August 6 – 13, 2023
Our disembarkation in Whittier marked the conclusion of the 7 day Alaskan cruise portion of our trip. Now we embark on our 7 day land portion of the cruise tour. We boarded a bus along with our fellow land travelers and were first given a comprehensive 5 minute tour of Whittier. Our driver showed us the port area, the abandoned building constructed to house US troops during WWII, and one large condo building where 95% of the residents live.
Whittier was established by the U.S. Army during World War II as the location was nestled amidst mountains and blanketed by thick cloud cover making discovery of the port city difficult. The Federal railroad to Portage Valley was completed in 1943 and was the primary debarkation point for cargo, troops, and dependents of the Alaska Command. The Port of Whittier was, and continues to be, an ice-free, deepwater port strategically located to Anchorage and Interior Alaska. The military remained active in Whittier until 1960 with a total population of about 1200 people. The population dramatically decreased after the military left and yet sufficient hardy souls remained that the City of Whittier incorporated in 1969. Today, less than 220 people reside in this tiny town.
Whittier
Soon we were on our way to Seward about 85 miles away. Our route took us through the historic Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel.
The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is the longest (2.5 miles) highway tunnel in North America, and the first designed for -40 Fahrenheit temperatures and 150 mph winds!
The one-lane tunnel must be shared by cars and trains traveling in both directions, and it usually needs to be aired out in between trips (with jet turbine ventilation, another first!). This unique design that enables a single lane of traffic to travel directly over the railroad track saved tens of millions of dollars over the cost of constructing a new tunnel.
Vehicles wait in a staging area at each end until a scheduled departure at fifteen minute intervals.
Anton Anderson Tunnel
Our wait at the tunnel was relatively short and soon we were once again on our way. We did stop at Turnagain Pass for a restroom and “stretch the legs” break before reaching Seward. Turnagain Pass is the highest point (at 900 feet) on the Seward Highway. It was named for James Cook who was forced to “turn again” when he couldn’t find the Northwest Passage in 1778.
Seward
Seward is situated on Resurrection Bay on the southeast coast of the Kenai Peninsula, 125 highway miles south of Anchorage. It lies at the foot of Mount Marathon, and is the gateway to the Kenai Fjords National Park. Resurrection Bay was named in 1792 by Russian fur trader and explorer Alexander Baranof. While sailing from Kodiak to Yakutat, he found unexpected shelter in this bay for a storm. He named the Bay Resurrection because it was the Russian Sunday of the Resurrection. The City of Seward was named for U.S. Secretary of State William Seward, 1861-69, who negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia during the Lincoln administration. In 1903, John and Frank Ballaine and a group of settlers arrived to begin construction of a railroad. The Alaska Railroad was constructed between 1915 and 1923, and Seward developed as the ocean terminus and supply center. By 1960, Seward was the largest community on the Peninsula. Tsunamis generated after the 1964 earthquake destroyed the railroad terminal and killed several residents. As an ice-free harbor, Seward has become an important supply center for Interior Alaska.
Seward
As we entered Seward, our driver stopped at a Safeway grocery store. She explained that although our lodge had a restaurant and shuttle service into town, it was rustic and quite a hike from town. She suggested that we might want to get some snacks for the lodge and the Portage Glacier tour later in our itinerary. We were given 30 minutes to peruse the grocery and liquor store next door. Bill and I pick up some fruit and pastries and were back on the bus in plenty of time. Others returned to the bus 15 minutes late with multiple bags of stuff. Granted we were no longer on a cruise ship with food available 24/7 but really???
We arrived at the Windsong Lodge located in a wooded setting along the Resurrection river about 4 miles from town. There, a Holland America representative boarded the bus and handed us packets with our room keys and lodge maps. The bus driver then dropped us off near our assigned buildings (each named after a wildflower). We were in the Calypso building.
After our cruise ship cabin, we were somewhat dismayed when we entered our room – it was so rustic and spartan. Fortunately, it proved to be very comfortable. Our two small roller bags were waiting outside our room. (Our large roller bag was taken to Fairbanks to await our arrival at the end of the land tour. This size separation was necessary as the space on the trucks used to transport the luggage for the land portion is at a premium.) We quickly unpacked and took the hotel shuttle into town for dinner at The Highliner Restaurant. After dinner we stopped at the Flamingo Lounge for an after dinner drink. Their Pele’s Curse cocktail was awesome!
