Recovering and catching up
Riverside on the Old Denali Highway
We're back, and have been for a week. It has not, however, been a great week for me. A bus ride through Denali with a ton of hacking school children took a toll and I had to go to the doctor one day last week. I was struggling to catch up at work and really needed to be doing things.
The doctor visit wound up being a "are they going to send me home or to the hospital" visit. I felt horrible and was really struggling. I was diagnosed with bronchitis and given no fewer than 7 medications, two of which were injected. I knew I wasn't doing well when the doctor asked "are you sure you are okay to drive home?" A week later and I'm still trying to recover, working during normal hours and recovering all the others.
Consequently, I'm posting Laurie's blog entry with all the photos by Laurie as well. She wrote this while in transit from Alaska and I'll share her thoughts with everyone. I'll close with my thoughts on the trip in our next post.
The doctor visit wound up being a "are they going to send me home or to the hospital" visit. I felt horrible and was really struggling. I was diagnosed with bronchitis and given no fewer than 7 medications, two of which were injected. I knew I wasn't doing well when the doctor asked "are you sure you are okay to drive home?" A week later and I'm still trying to recover, working during normal hours and recovering all the others.
Consequently, I'm posting Laurie's blog entry with all the photos by Laurie as well. She wrote this while in transit from Alaska and I'll share her thoughts with everyone. I'll close with my thoughts on the trip in our next post.
Thoughts from my lovely wife
Seattle train station
We left Nashville on the evening flight to Seattle and began our adventure west and north. Having said my little prayer to the travel gods it is delightful to see our bags get spit out onto the conveyor belt at our destination. I remember the days when a long flight had at least some food but now everything costs extra except 2 glasses of water and a bag of pretzels. Alaska Airlines have pretty comfortable seats in economy. We arrived in Seattle a little late and went straight to our hotel right at the airport. We fell straight into bed trying to catch up on missed sleep.
Walking the waterfront, Bellingham, WA
And so our adventure began the next morning as we met Judy in the lobby and headed off to breakfast. We took the bus to Bellingham where we spent the rest of the day wandering around the Fairhaven area. It was first platted in 1883 and eventually became a commercial center because of its deep port and rail connections were established.
Commercial interests and preservation of the historic buildings lend a nice mix to the area. It is a very small area and has mostly places to eat or drink and some retail. Away from that central area were many large homes with beautiful gardens blooming with Rhododendrons, iris and other spring flowers. The style of the buildings reminded me of the water front houses in Charleston - big, manicured and probably very expensive.
Commercial interests and preservation of the historic buildings lend a nice mix to the area. It is a very small area and has mostly places to eat or drink and some retail. Away from that central area were many large homes with beautiful gardens blooming with Rhododendrons, iris and other spring flowers. The style of the buildings reminded me of the water front houses in Charleston - big, manicured and probably very expensive.
Bellingham Murals
Gardening is apparently a thing there and we stopped and talked to an older couple - he is 98 and she is 99. They had raised beds inside a fenced area and they still got out there every day. There really isn’t that much to do or see there so I was ready to leave when it was time to board the ferry. It was pleasant enough but an afternoon and a morning were plenty of time there.
The ferry trip was wonderful. A nice, relaxing way to travel. Our accommodations were a bit cramped but we really didn’t spend any time in the cabin except to shower and sleep. The ride was a bit rough only once when we were in exposed waters which was a great relief to me since I get seasick easily. The ferry is small enough to stay on the inside passage so the waters stay calm and there is more to see out of both sides of the boat. We passed by some spectacular scenery and dramatic skies.
The ferry trip was wonderful. A nice, relaxing way to travel. Our accommodations were a bit cramped but we really didn’t spend any time in the cabin except to shower and sleep. The ride was a bit rough only once when we were in exposed waters which was a great relief to me since I get seasick easily. The ferry is small enough to stay on the inside passage so the waters stay calm and there is more to see out of both sides of the boat. We passed by some spectacular scenery and dramatic skies.
