet mignon, were the best on our whole journey. The clam chowder was good and the salmon was cooked as it ought to be: medium rare. And it was reasonably priced. For soup, entrée, dessert, cocktails and wines we ended with $55 p.p.
In some way, we profited from the renewable energy fair because they had hired a band for this night. They played excellent unplugged music – a mix of country, blues and rock. With the increasing amount of alcohol intake, the crowd – mostly younger folks, the resort’s gardeners among them – became enthusiastic and there was dancing and cheering and singing. There seemed to be a lot of local people in the crowd, including two older couples of Athabaskan wife and white husband and an Inupiat family. We tried to blend in somewhat and, after dinner, ordered what the locals drank – it was straight whiskey, BTW the cheapest drink on the menu.
Still more to come.
Again, an overcast day. Driving from Denali to Fairbanks is pretty boring – with the exception of Nenana, a historic town that has stayed authentic. Nenana was a major transportation hub – with a railroad depot (the historic station still stands, also the historic hotel), a port and the highway.
Fairbanks is a widely scattered town, still, as the name indicates, with pretty riverbanks and two paddlewheel steamers lying there. We visited Pioneer Park which features a historic paddlewheeler, inside with excellent dioramas showing historic settlements in Northern Alaska. There is also a replica of a gold-rush town, with some original structures and some mock-ups. There is a cute historic museum which looks a bit like Grandma’s attic. We especially liked the gloves which were made from wolves’ heads. The railroad museum is more like a railroad workshop, and there is a rather insignificant airplane museum. Most of the exhibitions are free, but we made a donation.
In Fairbanks, it started raining and it did not stop until evening. Our destination was Chena Hot Springs Resort, which we had selected because we had thought it would be the end of the world.
How surprised were we when we found it – on this Sunday afternoon – crowded by people, creating a lively hubbub. A band was playing country music, children were running around and everything was very busy – until the rain got really heavy and the place quickly emptied. We later found out that they had been there for the annual renewable energy fair. The next days would be quieter.
We had selected Chena Hot Springs because we wanted to relax at the end of our trip. We must say, it was by far the most expensive accommodation we had in Alaska (and everything was expensive, including chain motels), but the accommodation part of the resort was disappointing. The resort is a peculiar blend of beauty and ugliness. The landscaping is fantastic – with flowers everywhere, even vegetables (like cabbage and artichokes) used for decoration and a lot of antique cars and machinery, also used as flowerpots. On the other hand, there is rubbish everywhere and several really ugly buildings. On the positive side you find a lot of activities – like hiking, biking, canoe rentals, ATV rentals, dog sledding, flightseeing, the ice museum etc. On the negative side is the poorly managed hotel.
In our family suite, practically everything was broken – the handle of the door, the window, the blinds, the sinks, the lamp, the shower was leaking heavily – and it was stinking from cigarette smoke (although smoking was forbidden in the room and on the premises). We also found the service unsatisfyingly – the girl at the front desk was grumpy, we had no phone in our suite, they have no fridges on the rooms etc.
Anyway, dinner was another positive experience. The restaurant is very atmospheric, in a log cabin with many stuffed animals and Iditarod memorabilia. The great surprise was that the food was outstanding. The steaks, both ribeye and filet mignon, were the best on our whole journey. The clam chowder was good and the salmon was cooked as it ought to be: medium rare. And it was reasonably priced. For soup, entrée, dessert, cocktails and wines we ended with $55 p.p.
In some way, we profited from the renewable energy fair because they had hired a band for this night. They played excellent unplugged music – a mix of country, blues and rock. With the increasing amount of alcohol intake, the crowd – mostly younger folks, the resort’s gardeners among them – became enthusiastic and there was dancing and cheering and singing. There seemed to be a lot of local people in the crowd, including two older couples of Athabaskan wife and white husband and an Inupiat family. We tried to blend in somewhat and, after dinner, ordered what the locals drank – it was straight whiskey, BTW the cheapest drink on the menu.
Still more to come.
Sep 4th, 2014, 06:31 AM
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traveller1959:
Your reporting is very good.
I am sorry that the Chena Hot Springs Resort was so poorly maintained. You should post a review on this hotel perhaps on www.tripadvisor.com so that others are aware of what they are getting. Glad to hear the food was good.
Sandy
Your reporting is very good.
I am sorry that the Chena Hot Springs Resort was so poorly maintained. You should post a review on this hotel perhaps on www.tripadvisor.com so that others are aware of what they are getting. Glad to hear the food was good.
Sandy
Sep 4th, 2014, 12:40 PM
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Sandy - I have posted my review already on tripadvisor.
Actually, the accomodation was the only weak point of Chena Hot Springs Resort. They have definitely to do something about that.
Read here more about Chena:
August 18, Chena Hot Springs
It continued raining through the night, but stopped in the morning. It was cool and wet and nasty, but the hot springs pool warmed us thoroughly. The pool is absolutely fantastic – very hot natural water, with a slight sulphuric smell and so much minerals that you almost float. The lockers and showers area looks a bit like a 1950ies public swimming pool, but the hot springs pool is strikingly beautiful. The original springs are too hot for humans, so the water flows into to cooling ponds and from there into the swimming pool which is a large pond. You can swim or float or just sit and relax.
We spent the morning with a leisurely walk through the premises where they have goats, chicken, duck, geese and reindeer. When we went through the sled dog kennel the huskies got very excited when they saw some people coming. When other people came they started howling but calmed down when the cat came and wanted to be petted by us. Somehow, it seemed as if the cat was the chief. We hiked an easy 1 ½ mile long trail through the forest and around Beaver Pond, a nice pond where you can rent canoes.
After the walk, we soaked again in the hot springs and needed some time to cool down. We also bought tickets for the ice museum including appletinis in ice glasses. Vow, this was way better than we thought. We wore our warmest clothes, which had served us well on the glacier, including gloves and hats, but were still glad that we got warm parkas at the museum’s entrance. Of course, there were the usual Americans in our group wearing shorts. These are the obedient U.S. citizens who always wear shorts when on vacation, regardless of temperature. In the ice museum, the temperature was 25° Fahrenheit which is obviously shorts weather for U.S. citizens.
The museum is a quite large building, rather sparsely illuminated in varying colours. The ice sculptures are partly elegant – especially the ice bar and the wedding space – and partly kitsch. There is a section with four igloo-type hotel rooms, where you can spend a night @ $600, warmed with reindeer pelt.
