Alaska Adventure August 2020 – Summer of Covid

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Gallivanting Like a Royal

Alaska Adventure August 2020 – Summer of Covid
by
Duchess DJ Love



As a passionate traveler needing a destination away due to the Covid lockdown, I book a trip to Alaska August 6-12, 2020. I needed a safe destination especially since my mom will be traveling with me. Mom has Alzheimers. I have to take her needs into consideration. You can learn how we are dealing with this illness and how both of us cope. More on this topic in my book, My Royal Mom…Lady Lexie vs Alzheimers. Alaska was open to US travelers only with strict travel requirements. I assumed few folks would be traveling with the enhanced restrictions. Alaska was a safe, well as safe, as you could get a place to go. I was not about to let this virus turn my world upside down, so a brave traveler I became. I read up on ways to protect oneself and planned my trip accordingly. Since passengers were not flying, I managed to snap up a deal with American Airlines on first class tickets. This will limit those we come in close contact. My goal is make all who cross my path feel the love. I’m purposely aligning my clothes to share my message.

Destination Highlights: Girdwood, Whittier, Seward, Talkeetna, Healy and Anchorage



Day 1: Carolinas to Alaska (East to West)

Our trip began in Charlotte NC (CLT) where we flew to Chicago (ORD) and then onto Anchorage (ANC). CLT was bustling along with people flying. However ORD was like a ghost town, not many folks in this huge airport. Food was limited in the airport as well as in 1st class. Covid concerns changed the way business is being conducted. Our big, upfront, roomy seats made the long journey to Alaska a bit more pleasant. I am TSA PreCheck, so going through security was a breeze. In one of my books, Unpacking the Trip b4 Takeoff, I discuss more regarding the pricing/cost analysis and my trip planning strategies. Once in ANC, all must exit via Covid Customs as I call it. Security meets you once you deplane at the gate. You must present your covid pre-trip paperwork, then assigned to a covid officer to verify your information. If you haven’t been tested within 3 days and received a negative result then you must quarantine for 10 days. There’s a $25,000 fine if the rules are broken. Luckily for us, we were good on those requirements. We went onto phase 2 where you take a 2nd covid test by the airport. You didn’t have to wait on those results to continue on with your trip. They will contact you with the results which is taking about 3 days or so. Once cleared, off to the rental car company. I found another good deal on a small SUV. Unfortunately, there was internet connectivity issues and we had problems getting my credit card to work in order to secure the car. TIP: If this happens to you, phone your credit card customer service line, ask the desk agent to manually process your credit card for the car, hotel etc. Both agent and customer service representative will need to discuss the procedure. I’m grateful that we had a work around as it was getting late and we needed to take these masks off; fresh air was greatly needed after all day on plane & in airport. The rental car was great. You could smell the clean and now there is a contactless process which proved to be a time saver. There were attendants available if you needed assistance which offered some peace of mind. Finally around 6:30 pm we are off to the Alyeska Resort where 2 nights await us. Driving there was the biggest highlight of the day. The views arriving into Anchorage were amazing but this Turnagain Arm drive was breathetaking. I ooh and awe all the way. We see kite boarders, a rainbow, a double rainbow and majestic mountain beauty. The weather is dreary but the scenery makes it bright as the sun peaks through the clouds every so often. The resort is about a hour west of ANC located in the small town of Girdwood (home of Alyeska Resort). The town is charming and quaint. We check into the hotel easily. We scored the 8th floor - Summit level room with aerial tram view. We order room service as there is no inside dining allowed in the greater Anchorage area. Covid Restrictions. Our meal was so tasty. We split the Pistachio Crusted Alaska Black Cod with steamed veggies and pototes. The one meal was plenty for the both of us. We enjoyed lounging in our room, soakin up the mountain view before unwinding and watching a movie. We are in Alaska, the last frontier and wilderness awaits.





Day 2 Whittier – Seward Bound
Friday morning, we awake hungry so we order room service again before venturing out to Portage, Bard Peak, Begich, Boggs Visitor Center, Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel where you enjoy the unique experience of a trip to Whittier, Alaska, driving the longest combined vehicle-railroad tunnel in North America! Driving through the tunnel was a bit unnerving but a fun, unusual attraction, You'll go through the 2.5 mile Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel to reach the small harbor town of Whittier which is enchanting but lonely without the cruise ship population. The $13 cost is round trip via the tunnel and was worth it to me. We timed it so that we could see the train go through ahead of us and didn’t have to wait long. TIP: There’s a schedule when you can travel each way, so make sure you check the times when you begin to visit.

Summer Schedule: To Whittier: Cars leave on the half hour, from 5:30am to 10:30pm. From Whittier: Cars leave on the hour, from 6am to 11pm. Arrive at least 10 minutes prior to tunnel opening. (Arriving earlier isn’t a waste; park in line, then get out of your car and soak in the scenery. Give yourself another 20 - 30 minutes to get through the tunnel. The drive is only 10 minutes, but the opening can be delayed, or there can be a line before you enter.

From Whittier we make the drive to Seward, the Gateway to Alaska. The scenic drive is about 2 hours taking you through Moose Pass, but we didn’t see any Moose. My reason for visiting Seward is the National Park of Kenai Fjords. I try to hit all national parks when I visit an area, so this was a must to do. Exit Glacier is a short drive off the main road with easy viewing and short hikes to get up close. What’s a trip without soverneirs? So continuing on through the picturesque town in search of worthy trinkets to bring home and obtain a fountain coke which was greatly needed this late in day. At the welcome center, I learn Seward is known as the Mural Capital of Alaska with over 30 paintings. I had to strike a pose with the Welcome to Seward mural. You might know the one that I truly wanted to see was hard to locate even with gps! However my southern charm got me into the Cruise Ship Terminal which was closed due to Covid to strike a pose. This fascinating story will be in my upcoming book, Duchess DJ’s Magicial Encounters. Stay tuned for that!! Does she find love while traveling? Is the romance Gods guiding her to a special destination? Yes it’s juicy! Back to this travel blob, though. We purchase some postcards and an Alaska wooden hand-crafted heart bracelet at the Alaska Shop on 4th street, browse the local art gallery, drop in at the Frontier Trading Post for some fudge, then mail post cards before making my way to Essential One gas station for a fountain coke. Someone special hooked me up with a deal and a coke. My lucky day!!



