I can’t pick any one state as the “best” state to visit. But I can say that one of the best trips Harold and I ever took was the time we traveled by bus, ferry, train, bush plane, jet plane, and rental car on our exploration of Alaska. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. I can best explain the reason for that by recounting an incident that happened in Juneau early in the trip. We were wandering around the area by the docks where four or five huge cruise ships were tied up and many passengers were milling about the streets. We happened into a tourist trap shop because I saw something in the window that caught my eye. The store clerk came over to inquire if we needed any help and she asked which ship we had taken to town. We explained that we weren’t on a cruise, we had taken the ferry to Juneau and then ridden the city bus from the ferry terminal to downtown and were staying at a small bed and breakfast up on the hill. The woman stepped back, looked us up and down, and said, “my goodness you are not tourists, you are travelers.” Maybe she meant we looked like errant gypsies, but we took it as a compliment and for the rest of the trip whatever happened we just chalked it up to being real travelers.
In large measure our trip was planned with the assistance of a travel agent I found through the Alaska Marine Highway system. https://dot.alaska.gov/amhs/index.shtml If you are going to visit the Inside Passage and coastal peninsula, you need to know about the ferry system. We began our trip in Seattle where we got a bus to Bellingham, Washington, and then we caught the ferry to Juneau. It takes two days to get to Juneau with stops at Ketchikan and other smaller villages along the passage. We opted for “deluxe” sleeping accommodations on the ferry. Many travelers sleep in recliners and couches in the lounge, sleeping bags thrown outside on the deck, or tents pitched on the open deck. We opted for a “stateroom” which consisted of two bunks, a sink, and a small toilet. The “stateroom” was located someplace in the bowels of the ship just above the parking deck. The ferry trip was great – we saw the same glorious scenery and whales and wildlife as those paying much more on the fancy cruise ships that cannot dock in many of the small towns where we stopped. Plus I was able to read “The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” a novel that had just been published, had nothing to do with Alaska, but was an enjoyable read nonetheless and will be always linked in my mind with the hours spent in the comfortable lounge chair looking at the constantly changing view while reading.
The first part of our trip was headquartered in Juneau with two side trips to nearby locales. As many in Alaska do, we chose small bush planes for our side trips, the first one to Glacier Bay National Park. We stayed overnight in a park lodge and took a boat ride with the park ranger to watch the glaciers calve into the bay. We also saw a huge grizzly swim across the bay behind our small boat. The flowers in the national park were outstanding and consisted of a number of unusual specimens. The second little side trip involved another bush plane flight, this time on a day trip to Skagway where we rode an old fashioned train up the mountain to the Canadian border, turned around and came back. Skagway is a real wild west town, with genuine saloons and not much else, except some Russian rug merchants from whom I purchased a lovely wool rug with a salmon woven into the design. And they actually shipped it home to me.
When we finished exploring Juneau and nearby spots, we boarded a jet plane and flew to Fairbanks. It was the third week in June and we got to experience the true midnight sun. After enjoying our twilight in Fairbanks, we boarded the train and headed south toward Denali. We spent the better part of the day on the train traveling through the tundra and stunted spruce lands until we arrived at the Denali stop. Of course nowadays all the major cruise lines have built hotels by the train tracks because they offer excursions by train up from Anchorage to Denali National Park. Fortunately the only way into the park is by national park bus or a few private buses. Since we were staying at a remote lodge literally at the end of the road we boarded our special bus and headed out. Driving through the park we saw brown bears with cubs, caribou, wolves, and sheep high up the mountainsides. Our accomodation at Kantishna Roadhouse was storybook perfect. https://www.kantishnaroadhouse.com/ We even got to see the mountain which came “out” in broad daylight at 11:00 p.m. one night. After a couple of days at the roadhouse we reboarded the train and continued south to Anchorage.
For the final leg of our trip we rented a car in Anchorage and drove south to the Kenai Peninsula, an area Harold had visited before when he came to Alaska on a fishing trip with a friend and without me. Unfortunately Homer Spit had grown much more commercialized in the almost 20 years since Harold had last visited. However, we did find a ferry boat to take us out to this more remote location known as Halibut Cove. What a beautiful spot! There is nothing there but a coffee/sandwich shop, a few artist galleries, and beautiful walking trails lined with glorious flowers. An easy climb up a steep hill provides a wonderful view of the surrounding area.
Finally you might be wondering why I called this entry “Alaska Far Away” if you have never heard of the New Deal pioneers of the Matanuska Colony near Palmer, Alaska. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX12QFQ0Lvk If you view this documentary you might learn about some history you never knew. It was a colony of hope trying to recreate the frontier. I am quite sure that Alaska remains the “last frontier.” The hideous cruise ships cannot take that away, they just deposit their garbage in the waters and skirt the fringe of the beautiful state. Alaska remains vast and inaccessible to all but those who are ready to be travelers.
Memories - A Second Chance at Happiness 