Alaska Trip Report, Days 1,2: Scenic Motility On Seward Highway

Day 1 Aug 30, 2018:

ARRIVAL INTO ANCHORAGE:

We flew inwards to Anchorage from Houston; here's the Texan moo-cow astronaut proclaiming WE HAVE LANDED!

We boarded Delta Airlines at 2.12 pm from Houston too arrived a piffling yesteryear xi pm at Anchorage after 2 transfers. We checked inwards 1 handbag for $25, had the gratis send on too personal special allowed for each. We carried domicile made tortillas too veggies for the trip too had slap-up meals on board supplemented yesteryear the Lycopersicon esculentum juice, peanuts, H2O supplied yesteryear the airline. Even banking firm check inwards handbag tin go paid for at the airdrome for Delta without whatsoever extra levy... ameliorate than the practise of European budget airlines that accuse to a greater extent than for airdrome banking firm check in.

ANCHORAGE:

Surrounded yesteryear the Chugach Mountains, Anchorage is Alaska's largest city too commercial centre (though much smaller Juneau is the nation capital). Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 fairly modern trend pervades the city, due to a devastating 1964 earthquake too tsunami. This is the airdrome moose welcoming visitors!

There is enough to relish inwards Anchorage itself similar the Earthquake Park, Tony Knowles coastal trail, Eagle river nature centre etc. nosotros would accept loved to pass a total hateful solar daytime at to the lowest degree in that location exactly chose to skip it due to paucity of time

Our hotel nigh the airdrome sent inwards a shuttle when nosotros rang them upwards later on collected our bag; nosotros moved into our room too slept off.

ACCOMMODATION:

Merrill Field Inn, Anchorage 1 black

IT HAD ALL BASICS IN PLACE.

There were some prissy Alaskan touches inwards the breakfast/reception area.. planes, fur, antlers et al...

Day 2 Aug 31, 2018:

Scenic Drive on Seward Highway:
To Seward & Kenai Fjords National Park:

SUMMARY: Spectacular displace on the Seward hwy, Girdwood Alyeska aerial tram to the top of the mountain, Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Begich Boggs visitor center, Byron Glacier hike.

Seward boasts a gorgeous coastline against a backdrop of violet mount ranges. Located southward of Anchorage at the northeast destination of Resurrection Bay, Seward is the final halt on the Seward Highway. Seward, a angling port, is also the terminus of the Alaska Railroad.

It is a major access betoken to Kenai Fjords National Park, and a slap-up base of operations from which to explore the surrounding area. The beautiful forests too the hiking trails are all share of the Seward experience.

The town is named for William H. Seward - the homo responsible for negotiating the purchase of Alaska from Russia.

https://goo.gl/maps/FcSBmSaFVA92

is the get-go share of our displace till the Begich Boggs visitor centre at Portage.

Had the hotel breakfast at 7.30am.

Car rental guy picked us upwards at hotel at 8 am when their go opened up. [The motorcar had 3998 mi on the odometer... when nosotros returned it aftr our trip, it was 5800 mi]

After collecting car, nosotros stopped yesteryear at Walmart to purchase provisions [it had equally much diverseness of fresh create at slightly higher prices than Houston, it was a contrary sticker stupor equally nosotros had expected higher prices too lower quality]

Bought Bear spray [yes, nosotros checked the death appointment exactly our small-scale pair of scissors did non ascent to the occasion of existence able to cutting off the seal. I'm ashamed to say the tin remained sealed till Sep2 black nosotros reached Palmer. We never saw our Seward cabin hosts, banking firm check inwards too banking firm check out were automatic, so no assist possible from them regarding the BEAR spray tin situation!].

We picked upwards souvenirs too gifts also equally they were prominently displayed 1 time to a greater extent than at decent prices.

We started off on our Seward highway displace enjoying some of Alaska's most spectacular scenery along the Chugach mount gain cliffs too surging bounding main waters of Turnagain Arm, too through the towering mountains of the Kenai Peninsula.

We knew that a picturesque journeying awaited us on the Seward highway, too it sure did non disappoint. We stopped at so many places to relish the views One of the best drives, reminding us repeatedly of our fabulous drives inwards New Zealand, Norway, Canada etc.

Chugach State Park:

One of 4 largest nation parks inwards the United States, Chugach State Park covers 700 foursquare miles. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 terrain of mountains, rivers, lakes, too glaciers is domicile to wolves, moose, bears, beavers, lynx, too other wildlife. It is a pop expanse for hiking, skiing, too camping. The commons meets the saltwater at diverse points along the Seward Highway, traveling along the shores of Turnagain Arm.

Potter marsh was our get-go major stop. We enjoyed the scenery, the resident ducks, the magpies, loved the several boardwalks amongst aesthetic wood grills incorporating plane images.

aesthetic wood grills incorporating plane images

Sighted some white beluga whales at the Beluga point.

The famous Alaskan track thundered yesteryear nigh us, parallel to the route too nosotros recorded a prissy video.

GIRDWOOD:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/GaEbincb6YAXkEBP8

has Girdwood video

The weather condition was fabulous too nosotros decided to detour into Girdwood. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 prosperous gold mining too railroad town until the 1930s, Girdwood instantly finds its wealth inwards the mountains. After mine closures it became a virtual ghost town too and so faced the devastating blow of the 1964 earthquake. Girdwood relocated inland. Today, the town is primarily a recreation expanse too is known equally 1 of the premier Alaska ski resorts. Mount Alyeska Resort offers skiing throughout the year.

It was a pretty neighborhood.

We drove upwards to the resort, parked there

Bought tickets for the Aerial tramway. If yous consume at the eating theatre above, yous instruct a discount.

Waited v minutes or so too were loaded on to the cable car.