The ferry waiting our arrival
When we first boarded it was relatively empty but as we came into different ports it got more crowded. In Ketchikan a group of high school sports teams boarded and brought their youthful energy and lots of stuff. It reminded me that this ferry is a means of travel for the people who live there, not just a leisure excursion boat.
There is an observation lounge on both ends of the ship. In the beginning of the trip there were a lot of seats in the forward sitting area and sleeping overnight is not allowed there. As the trip progressed and more people came on board the seats filled up and groups were playing games, doing jigsaw puzzles, reading… relaxing and socializing. So many interesting people to get to know!
There is an observation lounge on both ends of the ship. In the beginning of the trip there were a lot of seats in the forward sitting area and sleeping overnight is not allowed there. As the trip progressed and more people came on board the seats filled up and groups were playing games, doing jigsaw puzzles, reading… relaxing and socializing. So many interesting people to get to know!
The cafeteria table area
While in line at the cafeteria (it didn’t move quickly but we had nowhere else to be) we met a woman in her 80s traveling with her brother who was also in his 80s. They live in Washington and were just taking the ferry as far north as it would go and staying on for the return trip just for something to do. She apparently is a photographer and Bill helped her with an issue with her camera at one point.
I talked to a young woman from Washington who had sold a truck to someone in Juneau and was delivering it there. Because vehicles are hard to get in Juneau (there are no roads into Juneau, everything comes in by boat or plane) she could sell it for a lot more than she could get for it in Washington. She had boarded on a standby ticket and every time we came into a port (3 times) she had to get off and hope they had room so she could re-board and continue her journey north. I don’t have the personality to deal with that amount of uncertainty. But she made it all the way to Juneau.
I talked to a young woman from Washington who had sold a truck to someone in Juneau and was delivering it there. Because vehicles are hard to get in Juneau (there are no roads into Juneau, everything comes in by boat or plane) she could sell it for a lot more than she could get for it in Washington. She had boarded on a standby ticket and every time we came into a port (3 times) she had to get off and hope they had room so she could re-board and continue her journey north. I don’t have the personality to deal with that amount of uncertainty. But she made it all the way to Juneau.
View from the deck
Near the cafeteria was a bar and another place to meet people. We talked to a group of men from Utah who were taking the ferry north and planning to ride motorcycles from north of Junea to Washington. Better them than me but I admire their spirit. We also met a young woman from Washington who was just taking a mom’s trip to Alaska by herself. And another young couple who were moving to Juneau because he got a job there as a marine biologist.
The aft lounge area and solarium was open to ‘camping’ and it was clear people boarding in Bellingham knew to get there quickly to claim their space. Mostly people slept on lawn chairs, camping out with sleeping bags, etc. One person had set up a hammock and a few people pitched small tents they taped to the deck floor. We had seen this in videos before we left but we’re too old for that particular style of travel. Much cheaper though and it did look more comfortable than I thought it would. Someone was even bringing a flat of plants probably to start a garden somewhere.
The aft lounge area and solarium was open to ‘camping’ and it was clear people boarding in Bellingham knew to get there quickly to claim their space. Mostly people slept on lawn chairs, camping out with sleeping bags, etc. One person had set up a hammock and a few people pitched small tents they taped to the deck floor. We had seen this in videos before we left but we’re too old for that particular style of travel. Much cheaper though and it did look more comfortable than I thought it would. Someone was even bringing a flat of plants probably to start a garden somewhere.
Sleeping in the solarium
It was a very different group of people than one meets on a cruise. Many were traveling to their own summer homes, and some simply preferred that mode of travel. Much less pretentious than the cruise people.
On the way we passed some homes and small communities right on the water that appeared to only be accessible by boat or sea plane. Very beautiful spots but very remote. There are many coastal places in Alaska where there are no roads. It would be the perfect place to unplug from the world for a while but I don’t know if I could handle that degree of isolation for very long.
