#Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge

[talkeetnahouse]

Alaskan Lodge in Talkeetna: Experience True Wilderness Hospitality

Immerse yourself in the heart of Alaska's wilderness at our Alaskan lodge in Talkeetna. Talkeetna House Lodge offers a serene retreat with rustic charm and modern amenities. Each accommodation captures the essence of Alaskan hospitality, providing a cozy haven amidst nature's grandeur. Whether you're here to explore the rugged beauty of Denali National Park or simply unwind in the tranquility of Talkeetna, our lodge is your perfect home away from home. Book your stay now and experience the allure of an authentic Alaskan lodge in Talkeetna.

[thorsenmark]

Morning in Denali by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: This image was a close up of Mount Hunter and Denali. I loved how the low clouds hung around some of the mountain peaks with blue skies all around. For this image, I took 3 bracketed photos, using my Nikon SLR, and then went into Nik HDR Efex Pro in order to convert them into an HDR photo. I finished up the image processing in Capture NX2.

[withabackpackandcamera]

September 15th, 2020

Day 2: The Alaskan Road Trip Begins!

After a good night’s rest, Cynthia and I woke up for an early start to the day. My task was to get the rental car from Enterprise. Her task was to finish up an interview scheduled at the last minute. I got picked up by the Enterprise people, saving me some time and energy, and before long I had our blue Ford Fusion ready to go. Once Cynthia was completely done with her work and the car was all packed, we dropped by Fred Meyer, the local grocery chain, to buy some goods for the trip. The usual snacks for the car ride, filtered water in case we needed it. Cynthia bought herself some breakfast from Starbucks and a little further down the road, I picked up a breakfast biscuit from McDonald’s. With tummies filled, we were off to start our long 250-mile road trip up to Denali. 

The drive out of Anchorage was spectacular. The mountains surrounding the city were something to behold. The clouds were dense and picturesque. The fall colors lined the highway and became prettier as you drove further out. The first stop on our list of stops was Thunderbird Falls, located about 30 minutes outside of the city. Once we got to the parking lot, we parked the car, decided not to pay for the quick visit there, and hiked about a mile in and then a mile out to see Thunderbird Falls at the end of the trail. The hike was very pleasant and very quiet without too many other hikers on the trail. The fall colors were in full force all along the trail, with vibrant greens, yellows, oranges, and even reds. The waterfall itself, however, wasn't too spectacular. From the viewing deck, Thunderbird Falls was pretty far and small, so we spent very little time viewing it before turning back to the car. 

The next stop was Reflection Lake, which was located just around the corner (sort of) via a drive from the Thunderbird Falls parking lot. There, we took a short walk to a lake that really reflected all the fall colors surrounding it. We spent a little bit of time there taking photos and appreciating the view before moving onward toward Talkeetna, the next planned stop on the road trip.

And again, the drive was pretty spectacular with all the yellows and oranges surrounding the road. The weather wasn’t the greatest with heavy clouds and some rain throughout the trip. But still, the views were incredible. The drive to Talkeetna from Reflection Lake was about 1.5 hours and required us to take a little detour off of the main road. Once we arrived there, we walked through town, which ended up being a little street of shops and restaurants. Even so, it was still a neat stop. The buildings housing the shops and restaurants there were old school and definitely fit what you would expect from a rural, frontier town. 

We walked down and then back up the street, taking photos here and there. By this point, we were pretty hungry and after being on the lookout for food, we ultimately decided on pizza for lunch. The pizza place we tried was called Mountain High Pizza Pie and it was a good choice! The first reason was because we had a yummy small Italian sausage and basil pizza that was just right for us. And secondly, the restaurant had great covered outdoor seating that gave us a little escape from the rain that started to come down while we were eating. 

We peeked around town and window shopped for a little bit longer after lunch but as the rain started to fall more steadily, we made our escape and started heading back toward the main highway. Because I had spotted a nice, photograph-worthy view of some fall colors and a float plane on the way in, I decided to take a quick stop on the way out of Talkeetna to get the shot. We stopped by the float plane docking area and I walked around the area, trying my best to get the best photographic angle for a picture of the float plane and the surrounding fall colors. From the easy-access viewpoints, I couldn’t get the right photo. So I kindly asked the folks manning the front building if I could venture down closer to the water to grab a photo and they were extremely nice and said sure. Getting down to the water allowed me to capture some decent shots so I slowly made my way back to Cynthia at the top and we eventually left the area for the main highway. 

And it was mostly driving and some stopping from Talkeetna to Denali. We made some quick stops here and there for photo and video ops. We tried stopping at some designated Denali viewpoints along the main highway but only found thick clouds and rain obscuring our views at both viewpoints. No Denali. After what seemed like a forever drive under the clouds and rain, we finally reached Denali National Park. By this time, it was after-hours (i.e. after 5PM when the main visitor center closes) and we didn’t have to pay or anything. So we drove into the park to get a glimpse of what the park was all about before doing a full day in the park tomorrow. We drove as far into the park as we possibly could without a lottery ticket (since you needed to win permission to drive past a certain point) and that was up to the Savage River. After driving all the way in and getting our sneak peek at Denali National Park, we slowly made our way back out of the park toward Healy, where we were planning to get dinner and stay the evening. We didn’t expect too much with this drive into Denali National Park given how late in the evening it was when we arrived. But fortunately, for us, on our drive out, we spotted a car that had stopped in front of us. As we slowly approached, we looked around to see what they were stopping for. And low and behold! A moose on the side of the main road! We sat in our stopped car in awe for a few seconds before pulling out our cameras to capture a photo of the moose from the safety of the car. It was so neat to see a moose! And super lucky given our low expectations for the short trip into the park at the end of the day!

