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North to Alaska By RV 2021
Day 26 Ends @ Alpenglow
May 28, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 41 °F
Well, yes, we are still at Denali’s Riley Creek Campground, but for all intents and purposes our day ended at a restaurant tonight.

With snow in the forecast for tonight ... and overcast in the forecast for tomorrow, we moved up our planned dinner at the Alpenglow from tomorrow to tonight.

The restaurant is at the Grande Denali Lodge ... reached by the steep, curvy road that has all the funny road signs I posted a few days ago. The property opened for the season today, so we were amongst the very first to frequent it this year.

There’s no doubt that dining at Alpenglow is a pricey splurge. But the spectacular views, the delicious food, the welcoming staff who were exceptionally happy to see guests again after such a dismal 2020 due to COVID-19, the friendly service ... well it all added up to a very special dining experience.

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For those interested in such things ... here’s what we ordered and enjoyed tonight.

After reviewing the menu, we decided to order a selection of small plates to taste a variety of dishes. It was a good move on our part. We ordered the Shaved Brussels Sprouts … key lime vinaigrette dressing, smoked bacon, toasted almonds, and red grapes; Alaska Ale Battered Halibut (can never resist this dish) … lemon, tartar sauce … served with Cajun fries; Alaska Crab Cakes … Grove Farmstead micro greens, balsamic vinaigrette, grape tomato, lemon, chipotle remoulade; Buffalo Sliders … chipotle aioli, Grove Farmstead micro greens, hickory bacon-Vidalia onion jam, Tillamook extra sharp white cheddar. All very, very tasty.

We washed it all down with our choices of beverages — Mui … Kings Ridge Pinot Noir from Oregon; Me … Glacier Raspberry Wheat Bear … from the Glacier Brewhouse in Anchorage … low bitterness; refreshing and smooth.

Dessert? Only ice cream was available since they are doing a soft opening and not all of their supplies have been delivered. We ordered a scoop each of vanilla and chocolate to share … both good, but the chocolate was better.Read more
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North to Alaska By RV 2021
Denali ... Tundra Wilderness Tour
May 28, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 34 °F
Unless one has a special permit, the only way to get deep into Denali National Park is either by an NPS transit bus or an NPS tour bus. The latter has a driver/guide who provides narration along the way.

We’ll be doing the transit bus from our next campground — Teklanika — to Eielson ... alas no tours to Wonder Lake this year. So, for our trip into the park from the Riley Creek Campground, we opted to do a tour. What a great one it turned out to be.

At the moment, the tours run only as far as Toklat at mile 53. That will change as of 1 June. But so will the occupancy numbers for the buses. At the moment, the tours are operating at only 50% capacity (with everyone masked up) ... which means plenty of space to spread out and everyone gets a window. This made our tour especially nice.

What a grand day this turned out to be … in every way. Weather-wise — despite it being rather on the cold side ... clear and crisp; scenery-wise — with mountains, braided rivers, blue skies and brilliant sunshine ... even. Denali peeked out from behind its cloak to give us a glimpse; and animal-wise — we had many distant sighting ... but also so many close encounters right by the road that even our veteran tour bus driver was amazed.

Our “close” wildlife spotting included moose (2 ... one of them a heavily pregnant cow) ... ptarmigans (4) ... Arctic squirrels (impossible to keep count of these critters that were scampering around everywhere) ... caribou (13 ... close enough to see the bumps, which are actually flies that infest their skin); Dall sheep (6 ... including one darling little lamb no more than a week old); grizzly bears (2 ... the Toklat blonde variety, so named for its coloring ... second-year cubs pushed out of the nest, so to speak, by mama); Mew gulls (several nesting pairs).

What a day this turned out to be!Read more
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North to Alaska By RV 2021
Day 25 Ends @ Denali’s Riley Creek Cg
May 27, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F
Our day started with a light rain shower ... and overcast conditions ... though the sun did make a valiant effort to break through. The first wildlife sighting of the day was a moose grazing roadside on the Park Road.

Our day is ending with a light rain shower that is pitter-pattering on the roof of the Cruiser even as I write this. Again, the sun tried to breakthrough, but the battle was won by the clouds. The last wildlife sighting of the day was a moose grazing roadside at the junction of the Park Road and the campground road.

Lesson learned ... DO NOT GO ANYWHERE WITHOUT THE CAMERA! Mui, that goes for you, too!Read more
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North to Alaska By RV 2021
Dinner Time!
May 27, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F
Moose-AKa’s is one of the restaurants at the Boardwalk Mall in the Denali Park Commercial Area. The name is a play on words ... pronounced like moussaka ... an eggplant dish that is popular in the Balkans and the Middle East.