The next day Bill and I had arranged Seavey’s Real Alaska full day tour. We had breakfast in the Resurrection Roadhouse restaurant at the lodge and then met our driver at the lodge office.
The first part of our tour was the 1.5 Hour Wilderness Dog Sled Ride and Tour, described below.
Visit the Seavey Family Homestead in Seward, and tour our beautiful tether free summer camp for Iditarod athletes! Meet the dogs, feel their excitement as teams are hitched to our comfortable summer sleds, then mush for two miles through the scenic rainforest. Upon return to the kennel you can play with the dogs, cuddle adorable puppies, try on the parkas worn on the Iditarod, check out the race gear, and learn about these incredible dogs and mushers.
It may seem odd to mush on wheels, but Alaska only has snow for 4-5 months in the winter. The same dogs that run and win the Iditarod do these tours, it’s how they stay in shape in the off-season!
Ididarod
The Seavey family is totally committed to their dogs and the sport. There are lots of places in Alaska offering sled dog rides but we wanted to go with the champions.
Mitch Seavey competed in his first Iditarod in 1982 at the age of 22 and then turned his attention to raising sons Danny, Tyrell, Dallas, and Conway. In 1995, Mitch returned to the Iditarod (the first musher in 75 years to complete the entire Iditarod trail from Seward to Nome) and competed in every Iditarod through 2020. He has worked hard to be an innovator in every aspect of the sport and is one of the most competitive mushers out on the trail. Mitch won Iditarod in 2004, 2013 and 2017 setting the Iditarod speed record and becoming the oldest musher ever to win at the age of 56.
Dallas Seavey become the youngest Iditarod Champion at age of 25 in 2012. He also was the youngest person to ever run the Iditarod, turning 18 the day before his rookie race. His main hobby is USA Wrestling and is Alaska’s first and only national champion wrestler. In 2008 Dallas’ daughter, Annie, was born. With the help of J.J. Keller, Dallas started his own kennel, and in 2011, Dallas ran (and won) his first Yukon Quest. After an incredible finish, Dallas won the 2014, 15, and 16 Iditarod races. After a few year hiatus, Dallas came back to win the Iditarod 2021 with the family’s best team, becoming one of two mushers to ever win the Iditarod 5 times.
Ididarod
We were first taken to a platform where they explained the Ididarod history and route and we could watch and listen as they harnessed teams of dogs for a run. When we commented that the dogs looked skinny, our guide replied that our dogs are fat!
Next we were given the opportunity to play with the adorable puppies. You may note that these pups are not purebred Huskies or Malamutes but are a special “Alaskan” dog bred for strength and endurance. The “breed” is not recognized by the American Kennel Club.
After visiting the puppies, we were given a demonstration of the sled and gear used during a race.
After the demonstration, they loaded groups of 8 plus a musher onto wheeled carts and a team of dogs pulled us on a path through the rainforest. You have to do this!!
Following our dog sled ride, we boarded the bus for a trip into Seward where our driver gave us a brief tour and then dropped us at one of the restaurants for lunch. After lunch, we were taken to the Exit Glacier area in the Kenai Fjords National Park where we had time to visit the Nature Center and hike one of the many trails back to the glacier. There are signs along the trails showing how the glacier has receded in the last 50+ years.
The following chart illustrates how far this glacier has receded.
Our last stop on the tour was at the Bear Creek Weir where migrating salmon are caught, the eggs harvested and taken to a hatchery.
During May and June, millions of smolts are released into Bear Lake and swim down Bear Creek to salt water at the head of Resurrection Bay. Between July and September, some 10,000 to 20,000 sockeye salmon swim seven miles up the creek, peaking in June-July. Coho salmon arrive between late July and September. Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association monitors the migrating salmon at the weir. A viewing spot offers families a great place to watch modern salmon management techniques and to see adult fish attempt to leap the artificial falls.