After watching the moose for a few minutes until it vanished from sight, we restarted our short drive into Healy and stopped for dinner at 49th State Brewing Company in Healy. It was a neat brewery and restaurant for sure! A nice outdoor area that I imagine being full of people in the high season and with good weather, a neat inside with cool decor, and pretty good food! I tried their Brut Cider, Grapefruit Lager, and Hoppy Cream Ale. They weren’t bad but I didn’t like them enough to pay more money. So we just ordered the East Fork Flatbread and Gold Star Peak Burger. Both were delicious and we luckily had some food left over to bring back to the lodge. 

Once we were done eating, we drove down the road and checked into the White Moose Lodge for the evening. The room was comfy and did the trick. Before calling it a night, I turned on the TV to watch a replay of the Clippers getting embarrassed by the Nuggets in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semis. So embarrassing! Loved ending the night with that! As for the plan for tomorrow? An early start for a long hike. 

5 Things I Learned/Observed Today:

1. The main trees that line the highways of Alaska are alders, birches, and aspens. Those form the foundation of Alaska’s roadside fall colors. 

2. Growing up, I learned that the largest mountain in North America was called Mount McKinley but during this trip, I realized that this name was no longer used. Denali was the original name for Mount McKinley. In the Athabascan language, it means “The High One.” In 1896, some random gold rush reporter named William Dickey decided on his own to rename Denali after presidential candidate William McKinley to honor him as McKinley was a proponent of Dickey’s favorite issue: the gold standard. The name stuck and then became official in 1901 after McKinley was assassinated. Ever since, people have been trying to revert the name back to its original name (and get rid of that symbol of cultural imperialism) but due to politics and people in Ohio (where McKinley was from), the name change was blocked for nearly a century (and a lot of failures since 1975). Finally, the mountain’s name was changed back to Denali in 2015 with the help of Obama and Co. 

3. Mount Denali is the highest peak in North America, standing at 20,320 feet. Denali has two main peaks with the highest being its south peak.

4. When the park shuttle buses stop running after the high season ends in early September, not everyone can drive past the 15-mile point of Denali National Park. Only those who enter and win tickets from the lottery for all-access to the park can do that. You can drive anywhere within the 15 miles if you don’t win the lottery. But you can also walk in as far as your legs can take you if you want. You just can’t drive. And after lottery weekend, where people who won tickets can drive around wherever they want, cars can then drive up to 30 miles into the park, at which point there is no further driving. Too bad we missed that opportunity by a weekend or two. 

5. Mount Denali and the mountains of the Alaskan Range are so high that they can significantly affect the weather and climate in the area. They can concentrate and channel air into strong winds that can cause the weather in the area to change quickly. High mountains like these also cause a rain shadow, where wind and moisture are trapped on one side and condense into clouds and rain before reaching the other side (in this case, the northern side of the mountains), causing a rain shadow effect over interior Alaska, where one side (the southern side) is wet and the other side (the northern side) is dry. The weather is also the reason why Denali is so difficult to view (because of clouds) on many days of the year.

[itstjtree]

I’m interviewing Executive Chef Wes Choy from Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge today and i’m so nervous. I know I’ll do well. It’s just such an intimidating situation.....

Cheers to this hopefully being my break!

[bucketlisttravelexpert]

Denial from Talkeetna on a sunny clear day. #bltraveling #travelphotography #traveling #travelgram #travel #travelblogger #bucketlist #bucketlisttravel #photooftheday #photographer #photography #photoshoot #denali #talkeetna #talkeetnalodge #alaska (at Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge) https://www.instagram.com/p/CeOt6TZLVLI/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[alwilloughby]

ALASKA EXPEDITION

12 TAGE OUTDOOR DURCH ALASKA

Willkommen in der größten Stadt Alaskas, die meist als die Hauptstadt des Staates angesehen wird. Beginnt euren Urlaub mit einem Flug in eine atemberaubende Landschaft mit Blick auf die Chugach-, Alaskan-, Kenai- und Talkeetna-Bergkette.

Obwohl der Mt. Denali nur 20 % des Jahres zu sehen ist, besteht die Chance, dass ihr sogar einen Blick erhaschen können. Anchorage ist das am dichtesten besiedelte Gebiet Alaskas, das jedoch mit Bären, Elchen und Wölfen geteilt wird.

Nach eurem Flug in diese urbane Wildnis macht ihr euch auf den Weg zu der Unterkunft für das Treffen um 18 Uhr vor der Abreise, gefolgt von einem Gruppenessen. Nutzt diesen Abend, um eure Mitreisenden und Reiseleiter kennen zu lernen.

Inklusive: Unterkunft in Anchorage, Begrüßungstreffen

Optionale Aktivität vor der Tour: Ganztägige Besichtigung des weltberühmten Brooks River Alaskan Brown Bear Viewing, Katmai National Park.