Seeing the “Open” sign, we decided to have dinner there tonight. Reservations were requested, so we called in to make one, but they likely would have been able to seat us had we walked in since we dined early.

It’s an interesting place with a menu based on Serbian dishes. As Mike, the chef/owner, said when we queried him on his choice of cuisine, “There are seafood, burger, and pizza joints all over the area, this is something out of the ordinary.”

Interestingly, Mike is an Air Force brat who is from Guam. The only waiter, Zac, is from Alabama. The only Serbian in the place is the hostess, Maja. Together, they make a great team. We were as pleased with the service as we were with the tasty food.

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For those interested in such things, we started out by sharing the Meze Platter ... consisting of Mekice (Serbian fry bread ... served with cream cheese and a traditional red pepper spread called Ajvar); Schnitzel fingers; Crêpadilla (a cross between a quesadilla and a crêpe ... served with a mildly spicy sauce); and Russian Salad (sort of a potato salad with sweet peas, carrots, chicken, boiled egg and pickles).

Since the meze platter was filling enough, we each opted for a single fried crêpe sautéed with Serbian seasonings ... mine was filled with ground beef and bacon and came with a carrot chutney that our Serbian hostess said was a 200 year old family recipe) ... Mui opted for the one that was filled with pepperoni, Mozzarella, and marinara sauce. We found them to be not unlike empanadas, but the seasoning made the taste quite different.

All of the desserts are made with crêpes except for the one described as the Special Dessert ... Serbian style cotton soft cheesecake with fresh strawberries, bananas, whipped cream, and caramel sauce ... and dusted with cinnamon. The “cheesecake” reminded us of a custard filling.Read more
Travelerinteresting food, especially for your location.
5/28/21Reply
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North to Alaska By RV 2021
It’s A Dog’s Life
May 27, 2021 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 52 °F
After lunch in the Cruiser, we headed out again. The plan was to check out the exhibits at the Visitor’s Center and then go visit the dogs at the Denali National Park Kennels.

Although the website says the VC is open, what they really mean is that there is a desk outside the building where you can pay the park admission fee, pick up maps, and ask questions of the NPS Rangers on duty.

The good news ... the kennels were open. In fact, as we walked the trail from the parking lot at the Park Headquarters the yipping and yapping was an indication of their excitement. Turns out the dog walkers that exercise the dogs this time of the year had arrived and the dogs were begging to be chosen.

These animals are sled dogs. They are culturally significant in that they represent “... both the Native Alaskan and the pioneer experience in the far north; and have a role in the history of Alaska's first national park.” Their presence adds to what makes Denali NP unique ... this is the only park in the US where sled dogs help protect the “... park and the wildlife, scenery, and wilderness therein, and it has been this way nearly as long as there has been a park here.”Read more
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First Denali Moose
May 27, 2021 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 46 °F
After yesterday’s exciting flightseeing tour, we’re just hanging around Denali National Park today.

Went for a drive on the first 15 miles that is open to private vehicles this morning. Saw a bear on the flood plains at the Savage River turnaround ... too far for photos.

The highlight...a moose browsing right by the road. Likely won’t see any big racks on this trip as these animals shed their antlers and re-grow them every season.Read more
Traveler love this view
5/27/21Reply
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North to Alaska By RV 2021
Day 24 Ends With Denali ... the Mountain
May 26, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 10 °F
OK, in reality, we are back at the Riley Creek Campground at Denali — the national park — and not on Denali — the mountain that is the “jewel” of the park. But the “Great One” was definitely the highlight of our day and there will be no other posts tonight anyway.

When we left the campground around 12:30p, it was our intent to drive the 15-mile section of the Park Road that is open to private vehicles. That plan changed even before we left the park. The blue skies and sunshine begged us to do something different.

Surely Denali was uncloaked on such a beautiful, clear day. So, off we went to find a “winged chariot” instead. We found it in the form of a Piper Navajo Chieftain at Denali Air, which has the closest private air strip to the national park. So lucky to have found seats on the 2:00p “Peak Experience” ... a 200-mile, 1-hour tour.

I could write reams and reams of words about our flight seeing...including words that describe the turbulence as we winged our way around the peaks of the Alaska Range in our quest to see Denali from every direction. The bumps were to be expected ... after all, this giant of a mountain is big enough to create its own weather. Bob, our pilot, said it was a “smooth” flight. I’d hate to be on one that he considers bumpy!

I’m going to simply let the photos speak for themselves. Suffice to say that this last-minute decision to fly today will be one of the most memorable experiences of this RV adventure. Worth every penny and the slight “turbulence discomfort.” Absolutely!