Reindeer pelt was on the bar stools, too. We had booked the ice museum tour with appletinis. This was $15 extra, so the appletinis were the most expensive drinks on our trip – but worth every penny, because half of the amount is for the drink and half for the glass. The drink was excellent and served in ice glasses which we were allowed to take home as souvenirs. Of course, we took them to our hotel suite, where we poured cosmos and white wine in them. In a second, the drinks were perfectly cooled – some of the best cosmos we ever had. And the first time that we crushed our glasses after drinking without any feeling of guilt.
August 19, Chena Hot Springs
We had the large Alaskan breakfast, so we decided to do a little workout. We chose to hike the Angel Rocks Trail. This trail was a little bit too strenuous for MIL, so the ladies stayed at the resort and it became a father-and-sons-thing. DW was very quick to say that she would stay with her mother, since she was a little bit afraid to meet a bear on the trail. I asked the guy at the resort’s activity center about the odds of a bear encounter and he said that there a good chances to see one. He said it in a tone that indicated “you might be lucky to see a bear”. I wanted to purchase bear spray, but he said “It’s useless – when a bear is in the range of the spray it is too late anyway”. So we went without any protection.
The Angel Rocks Trail is a 3.5-mile loop trip with an ascent of 900 feet. The trailhead is on Chena highway and the trail is quite scenic. In the beginning, we hiked along Chena river, then went deep into forest before the trail went rather steep up the mountain. Right under the lower Angel Rock we heard an eerie howling. It was too loud for a wolf – it came from a more dangerous predator, obviously a younger individual.
At the rock, we met the individual who climbed the rock barefooted. We also climbed on each of the rocks and enjoyed the vistas, especially when the sky, which had been overcast so far, cleared up a little. On the way down we kind of missed the main trail and took a cut-off which went straight down the slope. Maybe it was not even a cut-off but just a dry bed of a waterfall. Anyway, we got down quite quickly and were rewarded with seeing a real beaver pond with a perfectly built dam. After the hike, we drove a bit along the highway and several times pulled into sideways to have views of many ponds and rivers.
While we were hiking, the ladies did the greenhouses tour and the geothermal energy tour and appeared to be quite satisfied.
The afternoon had become warm and sunny. We spent almost three hours intermittently soaking ourselves in the hot springs and cooling down on the terrace in the sun.
To be continued.
Actually, the accomodation was the only weak point of Chena Hot Springs Resort. They have definitely to do something about that.
Read here more about Chena:
August 18, Chena Hot Springs
It continued raining through the night, but stopped in the morning. It was cool and wet and nasty, but the hot springs pool warmed us thoroughly. The pool is absolutely fantastic – very hot natural water, with a slight sulphuric smell and so much minerals that you almost float. The lockers and showers area looks a bit like a 1950ies public swimming pool, but the hot springs pool is strikingly beautiful. The original springs are too hot for humans, so the water flows into to cooling ponds and from there into the swimming pool which is a large pond. You can swim or float or just sit and relax.
We spent the morning with a leisurely walk through the premises where they have goats, chicken, duck, geese and reindeer. When we went through the sled dog kennel the huskies got very excited when they saw some people coming. When other people came they started howling but calmed down when the cat came and wanted to be petted by us. Somehow, it seemed as if the cat was the chief. We hiked an easy 1 ½ mile long trail through the forest and around Beaver Pond, a nice pond where you can rent canoes.
After the walk, we soaked again in the hot springs and needed some time to cool down. We also bought tickets for the ice museum including appletinis in ice glasses. Vow, this was way better than we thought. We wore our warmest clothes, which had served us well on the glacier, including gloves and hats, but were still glad that we got warm parkas at the museum’s entrance. Of course, there were the usual Americans in our group wearing shorts. These are the obedient U.S. citizens who always wear shorts when on vacation, regardless of temperature. In the ice museum, the temperature was 25° Fahrenheit which is obviously shorts weather for U.S. citizens.
The museum is a quite large building, rather sparsely illuminated in varying colours. The ice sculptures are partly elegant – especially the ice bar and the wedding space – and partly kitsch. There is a section with four igloo-type hotel rooms, where you can spend a night @ $600, warmed with reindeer pelt.
Reindeer pelt was on the bar stools, too. We had booked the ice museum tour with appletinis. This was $15 extra, so the appletinis were the most expensive drinks on our trip – but worth every penny, because half of the amount is for the drink and half for the glass. The drink was excellent and served in ice glasses which we were allowed to take home as souvenirs. Of course, we took them to our hotel suite, where we poured cosmos and white wine in them. In a second, the drinks were perfectly cooled – some of the best cosmos we ever had. And the first time that we crushed our glasses after drinking without any feeling of guilt.
August 19, Chena Hot Springs
We had the large Alaskan breakfast, so we decided to do a little workout. We chose to hike the Angel Rocks Trail. This trail was a little bit too strenuous for MIL, so the ladies stayed at the resort and it became a father-and-sons-thing. DW was very quick to say that she would stay with her mother, since she was a little bit afraid to meet a bear on the trail. I asked the guy at the resort’s activity center about the odds of a bear encounter and he said that there a good chances to see one. He said it in a tone that indicated “you might be lucky to see a bear”. I wanted to purchase bear spray, but he said “It’s useless – when a bear is in the range of the spray it is too late anyway”. So we went without any protection.
The Angel Rocks Trail is a 3.5-mile loop trip with an ascent of 900 feet. The trailhead is on Chena highway and the trail is quite scenic. In the beginning, we hiked along Chena river, then went deep into forest before the trail went rather steep up the mountain. Right under the lower Angel Rock we heard an eerie howling. It was too loud for a wolf – it came from a more dangerous predator, obviously a younger individual.
At the rock, we met the individual who climbed the rock barefooted. We also climbed on each of the rocks and enjoyed the vistas, especially when the sky, which had been overcast so far, cleared up a little. On the way down we kind of missed the main trail and took a cut-off which went straight down the slope. Maybe it was not even a cut-off but just a dry bed of a waterfall. Anyway, we got down quite quickly and were rewarded with seeing a real beaver pond with a perfectly built dam. After the hike, we drove a bit along the highway and several times pulled into sideways to have views of many ponds and rivers.
While we were hiking, the ladies did the greenhouses tour and the geothermal energy tour and appeared to be quite satisfied.
The afternoon had become warm and sunny. We spent almost three hours intermittently soaking ourselves in the hot springs and cooling down on the terrace in the sun.
To be continued.
Sep 6th, 2014, 06:24 AM
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August 20, on Glenn Highway from Chena to Anchorage & Matanuska Glacier
Originally, we had planned to take the same direct route to Anchorage via Parks Highway which we had driven a few days agp. Parks Highway had been rather boring and a fellow Fodorite had suggested to take the slightly longer route via Richardson and Glenn Highways.