TAG 2-4: DENALI NATIONALPARK

Am Morgen geht es in den beeindruckenden Denali Nationalpark. Egal, ob ihr wegen der Flora oder Fauna gekommen seid, dies ist der Ort, der eure Hoffnungen erfüllt, große und kleine wilde Tiere zu sehen, die so leben, wie sie es seit Urzeiten tun. Wir schlagen unser Lager auf und an den folgenden zwei Tagen habt ihr die Möglichkeit, mit dem Bus auf der einzigen Straße durch den Nationalpark zu fahren und hoffentlich Bären, Elche, Karibus oder Wölfe zu sehen.

Für diejenigen unter euch, die auf der Suche nach einem herzzerreißenden und anstrengenderen Abenteuer sind, gibt es die Möglichkeit zu einer Wanderung durch die 6 Millionen Hektar des Parks. Keine Reise wäre vollständig, ohne die optionale Aktivität eines Fluges über den Denali National Park und um den Mt. Denali (6194 m) herum. Abends sitzen wir am Lagerfeuer, lauschen den Geräuschen der Nacht und erzählen unsere Abenteuer des Tages.

Inbegriffene Aktivitäten: 2-Tage-Nationalpark-Eintritt und Shuttle-Bus-Service, Wandern im Denali-Nationalpark (kurz, lang, abseits des Weges, das entscheiden Sie!)

Optionale Aktivitäten: Rundflüge über den Mt. Denali

Tag 5-6: MACLAREN RIVER LODGE

Von Denali aus fahren wir auf dem wenig befahrenen Denali Highway. Diese 1957 eröffnete Schotterstraße war der erste Zugang zum Denali-Nationalpark (damals noch Mt. McKinley-Nationalpark). Im Tal des Maclaren River gelegen, durchquert ihr auf dem zweithöchsten Highway-Pass des Landes hochalpines Gelände.

Hier liegt die Maclaren River Lodge, die von Alan und Susie betrieben wird, die fantastische Gastgeber sind und uns auf einer Bootsfahrt zum “The Glacier Camp” mitnehmen werden. Nun sind wir auf uns allein gestellt in der Wildnis, ohne Handyempfang und ohne Straßen.

Hier bleiben wir über Nacht und erkunden und zelten in der Wildnis. Am nächsten Tag machen wir eine lockere Kanufahrt flussabwärts für unsere nächste Nacht in dieser schön gelegenen Lodge. (eine Nacht Buschcamp) Eingeschlossene Aktivitäten: Bootsfahrt bis zum Glacier Camp, geführte Übernachtung im Glacier Camp, Kanufahrt auf dem Maclaren River

Optionale Aktivität: Wanderung

Tag 7-9: WRANGELL/ST ELIAS NP

Hier besuchen wir den größten Nationalpark der Vereinigten Staaten und übernachten auf dem “End-of-the-road”-Campground. Buchstäblich am Ende der McCarthy Road gelegen, wurden diese 60 Meilen Schotterstraße entlang der alten Copper River und Northwestern Eisenbahn gebaut. Die meisten Überreste dieses einst blühenden Gebietes waren ein Teil der Kupferminen, aber die meisten Leute vergessen, dass hier der letzte große Goldrausch in Alaska stattfand.

Es gibt viele optionale Aktivitäten wie Wandern, Eisklettern, Gletscherwanderungen, geführte Minentouren, Rafting und Rundflüge um 16.000-Fuß-Gipfel, 25-Meilen lange Gletscher und massive Eisfälle. Die Tage 16 und 17 sind also für Sie frei wählbar: Nehmt an der optionalen historischen Tour teil und lasst euch vom Goldrausch mitreißen, wandert auf eigene Faust in der wunderschönen Umgebung oder versucht euch an verrückten Outdoor-Sachen wie Eisklettern, geführten Gletscherwanderungen oder Wildwasser-Rafting.

Eingeschlossene Aktivitäten: Wandern, Scenic Drive

Optionale Aktivitäten: Eisklettern (ganztägig), Root-Gletscher-Wanderung, Kennecott History Tour, Rafting, Flugtour

Tag 10-11: VALDEZ

Valdez ist die Endstation der 800 Meilen langen Trans-Alaska-Pipeline, die in Prudhoe Bay beginnt. Valdez ist ein wichtiges Tor zum Inneren Alaskas. Valdez wurde im März 1989 in den Vordergrund der nationalen Medien gerückt.

Die Exxon Valdez lief auf Grund und verursachte eine Ölpest von 11 Millionen Gallonen. Viele Jahre lang wurden Flora und Fauna durch diese Umweltkatastrophe verwüstet.

Zum Glück ist die Ordnung wiederhergestellt und die Chugach Mountains bilden eine herrliche Kulisse für dieses malerische Städtchen. Der nächste Tag steht im Zeichen von optionalen Aktivitäten. Sehr empfehlenswert ist eine Seekajaktour auf dem Columbia Gletscher, da man hier eine wunderschöne Landschaft, riesige Eisberge und die Möglichkeit hat, alle Arten von Wildtieren zu sehen.

An einem der Tage werden wir uns hinauswagen und sehen, ob wir ein paar Bären, Adler oder Seelöwen beim Lachsfressen finden können. Valdez ist bekannt dafür, dass Bären in die örtliche Lachsbrutanstalt und die umliegenden Bäche kommen.

Tag 12: ANCHORAGE

Leider m��ssen wir euch den Rücken zukehren und euch jetzt euch selbst überlassen. Aber nicht bevor wir den Thompson Pass überquert haben, mit atemberaubenden Ausblicken auf den Worthington Gletscher. Unser Mittagsstopp wird am Matanuska Gletscher sein, bevor wir am späten Nachmittag nach Anchorage zurückkehren.