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Sorry about the lack of ID of the peaks and glaciers. The flight seeing tour was narrated, with our pilot adding landmark-specific information as necessary. But my hands for busy taking photos, so I have to do some research to ID at least some of the amazing sights our eyes beheld.Read more
I was overcome with a sense of peace and wonder while appreciating these pics. What a gift you bring to us, Erin. Thank you. [Marilyn Tietjen]
5/27/21Reply
Two to TravelMy pleasure.
5/27/21Reply
Traveleryou said Piper I was picturing something like the tiny 4 seater we used for soil survey recon. whew! glad to see it was a little bigger than that. I would say that peak experience is a perfect descriptor. Denali opened for you, knowing how much you love ice. Is Denali a he or a she? Shasta is definitely a she and Rainier feels like a "he" to me.
5/27/21Reply
Two to TravelYou were probably thinking of a Piper Cub. They had a few of those sitting at their private airstrip, but the Navajo (6) and the Chieftain (8) are the ones they put up this afternoon. I think of Denali as a her. Come to think of it, I don’t think of any mountain as a he.
5/27/21Reply
Travelerfun thought about the Great One. yeah. I flew in a 2 seater cub. with the window open so we could drop tp to mark a smoke.
5/27/21Reply
Two to TravelNo open windows on this one ... at one point we were flying above the camp the hikers use at 17K feet ... so we were flying high ... necessarily so ☺️
5/27/21Reply
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Settled in at Riley Creek @ Denali NP
May 26, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F
Settled into our site at he Riley Creek Campground at Denali National Park. This is our first RV stay in a national park campground ... I think we will enjoy the experience.

We actually checked in yesterday and got all of our tags, so we did not have to wait in line to do so today when check-in became available. All of the sites we scoped out yesterday were still available when we came in today. No hook ups here and the site is level, so it took us all of 5 minutes to settle in.

Lots of space between us and our neighbors on the patio side. Plenty of open sky above us to charge the solar panels. A short trail takes us to the Riley Creek Mercantile. We have strong cell signal here thanks to the T-Mobile/GCI partnership. Life is good.

At present, the campground is only about half full, with hardly anyone in the third loop. I imagine that will change this weekend for the Memorial Day long weekend.

Off to do some sightseeing after lunch.Read more
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Day 23 Also Ends @ the Boardwalk
May 25, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F
We initially planned to have dinner at the 49th State Brewing in Healy, but the sign said they were closed on Tuesdays. Then we tried the McKinley Chalet Resort across the road from the campground ... not yet open for the season. That seems par for the course during this COVID-19 summer. Most of the businesses that are planning to open for the season, are doing so over Memorial weekend.

So, we fell back on the food truck we discovered at Great 1 Grocery ... just down the road a bit from our campground. The food is quite good. Lovers of halibut that we are, we ordered the fish and chips. Excellent!Read more
TravelerI'd have loved it, too!
5/26/21Reply
Nowhere else can beat the Fish and Chips in Alaska! And the beer at 49th is as good as that Alaskan beer...
5/27/21Reply
Two to TravelI agree ... our #1 best halibut 🐟 & 🍟 is still the one we had at a shack in Seward.
5/27/21Reply
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North to Alaska By RV 2021
It’s All About the Signs
May 25, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F
On our way back to the campground this afternoon, we took a detour up to the Grande Denali Lodge, which sits high on a ridge. We hope to dine at the restaurant there when it opens for the season this weekend.

The gravel/paved road is steep and zig-zaggy. Along the way there are a bunch of funny road signs. Whoever put them up has a really quirky sense of humor.Read more
TravelerState bird: mosquito!
5/26/21Reply
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Along the Parks Highway
May 25, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F
Another beautiful day in the Denali area.

Since we’re at this campground to prepare for our nine days of dry camping at the national park, that’s exactly what we did this morning. The only thing left to do is to top off our propane ... for which we need to drive about 8 miles north to Healy ... no propane sales anywhere in the immediate vicinity.

This afternoon we headed out for a bit of sightseeing in the Healy direction ... and while we were at it, checked to make sure Three Bears in Healy is indeed selling propane.

The highlight of our afternoon — other than the beautiful scenery and playing along the banks of the Nenana River — was four Dall sheep in the mountains. They were little more than “moving white dots” way up there. But we broke out the binoculars and enjoyed seeing them nonetheless.

On the way back, we continued onto the Riley Creek Mercantile at Denali NP to ask a few more questions about the two campgrounds where we will be staying. Not only did we get our answers, but we’re now checked in for both campgrounds, have our Tek passes for the transit bus, and our confirmation for the Tundra Wilderness Tour. Excellent.