Bear Creek
At the conclusion of our tour the driver drove past the lodge back into Seward to drop off passengers at the train depot and other spots. Bill and I were a bit annoyed since we had dinner reservations in town and wanted some time to stop by the room prior catching the shuttle. (We both agreed that if we had it to do over, we would have selected the Dog Sledding portion of the tour only.) We did make it back to town in time for our reservation at the Flamingo Lounge. We split an order of their Sourdough Bread Board with flavored butters. As his entree, Bill ordered a Bucket of Butt (halibut) while I had a Caesar Salad. Both were very good. Of course we had to repeat the Pele’s Curse cocktail!
Anchorage
The following day after breakfast at the lodge, we boarded the bus bound for Anchorage. A good portion of our trip (about 2 hours) was along the same route that we had taken from Whittier to Seward. This time however we stopped short of the tunnel for a boat cruise on Portage Lake to view the Portage Glacier.
This glacier cruise takes you right up to the face of a glacier. You’ll board the comfortable MV Ptarmigan, featuring an enclosed, heated cabin and open-air observation deck. The hour-long cruise is narrated by the US Forest Service, and you’ll navigate around bobbing icebergs and motor to within 300 feet of the towering wall of ice called Portage Glacier (one of Alaska’s most popular attractions).
Portage Glacier Cruise
After the cruise, we were back on the bus for the remaining 1 1/2 hour ride into Anchorage.
Anchorage
Our hotel for the one night was the Sheraton Anchorage which we found comfortable. We had made an 8:45 reservation for dinner that night at Marx Brothers Cafe (a small restaurant with only 14 tables but quite a reputation for good food) a few blocks from the hotel.
Jack Amon and Richard “Van” Hale opened the doors of the Marx Bros. Café on October 18, 1979; however, the two had already been partners in cuisine for some time, having created the Wednesday Night Gourmet Wine Tasting Society and Volleyball Team Which Now Meets on Sunday, a weekly evening of food and wine. It was actually the end of the weekly event that spurred the name of the restaurant: hours after its final service, Amon and Hale were hauling equipment and furnishings out of their old location and to their now-iconic building on Third Street, all while managing arguments about equipment ownership, a visit from the police, and quite a bit of wine. “If you’ve ever seen the movie ‘A Night at the Opera” starring the Marx Brothers, that’s what it was like,” Hale explains.
Marx Cafe
Owner Richard “Van” Hale greeted us as we walked in and showed us to our table. He took our order and then wheeled his salad cart over where he proceeded to prepare his special Caesar Salad. I balked when he started to add anchovies but he assured me that he knew what he was doing. Needless to say, he was right and the salad was fantastic. He also asked a server to provide each of us with a glass of Gewürztraminer and instructed us to take a bite of salad and then a sip of wine. The wine really accentuated the ingredients in the salad. For dinner, I had filet mignon (perfection) while Bill had the macadamia encrusted halibut (which he said was good). And for dessert – creme brûlée with two glasses of 40 year port. Are we really only here for one night??
We were up early the next morning for a short bus ride to the train depot. Today was our day to ride the McKinley Explorer train from Anchorage to Denali.
McKinley Explorer
Holland America Line and Princess Cruises, both owned by parent company Carnival Cruises, operate the largest fleet of dome railcars in Alaska, including the McKinley Explorer. There are a total of 10 McKinley Explorer train cars that were first placed in service between 2004 and 2006.
McKinley Explorer rail cars seat 86 to 88 passengers in the upper level dome. Each passenger has a reserved seat and the large curved glass dome windows run the full length of the car, offering superb 360 degree views. Seating is comfortable, with foot rests and fold down tray tables. Each car has its own host guide who provides tour commentary, answers questions and offers gift shop items. Full bar service is available upstairs for purchase.
Alaska Train
The 8 hour train ride was comfortable with plenty of opportunities to walk around and visit the lower level dining area. Unfortunately the weather was gray, overcast, and rainy. We really didn’t get to see that much – major bummer.
Denali
After arriving in Denali, we were taken by bus to the McKinley Chalet Resort, our hotel for the next 2 nights.
McKinley Chalet Resort is situated in the heart of the Denali Canyon on the banks of the Nenana River, less than 2 miles from the entrance to Denali National Park. Featuring modern amenities, comfortable accommodations, and warm northern hospitality at the edge of the wilderness, the hotel has everything you need for an unforgettable Denali vacation.
Westmark
We had chosen to pay extra for an upgraded room and we loved it. Our room was in the Ridgeview Building and had a great view. We had a king bed and plenty of space. The bathroom floor was even heated which I loved.