Sichere dir jetzt die 12-tägige Outdoor Alaska Expedition und kaufe dein Erlebnis.

Der Beitrag ALASKA EXPEDITION erschien zuerst auf WECANDO EXPERIENCE®.

ALASKA EXPEDITION published first on https://www.wecando-experience.com/ ALASKA EXPEDITION published first on https://www.wecando-experience.com/

[2021familytriptoalaska]

We arrived at our awesome resort in Talkeetna, the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge..breathtakingly beautiful scenery, we had a nice relaxing dinner on the deck and then took a walk, we bumped into a Mama moose and her twin babies❤️❤️

[theopenrhode]

The Ultimate Road Trip Guide To Alaska: Denali (part 2)2

(This is part 2 of our 4 part Alaska Series)

After our long drive of the Dalton Highway through the Alaskan wilderness, we felt back to civilization in a sense and returned our Jeep to Arctic Outfitters trading it for a “normal” rental car and headed south to Denali National Park. We chose to visit Alaska in September for a few different reasons…avoidance of the crowds and flies associated with summer travel and a chance to spy the Northern Lights. Note though that Denali’s summer bus service stops the second week after Labor Day each year. Thus, our visit was the final day of the busy service. Once the bus service ends for the season, cars are only permitted to drive the road up to 30 miles and then must turn around. The exception to this is the Road Lottery, an event wherein winners of a lottery system may buy a permit to drive the entire road (if weather allows) on the second weekend after Labor Day. Once significant snowfall accumulates, the park road frequently can’t be driven further than Mile 3, Park Headquarters. 

Denali Bus

We chose the transit bus which is a non narrated bus that travels into Denali’s interior as far as Wonder Lake, 85 miles from the start of the park and about a 5 hour bus ride. These are green buses that you can hop on or hop off throughout the day for one set fee of ~$60. Because we traveled on the last day of the park’s summer bus schedule, it was crowd free AND a surprise 8 inches of snow made for a different Denali than most people experience. While the snow blanketed everything in a beautiful white; unfortunately, it completed obscured any chance of actually seeing Denali (formerly Mt. McKinley). Cloud cover commonly obscures Denali and statistics say that only 1 in 3 visitors see and unobstructed view. However, we witnessed many moose and saw a glorious grizzly bear happily rolling in the snow as well as a herd of Dall sheep. Wonder Lake, if the weather is perfect, affords amazing views of Denali which can be seen in reflection in the blue waters of the lake. Also, at the end of the bus route is the McKinley Bar Trail. This trail takes you from the Wonder Lake Campground to the McKinley River gravel bar. It’s an easy flat out and back with acres of spruce trees. As it was the last day of the season, we cut it much closer than we should have to catch not only the last bus of the day, but of the entire season..we had to run that last mile and caught the bus as it was pulling away. Close call. This bus is pretty no frills, so bring whatever you’ll need for the day (food, drinks, clothing layers, etc). We hopped on/off with zero waits, though in the summer, the bus is first come, first served, so you may have to wait until a bus has free seats in the direction you are heading (either into or out of the park). 

Savage Alpine Trail

Our second day in Denali, we drove in to Mile 13-15 and parked our car at the trailhead for the Savage Alpine Trail. This trail is four miles, and connects the Savage River area with Savage River Campground. In the summer season, you can use the Savage River Shuttle to travel back to your starting point if you need to pick up a car, or use it to return to the park entrance if you have no vehicle..given the time of year, we walked about two miles along the park road back to our car. This hike has a bit of a vertical ascent at the start and likely has beautiful views, but all that snow made staying on the trail difficult and marred the views quite a bit. When hiking in Alaska, I would strongly suggest bear spray. We bought our at Fred Meyer, which sells just about everything you could possibly imagine…food, clothes, bear spray, and they’ll even make you a sandwich. Definitely stop here to stock up. Fortunately, we never had to use that bear spray! though I worriedly carried mine in a little holster on my hip the whole time. 

49th State Brewing Company

Our lodging in the Denali area was at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge. We chose this lodge as it was less than a mile from the park’s entrance, it is located on the banks of the Nenana River, and they have a charming log cabin atmosphere with expansive decks that jut out over the river. They do have on site dining options, but we chose a couple of local establishments. A word of caution though, like the bus tours, this lodge closes September 16th and so do many of the surrounding eateries. The Black Bear is a cafe/coffeehouse that is worth a stop..I can personally recommend a delicious homemade apple cake. We also dined at the The Denali Park Salmon Bake which gets great reviews, though we only experienced late night snacks at the bar. In my opinion though, the can’t miss local restaurant is the 49th State Brewing Company located 8 miles from Denali. They have an award winning brew, an outdoor beer garden and you can even see a replica of the bus that Alex McCandless from the novel, Into The Wild, called home. They have a sophisticated pub menu and welcoming atmosphere and you can buy some cool merchandise. 

Talkeetna

From Denali, we made a pit stop at Talkeetna en route to Anchorage. Talkeetna is small town Alaska at it’s finest. There is only one paved road, Main St, lined with clapboard stores, funky local galleries, and a brewery. There is way more to do in Talkeetna than our brief lunch stop permitted. Flightseeing tours of Denali leave from the local airstrip and it’s a jumping off point for Denali climbers. One of the best pullouts to see Denali is just before driving into Talkeetna. We dined at the Denali Brew Pub (see pics!) where my husband had an amazing beer infused with coffee and I had a spiked root beer. 