This advice was priceless, because Glenn Highway proved to be the most scenic route on our whole trip through Alaska. First, we loved the section between Delta Junction and Glenallen which led us through the Alaska Range, along wide rivers and partly along the Alaska pipeline. We were amazed by the coolers that had been installed along the underground sections of the pipeline to prevent the permafrost soil from melting. Just at the roadside we spotted a moose cow with a calf, but when we got out of the car, we were cautious enough to keep safe distance, since Mike, the Denali bus driver and wildlife guide, had told us that female moose are the most dangerous animals in Alaska at all.
South of Paxson, we found a lovely picnic table right at the banks of Copper River with great views of snow-capped mountains around us. The river was full of spawning red salmon. It was amazing how far the salmon had travelled upstream and that they still were pretty active, although they were deathbound after spawning.
Further south, we caught some glimpses of Wrangell-Elias National Park, but the peaks were in clouds. The section between Glenallen and Palmer was even more scenic than crossing the Alaska Range. On the left side, we had magnificent vistas of the snow-capped Chugach mountains with three mighty glaciers pouring down into a wide river valley.
The most impressive glacier we ever saw in Alaska was Matanuska Glacier which stretches many miles into the flats, although it is receding too, long after the little ice age. We drove to the glacier, and from the parking lot we walked through a moon landscape of mud and rocks and lakes and rivulets – the work of the receding glacier. The boys had wanted to walk on a glacier. On Godwin Glacier (where we flew with the helicopter), we were able to walk (and sled) on the snow field, but here we could walk over the ice fields and ice hills of the glacier tow.
We actually walked into the glacier through the beds of small streams of melt water and did a little bit of climbing and sliding on the slippery surface of some parts of the glacier. They have organized half-day tours with ice-climbing gear but, since we had just one hour or so, it was fun enough to fool around a bit on the ice.
The backdrop of the surrounding mountains, dark clouds and occasional sunbeams created magical images. I got good photos. This was another climax of our Alaska trip.
Back in our car, we drove through Matanuska Valley and thought that everything here in Alaska was completely out of scale. To be sure, we have mountains and valleys and rivers in the European Alps too, but in Alaska the mountains have a different dimension. They are way bigger, the valleys are wider and the rivers broader than everything you find in Europe.
In a small town called Sutton, we spotted another small cemetery with spirit houses and Russian-orthodox crosses as we had seen them in Eklutna, so syncretism appears to be widespread in Alaska.
After 11 hours of driving, frequent stopping for photos, picnicking and glacier hiking, we arrived in Anchorage, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in socalled Midtown (a nondescript business district with all the chain motels) which we had booked because it featured a pool. Since it was late, we decided to have dinner in the hotel’s restaurant, Juno. We did not expect much, but again, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of food, especially seafood, in a rather simple restaurant.
To be continued.
Originally, we had planned to take the same direct route to Anchorage via Parks Highway which we had driven a few days agp. Parks Highway had been rather boring and a fellow Fodorite had suggested to take the slightly longer route via Richardson and Glenn Highways.
This advice was priceless, because Glenn Highway proved to be the most scenic route on our whole trip through Alaska. First, we loved the section between Delta Junction and Glenallen which led us through the Alaska Range, along wide rivers and partly along the Alaska pipeline. We were amazed by the coolers that had been installed along the underground sections of the pipeline to prevent the permafrost soil from melting. Just at the roadside we spotted a moose cow with a calf, but when we got out of the car, we were cautious enough to keep safe distance, since Mike, the Denali bus driver and wildlife guide, had told us that female moose are the most dangerous animals in Alaska at all.
South of Paxson, we found a lovely picnic table right at the banks of Copper River with great views of snow-capped mountains around us. The river was full of spawning red salmon. It was amazing how far the salmon had travelled upstream and that they still were pretty active, although they were deathbound after spawning.
Further south, we caught some glimpses of Wrangell-Elias National Park, but the peaks were in clouds. The section between Glenallen and Palmer was even more scenic than crossing the Alaska Range. On the left side, we had magnificent vistas of the snow-capped Chugach mountains with three mighty glaciers pouring down into a wide river valley.
The most impressive glacier we ever saw in Alaska was Matanuska Glacier which stretches many miles into the flats, although it is receding too, long after the little ice age. We drove to the glacier, and from the parking lot we walked through a moon landscape of mud and rocks and lakes and rivulets – the work of the receding glacier. The boys had wanted to walk on a glacier. On Godwin Glacier (where we flew with the helicopter), we were able to walk (and sled) on the snow field, but here we could walk over the ice fields and ice hills of the glacier tow.
We actually walked into the glacier through the beds of small streams of melt water and did a little bit of climbing and sliding on the slippery surface of some parts of the glacier. They have organized half-day tours with ice-climbing gear but, since we had just one hour or so, it was fun enough to fool around a bit on the ice.
The backdrop of the surrounding mountains, dark clouds and occasional sunbeams created magical images. I got good photos. This was another climax of our Alaska trip.
Back in our car, we drove through Matanuska Valley and thought that everything here in Alaska was completely out of scale. To be sure, we have mountains and valleys and rivers in the European Alps too, but in Alaska the mountains have a different dimension. They are way bigger, the valleys are wider and the rivers broader than everything you find in Europe.
In a small town called Sutton, we spotted another small cemetery with spirit houses and Russian-orthodox crosses as we had seen them in Eklutna, so syncretism appears to be widespread in Alaska.
After 11 hours of driving, frequent stopping for photos, picnicking and glacier hiking, we arrived in Anchorage, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in socalled Midtown (a nondescript business district with all the chain motels) which we had booked because it featured a pool. Since it was late, we decided to have dinner in the hotel’s restaurant, Juno. We did not expect much, but again, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of food, especially seafood, in a rather simple restaurant.
To be continued.
Sep 6th, 2014, 01:06 PM
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August 21, Anchorage
Finally, it seemed that we had caught an entirely warm and sunny day in Alaska – but you should not praise the day before evening! In bright sunshine, we visited the Native Heritage Center where we bought combi tickets with admission to the Anchorage Museum which was also on our itinerary. Just arriving, we watched a well-made Inupiaq dance performance with good explanations.
Then we walked through the exhibit with historical artifacts from Native life in Alaska (which should later be surpassed by a similar exhibition at Anchorage Museum). Outside, they have an excellent array of traditional dwellings from different first nations. In each of the dwellings, we heard explanations and saw more artifacts. Many things that had I had read about in Michener’s novel, I saw here, e.g. the air-filled sealskins that were used as balloons when hunting whales and otters.
