7/9/2003 Wednesday – Menomonie to Anchorage

We woke up early at Grandma Packers and drove to Minneapolis. We parked at Park N’ Go and took the shuttle to the airport. E-ticket check-in was worthless as usual and we had to check-in with an agent. One luggage was gone before we were able to tag it with a name and address. Only got boarding passes to Portland. The flight was fine even though it happened that I sat next to a woman with a 14 mo. old boy. Margaret had a window seat alone. Tom and Jill were together, but no window. Had hot dogs at the airport, even though lunch was scheduled on our next flight. Tom and Margaret were behind Jill and I on the flight to Anchorage. Lunch was a salad. Saw islands on our side, glaciers on the other side. My checked bag was burst open (oops, over packed it) and our rental company was out of cars, so we were upgraded to a small SUV, Ford Escape! Drove around Anchorage for an hour without map or directions. Hotel was back by the airport! Puffin Inn was okay until the next morning when we had very little hot water for showers. Jill got $30 back! There was some napping after check-in, so I walked down to the lake and looked at seaplanes. I dragged a tired family out for pizza. The Moose’s Tooth was hopping and they livened up, pretty well. I tired out at Barnes & Noble and we finally went to bed in the day lite around 11pm.

7/10/2003 Thursday – Anchorage to Denali

Hotel breakfast was fine if you liked muffins and coffee. Otherwise it was sparse. We went to a nice visitor center two blocks down the street and a helpful woman worked with us to make bus tour and rafting reservations at Denali. We will have to stop back on our way South. We headed out of town (with a map and an idea of where we were going). We got side tracked at the University. Margaret wants a tour and a shirt, so we’ll need to arrange for that.

The trip north was uneventful. Stopped to see Mt McKinley, but saw only clouds.↓ We stopped at a Wal-Mart and picked up bread, juice, chips ($10.50)!!! and Twinkies, etc. Planning on Dinty Moore beef stew for dinner.

Arrive at McKinley Creekside Cabins about 2pm. Check-in is 3pm. Walk over to The Perch and visit two restaurants. We are all happy with our cute little cabin. We have naps (I go for tickets) and several games of UNO, BS, and Presidents. Dinner is at Creekside Café. Tomato soup for Margaret and Jill, sandwich and chili for Tom and I had a salad with blackened salmon. All were good choices. I enjoyed the mountain view during dinner. We took a drive after dinner on the Denali Highway and took Margaret’s picture by a tree. Walking in the bush was weird. Stopped at a gas station for spoons and bowls after driving thru Cantwell… very remote.

Bus tour leaves at 5:40am, so we need to be ready early. Go to bed with plenty of daylight left.

7/11/2003 Friday – Denali National Park

We wake up early for the bus tour trip. The cloudy sky is threatening rain. We arrive with not much time and get right on the bus which leaves on time, 5:40am. Margaret and Tom sit together, Jill and I are each single. The bus is full. We have a great trip and see fox, grizzlies, caribou, Dall sheep, wolves, and great views of DENALI!!! WOW! I could have stayed lots longer. We have a very good driver and many unpolite Japanese tourists. Because the mountain view is good, we go an extra few miles to a lookout. The driver even admits that this is an excellent, rare view (seen only 20 days/year). We see the Grand Slam, Walla-Walla Bing Bang…. Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang Ting-Tang Walla-Walla Bing Bang according to our driver for all the wildlife we see. Viewing Mt McKinley still is by far the best!! Three are napping and I am starting this daily journal now, sitting on the porch watching the mountains.

We drove back to town to go to Subway. The sign was on the building, but they were not open for business. Drove back and ate at the McKinley Creekside. Jill had halibut and pasta salad, Tom had a Creekside Club sandwich w/ chips, Margaret had a sandwich w/ fries, and I had an Alaskan brat on pita w/ fries. $40. We all enjoyed what we had. Took 2 pictures of Margaret and Tom outside at about 11pm. Played cards till 12:30. Went to bed and the sky was still blue.

7/12/2003 Saturday – Denali National Park

Showers for everyone this morning. It is clear, sunny and cool. We drive up to McKinley Chalet Resort and arrive too early for our 12 noon rafting adventure. We shop around some and hang out. Good thing that I moved the car up to the main parking lot as I had left the driver’s door open. Lunch in the parking lot is Twinkies and granola bars while watching the river.