We concluded this leg of our journey with a short stay in Anchorage which consisted of one an overnight stay at the Hotel Captain Cook. We scored a corner room and ironically, miles from Denali National Park, here we had our first view of Denali! Despite being hundreds of miles away, the towering mountain reached into the clouds and was still impressive in its size. We also saw a very brief but bright display of the Northern Lights that shone through the light pollution of Anchorage. After a long day of driving, we stretched our legs on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail which is an 11 mile trail that you can pick up at various points in the city and walk as much as you’d like and glimpse Denali from a distance. Dining here in Anchorage was at the Glacier Brewhouse a short walk from our hotel which is known for Alaskan seafood and roasted meats and has a warm ambiance and crackling fires. 

Denali...finally! Denali did not disappoint. Granted, we did not see the mountain from the park, but a grizzly rolling in the snow surpassed our expectations and gave a chance to see a side of the park that few experience. Furthermore, our favorite parts of Alaska were still to come!

Click Here for Part 3 of our Alaska Series After our long drive of the Dalton Highway through the Alaskan wilderness, we felt back to civilization and returned our off road Jeep to Arctic Outfitters, trading it for a “normal” rental car and headed south to Denali National Park. Along the way we were greeted with amazing views, never ending mountains, and beautiful blue winding rivers. You could spend a whole week in Denali National Park and Preserve. There are amazing hikes, wildlife, fantastic restaurants, and much more.  Our guide will help plan your Denali, AK adventure.  Get out there and explore Alaska. (This is part 2 of our 4 part Alaska Series) You can read the whole series on our adventure blog: http://champagnetraveling.com/category/adventure-travel-destinations/united-states-and-canada-travel/united-states/ #Alaska #Hiking #NorthernLights #wildlife #ChampagneTraveling #roadtrip #Denali #Daltonhighway #alaskatravel #alaskatraveladventures #alaskatraveled #denalinationalpark #denalihighway #denalinationalparkandpreserve #DenaliStatePark #denaliprincesslodge #denaliparkvillage #travelblog #travelguide Read the full article

[denalibrewing]

Tickets are available for our collaboration with The Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge for our "Cabin Fever: Craft Foods and New Comfort Foods" dinner. Click on the link in bio to order tickets for a night at the Lodge. Check out the amazing pairings below! The dinner is a little over 2 weeks away on March 21st, get a ticket while they last! https://www.alaskacollection.com/travel-deals/cabin-fever-craft-brews-and-new-comfort-foods/ Dinner Menu: ---First Course Roasted Winter Squash Za’atar Spiced Winter Squash, Labneh, Candied Pumpkin Seeds, Crispy Chick Peas, Cilantro Denali Gold Kolsch ---Second Course Take Nabe Dashi Broth, Mushrooms, 63 Degree Egg Scallions, Bonito Flakes, Jasmine Rice Flag Stop Milepost #2 Belgian Red Ale–wood aged ---Intermezzo Candied Plum & Cucumber Sushi ---Third Course Oxtail Ravioli House made Ravioli filled with Shredded Beer-Braised Oxtail & Creamy Chevre Cheese, Fried Poached Egg, Smoked Edamame, Arugula, Ginger Crumbs Fragrant Thai Green Curry Big Dipa Double IPA ---Dessert Black Berry Cobbler Blackberry Cobbler, Brioche, Ale Semifreddo Razzery Melomel Mead . . . #denalibrewing #talkeetnaalaskanlodge #alaskaciderworks #alaskameadery #wearedenali Beer Line Up_Smaller dot jpg (at Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9X6DGrnPPG/?igshid=e6blm6gp7v2i

[talkeetnahouse]

Experience Authentic Charm: Alaskan Lodge in Talkeetna

Immerse yourself in the authentic charm of an Alaskan lodge in Talkeetna at Talkeetna House Lodge. Nestled amidst the stunning Alaskan wilderness, our lodge offers a cozy retreat with rustic charm and modern comforts. Each accommodation provides a unique blend of Alaskan aesthetics and comfort, featuring picturesque views and a warm ambiance. Whether you're seeking adventure or relaxation, our lodge is the perfect base for exploring Talkeetna and its surrounding beauty. Book your stay at Talkeetna House Lodge and indulge in the true essence of an Alaskan lodge experience.

[thorsenmark]

Midnight at Denali by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: With the extra photos I took, I decided to play around with some CEP filters and tried a Midnight one. So while morning in Talkeetna, I felt this really captured a late evening mood for a view of Denali. For this image, I took 3 bracketed photos, using my Nikon SLR, and then went into Nik HDR Efex Pro in order to convert them into an HDR photo. I finished the image with some minor adjustments in Capture NX2.

[travelbookonboardblog-blog]

Even though it is still a part of the USA, Alaska doesn’t feel like it. Subarctic atmospheres, tidal coastlines, active volcanoes, vast wildlands, glaciers, and more than three million lakes all conspire to make it as different as a new planet from the rest of the US. Altogether, Alaska offers tourists a lot of natural beauty and personal time. BookOnBoard is bringing you the top 10 visiting places in Alaska in this article.