We had stunning views when nosotros reached the mount top.

We visited the small-scale museum also

then came down.

Had our lunch, joined the Seward hwy too drove on.

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center:

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center was our adjacent stop. We made it in that location yesteryear three pm, it closes yesteryear 4. This creature sanctuary is a nonprofit organization adopting injured or orphaned wild fauna from the Alaska area, sometimes providing them amongst a permanent house to stay. 200 acres of spacious habitat is opened upwards for see throughout the year, enabling up-close views of bison, bears, moose, owls, elk, eagles, wolves, too a lynx.

We chose to displace through too thoroughly enjoyed the animals.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/WJzKbrhdobLA6tj66

has the video of Alaska wild fauna conservation center

Male moose (females don't accept antlers)

Musk ox

Female moose... alone males accept antlers

Grizzly

Caribou/reindeer. Both sexes accept antlers

Wolves

Cabbage patch

Lavender

LOVED their artistic gates amongst creature silhouttes too the unopen upwards views of the animals.

PORTAGE VALLEY:

We entered Portage valley.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Y3bcRYHsGi8fYPHE8

has our video of Portage valley, Begicg Boggs visitor center, Byron glacier

detoured on to the Begich Boggs visitor centre road. Lovely centre too the ranger enthusiastically showed us creature skins too permit us comport on them amongst the dorsum of our hand.

The sentiment of the Portage lake was stunning too nosotros spent some serenity moments there.

The lands adjoin Chugach National Forest, amongst attractions similar the Portage Glacier. We could regard the get-go tunnel cars choke through to come upwards to the Whittier tunnel

BYRON GLACIER HIKE:

Then nosotros drove on inwards search of Byron glacier trailhead. We reached the cruise pier.

Then nosotros were at some tiny trail. Thankfully nosotros did non hike there, though a Chinese yoke were parked in that location too were trying the trail.

We reached the existent motorcar commons for the trail. It was getting belatedly too I was becoming a piffling scared bears volition go to a greater extent than active. In South Africa, when nosotros did our safari inwards Kruger 1 time hateful solar daytime lite starts fading the whole house becomes totally creature territory.

We hiked, met several hikers on their agency back. It was a really pretty hike along a bluish gurgling stream.

We made loud verbalize to deter whatsoever grizzlies too reached the destination of the trail. Lovely glacier.

A French yoke was sitting there, amongst nary a idea nigh bears.. We enjoyed the sentiment for a few minutes too started back.

We drove off toward our cabin for the night.

https://goo.gl/maps/ZuFtSZyeEvn

is our displace to our cabin from the visitor center

The weather condition turned murky equally nosotros reached Seward too it was drizzling when nosotros dragged our bags inwards to our cabin.

ACCOMMODATION:

Seavey's Ididaride cabins, Seward 2 nights, 10 minutes displace to the Seward Cruise Pier on The sometime GLACIER ROAD.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/6dQ8ubmZfonwdckWA

has the video of Alaska Hotels

We stayed 2 nights at Seavey's Ididaride Abode good cabins owned yesteryear Three-time Iditarod Champion Mitch Seavey. Dog sledding is the state’s favorite sports, whether riding a wheeled sled through the Alaskan wilderness or a ski sled inwards Glaciers. The Seavey household unit of measurement has raced the Iditarod for three generations. We did non make the sled tours exactly loved our remain inwards the comfortable cabins inwards rustic pelting woods setting.

They had already sent us instructions on electronic mail to collect the primal for our cabin 2 too when checking out later on 2 days, to instruct out the primal on the tabular array too instruct out the door open.

LOVELY stand upwards lonely wood cabin. There were welcome chocolates arranged tastefully on the dining table. Had a refrigerator too microwave. There are hundreds of trees or so the cabin, all rustling inwards the wind. And nosotros could hear the wolves howling inwards the night. The Huskies were barking too. They had seat upwards a notice maxim it was bear area! How thrilling!

There were lots of windows, nosotros could regard trees all circular too nosotros could opened upwards the 1 inwards a higher house the bed too it could go left open. It had a screen. The cabin was cozy too nosotros drifted off to slumber really happy amongst our get-go hateful solar daytime inwards lovely Alaska.

There was a beautiful skylight inwards a higher house the bed. And Venus sent out a powerful beam Early morning time too woke me upwards equally if a headlight was flashing at me!

HOW UTTERLY AWESOME!!

Report on our cruises on Day three too 4 continues here:

http://www.kris-sapiutri.blogspot.com/search?q=alaska-trip-report-day-3-kenai-fjord

VIDEO LINKS:

All Alaskan videos are at:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9o7ECrDWfxmPUyYn7

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Y3bcRYHsGi8fYPHE8

Portage valley, Begicg Boggs visitor center, Byron glacier

https://photos.app.goo.gl/WJzKbrhdobLA6tj66

Alaska wild fauna conservation center

Exit glacier: https://photos.app.goo.gl/HfxrWsXdcQjtedT66

https://photos.app.goo.gl/B9th34wMVnVHfyzr8

Matanuska glacier

https://photos.app.goo.gl/GsnbT2fFvXvz3xwB8

Antique motorcar museum, Fountainhead, Fairbanks

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Y4spBBSGQjSqEvoFA

Girdwood

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Y4V2n8DAzbeWsx3k6

SANTA CLAUS HOUSE, NORTH POLE, FAIRBANKS

https://photos.app.goo.gl/6dQ8ubmZfonwdckWA

Alaska Hotels

https://photos.app.goo.gl/cXSyvujZzxEHxAfY8

Palmer too Fairbanks (Hatcher pass, independence mine, Alaska nation fair, Pioneer park, Morris Thompson cultural too visitor center, Georgeson Botanical garden, Wedgewood Wildlife Sanctuary)