After getting settled, we walked over to the nearby Denali Square to investigate the shops and have dinner at Karstens Public House. Then it was back to the room to relax.
Denali Photo Excursion
We were up early the next morning to meet our guide at the hotel lobby for an independent photo excursion with Denali Photo Guides. This was a 3 hour tour around the boundary of the park (only a few commercially guided hiking tours are allowed in the park) and nearby highway concentrating mainly on landscape photography. We were looking forward to getting some great shots of mountains and reflections. Bill had even rented a camera for this tour. Unfortunately, the weather where we spent most of our time was not what we had in mind.
Near the conclusion of the photo tour the guide took us in a different direction and suddenly we had sun and blue sky. Wish we would have gone this way to begin with. We couldn’t see Denali though (it’s only visible about 30% of the time).
Tundra Wilderness Tour
Our Denali itinerary included the Tundra Wilderness Tour. This 5 1/2 hour tour is run by the National Park Service.
The Tundra Wilderness Tour is the premier tour of Denali National Park and Preserve! This tour offers wonderful diversity for visitors. Incredible scenery, a narrated history of the park road, and some of the best opportunities to view the park’s wildlife inhabitants await you on this tour.
The Tundra Wilderness Tour will guide you along the spectacular road corridor, promising different experiences every day, as Denali’s wildlife moves at its own pace and according to the seasons. Travel to the Murie Cabin near the East Fork River to experience where Adolf Murie lived while conducting his famous research inside what was then known as Mount McKinley National Park!
Denali Park
We were originally scheduled on the 5 a.m. departure and had decided to do the photo tour instead. It turned out that we were reassigned a 3:30 p.m. departure as the exact times are not assigned by the park service until 48 hours before departure day. I talked Bill into going on this tour – my bad. (He hasn’t forgiven me yet.) We already knew that the tour only travels 42 miles of the 93 mile road due to a landslide at Pretty Rocks in 2022 then turns around. We also knew that the tour bus was a modified (with upgraded seats and flat panel displays) school bus. What we didn’t know was that a good portion of the route is on a gravel road and that we would end up in the very back seats of the bus. Talk about long and uncomfortable!!! The bus does stop at a rest area each way and snack boxes and water are provided. It also stops when wildlife is spotted but no one is permitted to get off. The driver has a spotting scope that he can use to project the wildlife on the flat panel screen. Most of what we saw were tiny specks in the distance and still no Denali!
See if you can find the caribou in the first 4 photos below. (If you click on each of the photos, they should open in an expanded view.) How about the moose in the photo of the flat panel display? The remaining photos are some of the scenery.
After our looooong bus ride, we were dropped off back at the resort where we returned to Karsten’s Public House for dinner and adult beverages.
We had free time the next day to investigate the shops across the road from the resort and have lunch at Prospector’s Pizza. Of course, the weather this day was absolutely gorgeous and we are able to sit outside under an umbrella and enjoy our lunch.
Later in the afternoon, it was back on the bus headed to our last destination.
The bus headed north along Parks Highway for about an hour before making a rest stop in Nenana. In this tiny town, the bus driver pointed out a general store where a gentleman was selling his artwork and a lady fresh-baked cookies, an ice cream shop, and a hotel where we could find restrooms. At a table right beside the bus, the mayor’s wife and two sons were also selling a children’s book that the mayor had written. This stop was an unexpected surprise.
About an hour later, the bus pulled into Fairbanks.
Fairbanks
One August day in 1901, Felix Pedro, an Italian immigrant from Fanano, Italy (See Sister Cities), was searching for gold in the hills of the Tanana Valley, and he spotted the smoke of a steamboat unloading on the banks of the Chena River. Hoping to purchase supplies, he headed in the direction of the boat.
Meanwhile, Mr. E.T. Barnette had argued with the captain of the riverboat on which he was traveling. He had hired the captain to take him up the Tanana River to the present day site of Tanacross. However, the Tanana River could not be passed and the Chena River also proved too shallow. So, the captain had put Barnette and his large stock of trade goods ashore near the present site of First Avenue and Cushman in August of 1901.
E.T. Barnette was quite disgruntled with the prospect of establishing his trading post so far from the existing gold fields. He had left the area to re-supply, and when he returned in 1902, Felix Pedro had found gold in the area in July of that year. Barnette changed his mind. He figured money could be made with goldfields this close.