What do you need to know about Alaska?

Alaska is the 49th state in the USA and the largest by sheer land volume. It is 663,286 square miles of land, lakes, rivers, volcanoes, forests, and other stuff packed in a freezer. It is a rather secluded place, with only seven hundred thousand people living in the whole state. The clock here is set to 9 hours previous GMT. Located at the far north of the North American continent, it is disconnected from the rest of the USA by Canada in between them.

The capital of Alaska is Juneau. The interesting thing is, the US government bought this state from the Russian Empire. Alaska has lots of fishing industries since it has a longer coastline than the rest of the USA put together. Other than fish, you can get a lot of oil and natural gas here.

Activities in Alaska

Known mostly for its diverse open terrain and geographical features, Alaska offers an abundance of nature tourism activities. Wildlife watching, hiking, biking, kayaking, climbing, etc are the most sought after activities here. Other than that, in the more populated areas (mostly at Anchorage or souther), you can find fine dining and shopping opportunities, as well as natural and native history museums. The seas offer lots of fishing and whale watching opportunities.

Top 10 Alaska Visiting Places

Most of the places to see in Alaska are natural tourist spots, with a few man-made stuff. Your best bets will be:

Denali

Glacier Bay

Inside Passage

Mendenhall Glacier

White Pass & Yukon Railroad

Lake Clerk

Alyeska Resort

Icy Strait

Wildlife Conservation Center

Anchorage Museum

Denali

The tallest peak in North America, Denali offers tons of climbing and trekking opportunities. The surrounding area is the Denali National Park & Preserve, which offers mixed landscapes and lots of wildlife.

The highest mountain in America, Denali is located near Petersville. Your best bet to visit Denali would be to take one of the daily tourist trains from Anchorage.

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve

Glacier Bay is a very special place in Alaska. It is a designated wilderness and biosphere reserve, and a UNESCO world heritage site. It is home to over a thousand glaciers, the most notable of which is the Grand Pacific Glacier.

A prime spot for whale watching, you can find a lot of marine mammals here. Also, if you want to watch the Northern Lights (aurora borealis), you can scarcely find a better location. Besides that, you can go hiking or kayaking here. You can, for leisure, also hang out in Gustavus.

Inside Passage

Weaving through the countless islands on the Pacific north-west coast of Alaska, the Inside Passage is a coastal route for ships. Glaciers and fjords shape up this awesome coastline with unmatched natural beauty. It is also home to many isolated wildlife communities.

Luxury and simple boat/ship cruises are the most commonly sought after activities here. You can also take on adventure and eco-tour activities like biking, bear-viewing, birding, cultural and history tours, etc. The region is a photographers’ heaven. This makes it one of the best Alaska Visiting Places.

Mendenhall Glacier

Only 12 miles south of Juneau, the Mendenhall Glacier is a protected area and a designated recreation zone. There are lots of package tours for this area, offering tons of hiking and kayaking opportunities and guided tours by coach, four-wheelers, and helicopters. The most adventurous among you should consider taking the rather dangerous hiking tours on the glacier itself.

White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad

This dainty narrow-gauge railroad links Skagway port to Whitehorse, Yukon. It is classified as a heritage railway and has vintage cars. You will go back in time, as you chug on up 3000 feet in 20 miles. Going through the breathtaking landscape and hugging hair-raising cliffhanger rail lines. There are several route options available, one of which uses an actual vintage steam locomotive.

Lake Clerk National Park & Preserve

One of the most serene places to visit in Alaska, the Lake Clerk Preserve area actually incorporates lots of lakes and streams. It is one of the best options for camping in Alaska. With its spectacular wildlands and fauna, you can also go bear watching, hiking through jungle trails, kayaking, and canoeing, fishing, biking, hunting, powerboating, birdwatching, etc. One of the nicest Alaska visiting places is the lakes and jungles here.

Alyeska Resort & Hotel Alyeska

Nestled among the beautiful Chugach mountains, the Alyeska Resort is a full-service luxury hotel, resort, and spa with exceptional dining. Few hotels around the USA offers such picture-perfect natural beauty right from your bedroom window. What’s more, it is a hub of arranging an endless variety of recreational activities. This includes glacier hiking, rafting, dog sledding, skiing, etc. One of the Alaska visiting places, this hotel also offers a tramway tour to the top of the mountain. That offers unforgettable panoramic views of the surroundings.

Icy Strait

Dividing the Alaskan mainland and Chichagof island, it is a 64 km long water passage offering spectacular marine wildlife viewing opportunities. If you take the 2.5-hour cruise through the Icy Straight, you are bound to see orcas, sea otters, seals, porpoises, and at least one majestic humpback whale. Plenty of bears, deer, bald eagles and more are found in the coastal forests as well. The Hoonah city offers cultural and brewery tours as well.

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

Dedicated to conservation, research, education, animal care, and preserving Alaska’s wildlife. The AWCC is about 700 acres wide and offers sanctuary and comfy homes to hurt, captive-born, or exiled animals. There are many guided tours and rides through the area, on trains, coaches, safari vehicles and aircraft. You choose from any of the excursions tailor-made for each seasonal activities.

Anchorage Museum

Drink your fill of Alaskan art, history, ethnography, ecology, and science in the very heart of the most populated city in Alaska, Anchorage. Exciting exhibits adorn wall to wall in this respected building, attracting visitors throughout the year. This is one of your best options. If you want to study in-depth the land and the people of this strange and beautiful country. It is a very interesting vacation place to see in Alaska.

