Left Denali National Park Sunday morning July 11 during a windy rain storm. First time we have had to tear down camp in such weather. Not much of view on this day. No cell service all along this stretch of Park Highway until we reached Trapper Creek. We are thankful we made reservations at Telkeetna Camper Park as they were full up.
Arrived in time to have cocktails and dinner with Ann,a family friend, at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge which is pretty high end as you can see. We are told many of the Denali climbers stay here as it is the most convenient for flying to the site.
Off to our Mahay's jet boat adventure which Ann so graciously arranged.
We had an enjoyable captain/tour guide who took us on an informative nature walk with various plants including Cow Parsnip and Devils Club which are extremely irritating and can be toxic. link to Alaskan plants
As we traveled down the river the guide pointed out the destruction on the banks by the the ice break up each year causing the trees to be knocked down and the vegetation to be pushed back. We could see the bark torn off the trees and many trees floating on the river.
We toured a trappers cabin and native camp where we were shown various hides, that is one big grizzly paw,
And this interesting beaver trap. We are told the beavers would chew on the stake holding up the log and than it would fall on them.Sort of a rough way to get your beaver, but hey, what ever worked for them.
Saw this replica of an early storage system used by natives for meats and harvests. The holes were layered with sticks and food alternately.
Our guide even carried protection just in case we came upon some creatures in woods who might not approve of us being there.
We had several sightings of bald eagles and nests.
After the boat ride we walked the quirky little town of Talkeetna. The road basically ends just outside of town so folks who live up river must use the river or railroad for transportation. In the winter it is by dog sled or snowmobile on the river. One of those many many remote areas of Alaska.
Ann showed us the highlights and we saw many interesting free spirited folks (or extremely high and drunk).
As she said, this area is a gathering place for those living outside the box so to speak. This little town is said to have been the inspiration for the 1980s TV show “Northern Exposure.
Huge banner at local bar promoting the Travel Channels visit of "Man vs Food" where the entree was a 2lb caribou burger loaded. Ugh!
Many of the buildings in town are original from the 1920s offering interesting facts and sites.
We met up with Ann again in the morning for breakfast at the lodge with
A somewhat clearer day so we had a view of mountains, including Denali, from the patio. This plaque showed mountain locations and names for convenience.
Down the road meeting up with a few miles of construction, Again
Next stop : The Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry near Wasilla for a most interesting visit. Everything, and I mean everything, related to transportation in Alaska. Trains, planes, automobiles, tractors, heavy equipments, engines, motors and on and on and on.
Counted over 40 vintage boat motors and over 30 chainsaws
This interesting vehicle was Harry Truman's northern touring car. Ann showing off in the train section.
This place had it all. Even a 1919 mine
After a couple hours, Carl and Petro had to take a break in the shade. 
On our way to Palmer we passed one of the biggest, if not the biggest fireworks shops in North America. Loved the vintage batmobile, bug & bus. It looked interesting but we were in no mood to stop. 
This psychedelic bus caught our eye too.On to Palmer where we were guests of the Nelson family for the next 3 days. Talk about a great time. These Alaskan folks know how to make folks feel welcome. These are photos of their beautiful back yard view and the "somewhat" huge house they are building.
We were able to park the rig in the yard and
Petro made friends with their two dogs and had the run of the place, including keeping guard over the bee's nest on the porch. As the photo shows, the home has a most relaxing view and continues to be under construction. We were treated to a dinner of halibut and hush puppies, another meal of chicken tacos, fresh warm homemade pistachio bread and so much more. What a grand place, thank you Sue and Robert for sharing.
(which also had elk, buffalo and moose)
Carl was able to pet a baby reindeer and feed the elk
Ann and I got to feed the reindeer and we all saw baby elk. What a grand day and very informative.
Oh yes, Carl even got to have a long awaited DQ blizzard in Palmer. We saw moose, mountains, lakes and more. Alas, Ann had to return to Anchorage to work so we scouted out several campgrounds closer to the city and moved to Chugach State park Eagle River campground on Thursday.
This is a fantastic small campground close to everything but quiet and woodsy. No electric or water but generators were no problem and the sites were private and level. We really enjoyed using it as a base camp while traveling to Anchorage daily. At $15 bucks a night you can't beat it. Great walking trails for us and Petro all along the river.
Ann kept us busy showing us her home town. Great having our own personal tour guide, and the price was right! Got the grand tour of the city, hill side views
Took in a great movie dinner show (Robinhood) at Ann's favorite spot Bear Tooth Theater , great idea for movie theaters, serve food and drinks right at your seat. We enjoyed it very much. Karaoke at one of her local haunts one evening, sight seeing and the famous "Saturday Market" in downtown Anchorage.
Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum was a great stop we visited with Ann. This is the place to learn about the bush pilots who opened up the Last Frontier and see rare aircraft photographs, artifacts, maps, newspaper accounts, aviators’ clothing and films. You simply couldn’t survive in Alaska without the bush pilots.Located on Hood Lake where some 300-600 float planes take off every day.
A tour of the Anchorage Alaska Railroad station and waterway park behind the station.
Anchorage Saturday Market downtown was a huge event with lots of good food, entertainment and unusual market items.
On to the Alaska Native Heritage Center .Alaska Natives built this extraordinary center to bring their cultures to visitors. Boy did we pick the right day. It just so happened they were hosting a celebration of tribes from all over the United States.
We saw displays, interpretive dance and heard cultural talks from Arizona, North Dakota, Nevada as well as the Nations of Alaska.
We spent time in the great hall combo welcome center where we experienced authentic Native song and dance, artist demonstrations, storytellers as well as the museum full of more interesting artifacts, art and history along with Native artists working on their crafts and selling their wares.
This little guy pretty much stole the show with his showmanship, getting into his dance with great excitement. How expressive and impressive. Can't you just see it in his eyes and dress?
We strolled the surrounding Native life size traditional structures representing 6 of the 11 indigenous groups of Alaska. The village hosts (a member of that particular group) were really good talking to us about the dwellings, group history, and their cultural artifacts on display.
The young staff showing the dwellings were not only informative about their clans' history and several were very entertaining.
A couple of funny bickering brothers and a want-to-be stand up comic. This all added to the uniqueness of the center. This is a not miss for anyone visiting Alaska.
During the walk we saw totem poles being made which will be used in a new structure being designed, and a skeleton of a gray whale.
After the walk we ended up back at the Welcome Place for more interpretive celebration dance. It was so emotional to see the very young and very old celebrating together. Some in elaborate costume and some in street clothes. Regardless, they all seemed to be moved by the beat of the drum.
By all the photos posted and lots more I didn't post, this was obviously my favorite visit thus far. Next posting will be of our train ride, stay, and boat trip in Seward. Stay tuned for more Weigleworld Adventures!
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