Mr. Barnette, strong in personality, convinced early settlers to name Fairbanks in honor of Charles W. Fairbanks, an Indiana senator. Charles Fairbanks later became the Vice President of the United States under Theodore Roosevelt.
On November 10, 1903, an election was held to decide whether Fairbanks should be incorporated. The residents believed that Fairbanks was sufficiently established and that they should be given the responsibility to provide for their own daily community functions. By a 75% majority vote, Fairbanks was incorporated on November 10, 1903. At the same election, the people also chose a mayor, council members, and school board members.
E.T. Barnette became the first Mayor of the City of Fairbanks.
Fairbanks
We checked into the Westmark Fairbanks for our two night stay and proceeded to our room. There, our large roller bag (that we had sent on from the ship) and our two small roller bags were waiting for us.
For dinner that night we decided to share a charcuterie board and a couple of Tequila Mockingbirds at The Library, a craft cocktail lounge and restaurant that Bill had discovered.
Since we didn’t have a reservation, we sat at the bar where the owner, Larry, served us. We struck up a conversation with another couple sitting beside us and after some time realized that it was closing time. We bid our new friends good night and returned to the hotel. What a fun night!
The next day we were scheduled to go on an included riverboat cruise and gold dredge tour but decided to take the day off. Instead, we slept in (although the Holland America representative called at 8 a.m. wondering where we were). We walked to The Crepery for a late breakfast and then to the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitor Center.
The Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center is a place for gathering, discovery, education and celebration made possible by a cross-organizational, multi-cultural partnership built on the values lived by the late Morris Thompson. The partner organizations are housed together in the center, collaborating to offer visitor services, public lands information, cultural programs, and world-class exhibits that show the history and seasonal flow of local lifestyles. Visitors and locals gather here to discover and learn about Interior and Arctic Alaska, celebrating who we are and how we live.
Adjacent to the Visitor Center is the Gould Cabin. Constructed in 1910 and having stood on its location near the main entrance of the Morris Thompson Center for 111 years, it is the oldest residence still at its original location in downtown Fairbanks. It was named for the original owners and early Fairbanks pioneers Mary Ellen and Walter Gould.
Cultural and Visitor Center
Fairbanks version of Jackson Hole’s (elk) Antler Arch
That evening we had dinner at the Jazz Bistro. We weren’t sure that we had secured reservations so we were outside the door when the owner, Chef Rico, opened the door. He showed us to a table, handed us a menu, and proceeded to seat the others waiting outside. We watched as he expertly juggled waiting on tables with host duties. The food was excellent from the fresh Cuban bread, to the Steak Cuban Churrasco Style and Chef Rico’s Pollo con Crema. This was the best Cuban food we had ever had!
Would you believe that our walking route from Jazz Bistro back to our hotel took us very near The Library? Of course we decided to stop in again for an after dinner drink. Once again we sat at the bar where owner Larry not only recognized us but remembered our drink choice. Another fantastic evening!
The next morning, we had to put our bags out for transport one more time. This time they were going to the airport. We also had to check out of our room before 11 a.m. Since our bus to the airport wasn’t scheduled until late that afternoon, we decided to go back to The Crepery for another late breakfast and then take an Uber to the Museum of the North.
Museum of the North
Located on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, this museum is the state’s only research and teaching museum. Housing more than 1.4 million artifacts and specimens, the collections include Alaskan art spanning more than 2,000 years, featuring paintings, sculpture and ancient ivory carvings. Specimens include a 36,000-year-old mummified bison named Blue Babe and the state’s largest public display of Alaskan gold. A special exhibit, “The Place Where You Go to Listen,” features a sound and light installation controlled by the real-time positions of the sun and moon. Special lectures and family programs are also offered throughout the year, and the museum store features an array of artwork, jewelry and crafts.
Museum of the North
17 hours of daylight
After touring the museum we took an Uber back to the hotel where we waited until it was time to head to the airport and our flight home.
Would we go to Alaska again? Absolutely!! Would we do the interior tour again? Not so sure. If we were to do another cruise tour we would definitely do the land portion first as it is tiring. Still, we had a great time, saw some great scenery, met lots of interesting folks, and found great food!