Tourism being one of the biggest industries in the land, Alaska has a plethora of guided tours to choose from. The most popular of them are train rides, boat cruises, and bus tours.

Alaska Tour by Train

There are many train tours in Alaska, rolling along the beautiful coasts, chugging up to dangerous glaciers. They through spectacular wilderness and offering amazing views all over. Read on for the few best options to travel to Alaska by train.

Skagway White Pass Railroad Summit Excursion

This is a shore excursion day trip, passing by White Pass Summit, Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point, Dead Horse Gulch, Klondike Trail, etc. It climbs nearly 3000 feet and offers you great views of mountains, gorges, glaciers, and waterfalls.

Anchorage Seward Coastal Classic

Passing via Girdwood, Seward, Turnagain Arm, Chugach Range, this is a one-way transfer route for 4.25 hours. Snatching a ranking from National Geographic, this train ride in Alaska is considered to be the most scenic railroad route.

Taste of Alaska

This 5-day trip is a vacation package from Denali Star and Coastal Classic. It covers Alaska Range, Talkeetna, Devil’s Gorge, Kenai Fjords National Park, and Exit Glacier. The package offers all the best of what Alaska has to offer. Its from national parks and scenic views to jet boating and dog sledding.

9-night Glaciers, Rails & Trails

Jointly run by Denali Star, Coastal Classic and Glacier Discovery, this large vacation package offers train ride. Through Spencer Glacier, Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge, Resurrection Bay, Denali Backcountry Lodge, Hotel Alyeska. This package has everything: backcountry stays, wildlife cruise, glacier hike, river float, and of course – trains.

Skagway White Pass Train and Bicycle Tour

It’s a 4.5-hour long train and bicycling package tour covering White Pass Summit, Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point, Dead Horse Gulch, Klondike Trail. This day tour is perfect for those who want to combine train rides with adventure routes.

Bus and Boat Tours

There are multiple bus and cruise ship rides and tour packages throughout Alaska in every region. One of the most popular is the Alaska Northern Lights Tours. This offers you increased chances to see the spectacular aurora borealis. In the Fairbanks area, you have the best 360-degree panoramic view of the horizon. That’s why guided train or bus tours to here would be best if you want to watch the northern lights in Alaska. Along the coastline, there are many coaches and luxury ship cruises available to watch marine wildlife and the beautiful coastline.

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Talkeetna Alaskan LodgeWe believe that collecting memories is far more important than collecting things.#TalkeetnaAlaskanLodge #in #Anchorage #Ak #Alaska #Hostels #Hotels #Travel #Hotelshttps://www.anchorageakalaska.com/listing/talkeetna-alaskan-lodge/

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At the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge looking out at Denali peaks. #bltraveling #bucketlist #bucketlisttravel #photooftheday #photographer #photography #photoshoot #travelphotography #traveling #travelgram #travel #travelblogger #alaska #denali #talkeetna #talkeetnalodge (at Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge) https://www.instagram.com/p/CeMHTvGF-Vg/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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A little cloudy, but the views from the Mountain Side of the lodge are still pretty stunning. #alaska #talkeetnaalaskanlodge #explorealaska (at Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge)

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Avoiding Avoidance

(September 27, 2017)

I thought that I was going to be keeping up with a blog while I was living in Alaska, but that didn’t happen this time around. I was too busy being concerned with getting likes and attention, so I posted and shared my adventures on social media instead. When did social media become all about self-glorification? It’s basically a platform for everyone to be a narcissist and to brag about how awesome their lives are. “Look at what I’m doing. Look at what I’m wearing. Look at where I am. Look at what I bought.”

Since when did I care so much about what people think of me? I would be lying if I said that’s not what I used Facebook or Instagram for too, but then it occurred to me yesterday when chatting with a new friend that maybe I share too much with people and don’t give them enough questions to ask to genuinely socialize with me. I make it too easy. I don’t entice them enough for them to pursue me because they’ve been trained to know that I’ll tell them everything whether they ask me to or not.

Admittedly, I loved posting about all my new awesome experiences, sharing the places I went to, tagging all my new friends in pictures. I made sure that EVERYONE could see how much fun I was having because secretly, in the back of my mind, I hoped that a certain someone from my past would spy on me. I wished that he especially would see how much fun I was having without him in my life when all I really wanted was for him to talk to me again. Pathetic. Why on earth would he ever want to talk to me again when he was the one that dropped me off the face of the earth without warning?

Just because you give someone the world or because you’d do anything for them doesn’t mean that you should or that you deserve someone. And so ironically, in Alaska, on September 9th, 2017, I came full circle with my dilemma and got to know someone who was on the opposite end of the problem. 

They say in Talkeetna it’s possible to have a crush on someone for 20 minutes before you decide to move onto someone else, but I wonder if you can have lingering feelings too. 

On September 8th, 2017, it was a beautiful autumn day. The yellowing of the leaves was just barely noticeable and there was still some sunshine left. I sat there eating a Caesar Salad Wrap next to my friend Marija when I noticed a familiar stranger walking around shirtless about 50 feet away. He had long, curly locks of hair and his lack of shirt was made up for by his abs. I looked over at Marija and whispered “I really wish that guy would come over and talk to me.”