The best thing, however, was a sign “Sled Dog Cart Rides” with a native Iditarod musher – for $10! It was unbelievable. Holland America offered this kind of tour for $79 and Chena Hot Springs Resort for $60. And here for $10 – unbelievable.
We felt so sorry for the poor dogs who were barking and screaming and eager to work that we booked the cart ride. It was exactly like the pricey kennel tours, with a cart ride (albeit short) and being photographed with the dogs, with petting the lead dogs and with holding a 2-week-old puppy. When we told our musher, a native girl, that we had done the sled ride on Godwin Glacier she told us that she had worked there. Alaska is a small country where everybody seems to know everybody else. BTW, despite her native looks, she had a German name, because her mother had married a man of German descent. Of course, she spoke a bit German. A fascinating mix of cultures – Inupiaq, German and Alaskan-American!
We continued our visit, and after emerging from an earthhouse, I pointed to a brilliantly blue large dragonfly. I hard hardly finished speaking, when the majestic insect landed right on the back of my extended hand where it would sit for a while munching a grasshopper – for whom she certainly was a dragon. With my free hand I was able to take close-up pictures. When the dragonfly had almost finished her meal, I shook her off, and, slightly annoyed, she flew over to a leaf to consume the rest of her prey.
We paid the gift shop a visit and found most beautiful native artwork there – but everything was made with whalebone or baleen. I asked the clerk whether it was legal to export the whale products. I had assumed it was a simple question that occurred daily – like the drinking age in a liquor store. My question, however, triggered a procedure of remarkable efficiency. The clerk said “I have a paper in my drawer” and began searching her drawer for several minutes, but to no avail. She called someone, without result. She looked up a document in her computer, without success. She called a colleague, who, after ten minutes or so, returned with the first ten pages of the ominous document. On page 4, there was table with symbols she did not understand. Under the table, we read “explanations of the symbols on page 24”. Again, the colleague went away to print page 24. She came back and presented page 24 and the clerk could not understand the meaning of the words. She finally called the paper’s author and received a clear and simple answer: “no, strictly forbidden”. The whole process took about half an hour and left us quite frustrated but also somehow proud that we had not contributed to the extinction of dangerous species.
The Anchorage Museum is a mixed bag, but with excellent exhibitions. It houses an excellent historical museum, again with many artifacts about which I had read in Michener’s book. Unlike the petite historical museum in Fairbanks, it was professionally made and state-of-the art. We also liked the display of historical and contemporary Native art. It is breathtaking how the artists have developed traditional forms and materials to highly inventive contemporary art.
There was also an excellent temporary exhibition of artists who had worked with plastic garbage from the ocean is most creative ways. They had scientific explanations how the plastic garbage reaches the oceans and how it floats in the large gyres (the exhibition was named “GYRE”) and what damage it does to marine animals. And the artists used all their creativity to make this problem visible to us. There was a collection of garbage items, each one neatly wrapped and labeled “a present from the Atlantic” or whatever ocean they came from. There was a haunted “Ghost Dog”, entirely made from nylon threads, dropped by careless fishermen, and much more.
There was also an earthquake exhibition with photos how Seward had been destroyed by the combined forces of an earthquake, a landslide, several tsunamis and the burning fuel tanks. This lovely town had really suffered! (And now, it suffers from endless rain.)
A couple of years ago, our kids would have loved the children’s museum department and still, I loved the king crab in her tank, however, I would loved her more if she were showing me her beautiful legs on a plate.
The evening we devoted to fond memories of a former stay in Mesilla, New Mexico, where we had been happy to find a decent eating spot called Applebee’s. Since we stayed in socalled Midtown, which actually meant “Motel Town”, we chose Applebee’s for dinner. The food was okay, however no match to the tasty Alaskan food we had enjoyed so far in authentic Alaskan restaurants. Although it is a kind of fast food chain eatery somehow, miraculously, the check turned out pretty steep, although we had not consumed much alcohol. These chain eateries are slick businesses which make their money. We recalled our gourmet experiences at Chena Hot Springs and at the Creekside Café at McKinley Cabins and at Ray’s in Seward and at our hotel restaurant, Juno, and swore we would never enter a chain restaurant again, except in emergency. But wasn’t it a kind of emergency looking for a decent restaurant in a business district without taking the car?
Since the weather had been beautiful all day, we had walked to Applebee’s without jackets and umbrellas. But all of a sudden, the sky darkened, and a hell of a rainstorm broke loose. We waited in the restaurant until it was over and were quite lucky that we managed to walk back to our motel without getting wet feet, since business districts in American cities are not really made for walking, as we Europeans like to do, especially when we want to have a glass of wine with dinner.
To be continued.
Finally, it seemed that we had caught an entirely warm and sunny day in Alaska – but you should not praise the day before evening! In bright sunshine, we visited the Native Heritage Center where we bought combi tickets with admission to the Anchorage Museum which was also on our itinerary. Just arriving, we watched a well-made Inupiaq dance performance with good explanations.
Then we walked through the exhibit with historical artifacts from Native life in Alaska (which should later be surpassed by a similar exhibition at Anchorage Museum). Outside, they have an excellent array of traditional dwellings from different first nations. In each of the dwellings, we heard explanations and saw more artifacts. Many things that had I had read about in Michener’s novel, I saw here, e.g. the air-filled sealskins that were used as balloons when hunting whales and otters.
The best thing, however, was a sign “Sled Dog Cart Rides” with a native Iditarod musher – for $10! It was unbelievable. Holland America offered this kind of tour for $79 and Chena Hot Springs Resort for $60. And here for $10 – unbelievable.
We felt so sorry for the poor dogs who were barking and screaming and eager to work that we booked the cart ride. It was exactly like the pricey kennel tours, with a cart ride (albeit short) and being photographed with the dogs, with petting the lead dogs and with holding a 2-week-old puppy. When we told our musher, a native girl, that we had done the sled ride on Godwin Glacier she told us that she had worked there. Alaska is a small country where everybody seems to know everybody else. BTW, despite her native looks, she had a German name, because her mother had married a man of German descent. Of course, she spoke a bit German. A fascinating mix of cultures – Inupiaq, German and Alaskan-American!
We continued our visit, and after emerging from an earthhouse, I pointed to a brilliantly blue large dragonfly. I hard hardly finished speaking, when the majestic insect landed right on the back of my extended hand where it would sit for a while munching a grasshopper – for whom she certainly was a dragon. With my free hand I was able to take close-up pictures. When the dragonfly had almost finished her meal, I shook her off, and, slightly annoyed, she flew over to a leaf to consume the rest of her prey.
