The Road to Denali

We headed out of Anchorage and headed north, about 235 miles towards Denali. Along the way we saw some of markers of anytown USA, Starbucks, Target, chain fast food joints. But as we got further along there were more and more stretches of expansive land.  It was soon clear that Alaska was different than other places in the lower forty-eight.

The air is cooler and wetter here, making for rich green hills and heavy forests. Recent fires made for hazy skies but the sun still peaked through. We stopped in the historic, artsy town of Talkeenta, where we visited the museum, peaked in cabins that were replicas of the early European settlers and took a short but recharging hike along the river. We met a sweet dog, had homemade ice cream milk shakes and pb&j sandwiches made in the RV as we chugged along. The thing that stood out the most however were the people. Independent, adventurous, friendly, open hearted. That seems to be the theme so far with all those we have encountered. It seems people here also live a bit more in balance with the land around them, which is clearly the dominant aspect of Alaska.