The universe or karma or quite possibly even the mystery man himself must have heard me because in just a moment, the shirtless Jesus with abs was walking in my direction and offering me a pink flower. “Would you two lovely ladies like a flower?” 

Absolutely.

I was in awe that this man was so bold. It seemed like something only I would do, but then he put his shirt back on and hopped onto his ATV with not a word more and rode off into the sunset like some sort of Alaskan Fabio. It was all so dramatic. The thrill and the spontaneity of it all had me reeling, and I  was determined to find out who the heck that guy was. 

I took to the Talkeetna Trader, the community Facebook page where people posted lost items or things they’d like to sell. That was a huge mistake. I posted that I was in search of “The Jesus with Abs who gave me a flower in the park” and instantly 50 people knew exactly who he was because it was such a small town. I was already turned off because there was no mystery to solve anymore, but then made matters worse when I ran into him at the Fairview the following night while he was playing foosball. 

“Hey! Kiana! I am so flattered that you posted that about me. I never thought of myself as a ‘Jesus with Abs’ before. That is seriously the best compliment anyone has ever given me!” He said as I failed to pass him. 

“Oh. Haha. Yeah, well I guess you just made a huge impression on me yesterday. A random guy has never given me a flower before, so I was pretty disappointed to not get your name. Nice to meet you officially” I said sheepishly. 

He wanted to buy me a beer, but I said no. Wow I was such a disappointment. All that hype for an “I think I’ll pass.”

It didn’t take long for me to notice someone else staring at me from across the room. A broad-shouldered man with curly brown hair caught my eye. He was standing alone next to the bar, and I could see that he was looking my way. I needed to get away from Jesus, so that was the perfect excuse to inch my way closer to this new guy.

 At the time, my friend Marija was at the bar buying me a Sprite because I said I wasn’t going to drink anything that night. I was already high, so I didn’t think that was the greatest next move, but then Shoulders with the Smoldering Green Eyes was glancing my way and said “Anything you want is on me. It’s my birthday.”

“Okay. I’ll have an Alaskan Summer.”

I shook his hand. Firm grasp, and he still kept eye-contact. He had beautiful eyes. Shoulders had a name, but I won’t share it because I don’t think he would want me to. Shoulders wanted to go outside and talk because there were too many people, so we disappeared and Marija was left wondering where the heck I was for probably the third time that night. Sorry Marija, I’m hard to keep track of with everybody, not just you. I’m easily taken by opportunities for adventure and especially by hot guys with beautiful eyes. My tragic flaw.

When we were outside, I offered Shoulders some weed to smoke. I just got extremely high with a stranger from the Fairview probably 10 minutes before this, was drinking a beer now, and was going to get more stoned. I guess that’s why I don’t remember that much of our conversation, but what I won’t forget is that he told me I was the first person he’d genuinely talked to in months, even though he was traveling with his girlfriend for 3 years. 

“Yeah I’m glad that I managed to even go out for my birthday. This might be the third time I’ve been out in probably 3 months” He said.

I could hardly imagine not talking to anyone for that long. I’m someone that buys an extra large pizza by myself just so I have a reason to talk to strangers and share my pizza with them. I used to be so antisocial in high school, so I’ve forced myself to become an extrovert ever since then. 

Shoulders had some things deeply troubling him. He told me all about them and I feel like it would be wrong to share them even on this blog where nobody would ever find it. He told me those things in confidence though, so I’m not sharing even with my future self. We talked for over 6 hours that night, surpassed the last call at the bar, and he drove me to my house. I wanted his only night in Talkeetna to last as long as possible, so I took him on a self-guided tour of the Lodge that I worked at and then when we came outside again, the northern lights were just barely visible beneath the clouds. 

I later brought him inside my house to meet my roommates that were all still awake at 3 AM. I could see Tedi’s winking smirks at me as I brought a handsome stranger into the house. I could tell that he was on edge and out of his comfort zone being around this many new people with all eyes on him. We smoked just a tad more and he impressed me with his smoke rings. It was nearing 4 AM and Shoulders had to be on his way. Not even thinking twice about it, I gave him a hug and forgot to ask for any of his information. All I had was his name. 

That night I bonded with someone who left his girlfriend without warning. I understood every reason why he was afraid, but more importantly, I understood why someone did the same thing to me exactly a year ago. For months I was in pain, but this was just another one of those instances screaming at me to let go, forgive, and move on. Part of my forgiveness was letting this stranger into my home and talking to him for 6 hours. 

I thought I might never see or hear from Shoulders again. I found him on Facebook, sent him a message and gave him my phone number, and two days ago he sent me a text message. I said he was welcome to talk to me anytime he needed a friend, and because he is so private and shy, I appreciate any words he says to me. 

It feels oddly familiar waiting by the phone anticipating my next message. It feels like I have a new crush. Of course I do. He isn’t available. But more importantly, I feel like this new crush has given me hope because I no longer feel the need to cyberstalk someone who left a long time ago. Now I can cyberstalk someone who really has zero information about himself available online and only about 2 pictures for me to drool over. It’s great because I have to actually get to know him by asking questions and having conversations instead of idolizing him in his absence. It inspired me to do the same by untagging and deleting a lot of pictures of myself on social media, making my own profiles more private than public. Making social media more SOCIAL instead of all about myself. 

I’ve avoided a lot of things like getting rid of reminders of the past and moving forward. But now I’m finally making real progress.