Day 3 Open day in Girdwood

We walked around the small town square, got mom a coffee at the Grind. They have a wide selection of coffees and tea. Had to wait in a long line on a Saturday morning to mail post cards stamped with Girdwood name and zipcode at the local post office which was surprising…seemed like the entire town came out and about this morning. Nice looking building for a post office. The décor complimented the Alaskan way of life. While in line, I took advantage of the situation and asked where do the locals eat here. Several folks recommended the Coast pizza place; Coast states it’s philosophy is BEAUTIFUL & DELICIOUS pizza. They didn’t let our taste buds down even after a hour wait once order is placed and that’s in the slack time. Today we took it easy and enjoyed the resort: walking the trails on property, taking the tram up the mountain to take in the magnificent views and take a short drive to see wildlife up close at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, which showcases the state’s animals and helps protect them. You can see all kinds of the unique creatures that make their homes here, like coyotes, bald eagles, bison, and bears—and learn how the center is helping these species survive.



Day 4 En Route to Denali National Park

Off towards Anchorage the views of Turnagain Arm are even more astonshing. There are many pullouts to stop and snap a photo or just take in the beauty while stretching your legs. When I travel I enjoy taking pics with signs, so we make a quick stop in the road to snap Welcome to Anchorage. We found several more signs during our time in the city. One is located inside the ANC airport, one driving toward Anchorage from Girdwood and another Anchorage Welcomes You sign on the corner of International Airport Road and Jewel Lake and at 1175 E 5th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501 both are seen surounded by flowers. Also there are over 15 murals, statues and unique displays in Anchorage to see. Take a print out and do the walking tour. Making our way to Wasilla we pass by reflection lake and signages stating be careful moose crossing. Found the Museum of Alaska Transportation but it is temporarily closed due to Covid. Luckily in Wasilla the Wendy’s was open and you could go inside. We needed the pit stop. Long drive to Denali with very little traffic so we made good time on the Parks Hwy #3. Once you near Talkeetna you can see the snow covered Denali Mountain Range on a clear day like we have. Perfect day for our drive. We arrive in Healy early afternoon and check into our balcony room at Denali Bluffs Hotel. Of course I wanted to spend the night at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge but again due to Covid, it was closed. Many attractions, hotels, shops, and restaurants were closed so you had to make the most of what was available. The hotel had an onsite restaurant, Mountaineer Grill & Bar, which served up tasty food. After the late lunch, we drove into the first fifteen miles of the Denali National Park road, to a place called Savage River. The road to Savage River is paved, and features numerous pull-outs for folks to stop and snap some scenic photos. "The Mountain" can be seen as early as Mile 9 and so can wildlife, be on the lookout. We saw several Elk. It became wet, windy and dreary very fast, so we didn’t hop on the bus tour. Back at the hotel the weather had calmed so we walked the Savage River Loop Trail.





Day 5 En Route back to Anchorage stopover in Talkeetna

We decided to try out breakfast based on a local’s suggestion. Heading south of Healy, we stopped at the McKinley Creekside Cabins, Café, & Bakery. It is a small locally owned and operated boutique Alaskan lodge, restaurant and bakery. Creekside is located just 15 minutes from Denali National Park on beautiful Carlo Creek, surrounded by mountains. The Bakery is the heart of their operation. They love making and sharing good food with friends, guests and neighbors sourcing local when they can and have a small green house and garden for farm to table fresh food. The meal was scrumptious and we picked up a box lunch for the drive. Try the jam…oh my. Our room for tonight sets on a ridge just above the town of Talkeetna. The Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge offers majestic views of the tallest peak in North America. We have the 2nd floor mountian view room. It is spacious with a fan and comfy feel. The staff were excellent and we had the entire lodge almost all to ourselves. We drove into town for dinner and take in the shops and sights. Did I ever feel the love? Heart trinkets galore, love signs, photo ops, art gallerys, post office, and best food in Alaska. There was live music on the square. The temperature was drier and warmer than any other part of Alaska that we had visited. I wanted to stay longer and will return to Talkeetna.



Day 6 End of Alaska Trip

We check out and head back to Anchorage. There were some sights that I wanted to take in before our everning flight home. Couldn’t pass up the photo op in Houston Alaska after feeling so much love in Talkeetna, maybe I was about to find a handsome man to be my lumberjack ?. Once into Anchorage, we drove around the city and it was desolate. Homeless folks smoking weed all over. Hard Rock Café had closed and boarded it’s windows. There were some open stores near the Federal Bldg. Even the Welcome Center was closed. As we were driving, the signs of love captured my heart and I snapped a few to share with you.



Closing Remarks

My trip to Alaska during the summer of Covid was an exceptional experience in so many ways. The beauty of the land, the kindess of the locals and recognizing so many things we take for granted that covid shut down. We even found a couple more photo ops inside the terminal. Email me: [e-mail] for questions or comments. I’d love to hear from you! I’ve traveled all 50 states and plan to post more of my adventures. South Lake Tahoe, Big Island Hawaii, and Sedona are all in the works for travel this year.

Stay tuned in…

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