Sunday, August 19, 2012

Yearly Alaskan Adventure


                                                     cub fishing in the Kenai river
                                                         Richardson Highway
                                                                           pipeline
                                                     first sunny day of vacation
Our yearly Alaskan adventure, this year we decided to rent a motor home and drive the Richardson Highway, to Chena Hot Springs, Fairbanks, Denali park and Talkeetna.  I left home after work on Monday, drive to Anchorage, my granddaughter got dropped off Tuesday morning, we went shopping food and things for the trip, picked up the motor home at 1p, went and got daughter and grand baby, back to get my stuff and load the motor home, on the road 2 hours later.  We drove past one of the most beautiful part of Alaska to Glennallen, then up the Richardson highway drove til almost dark saw, sheep, moose in velvet and in ponds with a evening mist around them breathtaking.  Spend the night in a state park.  Next morning was the worse weather we saw and it wasn't bad, just a little chilly, but turned on the generator and heat soon with coffee and breakfast we hit the road again. 

Stopped at Santa Claus house in North Pole.  Drove until we reached Chena Hot springs, got checked in and hit the pools, there is a indoor pool for kids, and a outdoor pool for adults only.  The outdoor pool has some really hot spots and 2 water features.  Had a campfire with hot dogs and our favorite smore's.  Next morn daughter went to the pool again and the grand kids and I walked around.  Packed up and hit the road again, off to Fairbanks were we spend 2 night, one day at the Fair which was a really good fair.  Oh I forgot I hit the quilt stores one in Delta Junction 2 in Fairbanks and one in Talketna that is in a gift shop.  After Fairbanks we drove until Denali Park spent the night there, that was the only bit of rain we had.  In the morning we drove into the park a little ways, got to see an old cabin that the park rangers use, then we drove to Talkeetna which I had never been to, grand kid said her favorite part of the trip was Chena hot springs because they had a pool, and Talkeetna, daughter liked Chena Hot springs said she is going back.  Then finished up the day driving back to Anchorage, cleaned the motor home and returned it the next morning. 

Of course everyone wants to see a bear on their Alaska trip.  Well I didn't see one until I was driving back home and two cubs were fishing in the river with momma watching them.  It was the first time I had seen a bear fishing, the bears were a traffic stopper and lots of photo's taken. 

I sure enjoy this yearly tradition of touring Alaska.  I figure my granddaughter is going to be able to have her own travel show by the time she grows up she is going to be well versed in Alaska, and she figured out that her name and Alaska has lots of A's in it.