Now all we have to do is show up at the Riley Creek Campground at 11:00a tomorrow and get settled in. We’ve already scoped out the loops and have a list of preferred sites to look for.Read more
Yep, where I thought. So fun to find! [Diane]
5/26/21Reply
Traveler maybe one? in the grass?
5/26/21Reply
Two to TravelNope all 4 up on the mountain 😉
5/26/21Reply
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Day 22 Ends @ the Boardwalk
May 24, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F
Actually, we’re behind the Boardwalk in what is officially the Nenana Canyon Denali Park Commercial Area.

The Boardwalk is a series of small buildings ... tour offices, shops, restaurants ... most still closed but some of them preparing to open for the Memorial Day long weekend that is just around the corner. Behind all these buildings is the Denali Rainbow Village RV Park & Cabins.

We arrived here around noon, checked in, had a quick bite to eat, and set off to walk the pedestrian path ... which is about a mile to the Denali NP entrance. We walked two miles each way from the RV Park to the Riley Creek Mercantile in Denali National Park. Although the temp was only 66F, the full sunshine made it feel downright hot ... even in shirt sleeves we were overheated.

The path goes past the huge Princess Cruises’ Denali Wilderness Lodge where we stayed in 2001 ... closed for 2021 due to cruise ships not crossing the Gulf of Alaska when they resume Alaska sailings this summer ... a big hit to the local economy. Then, a pedestrian bridge crosses the beautiful Nenana Canyon, with the river rushing by below. Only a couple of rafters were preparing to put into the river that sees far greater numbers in a normal year.

Nearing Denali NP, we took a bypass through the woods — much appreciated shade ... plenty peaceful.

At the Riley Creek Mercantile, we braved the nasty looks of a few patrons to pick up some delicious ice cream. Why the nasty looks ... because we forgot our masks 😷 in the rig and the store had none to give us. Although the masking rules have changed for those who are fully-vaccinated, the park is still requiring them indoors. Anyway, we covered up best we could while there and didn’t dally inside. After a quick look at the nearby campground — our next destination — we retraced our steps back to the Boardwalk.

The Denali Rainbow Village RV Park is nothing special. A big gravel lot for RVs with some pull through sites and some back-in. Certainly a hard sell for us after our Joe Lake boondock. The park is still preparing for the season. We were only one of two rigs here last night.

The campground does have several things going for it ... which is why we will be here for two nights. FHU sites and a laundry — which we need after several days of boondocking ... with nine days of dry camping ahead of us that we need to prep for; excellent T-Mobile data and cell signal (thanks to their partnership with the local company, GCI); convenience ... just one mile up the road from the Denali National Park Entrance. Oh, and yes, there are mountain views from our site.

It is an expensive campground ... nightly rate around $60 with the Good Sam discount; bundles of campfire wood $10; laundry is highway robbery at $5 load to wash and $5 to dry. But it is a sellers market here, so we’ll just count the cost of this stay against all the boondocking we plan to do.Read more
Traveler cool sunshine is hot in Alaska. look at that sky.
5/25/21Reply
Two to TravelIt's been amazing.
5/25/21Reply
Traveler wish my phone e could do that
5/25/21Reply
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North to Alaska By RV 2021
The Nenana Along the Parks Hwy
May 24, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 52 °F
With less than 40 miles to go to our next stop, we dallied along the Parks Highway as we headed north. Once we could see the Nenana River, we couldn’t resist stopping at turnouts for some photo ops.
TravelerAlaska: Beautiful.
5/26/21Reply
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Denali on Denali
May 24, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 46 °F
Our second time getting lucky with seeing Denali with her “cloak” off on this trip.

The first time was nearly 10 days ago ... enjoyed views from spots on the Parks Highway and the Talkeetna Highway. When we came through the same area two days ago, no luck. Denali and her Alaska Range cohorts were all in hiding.

Then this morning ... poof ... and there she was ... this time from spots along the Denali Highway after leaving our Joe Lake boondock.

We’re hoping for a few more opportunities to see the “Great One” as we will be in the Denali area for another 10 days or so.Read more
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Wake Up @ Joe Lake
May 24, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 34 °F
No need for too many words.

Went to bed with the Talkeetna Mountains bathed in the alpenglow of a sunset with blue skies — we get about 4 hours of “night time” that really doesn’t get very dark.

Woke up to not-a-cloud-anywhere blue sky ... sunshine ... amazing reflections. The lake still ... the air still ... common goldeneyes a-swim ... lesser yellowlegs wading .... chirping birds the only sound for miles around.

This was a place that was difficult to leave. But leave we did ... after breakfast-with-a-view ... after a 24-hour stay that was all that we’d dreamed it would be ... and more.Read more
Travelerumm....maybe you will return sometime during your trip?
5/25/21Reply
Two to TravelWe will be exploring the Denali Highway, entering from Paxton sometime in June. Not sure if we will make it all the way back here. We’ll be playing it all by ear.
5/25/21Reply
NICE! [Diane]
5/26/21Reply
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A Visitor Comes Calling
May 23, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 39 °F
It was quite late at night. Mui was already sleeping. I had finished my writing for the day and moved over to Mui’s side of the dinette. I was reading a Kindle book ... which was taking longer than usual because I was getting distracted by the spectacular view outside the window. I caught a bit of movement out of the corner of my eye. “The shorebirds wading in the water,” I thought.

