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Published: July 26th 2008
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Alaska was sold to US by Russia in the 19th century at a few cents per acre! Russian empire which had sovereignty over present day Alaska, thought of Alaska as a huge wasteland. It surely is huge with most of its area untouched by civilization. With the discovery of gold in late 19th century, prospectors began to arrive. Later oil was found along Arctic coast. More than a century later, it still continues to be a wilderness that it used to be.
Having gotten a taste of its wilderness and beauty in TV documentaries, I had set Alaska on my tourism radar. Since not much is known about Alaska in Lower 48 states, it was a little difficult to plan an itinerary. With some help from a few web sites, I was able to chalk out an itinerary that would take me to Kenai Peninsula, Katmai, Anchorage, Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias park and Prince William Sound. This was to be a 10 day trip with about a week on road and 2-3 days on a cruise of Prince William Sound's glaciers.
As the plane started descending for landing on Anchorage airport, the clouds began to disappear and the mountains below
started becoming visible. For the next ten days, I was going to be in Alaska, soaking in the breathtaking view it has to offer. The excitement was palpable. The plane landed and I made it to the Thrifty car rental counter and rented an economy car. It is Alaska and it has 4 months of tourist season. That implies the rates for everything, including hotels and car rentals, is more than twice what you would pay elsewhere in US. So it had to be an economy car! I could have rented a convertible for that price anywhere else. If you want to rent cheap, rent it at least a year in advance.
Anchorage is not a big town by Lower 48 big town standards. How big can it be considering that Alaska as a whole does not have a million people! With a geographical area that is almost 1/4th of Lower 48 states, Alaska is indeed sparsely populated. Anchorage and a few neighboring towns contain most of the state's human population.
I was out of the airport by 4pm and headed towards Seward hwy. With mountains on one side, and mud flats and mountains on the other side,
it is a scenic drive. The mud flats are exposed due to low tides and fill up when the high tide moves in. The tide called the Bore tide can sometimes be 6 ft tall. The one I saw was really a weak one, hardly noticeable.
There are a few points to explore while driving on the Seward hwy. Birds, sheeps, goats, and even Beluga whales can be sighted on this drive. I stopped at Beluga Point and focused on water for any signs of white Beluga heads popping out of water. There were none. They come with the high tide. However Beluga whales sighting have become less frequent in recent years.
I drove to Alyeska resort and took a tramway ride to the top of a mountain. From the top, you get gorgeous view of the ski slopes and valleys.
Not far from this area was Portage glacier and lake. I had my first glimpse of the blue ice. Nearby was a creek that is supposed to be Salmon hatchery. I didn't see any salmons there. Later I came to know that salmons come there during Aug end.
My first day's explorations were almost over.
In any other place, if you were to start your sightseeing at 4pm in the evening, you would not get very far. With sun setting at 11:30 pm in South Central Alaska and no complete darkness at night, there is plenty of time to sightsee. The further north you go, the later the sun sets.
I was back in Anchorage. Stayed at a new hostel, Backpacker's Inn. My first hostel stay. I had to go for hostels as regular hotels are costly. Bed and Breakfast is another option but in summer time expect to pay north of $100 for a night.
Hostel room had 4 bunks and a locker. Two tier bunks and I chose the lower one. The upper one made creaky noises with every toss and turn of the person above!
Next morning I had a Mt McKinley flight seeing tour scheduled. Mt McKinley is the highest mountain in N. America. Actually it is the tallest mountain in the world from base to summit. The flight was with a company named Talkeetna Aero Services. After a 2 hrs drive north of Anchorage, I was in a small town called Talkeetna. The weather could not have
been better. The mountain which is often shrouded in clouds was out in its full glory. A distance silhouette of white against blue skies. It lies in the Denali national park famous for its views and wildlife.
The Cessna took off and we were airborne. The view of creeks, lakes and green forests soon turned into an icy wonderland. Jagged mountain peaks covered with a thick blanket of snow, glacier rivers running down the valley. A perfect winter wonderland in the peak of summer. Breathtaking views. Our plane circled Mt McKinley. After flying over the mountains and between the mountains, we landed on a glacier valley. I had been transported into a different world!
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