Alaska
This past August, my dad, step-mom, Kyle, and I fulfilled a 4-year long dream of RVing through Alaska together. We started brainstorming in 2019, shortly after Kyle & I married. Four & a half years later, we made it to The Last Frontier.
Starting in Anchorage, we grabbed our RV & stocked up on supplies before we hit the road down the Kenai Peninsula. Our first camping destination was the most quaint little town on Resurrection Bay, called Seward. It was there where we boarded a boat to take us wildlife viewing through the Kenai Fjords National Park. We were blessed with the clearest blue skies, which we quickly learned were rather rare for Alaska during the summers. We were able to see miles of vast ocean, dramatic cliff sides through the fjords, countless glaciers, icebergs, and a vast amount of wildlife. We had a close encounter with a bald eagle, saw sea otter buddies, harbor seals, a diverse amount of water fowl (including puffins!!!), and two humpback whales!! The ship captain pulled us up close and personal with the Aialik Glacier, which was the most breathtaking (quite literally due to the icy cold air) experience.
After Seward, we drove to the end of the peninsula to Homer, the halibut capitol of of the world! There, we boarded the Miss Emily to take us deep sea fishing. The captain told us that they waited all summer for a day as calm as that one. The water was so glassy, I almost forgot that we floated over 200 ft of water. It reminded me more of a pond, with the fog allowing us to see only the water immediately surrounding our boat. After spending most of the day battling 30 lb halibut (and winning), a drink at the Salty Dawg Saloon was a nice way to warm up. The Salty Dawg Saloon was a must see for me, as salty dogs were my gramps’ favorite drink. I had to tell him goodbye when I was a freshman in college, and I miss him so. I wanted to get a drink in his honor, and we made it happen. Kyle & I’s little date night in the saloon was one I will not soon forget.
Our next destination was Talkeetna, which was some ways North of Anchorage, off of the peninsula and inland. Although we spent much time driving this trip, I had no complaints about it. Most everywhere we drove had views of mountains and beautiful lush forests. Especially in Talkeetna, where it’s known for its most quirky little downtown and famous salmon fishing on the Susitna River. Upon arrival to the campsite, we were greeted by some locals that were so kind to share with us the salmon they were smoking and had caught earlier in the day. They then shared that the town was a short 10 minute walk through the woods and over the train tracks. We walked past the most beautiful birch-filled forest, speckled with a wide variety of healthy mushrooms and mosses. We kicked our feet up at a local brewery and drank the ‘state’s best’ wild blueberry mojitos while we watched the small town start to quiet down as the tour buses of tourists left town. Although Talkeetna didn’t host the views of giant glaciers, or close encounters of wildlife.. it was one of my favorite days of the whole trip.
After Talkeetna, we drove ~3.5 hours North to Denali National Park! We spent a few days in & around the park, and went horse backing riding through aspen groves, whitewater rafting in freezing silty glacial melt, met the only working sled dogs in any Nat. Park, and took a wildlife tour bus further into the park where our RV could not access. We saw tons of moose, caribou (reindeer), mountain goats, and the Alaska state bird, the Willow Ptarmigan!
Next we hit the Denali HWY, which was once rated by National Geographic as the #2 drive in the world! The entire 135 mile road was what I imagined ‘The Last Frontier’ to look like. To the left were endless views of the Alaskan Range, speckled with glaciers and snow-covered peaks. Thousands of spruce trees sprawled from the base of the mountains to the bumpy back-road of which we traveled. We stopped and explored as many times as we pleased, to pick wild blueberries and walk along streams. After a full day of driving, we picked a pull-off spot in a valley to camp. It was there that we witnessed our only real sunset of the trip, which was ~11:30PM! We were able to light a fire, with a clear sky promising no chance of rain. All four of us agreed that we could have camped out there in the wilderness all week, but knew there was so much more of Alaska that we wanted to explore.
Next on the itinerary was Valdez, known for its massive roadside waterfalls and glaciers. Its nickname is ‘Little Switzerland’, with the small town nestled at the base of dramatic mountains right off of Port Valdez in the Prince William Sound. As soon as we started driving into the mountains of which the town hid, we knew exactly why Valdez earned its name. I remember thinking ‘Are we seriously in America still?’, as it truly looked like a picturesque landscape only found in European travel magazines. We took in the views of the drive, stopped to feel the waterfall mist on our faces, hiked to the toe of the Worthington Glacier, watched fishermen clean their catches at the harbor, and went to a salmon hatchery to see if we could spot a local bear (which we did!!). If you are looking to travel to Alaska, I highly recommend heading down to Valdez.
Our last big stop of the trip was to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, which is the largest national park in America! With most of it being accessible only by plane, we were only able to drive to the visitors center. We read the history of the park and the copper rush that happened there, and went on a small hike to a nearby river. From there, we headed to Anchorage to drop off the RV and catch our flights home.
Alaska now holds a special place in my heart, and I hope that one day we will make our way back there to explore even more! Travel blogs recommend to plan a minimum of two weeks there, with two months being the most adequate amount of time to see most of the state. With four years of daydreaming about this place, I can now say that it was well worth the wait and exceeded all of my expectations. If you have any interest in going to Alaska, I’d be happy to share my research and itinerary with you! <3