Ketchikan is the only stop we made long enough to really get off the boat. It was disappointingly geared toward tourist shops and cruise ships. The waterfront reminded me of Myrtle Beach. Again it was not someplace I felt I needed to go back to see more of, although I’m sure there are interesting areas around there that are worth visiting.
On the way we passed some homes and small communities right on the water that appeared to only be accessible by boat or sea plane. Very beautiful spots but very remote. There are many coastal places in Alaska where there are no roads. It would be the perfect place to unplug from the world for a while but I don’t know if I could handle that degree of isolation for very long.
Ketchikan is the only stop we made long enough to really get off the boat. It was disappointingly geared toward tourist shops and cruise ships. The waterfront reminded me of Myrtle Beach. Again it was not someplace I felt I needed to go back to see more of, although I’m sure there are interesting areas around there that are worth visiting.
Creek Street, Ketchikan, AK
I left the ferry reluctantly but also ready to be on dry land. Our 4 am arrival was less than ideal but it is when they got there so it was what we had. The airport in Juneau was clean, open at that hour, thankfully, and quite busy. Flights leave out of there for Seattle, Portland OR, and of course, Anchorage. Again our flight was uneventful and we arrived in Anchorage to pick up our rental car and begin the trip north.
We stayed in Wassilla that night. Just north of Anchorage it was much more city than we thought it would be. Major box stores were represented and it seemed like a good hub for people just outside of Anchorage. It didn’t seem to have any real downtown and was mostly shopping strip malls and big box stores.
We spent a night in Talkeetna which was actually a fun little town right on the river. We stayed in the oldest inn in the town and had the top floor (of 2) to ourselves. The plumbing was as old as the building so the shower was a bit challenging but it was part of the charm. The woman who owns it has been there 30 years, getting up at 3am every morning to start baking for the bakery next door. It seemed that people kind of end up in Alaska and either leave in a few years or stay for 30.
We stayed in Wassilla that night. Just north of Anchorage it was much more city than we thought it would be. Major box stores were represented and it seemed like a good hub for people just outside of Anchorage. It didn’t seem to have any real downtown and was mostly shopping strip malls and big box stores.
We spent a night in Talkeetna which was actually a fun little town right on the river. We stayed in the oldest inn in the town and had the top floor (of 2) to ourselves. The plumbing was as old as the building so the shower was a bit challenging but it was part of the charm. The woman who owns it has been there 30 years, getting up at 3am every morning to start baking for the bakery next door. It seemed that people kind of end up in Alaska and either leave in a few years or stay for 30.
The only store in town
Our young waitress grew up in Talkeetna and said she loved it but was headed to Washington, DC for nursing school at the end of the summer. Makes me wonder how many young people stay since opportunities in most of these small areas seem very limited.
Our last stay was in Healy, a town near Denali National Park. I can’t begin to express how disappointing Denali National Park was. You can only drive 15 miles into the park. To go further you have to take a bus.
These are school buses, not tour buses. Windows were small and dirty, seats were uncomfortable and we had the bad luck to be on one with a huge group traveling with small and very unhappy children. If someone saw an animal they were to yell ‘stop’ and the driver would stop so we could try and see whatever animal was there. We did see a few caribou, 2 bears at a great distance and a bunch of sheep.
Our last stay was in Healy, a town near Denali National Park. I can’t begin to express how disappointing Denali National Park was. You can only drive 15 miles into the park. To go further you have to take a bus.
These are school buses, not tour buses. Windows were small and dirty, seats were uncomfortable and we had the bad luck to be on one with a huge group traveling with small and very unhappy children. If someone saw an animal they were to yell ‘stop’ and the driver would stop so we could try and see whatever animal was there. We did see a few caribou, 2 bears at a great distance and a bunch of sheep.
Critter
$33/person and 5 hours we will never get back. We have been to so many really amazing places. This was such a disappointment. There wasn’t even really a view point to try and see Denali mountain. We stopped twice long enough to pee and to walk around a little.
