Exploring Alaska: July 3 to August 9, 2008
Since experiencing my first family vacation at the age of 10, I’ve loved the idea of traveling: waking up in different places with the knowledge that each day held fresh discoveries and new adventures. In the three decades since that first trip, I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel all over the United States, and to other countries and continents as well. Yet there remained one place, a place that seemed to embody everything I love about travel, which seemed perpetually out of reach. I’m speaking of Alaska.
The challenge to visiting Alaska is time. Just driving there takes nearly a week; and I had no desire to fly over thousands of miles of wilderness to save time. I wanted to drive to it and through it. I wanted to see it close up. The trip would be as much about the journey as the various destinations on an itinerary. Most experienced travelers told me that I would need a minimum of six weeks to do it right. I haven't had six weeks of uncommitted time since I was a teenager.
My opportunity arrived in the summer of 2008. I didn't have six weeks but I did have five – just enough time for Darla, Lewis, and I to set out in our truck, camper loaded in the back, to experience the trip that I have been contemplating for the better part of my adult life. The following sets of images along with the accompanying text tell the story of this trip, which started July 3 and ended August 9, 2008. The 7,672 miles we traveled included nearly every paved mile of highway in Alaska and quite a few unpaved miles as well. Along the way, we encountered huge jellyfish, enormous moose, massive glaciers, and even more massive mountain ranges along with torrential rains, four punctured tires, one dead deer, a cracked windshield, and record gas prices. Alaska is indeed a land of superlatives – and we’ve got the photographs to prove it.
A note about navigating through the images:
This trip was a challenge to organize online as it was comprised of a bunch of little stops rather than a few big ones. Add to this the fact that we crossed in and out of Canada eight times and it has the potential to be a disorganized mess. With apologies to British Columbia and the Yukon Territory, I've lumped the whole thing under "Alaska". Welcome to The Union guys!
The easiest way to follow from start to finish is to either access the various sections in order from the images/travel/by itinerary menu; or use the links below to work your way through the trip. If you choose to do the latter, the links will open in a separate window. Finally, I've compiled a small gallery of my favorite images from this adventure – no text – for visitors who aren't looking for a full "ride along".
01. Seattle, WA
Downtown Seattle
REI's Flagship Store
Anthony's Pier 66
Fireworks
02. Dawson Creek, B.C. to Dawson City, Y.T.
Dawson Creek, B.C.
Liard Hot Springs, B.C.
Watson Lake, Y.T.
Mukluk Annie's
Dawson City, Y.T.
Top of the World Highway
03. Chicken, AK to Fairbanks, AK
Chicken, AK
Burnt Taiga Forest
Traveling on the Alaska Highway
North Pole, AK
Fairbanks Cross
Shuttle Ride #1
Campfire
Sled Dogs
Savage River Trail
Evening Drive
Shuttle Ride #3
Wet Departure
05. Talkeetna, AK
06. Anchorage, AK
Faith Lutheran Church
Downtown Anchorage
Ship Creek Fish Hatchery
Potter Marsh
Earthquake Park
Turnagain Arm
07. Whittier, AK
Williwaw Campground
Whittier Tunnel
Surprise Glacier Cruise
Whittier, AK
08. Homer, AK
Ninilchik Russian Orthodox Church
Café Cups
Rotting Posts Along Spit #1
Morning Tidepooling
Homer Harbor
Lupine
Rotting Posts Along Spit #2
Viewpoint
Salvage Yard
Homer Campground
Return to Viewpoint
Boardwalk Fish & Chips
Storage Yard
Departure
Soldotna, AK
Russian River
09. Seward, AK
Bear Lake Weir
Seward Campground
Alaska Sealife Center
Return to Bear Lake Weir
Seward Harbor
End of a Day
Exit Glacier
Seward Episcopal Church
Seward Highway Wildflowers
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Chitina Fish Wheels
Thompson Pass
Keystone Canyon
12. Cordova, AK
Valdez to Cordova Ferry
Old Ambulance
Tripod Hill
Downtown Cordova
Childs Glacier
Million Dollar Bridge
Haystack Trail
Prince William Motel
Rainy Day Around Town
Big Halibut
Dinner at Alaganik Slough
Exploring Sunny Cordova
Cordova Harbor
Lunchtime at The Picnic Basket
Cordova Ferry Terminal
Old School
Back at the Harbor with Mimi & Papa T
Copper River Highway Drive
Cordova to Valdez Ferry
Solomon Gulch Hatchery
Return to Thompson Pass
13. Tok, AK to Kluane National Park, Y.T.
14. Haines, AK
Haines Highway
Haines Hitch Up RV Park
American Bald Eagle Foundation
Eagle Watching in the Park
Exploring Haines
Haines to Seward Ferry
15. Skagway, AK
Camping on the Highway
Exploring Skagway
Reid Falls & the Gold Rush Cemetery
17. Hyder, AK
Arriving in Hyder
Balloon Tossing at the Campground
Fish Creek
Salmon Glacier
Return to Fish Creek
Return to Salmon Glacier