Nope … it was a red fox, coming over to check us out and get a drink of water. It tiptoed to the slight dip behind the fire pit … lapped at the water … turned around … and we made eye contact. Wow! Before I could even call out to Mui, the fox was trotting up the road. Seconds later … it was out of sight.

The whole experience lasted a minute … maybe less. Certainly not long enough for me to get my camera out. And my phone was in the basket … out of the way. I managed to get a “this is the end shot, through the windshield, but that was it. Another lesson learned … keep the phone handy at all times.Read more
Travelerwildlife, a special one.
5/25/21Reply
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Day 21 Ends @ Malone-Sligar Lake
May 23, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 43 °F
And it ended quite early ... at 9:30a, in fact! But that was the plan anyway as we wanted to enjoy a very special place today.

Anyone heard of the Malone-Sligar Lake? Maybe the namesakes will recognize where we are, but I guarantee no one else has heard of it 😄. At least not by that name.

We’re actually at Joe Lake on the Denali Highway — about 8 miles in from Cantwell. Mui has taken to calling the lake Malone-Sligar because it was from Sue’s post describing their overnight stay here in 2011 that we first learned about this spot. Since then, I’ve seen it mentioned in the Milepost and on the iOverlander app as well.

Although there is a primitive campground with fire rings just .3 miles down the road, we’re boondocking at the turnout ... it has much better views ... very expansive.

It was overcast with snow flurries when we arrived, but patches of blue with sunshine filtering through gave us hope that we would be getting the clearing we were hoping. And we did ... after a few fronts moved through ... with snow flurries.

But we didn’t wait for the weather to change in order to enjoy the place.

Mui collected twigs and branches from the trenches along the road and started a campfire in the fire pit a previous camper had built. We bundled up, set out our camp chairs, turned on the music (to alert any bears in the area to our presence since our backs were to the wilderness), and simply enjoyed the grandeur of the Talkeetna Mountains across the water. Wine and snacks. Reading. Meditating. Contemplating. Staring at the “words cannot describe the beauty” type of scenery laid out before us.

There was very little traffic on the road. Most of the vehicles just blew by ... we welcomed a few others who were just interested in a photo op. The rest of the time, it was just us ... ducks on the lake ... chirping birds in the trees ... wading shorebirds flying in to see us.

Glorious ... simply glorious. Peaceful and quiet. Perfect.Read more
TravelerI am thrilled beyond measure that this spot was as special for you as it was for us. for me, this place counts among my top 5 favorite spots where we have camped.
5/25/21Reply
Two to TravelIt was hard to leave it behind this morning and move on and is going to be tough to top.
5/25/21Reply
Only God could create this beauty. [MarilynTietjen]
5/25/21Reply
Two to Travel😍
5/25/21Reply
Awesome! [Diane]
5/25/21Reply
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Broad Pass
May 23, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 36 °F
The blue skies of last night were gone when we got up around 7:00a this morning. Nonetheless, there were patches of blue to our south and some clearing to our north ... both of which gave us hope that the weather would change.

And it did ... but to snow flurries! Very light ... nothing sticking.

When we arrived at Broad Pass — described in the Milestone as one of the most beautiful sections of the Parks Highway — the mountains on the east were out ... the mountains to the west were veiled and clearly getting some snow. Behind us it was all clear and sunny.Read more
Traveler so beautiful
5/25/21Reply
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Day 20 Ends @ the East Fork Wayside
May 22, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 41 °F
After our lunch break, we continued north on the Parks Highway, making a brief detour when we saw the barrier was open on the road to Byers Lake Campground. Alas, the road was open just so park volunteers could clear away tree debris ... the campground remains closed until 25 May.

So, we kept driving, checking out the various turnouts listed in the Milepost and the boondocking spots on the iOverlander app.

Around 4:00p, we pulled into what so far has been a great place for an overnight. It’s not boondocking per se because there is an actual campground here with designated sites, picnic tables, and either fire rings with grates or grills. No services, except for a pit toilet, so we’re dry camping. All this for the grand price of ... FREE!

The sites here at the East Fork Chulitna Wayside accommodate various size rigs ... most of them back-in sites ... two pull-throughs for big rigs. We’re in one of those pull-thrus ... #8. The camping area is separated from the rest area and the highway by trees that muffle the traffic noise.