We paid the gift shop a visit and found most beautiful native artwork there – but everything was made with whalebone or baleen. I asked the clerk whether it was legal to export the whale products. I had assumed it was a simple question that occurred daily – like the drinking age in a liquor store. My question, however, triggered a procedure of remarkable efficiency. The clerk said “I have a paper in my drawer” and began searching her drawer for several minutes, but to no avail. She called someone, without result. She looked up a document in her computer, without success. She called a colleague, who, after ten minutes or so, returned with the first ten pages of the ominous document. On page 4, there was table with symbols she did not understand. Under the table, we read “explanations of the symbols on page 24”. Again, the colleague went away to print page 24. She came back and presented page 24 and the clerk could not understand the meaning of the words. She finally called the paper’s author and received a clear and simple answer: “no, strictly forbidden”. The whole process took about half an hour and left us quite frustrated but also somehow proud that we had not contributed to the extinction of dangerous species.
The Anchorage Museum is a mixed bag, but with excellent exhibitions. It houses an excellent historical museum, again with many artifacts about which I had read in Michener’s book. Unlike the petite historical museum in Fairbanks, it was professionally made and state-of-the art. We also liked the display of historical and contemporary Native art. It is breathtaking how the artists have developed traditional forms and materials to highly inventive contemporary art.
There was also an excellent temporary exhibition of artists who had worked with plastic garbage from the ocean is most creative ways. They had scientific explanations how the plastic garbage reaches the oceans and how it floats in the large gyres (the exhibition was named “GYRE”) and what damage it does to marine animals. And the artists used all their creativity to make this problem visible to us. There was a collection of garbage items, each one neatly wrapped and labeled “a present from the Atlantic” or whatever ocean they came from. There was a haunted “Ghost Dog”, entirely made from nylon threads, dropped by careless fishermen, and much more.
There was also an earthquake exhibition with photos how Seward had been destroyed by the combined forces of an earthquake, a landslide, several tsunamis and the burning fuel tanks. This lovely town had really suffered! (And now, it suffers from endless rain.)
A couple of years ago, our kids would have loved the children’s museum department and still, I loved the king crab in her tank, however, I would loved her more if she were showing me her beautiful legs on a plate.
The evening we devoted to fond memories of a former stay in Mesilla, New Mexico, where we had been happy to find a decent eating spot called Applebee’s. Since we stayed in socalled Midtown, which actually meant “Motel Town”, we chose Applebee’s for dinner. The food was okay, however no match to the tasty Alaskan food we had enjoyed so far in authentic Alaskan restaurants. Although it is a kind of fast food chain eatery somehow, miraculously, the check turned out pretty steep, although we had not consumed much alcohol. These chain eateries are slick businesses which make their money. We recalled our gourmet experiences at Chena Hot Springs and at the Creekside Café at McKinley Cabins and at Ray’s in Seward and at our hotel restaurant, Juno, and swore we would never enter a chain restaurant again, except in emergency. But wasn’t it a kind of emergency looking for a decent restaurant in a business district without taking the car?
Since the weather had been beautiful all day, we had walked to Applebee’s without jackets and umbrellas. But all of a sudden, the sky darkened, and a hell of a rainstorm broke loose. We waited in the restaurant until it was over and were quite lucky that we managed to walk back to our motel without getting wet feet, since business districts in American cities are not really made for walking, as we Europeans like to do, especially when we want to have a glass of wine with dinner.
To be continued.
Sep 6th, 2014, 09:40 PM
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Thank you for taking the time to write this excellent report. I'm a senior Aussie, who has travelled three times to Alaska, but have never been on a cruise (unless you count the nearly six weeks it took in the sixties to go from Sydney to Europe).
I was really interested to read your thoughts.
DH ( German born) and I travelled to Anchorage from Sydney twice in early Spring (May-June) and once in Autumn (Sept) when some attractions were shut but there was not much traffic, and had wonderful trips each time with our hire car. I could relate to many of your experiences.
We observed the receding of the Exit Glacier each time we went. Hope to go back one more time soon, and may try to include a cruise this time. Worry a bit about the whole ship getting flu or something though!
Danke schoen and Tschuss!
I was really interested to read your thoughts.
DH ( German born) and I travelled to Anchorage from Sydney twice in early Spring (May-June) and once in Autumn (Sept) when some attractions were shut but there was not much traffic, and had wonderful trips each time with our hire car. I could relate to many of your experiences.
We observed the receding of the Exit Glacier each time we went. Hope to go back one more time soon, and may try to include a cruise this time. Worry a bit about the whole ship getting flu or something though!
Danke schoen and Tschuss!
Sep 7th, 2014, 02:41 AM
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Hallo Carabella!
I am glad that you liked my report. There is still a little bit to come.
A cruise is a very convenient way of travelling. No packing and unpacking during the cruise, you are getting good food, you have some entertainment (if you wish), a pool, a sauna, massage (if you need), even a doctor.
The negative side of a cruise is that land excursions are outrageously expensive. However, I tried to show a way to cut these expenditures. In Alaska, every port is easy to explore on your own. Renting a car is fairly easy and inexpensive, especially when you have four our more persons to share a vehicle.
We did not only save a lot of money, but we saw much more on our self-organized excursions (maybe missed a few narrations - but who needs narrations after reading Michener's "Alaska"?
No worry about infections onboard. They have become very careful. Everywhere you find dispensers for hand desinfection. The first three days there is no self-service at the buffets. Even the Captain will not shake hands. At the end of the cruise the Captain even told us to keep our aquired habits of washing the hands on land (in fact, I have washed my hands all my life).
I am glad that you liked my report. There is still a little bit to come.
A cruise is a very convenient way of travelling. No packing and unpacking during the cruise, you are getting good food, you have some entertainment (if you wish), a pool, a sauna, massage (if you need), even a doctor.
The negative side of a cruise is that land excursions are outrageously expensive. However, I tried to show a way to cut these expenditures. In Alaska, every port is easy to explore on your own. Renting a car is fairly easy and inexpensive, especially when you have four our more persons to share a vehicle.
We did not only save a lot of money, but we saw much more on our self-organized excursions (maybe missed a few narrations - but who needs narrations after reading Michener's "Alaska"?
No worry about infections onboard. They have become very careful. Everywhere you find dispensers for hand desinfection. The first three days there is no self-service at the buffets. Even the Captain will not shake hands. At the end of the cruise the Captain even told us to keep our aquired habits of washing the hands on land (in fact, I have washed my hands all my life).
