The Cannamores in Alaska - Day 1 and 2
My parents came up for an Alaskan summer visit earlier this month. They got in to Anchorage on Thursday, June 7. We picked them up from the airport, took them to a quick dinner at the 49th State Brewing restaurant, and then drove up to Eagle River (about 20 minutes north of Anchorage). The back of the Jeep was jam packed with luggage!
We spent the night in Eagle River at a great Air BnB spot. Then we hit the road for Talkeetna. It's the Alaska town that the TV show "Northern Exposure" was based on. It's a bit of an artist community, but there's lots of things to do, eat, and see there. The Alaska Railroad had just pulled into town when we got there, so there were plenty of people milling around.
We had lunch at The Roadhouse and then started walking around. We first took Mom and Dad over to the old schoolhouse that's a museum about the town's history.
Then we went over to the original store in town, Negley's, and also got some silly pictures with cutout boards.
Mom and Dad did some gift shopping, and then we made our way over to the ranger station in town. It's the spot where all of the hikers of Mt. McKinley check in before setting out for base camp. They have a great video that really shows you just how difficult this hike is and the various dangers that the hikers face. Dad even got a picture with a cutout that shows the view from near the top of the mountain.
We got back on the road to get to Healy for the evening. We stopped by Denali Brewing Company for a tasting and picked up a bottle of mead for the trip.
We were doing so much that we wore Dad out. He took a cat nap while we were sampling beer. :)
On the way to Healy, we saw Mom and Dad's first little drift of Alaska snow, leftover from the winter. They were excited.
Then, just as we were outside of Healy, we got a view of Mt. McKinley. So we made a quick side trip to the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge for happy hour and more views of the mountain.
McKinley is in the middle of the shot at the top here with the clouds hovering over the south peak, which is just taller than the north peak.
The south peak tops out at 20,310 feet, making it the tallest peak in North America.
You can see the north peak just to the right in the picture below, and the south peak is just covered in clouds.
It was a pretty awesome day that ended on a wonderful high note. Only about a third of visitors to Denali National Park get any kind of glimpse of the mountain! We were so lucky. It was fabulous!
We spent the night in Eagle River at a great Air BnB spot. Then we hit the road for Talkeetna. It's the Alaska town that the TV show "Northern Exposure" was based on. It's a bit of an artist community, but there's lots of things to do, eat, and see there. The Alaska Railroad had just pulled into town when we got there, so there were plenty of people milling around.
We had lunch at The Roadhouse and then started walking around. We first took Mom and Dad over to the old schoolhouse that's a museum about the town's history.
Then we went over to the original store in town, Negley's, and also got some silly pictures with cutout boards.
Mom and Dad did some gift shopping, and then we made our way over to the ranger station in town. It's the spot where all of the hikers of Mt. McKinley check in before setting out for base camp. They have a great video that really shows you just how difficult this hike is and the various dangers that the hikers face. Dad even got a picture with a cutout that shows the view from near the top of the mountain.
We got back on the road to get to Healy for the evening. We stopped by Denali Brewing Company for a tasting and picked up a bottle of mead for the trip.
We also made a stop in at Kahiltna Birch Works for a sampling of birch syrup and other goodies. It was pretty cool! I never knew you could get sap from birch trees. :) You learn something new every day!
On the way to Healy, we saw Mom and Dad's first little drift of Alaska snow, leftover from the winter. They were excited.
Then, just as we were outside of Healy, we got a view of Mt. McKinley. So we made a quick side trip to the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge for happy hour and more views of the mountain.
McKinley is in the middle of the shot at the top here with the clouds hovering over the south peak, which is just taller than the north peak.
The south peak tops out at 20,310 feet, making it the tallest peak in North America.
You can see the north peak just to the right in the picture below, and the south peak is just covered in clouds.
It was a pretty awesome day that ended on a wonderful high note. Only about a third of visitors to Denali National Park get any kind of glimpse of the mountain! We were so lucky. It was fabulous!
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