The rain and overcast that accompanied us all the way here has since been replaced by patchy blue skies and a bit of sunshine. Though we can’t get down to the Chulitna River — there’s a big ole creek blocking our way — we can see some beautiful mountain peaks through the trees that separate us from the river.

This campground has nothing to attract those who are looking for a weekend playground, so we expect that it will continue to be quiet here. The only other camper — coincidentally, also from Colorado — is at the other end of the campground, so we feel like we’ve got the whole place to ourselves. A nice change from last night.

We’re taking the blue skies and sunshine as a good omen that the forecast for better weather the next few days is going to hold true🤞🏻.

Now, if only we can resolve our data roaming issues, we’ll be good to go.Read more
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Denali State Park Southview
May 22, 2021 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 45 °F
We left our boondocking site along the Susitna River around 10:00a ... just as the ATVs were revving up for the day.

A detour onto Petersville Road did not yield anything exciting, so we returned to the Parks Highway to continue north. By this time, there was a steady rain to accompany our drive.

Even though Denali and the Alaska Range were veiled from our site, we stopped at the Denali State Park Southview Overlook to take a short break that turned into two hours because, first we ended up having to call T-Mobile about a roaming issue, and then we stayed on to have a hot lunch on what was a damp and dreary day.

We debated paying the $20 to use one of the parking lot campsites at this place, but decided to move on down the road instead.Read more
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Lesson Learned
May 22, 2021 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 41 °F
Slept well and woke up to a peaceful morning with rain pitter-pattering on the roof of the Cruiser. A drab morning ... but there is good news on the horizon as far as the weather is concerned, so that makes conditions like this morning palatable.

Learned a lesson from our two camping experiences boondocking on gravel bars ... don’t expect any peace and quiet ... on weekends ... and probably anytime once summer is in full swing. Although, maybe I’m wrong about the latter as I can’t imagine anglers would tolerate ATVs buzzing about while they are trying to fish.

Last night’s boondocking stop turned out to be worse than the Knik River Flats noise-wise as the locals showed up with their ATVs late into the night. Luckily, we were here early enough yesterday that we had about six hours of solitude to enjoy before rigs started arriving after work ... people were still coming in at 10:00p.

Most of the RVers — several camping in large groups — were quiet, having a good time without disturbing others. But several families definitely had no respect for the rest of us ... with the adults in those families seemingly caring little for what the kids were up to.

I know ... this is their state and we’re visitors here. I know ... it stays light until late into the night. I know ... summers are short and they want to make the most of it. I know ... boondocking is free and there are no stated rules. But buzzing about on ATVs well past 11:00p. Well, that just shows a lack of respect for fellow-campers. Thank goodness for good ear plugs!

Lesson learned ... don’t camp on big gravel bars during the summer ... especially on weekends when people seem to want to play hard and long. At least we’re learning this lesson at the start of our trip and can attempt to apply it to the rest of the trip.

Now for the silver lining ... it’s very quiet on the gravel bar this morning. Those who played hard last night are still a-bed. Despite the large number of rigs on the gravel bar, no one is parked where we can see them unless we get up and look out the windshield. Our view of the river remains unimpeded and peaceful. At the moment, we feel like we’re all alone here.

We’ll be moving on as planned. Where we will end the day is still TBD ... but hopefully it will be a quieter spot.Read more
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North to Alaska By RV 2021
Day 19 Ends On A Susitna Gravel Bar
May 21, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F
An easy drive from Palmer today. We’re happy to dally along the way since our reservation at Denali National Park is still five days away. Our pace fits our “slow” style.

We made a couple of detours along the way ... up to South Rolly Lake to check out the views ... and to a couple of boondocking sites we found on iOverlander. The sites were nice, but not what we were looking for.

Lunch was at Kashwitna Lake, where we got one of our best views of Denali just one week ago. Today, the entire Alaska Range was in hiding.

Around 2:00p, we arrived at our boondocking spot along the banks of the Susitna River. A peaceful and quiet spot ... only one other camper ... and that one tucked in along the tree line. That would change in the evening hours. The terrain here is perfect for ATVers, who apparently fill the area on weekends. We’d read about this, so we knew to expect them, but not in such numbers tonight. Also several “groups” of RVs arrived throughout the evening. Luckily, they’re all at the far end of the gravel bar ... out of sight unless we look out our windshield.

Before everyone descended, however, we had several hours of peace and quiet. We found a spot for ourselves about midway between the trees and the water that was fairly level ... with an unobstructed view of the river. Once settled, we went for a walk along the river, stopping to chat with a local woman who had come here so her kids could blow off some steam.

There are a number of stone fire rings all over the gravel bar ... one of them right at our spot. Perfect as Mui’s been wanting to make s’mores. We enjoyed the fire for a couple of hours ... the wind blowing the smoke away from us ... the heat very welcome as it was only 52F with no sun to keep us cozy.