Sep 7th, 2014, 06:45 AM
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August 22, Anchorage to Vancouver
Our last half day in Alaska was completely devoted to packing and travelling. We arrived in Vancouver in the evening. Nothing to report except that we wanted to have a late dinner at the Blackbird which, however, had closed the Oyster Bar by 9 p.m., so they sent us to the pub, which was deafening noisy with a huge crowd of excited young people and a DJ desperately trying to fight the talking and shouting and laughing and cheering. We drank just a beer, walked out and found, strangely enough for us Europeans, an Italian restaurant that was able to feed us. But of course they had crab cakes on the menu, so we managed to get Canadian food even in an Italian restaurant.
August 23, Vancouver
We had again breakfast in the Fairmont because we wanted these fabulous eggs benedict with crab cakes again. Still, the crab cakes were outstanding, but after three weeks in Alaska, they were not exceptional any more. All crab cakes that we had during our trip had been outstanding (except the ones Holland America’s bizarre specialty restaurant).
It was another bright and warm day in Vancouver. What a summer for this rain-stricken city! We still needed a few souvenirs for our relatives and I asked the hotel’s concierge for a proper gift shop. She, with a certain glance in her eyes, recommended Hill’s in Gastown. So we walked to Gastown, and, by incidence, watched the famous steam clock whistling a simple 4-tune-melody. Quite an attraction.
Hill’s proved to be a gem. It was like a gallery. Unlike the gift shops in Anchorage and Ketchikan which focus on Inupiaq art made from forbidden whalebone, Hill’s focused on local artists (Tlingits and other nations) who use mostly cedar wood. We found some totems which were authentic and beautiful and affordable. We needed to buy a wedding present for DW’s cousin, who works for the nature protection authority in Lübeck, North Germany, and thought that a totem would be a nice symbol for her and her husband since totems show the respect for nature.
We bought a nice totem displaying a bear and a salmon for her. We learned that the bear usually seduces the chief’s daughter and that, hence, we all are bears, at least partly. This explains why I often, especially after a long day, am hungry like a bear. And our boys obviously have much more of the bear in them. I must think about what DW has done 25 years ago. The salmon is even more interesting. There are humans living in cities deep below the ocean and each spring, they disguise as fish and swim up the rivers in order to provide themselves as food for the people. If the people throw complete salmon skeletons back into the streams they will become salmon people again and the cycle of life is completed. So, never eat fishbone! (I usually don’t, except when I was in Japan, where roasted eel bones are a delicacy.)
In one of our guidebooks we had read “no trip to Alaska is complete without a flight with a bush pilot”. We did not want just a flight with a small plane, but we wanted the experience of starting and landing in a float plane. Due to Alaskan weather, we had not been able to do the flight, but here in Vancouver they have seaplanes. We walked to the waterfront and booked the cheapest flight, 10 minutes @ $ 82 pp which was less than the Alaskan pilots would have charged (there, the flights start @ $ 100). Actually, we were not so much interested in the flight itself but more in starting and landing, so we (rightly) thought 10 minutes are enough. And with starting and landing, the whole thing was more like 25 minutes.
The flight itself went over Stanley Park and Vancouver Downtown and was very scenic. Although we had not a bush pilot, but a uniformed professional, we enjoyed flying the famed Beaver Airplane and landed smoothly. DS II, who is quite sensible, got slightly seasick or airsick or both, but he recovered quickly and said the experience had been worth it.
From the seaplane terminal, we took a taxi to Granville Island where we walked through the Public Market. It was the right place to be since the bears in us had awakened and there you find a huge selection of all kinds of food. We had lunch on a bench at the harbour. Granville Island is part tourist trap, part small boat harbour and part gallery district. There was a gallery displaying most impressive modern art influenced by native traditions. Awesome!
We took the ferry back to downtown. The ferry turned out as a miniscule boat directed by a young girl, serving as captain. Quite a sight! Our last evening of our trip approached. Weeks ago, we had made a reservation at the Blue Water Café in Yaletown.
Vow, we got the best seafood we ever had in our lives. The restaurant was anything but pretentious, rather very relaxed. We ordered what was called “seafood for two” and we were served a stainless steel tower with four tiers containing a ceviche of raw scallops with grapefruit and coriander leaves, a kind of sandwich of Dungeness crab meat between radish slices, a terrine of smoked salmon and salmon mousse and, best of all, tuna tartare in a crispy crust of deep fried tuna skin.
We five of us had four different main courses and, of course, exchanged. Every entrée was excellent, whether it was char with leeks, or sturgeon with beets, or buttery sablefish Japanese-style or rare cooked scallops. The desserts were also were good, also the wines and the Lot 40 Canadian Whiskey, and finally the check was very reasonable, considering the outstanding quality of the food. Definitely the best seafood dinners we ever had!
We walked back to the Fairmont Hotel (slightly less than a mile). Vancouver is walkable, like a city in Europe, and the locals walk a lot. In fact, if you can afford to live in one of the high-priced condominiums in Downtown, you do not need a car at all. You can walk to the park, to beaches, to businesses, to restaurants or take public transport. One effect of walking is that we spotted not a single obese person in Vancouver. In total, we had spent about three full days in Vancouver, and had seen several thousands of people there and not one obese person was among them! Amazing. Imagine a U.S. city in comparison! Probably, it is not the walking alone, it is also the seafood than keeps the Vancouverians slim. And the excellent wine from British Columbia which has far less calories than Coca Cola.
It was a mild Saturday evening and everybody seemed to be out. Yaletown and Robson Street were crowded with pedestrians like European cities and every corner smelled of cannabis. Vancouver! What a city! What an evening!
August 24, the last morning in Vancouver
Another bright day in Vancouver, this most charming city. We chose to have breakfast out of our hotel. Being kind of late, every breakfast place on this Sunday morning was crowded. Our last resort was the café at Vancouver Art Gallery. And what a breakfast we had there! It was a most beautiful spot, on the terrace in the sunshine, surrounded by palm trees and abundant flowers. Actually, it was more like a brunch than a breakfast, but it was delicious and, after all, the least expensive breakfast we had on our trip.
After finishing packing our luggage, we paid the Vancouver Art Gallery a proper visit. They had a temporary exhibition of a Canadian artist called Douglas Coupland, which was mediocre, since he was trying to emulate Warhol and Oldenburg and Lichtenstein, an exhibition of historic Canadian landscaping and cityscaping painting which was catastrophic but also a full floor with an outstanding exhibition of contemporary artists who created highly creative and well-done three-dimensional spaces which were most entertaining.