So the next day we took off on our own. We drove the Old Denali Rd in the comfort of our own car, stopped when we wanted and saw some pretty spectacular views. We had a nice short hike down to the river and Bill got to see his first porcupine.
Along the way we stopped and chatted with 2 women who had been camping out in the wilderness area in the back of a Tacoma truck. One of them had been camping since Feb and was clearly well set up. The other had just joined her for a few days. And of course they had a canine companion. They were both very interesting and the one who was the long term camper has been all over the world. She said she is 49% a loner and 51% seeks community so she has built a community of fellow travelers wherever she goes. I do envy that type of freedom.
So the next day we took off on our own. We drove the Old Denali Rd in the comfort of our own car, stopped when we wanted and saw some pretty spectacular views. We had a nice short hike down to the river and Bill got to see his first porcupine.
Along the way we stopped and chatted with 2 women who had been camping out in the wilderness area in the back of a Tacoma truck. One of them had been camping since Feb and was clearly well set up. The other had just joined her for a few days. And of course they had a canine companion. They were both very interesting and the one who was the long term camper has been all over the world. She said she is 49% a loner and 51% seeks community so she has built a community of fellow travelers wherever she goes. I do envy that type of freedom.
Old Denali Highway. Nicer views, no crowds.
Alaska is a state that boasts billions of dollars in income from oil, coal and mineral mining. It is not at all evident in the lifestyle of the people here. I have no idea where that money goes but it does not seem to trickle down to the common person here. Minimum wage is high but so is the cost of living. Rents are no longer the highest in the nation, but they are still fairly high. Grocery prices are higher than in Cookeville and I imagine utilities like heating are also pretty expensive. We saw a sign asking for help at a retail store starting at $18/hour which seems reasonable until you consider how much things cost here.
There is no state level sales tax and no state income tax which is a nice break for people. But everywhere we have been seems a bit run down. There are nice places, but a lot of buildings seem ramshackle and kind of thrown together. In Anchorage and Fairbanks there seems to be a large homeless populations. So while the state may have money, it doesn’t seem that the people of the state have benefitted.
There is no state level sales tax and no state income tax which is a nice break for people. But everywhere we have been seems a bit run down. There are nice places, but a lot of buildings seem ramshackle and kind of thrown together. In Anchorage and Fairbanks there seems to be a large homeless populations. So while the state may have money, it doesn’t seem that the people of the state have benefitted.
The rural road we stuck the car on
I know people love Alaska and I had a good time here, but I don’t feel drawn to come back. The scenery is beautiful and the plant life and geography are really interesting. On the tundra the ground is loamy, soft and spongy. Moose tracks were evident and caribou droppings. There are many different kinds of lichen and moss that support the caribou and probably moose until larger edible plants come up. The tundra is its own unique ecosystem supporting flora and fauna that can survive the harsh winters. At lower elevations the trees were leafed out and it’s very green.. But the tundra is a palette of subtle grays and browns.
Mountains rise without warning into jagged peaks still covered with snow. Run off from the mountains feeds the rivers but there is also a fair amount of rain this time of year. Clouds come and go on the mountain tops and you can watch the weather flow across the mountain ranges from miles away. This is an environment not to be tamed, but to be respected.
Mountains rise without warning into jagged peaks still covered with snow. Run off from the mountains feeds the rivers but there is also a fair amount of rain this time of year. Clouds come and go on the mountain tops and you can watch the weather flow across the mountain ranges from miles away. This is an environment not to be tamed, but to be respected.
Downtown Fairbanks
I think that the real Alaskan experience would be to spend time in the wilderness areas camping, hiking, fishing, etc. It is beautiful there and the wildness of the land speaks to the untamed and unfettered soul. The cities are just cities. As with any harsh environment, it seems people who stay have a strong sense of community. Our interactions were limited to people who have settled there from other places and were clearly drawn to that lifestyle.