Jim's trips: 2023

Trip to Alaska July 17, 2023 to July 31 2023

The trip was booked through AAA and consists of Flight to Fairbanks via Chicago, Tour some of Denali National Park and then follow the Alaskan coast down to Vancouver,

A - Fairbanks B - Denali Lodge C - Denali National Park D- Trapper Creek

and Talkeetna F- Whittier G - Hubbard Glacier H - Skagway -I - Ketchikan & Juneau.

7/17 Flight to Chicago and Fairbanks was uneventful except for a 4 hour layover in Chicago.

Princess Travel picked me up at the airport in Fairbanks and I got checked in without incident. The room was nice and had an Adirondack motif to it.

There was a living room also but I didn't really need it much. Nice hotel.

July 18th Had a buffet breakfast at the hotel and then went on a cruise of the river there in Fairbanks, the Chena River.

I could not believe how many people are here now. July is their best season tourist wise.

The boat is a true water wheel craft. We saw and had voice contact with a pilot on a Piper Cub bush plan who took off and landed in the river, a musher dog training facility who displayed the dogs, described their training and then gave a demonstration of them pulling an sled. Incredible speed. Then toured an recreation of an Athabascan Village going back hundreds of years. There was a lot of walking and I decided to stay on the boat.

This was a demonstration of filleting salmon, You may be able to see more drying on a rack behind him.

President Reagan and Nancy owned this home on the river at one time

There is a very eclectic assortment of houses along the river. Here is one.

Here is another

The dock is filled with opportunity to buy souvenirs. I didn't. Carrying stuff is a pain

That afternoon we headed south toward Denali in a coach and drove about 125 miles across barely inhabited country which gradually increased from flat plains to mountainous vistas.

Enroute we stopped at a rest area/gift shop. A few unusual shots here,

These rails were made from a type of tree with these big knots. I found out that the cause of these knots. When a tree is attacked by a bug or some foreign object, it grows these knots to preserve itself. (Or at least that is what a guide told me)

When you live here you use things you might not expect. If you have not guessed these are home made urinals.

A very productive garden

July 19th Today we took a bus tour into the Denali National Park

The huge valleys and high mountains just don't come across in the pictures

We did have close up with a caribou. She seemed to be oblivious to the 2 busses stopped to watch.

In the afternoon I took a 15 mile excursion on an ATV. Mine was a side by side while others were a single seat. I was glad I had this as there was a windshield and roller bars. The trail was very rocky and bumpy with many washout ditches. I couldn't drive and take pictures so you just have to imagine it.

We had a couple of stops to take in the view.

One of the stops was by this huge sand mountain caused by the glaciers over time. The rocks were pulverized of the millennia and each of the horizontal ridges were a different glacial age.

To get a perspective, the tiny point at the top is the size of minibus

One boy about 12 decided to run up the side of it but was soon stopped by the guide. He got about 8 feet up.

July 21, 2023 Sort of an easy day. No paid for special excursions. I did have to have my luggage packed and in the hall by 7 am. Breakfast at Denali Princess Wilderness. Another $23 buffet , but not prepaid. had biscuits and gravy scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon and grapes.

Breakfast at Fanni O's Saloon. Notice the circle of chairs with a fire circle inside. Several of these are around the property

Such excitement.

We boarded the bus to go to Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge which was a 2.5 hour drive. Since I don't think I am going to get a picture of Denali I offer this. This is in the lobby in 2 layers of mountains with lighting behind. Very pretty and impressive.

A few pictures at the Denali Princess wilderness lodge before we move on to the Mt. Mckinley Princess Wilderness Lodge

July 20, enroute to Mt McKinley Princess wilderness lodge

Saw a lot of beautiful scenery enroute and I was in the front seat with the big window.

After we arrived I decided to take a side trip to Talkeetna a village about an hour away Three rivers join there, the Chultina, the Susitina and the Talkeetna. (The suffix na means river in the native tongue) The Susitina now much larger, then flows on to the south.

Map of Talkeetna. A lot of Alaska history in this little town. It is a jumping off location for climbing Denali. (It's not Mount Denali - just Denali)

After I went back to the lodge, I went to dinner at the "20,230 Alaskan Grill" which was included. Had the Reindeer Meatloaf. It was good along with a tossed salad and finished with a Oreo Cream pie

Finally got an absolutely beautiful day and a clear picture of Denali

and an art shot - sorta

We could see it all day and into the next.

