Sat Aug 6
-Laura had a fitful night of sleep but we rallied out of bed at 8:30
. With the usual friction from the kids we were rolling by 9:30. A light drizzle was falling and it looked like a good day to be in the car. We were thankful for the good weather we had at Denali and were awed by the sights we had enjoyed. Definitely worth the visit.
-we drove on through the drizzle and after much debate agreed that Talkeetna was the place to stop for lunch. The boys were getting hungry and we were all antsy to get out of the car. This was reinforced by a break in the rain so we turned into the spur road and drove the extra 14 miles each way to Talkeetna.
-I suppose this is the reaction people get to Paia. It was a tourist town with kitchy shops and restaurants. Parking was tight and tourists, including us, clogged the streets. We settled on the Mile High Pizza Pie not by first choice but because there was a table available. Of course it was near the tv and the whole restaurant was gazing at the Olympics in a daze.
-we had yummy salads and mediocre salty pizza. We were overcharged which later I rectified at Laura's sound advice
. We walked through the light drizzle to the muddy river and we declared ourselves done with Talkeetna. I suppose I'm glad that we came to look because it is listed as a highlight but my advice would be to skip it.
-we still had nearly 3 hours of driving ahead. We stopped at a grocery store for carrots and milk and other supplies. Then onward through Anchorage until we reached the scenic Turnagain Arm south of Anchorage.
-we made three quick stops. The first was at a railway museum to look at a huge snowplow and a few other displays. Well worth the stop and better than expected. Next we stopped at Beluga Point. The tide was super low and there were not any beluga whales but there was some exceptionally slurpy quick sand that was interesting to experiment with so long as you had a spotter ready to help you out. The final stop was at scenic Bird Point where the kids opted to stay in the car. We made a quick lap and read about the bore tide. Definitely surfing the bore tide is on the bucket list.
-with weary drivers and passengers we pulled into the quaint town of Girdwood and got our key to the condo
. The boys were full of energy but it was nice to have some extra space. A good lesson for travel.
-we got settled and then tried to find a late dinner restaurant. Things were busy on a Saturday night in peak tourist season so we opted for take out and pupus and cards which worked out great. We ended up getting to bed later than expected but we were all glad to be done with the longest day of driving. Alaska is big and driving all day is much more tiring than you would expect. And as usual it just takes longer to get from one place to another and consumes the day.
Sun Aug 7
-we slept later than I would have hoped and got a slow start. Laura and I went out to get coffee for her and pay the remainder of the condo fee. The condo lady Bri was very friendly and gave us all kinds of info about fun things to do in the area. We could tell that we would not have enough time to do them all.
-we headed back to the condo and tried to rally the boys for one of their most desired activities: panning for gold. None the less they were slow to get going
. At last we were rolling with a quick stop to check in with our heli guide for tomorrow.
-we arrived at the gold mine and got a demo and our sample bags of liking soil. It was exciting to swirl the dirt around and find the promised gold flakes and put them in our vials. Filled with promises of riches we headed off to Crow Creek armed with shovels and gold pans.
-we quickly realized how hard it was as the rocky river bank did not make it easy to dig. None the less we grabbed some shovelfuls of river bank and started swirling. Alas our efforts did not pan out. (Har har). A family near us had some luck and found 3 flakes of gold. The father even shared the location of his spot and I tried a few shovelfuls. But it we not to be.
-after a few hours we were getting hungry for lunch. Finn wanted to stay so in a last minute decision Laura stayed behind and Ty and I went to get food. We opted for the fastest options and grabbed Subway sandwiches and a salad from the nearby pizza joint.
-soon we rejoined the miners for a picnic lunch and were sad to hear that despite his unrelenting effort, Finn had not found any gold
. He was even working the hot spot that the other family had abandoned.
-with the usual complaints we extricated the boys and set off on a short hike to a nearby hand tram. It was muddy but well worth it as the hand tram crossed a scenic gorge with fun views both down and up. It was good fun.
-we carried on to the nearby waterfalls and then turned around much to the glee of the boys. Back across the hand tram and through some mud and we were in our car and back at the condo.
-we regrouped and showered and packed for the upcoming day with the usual prodding and begging and threats. Finally we headed out to Chair 5 restaurant and Laura maneuvered us promptly to a table by calling ahead.
-we had halibut and crab cakes and salads while the boys had a burger and chili. The halibut was excellent but the crab was lost in the sauce and breading. We enjoyed our meal and were also glad to get home for final laundry and packing and cards.
-we headed off to bed early for an way wake up. It would be nice to have more time to do more here in Girdwood but we had a full day and also set a good pace. Tomorrow is a big day out with the heli hike. Hopefully the weather is a little less drizzly.
Panning for gold in a quaint ski town
Saturday, August 06, 2016
Girdwood, Alaska, United States
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2025-02-11