Even when it started to rain, we did not allow it to dampen our fun. Because our awning is on the other side of the Cruiser, we simply pulled out our umbrellas and continued to enjoy our afternoon tea.

Eventually, the fire began to die down. Time to go inside and have dinner. Yes, we had our s’mores first, so our meal was upside down tonight!

As planned, we’ll be moving on tomorrow morning.Read more
Travelernice to see you having goodies and campfires. I guess ther is no escape for RVrs any more. sheesh. crowds everywhere, even in Alaska.
5/24/21Reply
Two to TravelI can’t imagine what it’s going to be like when the borders open. There were at least 10 rental RVs arriving right at check in time at Denali today. And we’ve seen quite a number of them on the roads,.
5/24/21Reply
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North to Alaska By RV 2021
Day 18 Also Ends in Palmer
May 20, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F
After a good night’s rest we got up to another dull and drab day. What a change after all the blue skies and sunshine we had last week.

Anyway, since Big Bear served us well last night, we decided to stay here another night and explore some of the side roads. With the help of the Milepost, we put together a loop drive —Knik-Goose Bay Road ... Burma Road ... Big Lake Road ... Parks Highway. In all, we did about 90 miles, including a detour to look for a bakery for some goodies for afternoon tea.

The drive wasn’t very exciting, but it was better than just staying in the rig. The green trees lining the roads added color to an otherwise gray day.

We checked out the Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge first. I was hoping that we might see some animals. Did see some “evidence” of them but no critters whatsoever.

Knik was our next stop ... once a checkpoint on the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race route. The museum was closed. But we did walk up the Iditarod Trail a bit because I had read that we could see another Athabascan cemetery with spirit houses from the trail. We did indeed glimpse them, but they were on the far side of a clearing.

At the only real overlook on the road, we stopped to enjoy views of Knik Arm with the Chugach Mountains lined up like so many soldiers ... shoulder to shoulder. Nice today ... but I bet it would be spectacular on a blue-sky day.

It was an otherwise quiet afternoon ... doing a bit of bookkeeping while we still have internet. The Wi-Fi has proven to be quite speedy ... a definite plus for this campground.

We move on tomorrow. Not sure where we’ll end up. Maybe I’ll figure that out when I read the next Milepost section of the Parks Highway.Read more
Travelerthroughout parts of Alaska we were surprised at how few animals we saw. moose were prolific and the bears in Haines were wonderful, and eagles in Homer. We had somehow imagined more wildlife everywhere.
5/21/21Reply
Two to TravelI think more people less animals. We’ve seen our share on previous trips, but would like to see more on this trip, too.
5/21/21Reply
TravelerI know you guys are still liking your trip, never mind weather and no-show critters!
5/22/21Reply
Two to TravelGotta make lemonade from lemons when necessary. Can’t do anything about the weather ... besides we had great weather last week and more of the same in forecasted for at least part of next week. As for the critters, good thing we’ve seen them on previous visits ... so we are not desperate to see them ... not like those who are here for the first time.
5/22/21Reply
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North to Alaska By RV 2021
Day 17 Actualy Ends in Palmer
May 19, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F
We’re not where we were two hours ago. Nope, we’ve moved on from our boondocking spot on the Knik River Flats to a campground in Palmer.

Why? The party gang showed up around 9:30p ... loud music blaring ... bass pounding. Yes, there was only one van, but we didn’t know if more would show up.

So, we decided to move on before it got much darker. After all, we only have 17+ hours of daylight these days, so it does get dark ... not that we’re awake to see it!

When the van showed up, I was reading the Parks Highway section of the Milepost and had just come across an ad for the Big Bear RV Park. So, we headed 17 miles into the city to stay there. We lucked into an end unit in the “deluxe” section ... deluxe, I think, because there is decent spacing between the sites ... and there is 50A FHU.

Mui’s already in bed. And I am about to follow. I’m sad that we had to give up our boondocking spot, but at least we’re guaranteed a peaceful night of rest here.Read more
Travelerdoes your rig use 50 amp?
5/21/21Reply
Two to TravelYes...but we can make do with 30 if necessary.
5/21/21Reply
TravelerGlad you found a good place to be.
5/21/21Reply
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North to Alaska By RV 2021
Day 17 Ends at the Knik River Flats
May 19, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F
When we drove up the Old Glenn Highway a few days ago, we spotted a place that looked like it would be great for boondocking ... a quiet place to rest for a day before we head up further north.