The rafting trip is great! We get suited up, some instructions, and off we go. We are a group of six with a guide who tells us when to paddle. He aims for the big waves (3’ – 4’) and everyone gets water in the face… temp of water is 38°. No one falls out and the footholds are well used. Most of the rapids have names (Coffee Grinder, Trainwreck, Splatter Rock, Flip, Trash, Razorback). We had our picture taken and it turned out well. We were glad to be in a “paddling” boat. On one stretch, we all jumped in the water just for the experience.

We drove back to our cabin for lunch/dinner at 4pm. Service was slow. Same waiter who knows us now. Tom had Midnight Melt, Jill had ½ sandwich and mushroom soup, Margaret had sandwich and fries, and I had a MOOSTER burger and fries. We drove back to the park, paid our fee and hiked up the Mt. Healy overlook. Great views, lots of pictures, cold and windy at the top. 5:30 – 9:30. Saw a nice bull moose on our drive back to the cabin. A few card games and then to bed.

7/13/2003 Sunday – Denali to Talkeetna

Leaving McKinley Creekside Cabins. Cornflakes for breakfast, showers, some last pictures and we are off, heading south. Filled up with gas in Cantwell. We have 2 stops in Denali State Park with wonderful views of Mt. McKinley. Second stop is very busy.

Drive to Talkeetna… a guy on our bus tour had a very good time there. We had heard that the Moose Dropping Festival was this weekend and that the town would be busy. Found and took the last room at the Swiss-Alaska. Two ladies were there were going swimming and gave us directions to the lake.

Walked into town and spent the afternoon at the Festival. I bought a shirt and we ate at the West Rib Bar & Grill. Jill moved us out of the sun at the West Rib or it would have been too hot to enjoy. I had halibut sandwich, Jill had an Alaskan Crab sandwich, Tom had chicken strips, and Margaret a salad. Jill bought a glass. Took pictures.

Drove out to the lake and Tom and Margaret went swimming, Jill and I went wadding. Drove to an overlook, but Mt. McKinley was pretty cloudy. Drove back thru town and stopped for an ice cream cone. Weather today was pretty hot.

7/14/2003 Monday –Talkeetna to Homer

I am the only one with a hot shower this morning as our building was full and ran out of hot water. We get a slower start this morning and go in to town for breakfast at the Talkeetna Road House. We all order half breakfasts (which is plenty!) which includes hot drink and juice. A fishing couple from San Francisco, a retired couple for Fresno and a family from Virginia are at our table. The retired couple is waiting for a new transmission in Fairbanks. He is recently retired from the California Highway Patrol. They are fun to talk with, so we spend more time at breakfast. Waitress at the Roadhouse tells the about the Festival and bachelor auction. We all talk about the short (non-existent) nights. The family says it is 7 hours drive to Homer.

We go to the chocolate store and one last look around town. We leave town about 11am. The drive to Homer takes 7 hours!

We stop again at Wal-Mart for some food. Driving thru Anchorage takes about ½ hours. We stop at Sterling along the road and call ahead to the Moose Caboose for the key lock-box combination. We stop at Soldotna for groceries. Soldotna to Homer looks a lot like traveling across the UP until you get to Homer and see mountains across the bay about 5 mi(?). Moose Caboose is brand new (May 2003) and very nice. We drive out to the Homer Spit and look at beach campers. Margaret and Tom go in the water! Stop for mile and then to the Caboose. To bed about 12:30… still light out!

7/15/2003 Tuesday – Homer, Moose Caboose

Another clear, sunny morning. Nice view across Kachemak Bay and watching fishing boats on the water. Margaret & Tom make sandwiches and beef stew for lunch. Late in the afternoon we go into town to do some shopping. Jill buys a scrapbook, cookbook, photo mat, and note cards. Tom buys a Far Side book. On the Homer Spit we watch a charter crew cleaning halibut behind the boardwalk. The biggest is 154 lbs. We stop at the grocery store and return to the Moose Caboose. Steaks, green beans, and potatoes for dinner.

7/16/2003 Wednesday – Homer to Kenai

We pack up from the Moose Caboose and leave at about 11am. Lunch is sandwiches in the car. We stop in Ninilchik and walk up to a Russian Orthodox Church overlooking the village. This is not a tourist town. Many people are out digging clams. At Kenai, we stop at the visitor center. And get a room at the Kings Inn Hotel. Tom and I drive to the city boat ramp but can’t get to the river… too much mud. We drive to Nikiski and Margaret and Tom so swimming at the rec center pool. Dinner is at Subway in Kenai.

