Talkeetna, AK

 Talkeetna, AK

The 7-day cruise part of our trip was over. We disembarked in Whittier at 6:00 am. We packed last night on the ship and placed our luggage outside the door of our cabin for our steward to be transferred on shore.  The sun was just coming up and was a new day beginning, with new adventures for us in Alaska!

 

They directed us like cattle through the port and guided us towards a train. The train would take us to Talkeetna.

Talkeetna translates into the ‘meeting of the rivers” in the local Athabaskan language. Talkeetna is located at the confluence of three rivers. They are called Susitna, Chulitna, and the Talkeetna.

Mount McKinley

The journey was a little over four hours and exceptionally scenic.  Our pre coordinated seating was with another couple. All the seats were arranged on this train resembling a booth in a diner.  Each ‘booth’ held four passengers facing each other with a table in-between. The only thing amiss with this predetermination was the additional couple arrived on board before we did and it left us sitting backwards.  Something I cannot do without becoming motion sick. We assumed the other couple had the same thoughts and that is why they choose the seats that they did. After inquiring about seat changes we were invited into the Club Car. It was the greatest move.

McKinley from the beach

The Club Car has a snack bar and offers drinks. The conductor remains mainly in the Club Car the total trip, excluding when requested by additional workers for something in their respective cars. Every car offers food service but the Club Car is more of a personal service. Whereas the regular cars encompass approximately 60 people, the Club Car only seats 25.

It is open seating and has a glass roof. We were exceedingly pleased we were positioned there. For the first hour and ½ we, along with the server and the conductor, were the only people in the Club Car.

We drove through Wasilla, and Anchorage, where we stopped for a bit to either drop off or pick up new passengers. The utmost thing about being with the conductor was simply that he would educate us along the ride. He would tell us of the natives and scenery as it were appearing before us.

 

It was interesting, and very personal.  In Anchorage we changed conductors and the second man was even nicer than the first. After departing Anchorage, passengers from other cars started to stir and enter into our car. Once they realized this was the car to be in, they stayed for the duration of the tour. The time passed by enormously fast.

Once in Talkeetna we had an alternative to either spend the rest of the morning and early afternoon in town, or get on a bus and be taken to our resort. We choose to explore the town.

Every year during the month of July, for 2 days they celebrate the ‘Moose Droppings Festival’. It is exactly what it sounds like. A local pilot flies over a target that is made by the locals and whom ever’s moose poop hits closest to the bulls eye wins. What is moose poop worth? Nothing, but honorary mention that you have the best moose poop in town!

Stubbs the Mayor

We were introduced to Stubbs. Stubbs is the official, unofficial mayor of Talkeetna. Stubbs is a cat. The story goes that way back when (15 years ago), someone hand wrote Stubbs’s name on the ballet for mayor being not so happy with the human candidates. It caught on quickly and soon everyone was voting for him. Stubbs has been the mayor ever since. Perhaps we should do the same for our Presidential Election!!!

Main Street is all of one football field long and very, very aged. It is unquestionably well preserved. It is all in its original state. The hotel, the Fairview Inn was built in 1923 and still rents rooms. In the lobby of the hotel is a bar. Initially it was the only bar for hundreds of miles and would attract hunters all winter long.

Across the street from the hotel is the one and only general store. It is called Nagley’s Store. It was owned and run by Horace Nagley. It has been dismantled and reconstructed 2 separate times in order to move the building to where the business would be most profitable. It was laid permanently where it now stands in 1945.

At the top of the main street on the North end is the river. It is glacier fed and runs at about 15 knots all year long. It is ice cold and there is no way you could swim it at the pace it was moving. When we initially reached the beach part of the river and glanced to our right we were stunned.

Where Baca and Tessa rest

There was Mount Denali, in full view! We were told numerous times by several different people that the mountain only shows itself an average of 120 days a year. Because of its height, 20,320 feet, it generates cloud covering constantly. We were lucky! It was beautiful and clear. It also was very chilly.

view from our room Mt. McKinley

Friends of ours, Roy and Kim, had deposited ashes of their two dogs, Baca, and Tessa along this river next to a huge log that we sat on for a picture. We sent them the picture and told them that their beloved babies said hi. I think they were pleased.

Eventually we headed back to town and stopped in a more recently constructed family style restaurant. We had indigenous cuisine and of course, seafood chowder. It was delectable.

great restaurant

Somewhere around 3pm we started the walk back to the bus station and headed to our resort. After checking in, we toured the grounds. Mount McKinley/Mount Denali was still visible from the resort. We settled in and had dinner at one of the restaurants in the lodge called 20,320, (the height of the mighty mountain).

If you recall the TV show Northern Lights, you might be interested to know it was based (loosely) on the residents of Talkeetna and several episodes were actually filmed there.

peak information

The day was complete. We were up at 5:00am (not by choice), and settled in for the night around 10pm. tomorrow we will explore some more. Thanks for reading. BTW, yes, it’s very cold!