Since the place wasn’t too far from Anchorage, we dallied a bit this morning to let the rush hour traffic settle down. By 10:00a we were on the road ... an hour later we were settled into what looks like the outwash plain of a glacier or river. In fact, the Knik River is just a short walk from us, but the gravel/glacial silt terrain has some dips and humps that we decided not to tackle with the motorhome. We’re close to the road but there is very little noise filtering inside the rig. At the moment, except for two distant vehicles, we’re the only ones here.

At our spot, we have a meltwater creek on one side and mountains on the other side. Green trees add color to what has been a dull day. And breezy ... with gusts in excess of 30 mph. But our orientation is such that we didn’t feel much movement. Things have quieted down now, so it looks like the worst of the storm has moved on.

With the wind and all the silt that was blowing around, we didn’t get to go out for a walk along the river. No matter, we fine-tuned the way we have the RV organized. I also got a chance to catch up on my footprints. Yes, that means that we have cell signal here — T-Mobile/GCI 3-bar LTE ... 4 bars when I put the phone near the signal booster. That’s pretty darn good.

No SatTV, though. There’s a big ole mountain blocking the southern sky. No matter ... we caught 13 channels with the off-air antenna, so we managed to catch the news and Chicago Med to entertain ourselves.

Despite the overcast, our solars have been doing well keeping the batteries charged up. The long days — 17 hours and 15 minutes tomorrow — are great for that. Loving this because we won’t have to use the generator much.

Haven’t decided if we’re going to stay here another night or move on tomorrow. We’re going to wing it. We have six days to get to the campground at Denali National Park, which is only 217 miles away.Read more
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North to Alaska By RV 2021
Day 16 Starts & Ends in Anchorage
May 18, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F
While this was a busy day, it was also an easy day. Since it was Deniz’s last day before leaving for the Lower 48, and we wanted to get re-settled in the motorhome, we did not venture far.

We started out with breakfast at our favorite casual eatery — Moose A’La Mode. As small as the place is, there is quite a selection on the chalkboard menu. Deniz had the Blitzen Biscuits and Gravy ... with reindeer sausage ... very tasty. Mui opted for the Alaska Breakfast ... with grilled reindeer sausage, two hot cakes, and two fried eggs ... also very tasty. My breakfast was a simple raspberry and white chocolate scone ... tasty if a bit on the sweet side.

Then, we drove north to the Eagle River Nature Center. This is the same place we went to a few days ago but our plans were rained out. Once operated as a lodge, the land was sold to the Alaska State Parks in the 1980s. It is home to many miles of trails and has some public use cabins and yurts as well.

As I understand it, the Crow Pass Trail — 23 miles one-way — is quite lovely, but that was more than we could tackle today. Instead, we hiked two of the mostly-woodland trails — the Rodak Nature Trail and the Albert Loop. I believe we did close to 5 miles. Very peaceful ... just chirping birds and creeks gurgling over the rocks. Except for a few people we encountered going the opposite way, we had the trails to ourselves. We managed to access the Eagle River for a short bit, and stopped at the beaver and salmon ponds as well ... great views but no critters.

Returning to Anchorage, we stopped by the Ulu Factory for a few purchases. Then, Deniz went for a walk around the city. Mui and I grabbed a sandwich to share from Moose A’La Mode before returning to the cottage to start moving our stuff into the motorhome. We’ll do the fine tuning tomorrow.

Dinner was at the Glacier Brewhouse. Though Deniz’s initial alder grilled salmon was overcooked, that was quickly rectified. Otherwise, it was another great dinner.

Mui and I are now on our own as Deniz flew out of Anchorage late tonight. It’s been great having his company and seeing things through the eyes of a first timer to Alaska.

——————————

For those interested in such things ... here are the details from our dinner.

Drinks: Deniz … the Brewhouse’s Amber … with hints of chocolate and caramel // Me … house-brewed Root Beer … with sarsaparilla, sassafras, and a hint of vanilla // Mui … Merlot.

Appetizer: buttermilk battered calamari with jalapeño chips and a jalapeño aioli … this time with a little more kick.

Main Courses: Deniz … Alaska Alder Grilled Salmon … with lemon, garlic, vermouth butter; broccolini, baby potatoes, avocado lime verde // Me … the Fall Harvest Salad … from the starters menu … baby greens, shaved Brussels sprouts and apples, honey roasted sweet potatoes, pumpkin seeds, and organic quinoa … with a champagne vinaigrette // Mui … tonight’s halibut special ... cashew-crusted ... with roasted potatoes, Brussels sprouts, pineapple and red pepper chutney.

Dessert to Share: the Chocolate Overload Cake … as yummy as it was last time.Read more
Travelerlovely sunshine for you, so nice. The food sounds yummy.
5/21/21Reply
Two to TravelI’m especially glad we had good weather while Deniz was with us.
5/21/21Reply
TravelerThat meal sounds fabulous!! And the scenery is gorgeous.
5/23/21Reply
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