ALASKA – 2 1991. (MAIN LAND ALASK ) Last Updated: March 26, 2022

Anchorage, and onwards to Denali Park and

From Juneau we flew to Anchorage, and onwards to Denali Park and Fairbanks.

ANCHORAGE

In Anchorage we stayed at Bed & Breakfast belonging to a lady. She stayed next door and when we reached she was just stepping out for a meeting.

We were instructed that the key with our room number is hanging there. And the manageress lady will come little later. Make yourself comfortable and breakfast is laid out and helps your self. Later a father and son arrived who seemed to be regulars here. They had perhaps come for a day’s fishing trip.

The manager came and with her help we planned our sight seeing in Anchorage.

We went to a huge park with remnants of earlier earthquakes.We also went to a night market. Lots of festivities were going on and we walked around.

Portage glacier

Visit to magnificent Portage glacier was very interesting.

And at Beluga Point one can spot brown bears, wolves, bison, and belugas, if lucky.

By now we had become friends with the staff. On her off day she offered to drive us to magnificent Portage glacier. Portage Glacier is located in Chugach National Forest. One of Alaska’s most accessible glaciers and most popular attractions, Portage Glacier is the crown jewel in a valley studded with alpine glaciers. The Portage Valley was literally shaped by glaciers and today is a perfect spot for exploring. Ten stories tall and miles long, Portage Glacier sits at the far end of a lake.

 The nearby Begich, Boggs Visitor Center, run by the National Forest Service, offers an overview of the area’s glaciers and geology, and is also a prime starting point for walks and hikes. The Trail of Blue Ice is a 5-mile trail of wide gravel paths and boardwalks connecting many of the nearby glaciers and campgrounds for hikers and bikers. It’s also a great trail for salmon viewing.

The nearby Byron Glacier Trail travels less than a mile from the trailhead to toe of the glacier, and Forest Service rangers from the visitor center lead a popular hike during summer. We walked along this shorter trail after the film show.

When we reached there we were seated in an auditorium and saw a film. When the film ended they opened up the curtain – Lo and Behold we saw the real glacier through the glass. After the show we walked closer to the glacier along a path. This wonderful trip ended with dinner hosted by our friends at an Italian restaurant

“ Denali National Park ”

From Anchorage we went on to “ Denali National Park “ by train.

Another interesting experience we had was about train tickets. The travel agent had told me that the tickets for our train travel couldn’t reach here before we leave. She suggested that we should collect tickets at the station when we reach there. They will be placed in an open wooden box at the train station. They were sitting there just as told.

For our booking for our stay in Denali Park, the lady exclaimed,

You are lucky, you get two for one. She told that by paying for only one night we can stay for 2 nights. So we made two bus trips here.

• We saw some wild life including a black bear that are considered to be very shy.
• Alaska’s tallest mountain, Mt. McKinley was at its best. Now the name of the mountain has been changed to Denali mountain.

Fairbanks

From Denali we again boarded a train and reached Fairbanks.

Here we again stayed at home stay. The hostess guided us about what to do in Fairbanks. She showed some photographs of Northern lights taken by them. She also showed small pieces of gold that one finds in rivers on panning. We went to see the museum in university, and we were surprised to meet a few Indian students who were studying Oil Technology courses.

Another outing was an evening show of Aurelia Borealis in simple terms, Northern lights on a multiple screen out in the open under the sky. This was located on the outskirts of the town.

A popular spot to see the Trans-Alaska Pipeline is at the viewpoint 15 minutes north of Fairbanks.

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline traverses 800 miles (1,287 kilometers) through the Alaska wilderness from the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay on Alaska’s North Slope, south to Valdez on the shores of Prince William Sound where it is shipped to refineries. Built between 1974 and 1977 and requiring over 28,000 people to build, the pipeline is considered one of the world’s most amazing