July 21

Back to Talkeetna for a Jet boat ride on the Sistina River

More good views of Denali and a nature walk which because of the terrain and stumble roots I decided to wait at the dock and talk to the boat captain. 25 years old and does hunting guides in the winter in Mexico and in the Rockies. On the boat it was rather fast and Josh H. would have loved it.

There were about 30 people on the boat.

Just a bit of a tour of the outhouses at the jet boat stop.

That afternoon I was scheduled to do a ride in a horse drawn wagon around the Lodge area which has over 150 acres.I was canceled due to lack of sufficient customers. I will get back what the cost was. I saw the wagon which looked like a Conestoga Wagon. I was not too disappointed. Also on the property but not in an easy distance to walk is a tree house that was done by a TV show that focuses on just tree houses. Princess contracted it be built several years ago.

July 22

Back to Talkeenta to see the Sun Dog kennels where they have a 50+ sled dogs for a class on sledding and the Iditarod.

We got to ride in a ATV that was being pulled by a team of dogs for about 20 minutes. It was fun and the dogs were really excited to run.

From the kennels a bus took us directly to the train to the ship. It was a 4 hour ride with a lot of scenery. I sat with 3 people who were traveling together from Kentucky and South Carolina. The seating was 2 face to face seats. The Immigration people came on board and checked our passports while we moved. Not sure why we had to do it at all. I suppose some might be able to "sneak" into the country via Alaska.

2 weeks before I left for Alaska I went to a Barber Shop concert and saw a friend I knew from our local Christian Community Choir. He told me he had just got back from Alaska where he spent time with an old friend from school who was working on a train as a guide in Alaska. The train was one I was to be on but there were 7 guides per train, one in each passenger car. He said his name was Tim Record. What were the chances I would be on the same train, same car. There are literally thousands of visitors in Alaska in July. When we got underway our guide came to the table/booth where we were and had a name badge! It said Tim!! I said Tim Record? He said Jim? We had a good talk about the chances and he said we needed to put on a concert for this car! I said "excuse me?" Yes we can do it he said. So we did " I've been riding on the railroad all the livelong day etc." We all had a good laugh and the car full enjoyed it. Over the next several days a number of people came up and said they saw us and enjoyed our song!!

One more of Denali

This is the train that goes to the ship in Whittier. Whittier has 900 people living in the village - all in one building that was an old Governmental building. One village, one building.

Along the train ride scenes-

The ship and me getting through the line and wheeled all the way to the state room

I was standing on the deck looking in. Very comfortable for one or two.

July 23

Just cruising

The Princess Theater. They had 3 evening Musical performances

The first was called the British Invasion which was a lot of 60's and 70''s tunes originally done by Brits.

July 24 Monday

Glacier Bay cruising all day.

Lots of Glacier shots

If you look closely you will see a 27 foot fishing boat to compared to the size of the mountain

Margerie Glacier

no name - doesn't reach the bay Glacier

Mountain with fishing boat in front 27 foot estimated size by a guy with binoculars

Lamplugh Glacier not an good shot of it

Reid Glacier

Some other glacier

shot along the ship

July 25 Tuesday Skagway

Totem pole

Skagway Brewing company- Had lunch here and some family bought it for me.

They had not spoken to me or in any way acknowledged me!

shots of the White Pass and train trip into Yukon

USA /Canada border crossing

lots of mountain pix

The Skagway Harbor in the distance

July 26 Wednesday Juneau

Shots of Mendelhall Glacier

From the Tram in Juneau

July 27 Thursday

Ketchikan

Duck boat tour of city

From the Boat in Ketchican

Ketchikan has a huge rainfall yearly averaging 160 inches. 13 + feet!!

window washing the boat while in port

Airplane taking off from the water' 14% of population are pilot

Tsunami Evacuation sign

Ketchikan being invaded by the throngs

tour boats lined up

This was a picture our Duck Boat guide showed us of a

220 lb catch

The Duck boat which toured on the streets and in the harbor.

The statues of early settlers

and plaque describing it.

Visiting Alaska on the cheap. Visiting his homeland. Back to us on the bench.

July 28 Friday at sea heading for Vancouver

Since it was all sea bound day there were several on board occaisons. This was one where all the cooks and wait staff came to a specific location and were recognized by the management and a chance for the people on board to give them a round of applause

There were a lot of staff from the Philippines. Also others from other countries. It was hard to understand sometimes but they were gracious and patient.

July 29 Saturday ashore in Vancouver