This Coupland guy had created one room with the intention to display Canadian cultural identity. For us Europeans this cultural identity was 99% North American, practically the same as US identity. But he kind of tried to separate a Canadian culture from the US culture, but not really succeeded. Frankly said, for us Europeans, Canada is just a friendly version of the USA (at least when it comes to immigration officers), but otherwise 99% the same. From France, which is the closest neighbour to us Germans, Canada has nothing. At least, Vancouver has nothing. And the food in Vancouver is not so excellent because it is influenced by France, it is so good because of the quality of the ingredients and because of the mix of cultural influences which is unique for North America and especially for Vancouver with its influx of Asian immigrants.
It was time to leave Canada. Since Vancouver taxis do not take more than four passengers, we booked a Cadillac stretch limousine to take us to airport (which was less expensive than two taxis). Along Granville Road, we admired the stately mansions, all of them worth more than $ 10 million each, until we arrived at beautiful Vancouver Airport and finished our wonderful trip. BTW, the driver’s name was not Mike, but Nick, but I still advise each mother to name her newborn boy Mike. He will eventually find a job as driver or pilot.
Almost the end, but I have forgotten something.
What did I forget? I forgot to write about the mosquitoes. In our guidebooks and in trip reports, we had read horror stories about Alaskan mosquitoes, being as big as helicopters. In Alaska, we saw a postcard with the caption “Alaska’s State Bird”, showing a mosquito. It might be a seasonal thing, because we travelled Alaska in August, but we encountered not many mosquitoes. Most places were totally mosquito-free. There were just a few spots where we met mosquitoes. Not a single insect in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Carcross. The first mosquitoes were in Dyea. Then we met some at Exit Glacier (but nowhere else in Seward) and some in Denali. The Alaskan mosquitoes are not particularly big, but they are slow and stupid, very easy to catch. Our repellent with DEED worked well, but eventually we did not bother to take it because we found out that the bites are harmless, neither swelling nor itching.
Now, the end of our report. The trip was really grand, and Alaska is grand. And Vancouver is a fine addition.
A thank you to all the Fodorites who had given us advice when we posted to prepare our trip. You made it magnificent. If you have further questions do not hesitate to ask them. From time to time, I will read this thread and I will happy to tell you more. So far, tschüss (as the Alaskans would say, like in Germany, rather than the somewhat outdated and more formal “Auf Wiedersehen”.)
Finis.
Our last half day in Alaska was completely devoted to packing and travelling. We arrived in Vancouver in the evening. Nothing to report except that we wanted to have a late dinner at the Blackbird which, however, had closed the Oyster Bar by 9 p.m., so they sent us to the pub, which was deafening noisy with a huge crowd of excited young people and a DJ desperately trying to fight the talking and shouting and laughing and cheering. We drank just a beer, walked out and found, strangely enough for us Europeans, an Italian restaurant that was able to feed us. But of course they had crab cakes on the menu, so we managed to get Canadian food even in an Italian restaurant.
August 23, Vancouver
We had again breakfast in the Fairmont because we wanted these fabulous eggs benedict with crab cakes again. Still, the crab cakes were outstanding, but after three weeks in Alaska, they were not exceptional any more. All crab cakes that we had during our trip had been outstanding (except the ones Holland America’s bizarre specialty restaurant).
It was another bright and warm day in Vancouver. What a summer for this rain-stricken city! We still needed a few souvenirs for our relatives and I asked the hotel’s concierge for a proper gift shop. She, with a certain glance in her eyes, recommended Hill’s in Gastown. So we walked to Gastown, and, by incidence, watched the famous steam clock whistling a simple 4-tune-melody. Quite an attraction.
Hill’s proved to be a gem. It was like a gallery. Unlike the gift shops in Anchorage and Ketchikan which focus on Inupiaq art made from forbidden whalebone, Hill’s focused on local artists (Tlingits and other nations) who use mostly cedar wood. We found some totems which were authentic and beautiful and affordable. We needed to buy a wedding present for DW’s cousin, who works for the nature protection authority in Lübeck, North Germany, and thought that a totem would be a nice symbol for her and her husband since totems show the respect for nature.
We bought a nice totem displaying a bear and a salmon for her. We learned that the bear usually seduces the chief’s daughter and that, hence, we all are bears, at least partly. This explains why I often, especially after a long day, am hungry like a bear. And our boys obviously have much more of the bear in them. I must think about what DW has done 25 years ago. The salmon is even more interesting. There are humans living in cities deep below the ocean and each spring, they disguise as fish and swim up the rivers in order to provide themselves as food for the people. If the people throw complete salmon skeletons back into the streams they will become salmon people again and the cycle of life is completed. So, never eat fishbone! (I usually don’t, except when I was in Japan, where roasted eel bones are a delicacy.)
In one of our guidebooks we had read “no trip to Alaska is complete without a flight with a bush pilot”. We did not want just a flight with a small plane, but we wanted the experience of starting and landing in a float plane. Due to Alaskan weather, we had not been able to do the flight, but here in Vancouver they have seaplanes. We walked to the waterfront and booked the cheapest flight, 10 minutes @ $ 82 pp which was less than the Alaskan pilots would have charged (there, the flights start @ $ 100). Actually, we were not so much interested in the flight itself but more in starting and landing, so we (rightly) thought 10 minutes are enough. And with starting and landing, the whole thing was more like 25 minutes.
The flight itself went over Stanley Park and Vancouver Downtown and was very scenic. Although we had not a bush pilot, but a uniformed professional, we enjoyed flying the famed Beaver Airplane and landed smoothly. DS II, who is quite sensible, got slightly seasick or airsick or both, but he recovered quickly and said the experience had been worth it.
From the seaplane terminal, we took a taxi to Granville Island where we walked through the Public Market. It was the right place to be since the bears in us had awakened and there you find a huge selection of all kinds of food. We had lunch on a bench at the harbour. Granville Island is part tourist trap, part small boat harbour and part gallery district. There was a gallery displaying most impressive modern art influenced by native traditions. Awesome!
We took the ferry back to downtown. The ferry turned out as a miniscule boat directed by a young girl, serving as captain. Quite a sight! Our last evening of our trip approached. Weeks ago, we had made a reservation at the Blue Water Café in Yaletown.
Vow, we got the best seafood we ever had in our lives. The restaurant was anything but pretentious, rather very relaxed. We ordered what was called “seafood for two” and we were served a stainless steel tower with four tiers containing a ceviche of raw scallops with grapefruit and coriander leaves, a kind of sandwich of Dungeness crab meat between radish slices, a terrine of smoked salmon and salmon mousse and, best of all, tuna tartare in a crispy crust of deep fried tuna skin.