7/17/2003 Thursday –Kenai to Seward

We stop at Safeway in Kenai and buy sweet rolls for breakfast and then stop for cappuccino in Soldotna. I have coffee and then left over cappuccinos. Along the Kenai River we see three grizzly bears fishing for salmon and Jill sees fishermen hiding behind the trees. We stop at a campsite and watch salmon swimming/jumping. We have lunch in Seward (Marina Restaurant)… too early to check-in at the Camelot Cabin. Chicken soup was good. Tom had hot roast beef, I had halibut burger, Margaret and Jill had turkey and cheese sandwich special. We walk thru some shops. Kids make bubbles and I talk with a halibut charter. $180 per person full day. PB&J sandwiches for supper in the cabin. Then some time in the hot tub and a few games of UNO and Presidents before bed.

7/18/2003 Friday –Seward

Breakfast at the cabin. We leave for Exit Glacier about noon. I had to walk back for more film before we start on the Harding Ice Field trail. It is 7+ miles round trip. We bring too many warm clothes. Tom and Jill head back to the base of the glacier. Margaret and I go on. We see mountain goats, but no bears. We cross a rock field, some snow and then run out of energy. We take lots of pictures with great views of the mountains and glacier. We are back to the parking lot at 5:30 and wait for Jill to pick us up. That didn’t work too well. We pick up two hitchhikers in the parking lot and take them to Seward. We take showers and head for Ray’s Waterfront. We have a 30-40 minute wait (having had some snacks earlier was good). Tom has Rosemary Chicken, Margaret has Seafood Fettuccine, Jill has crab stuffed shrimp and I have the Captains Platter. We are all pleased with our meals as we enjoy the great view of the waterfront and mountains. We are too tired for a walk, so take a drive to Miller’s Landing. We see dolphins out from the landing and lots of RV’s camping. Back to the cabin and right to bed.

7/19/2003 Saturday –Seward

Shopped around in Seward. Cooked steaks on the grill for dinner. Walked on the Resurrection River Trail and the Exit Glacier lookout trail. Jill did some laundry. Police helicopter in the neighborhood… cake robbery at Roadhouse??

7/20/2003 Sunday –Seward

Walked on the waterfront walkway and had ice cream at Harbor St. Creamery. Picked up a 10% off coupon and made cruise reservations for tomorrow. Had dinner at Marina Restaurant. Jill and I had fish & chips, Margaret had chicken sandwich and Tom had pork chops. Jill and I go to Resurrection Roadhouse for dessert… chocolate suicide with ice cream. Nice view and good dessert. Police still searching for murder suspect. Jill and I drive to the end of Nash Road and see Seward from across the bay, dry docks, beach camping and some salmon in a stream.

7/21/2003 Monday –Seward to Whittier to Anchorage

Left Seward about 9:20 and traveled north. Light rain/mist all day. Saw lots of glaciers on road toward Whittier. Waited for passage thru the Anton Anderson Tunnel. 2.5 miles right down the railroad tracks. Whittier is not much of a town and the weather doesn’t help any. Clouds lift some while we are on the boat tour and we see eagles, sea otters, bird rockery, glaciers icebergs and a distant seal. The meal is very good and we all over eat on salmon and prime rib. Wait again for tunnel. Trip to Anchorage seems short and we get a room at Super 8 for 2 nites. We look for and find the Sourdough Mining Company. I buy a duffle bag to replace the damaged one on the trip here. We find our friend Christina in the restaurant. Kids ordered build your own sundaes and Jill and I split a piece of chocolate cake. Christina gets us an order of corn fritters which are very good! Kids get t-shirts.

7/22/2003 Tuesday –Anchorage

We somewhat skip breakfast. We check out UAA Bookstore and Margaret is happy to get a sweatshirt and Tom a mug. We walk on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. We have lunch at Cilantros, a Mexican restaurant in Alaska, ha! Kids play on engine 556 after. We drive to Chugach State Park and walk to the city overlook. Nice view. Near the cloud base. Jill talks Margaret out of keeping a moose nugget. Tom takes some pictures and then some pictures of the hanging baskets at the Sourdough Mining Company. We spend some time driving around to find the Scrapyard… other scrap booking stores are not too good.

7/23/2003 Tuesday –Anchorage to Wisconsin Rapids

We are up early and too the airport. Electronic tickets work fine this time. The flights are uneventful although Jill saw some hand-cuffed guys getting off our flight in Portland. We get back to Mpls, pick up our luggage, pick up the car and head home. We arrive around midnight. The end of a wonderful vacation.