We five of us had four different main courses and, of course, exchanged. Every entrée was excellent, whether it was char with leeks, or sturgeon with beets, or buttery sablefish Japanese-style or rare cooked scallops. The desserts were also were good, also the wines and the Lot 40 Canadian Whiskey, and finally the check was very reasonable, considering the outstanding quality of the food. Definitely the best seafood dinners we ever had!
We walked back to the Fairmont Hotel (slightly less than a mile). Vancouver is walkable, like a city in Europe, and the locals walk a lot. In fact, if you can afford to live in one of the high-priced condominiums in Downtown, you do not need a car at all. You can walk to the park, to beaches, to businesses, to restaurants or take public transport. One effect of walking is that we spotted not a single obese person in Vancouver. In total, we had spent about three full days in Vancouver, and had seen several thousands of people there and not one obese person was among them! Amazing. Imagine a U.S. city in comparison! Probably, it is not the walking alone, it is also the seafood than keeps the Vancouverians slim. And the excellent wine from British Columbia which has far less calories than Coca Cola.
It was a mild Saturday evening and everybody seemed to be out. Yaletown and Robson Street were crowded with pedestrians like European cities and every corner smelled of cannabis. Vancouver! What a city! What an evening!
August 24, the last morning in Vancouver
Another bright day in Vancouver, this most charming city. We chose to have breakfast out of our hotel. Being kind of late, every breakfast place on this Sunday morning was crowded. Our last resort was the café at Vancouver Art Gallery. And what a breakfast we had there! It was a most beautiful spot, on the terrace in the sunshine, surrounded by palm trees and abundant flowers. Actually, it was more like a brunch than a breakfast, but it was delicious and, after all, the least expensive breakfast we had on our trip.
After finishing packing our luggage, we paid the Vancouver Art Gallery a proper visit. They had a temporary exhibition of a Canadian artist called Douglas Coupland, which was mediocre, since he was trying to emulate Warhol and Oldenburg and Lichtenstein, an exhibition of historic Canadian landscaping and cityscaping painting which was catastrophic but also a full floor with an outstanding exhibition of contemporary artists who created highly creative and well-done three-dimensional spaces which were most entertaining.
This Coupland guy had created one room with the intention to display Canadian cultural identity. For us Europeans this cultural identity was 99% North American, practically the same as US identity. But he kind of tried to separate a Canadian culture from the US culture, but not really succeeded. Frankly said, for us Europeans, Canada is just a friendly version of the USA (at least when it comes to immigration officers), but otherwise 99% the same. From France, which is the closest neighbour to us Germans, Canada has nothing. At least, Vancouver has nothing. And the food in Vancouver is not so excellent because it is influenced by France, it is so good because of the quality of the ingredients and because of the mix of cultural influences which is unique for North America and especially for Vancouver with its influx of Asian immigrants.
It was time to leave Canada. Since Vancouver taxis do not take more than four passengers, we booked a Cadillac stretch limousine to take us to airport (which was less expensive than two taxis). Along Granville Road, we admired the stately mansions, all of them worth more than $ 10 million each, until we arrived at beautiful Vancouver Airport and finished our wonderful trip. BTW, the driver’s name was not Mike, but Nick, but I still advise each mother to name her newborn boy Mike. He will eventually find a job as driver or pilot.
Almost the end, but I have forgotten something.
What did I forget? I forgot to write about the mosquitoes. In our guidebooks and in trip reports, we had read horror stories about Alaskan mosquitoes, being as big as helicopters. In Alaska, we saw a postcard with the caption “Alaska’s State Bird”, showing a mosquito. It might be a seasonal thing, because we travelled Alaska in August, but we encountered not many mosquitoes. Most places were totally mosquito-free. There were just a few spots where we met mosquitoes. Not a single insect in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Carcross. The first mosquitoes were in Dyea. Then we met some at Exit Glacier (but nowhere else in Seward) and some in Denali. The Alaskan mosquitoes are not particularly big, but they are slow and stupid, very easy to catch. Our repellent with DEED worked well, but eventually we did not bother to take it because we found out that the bites are harmless, neither swelling nor itching.
Now, the end of our report. The trip was really grand, and Alaska is grand. And Vancouver is a fine addition.
A thank you to all the Fodorites who had given us advice when we posted to prepare our trip. You made it magnificent. If you have further questions do not hesitate to ask them. From time to time, I will read this thread and I will happy to tell you more. So far, tschüss (as the Alaskans would say, like in Germany, rather than the somewhat outdated and more formal “Auf Wiedersehen”.)
Finis.
Sep 7th, 2014, 02:44 PM
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Thank you for your comments. Our trip was packed with exciting experiences, and we were still relaxed. I had time enough to write the trip report. Maybe because we did not have internet connection most of the time.
Sep 7th, 2014, 08:15 PM
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Thanks again for a great report, Traveller1959. I too, found the Michener book good to read before our first trip. We spent some time in April in Vancouver, after a surprising and exhilarating snowy white Easter in Banff. We stayed in English Bay and walked into the city from there, but twice we crossed the Lion Bridge by car,to the beautiful Lynn Canyon. It has a smaller suspension bridge than Capilano, but was not a bit touristy, and is a great place for walks in a rain forest. It's free too.
One place we enjoyed in Alaska that I think you did not mention - Byron Glacier. A little way out of Anchorage on the way to Seward, it is at the same turnoff for Portage Glacier (which was a good but short boat trip), but one can walk to it fairly easily, and we could get right up to it, at least we could three or four years ago. DH actually walked a short way on it, as there was no one else there. It has ice worms.
One place we enjoyed in Alaska that I think you did not mention - Byron Glacier. A little way out of Anchorage on the way to Seward, it is at the same turnoff for Portage Glacier (which was a good but short boat trip), but one can walk to it fairly easily, and we could get right up to it, at least we could three or four years ago. DH actually walked a short way on it, as there was no one else there. It has ice worms.
Sep 8th, 2014, 05:30 AM
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This sounds like a fantastic trip. Great that it suited the whole group and sounds like you might have gained a pound or two with all the crab cakes. Well, maybe the activities took care of that.
Thanks for the report.
Thanks for the report.
Sep 8th, 2014, 12:11 PM
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Ah, those crabcakes in Alaska and Canada have no breadcrumbs...
...we stayed fairly slim.
Yes, it was a once-in-a-lifetime-trip.
Was it the greatest trip in our lives? Well, Namibia was darn good too. But Namibia is apples and Alaska is oranges.
We are so thankful that we had this opportunity.
...we stayed fairly slim.
Yes, it was a once-in-a-lifetime-trip.
Was it the greatest trip in our lives? Well, Namibia was darn good too. But Namibia is apples and Alaska is oranges.
We are so thankful that we had this opportunity.
