Anchorage Off The Beaten Path

North of Anchorage is Hatcher's Pass. This is not all paved and parts are best not done in a car. But the drive is breath taking. There were people out there collecting different berries and such along the road. There were also nice little ponds up towards the top for a stop.

This is a fun look through the different forms of wild life in Alaska. There are also buffalo that are going to be reintroduced into the wilds of Alaska. These are not the same as the buffalo in the lower 48, but called woodbine buffalo and native to the area. They are being held until they can be proven to be disease free before being released.

It is south of Anchorage along Turnagain Arm

Mile 79 Seward Highway

The water south of Anchorage is called Turnagain Arm, because when Captain Cook was looking for the NW Bipass they kept having to turn around because the pass was getting too low, hence the name.

Do not go wading out into this water. The brown areas around the shore is dangerous and can actually such you under. Several people die each year in one of these areas every year.

The dead trees around the area are petrified. They are left over from the great earthquake when they died.

Whales especially beluga whales. There is even a stop along the way called Beluga Point, very nice.

I am scared of helicopters and VT Friends Yaqui and Slapshot encouraged me to ride it. My sister already reserved a helicopter in Girdwood to take us to a glacier and land us on one! The trip was going to take 90 minutes and also promises to show some wildlife like seals, birds, and possibly bears.

I was hesitant - but my sister already paid the $425 per person trip ($850 for the two of us! Quite expensive! Will it be worth it???)

So, we drove to Girdwood which is about 45 minutes away from Anchorage and saw the red plane which looked so new (it has been used only a month). We had two pilots Marcus and Jordan-- the latter was applying for a job there and was from New Zealand - landing on islandsin NZ. But it was reassuring that just in case Marcus had a heart attack, Jordan can take over, hehehe...I'm the one who will probably collapse though from fear!

But when we finally took off, I did not even realize it, it was so smooth and the ride was great! The only scary part is when the pilot lets the chopper hover at the edge of a mountain and it was kinda turbulent...but landing on the glacier was awesome and we have pictures to prove it! Amazing views and a great experience to be cherished forever.

Thanks to my generous sister, VTer jumpingwithnorman!:)



UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE!

I made a video of my trip to Alaska with my JumpingSis!
Hope you like this:

JUMPING NORMAN IN ALASKA WITH JUMPINGSISTER!

When in Alaska, you will see all these tours for seeing the Fjords - but one of the best is that one which leaves Seward. So we drove to Seward which is about two hours away from Anchorage and just reserved our tickets by phone -- there is a FULL day tour and a HALF day tour. We were going to make it to the half-day one which leaves at 1230PM

The docks at Seward had great looking boats and we qwere getting excited about the trip -- we also had a Park Ranger on board (who by the way was very nice, took a pic with him and then he refused to have a tip from us - he really just loves doing this tour).

But seeing the Fjords and the wildlife by Resurrection bay was awesome!! We saw seals, lots of mountain goats (sop much that nobody even cared about them by the end of the tour), and dolphins and killer whales in the wild! It was nice seeing everybody very very very silent...waiting for the killer whales to pop out of the water and then everybody goes "ooohhhh"... I got it on one of my videos here on VT!



UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE!

I made a video of my trip to Alaska with my JumpingSis!
Hope you like this:

JUMPING NORMAN IN ALASKA WITH JUMPINGSISTER!

I read about this lake here on VT and it is nice not too far out of town but far enough to be out ofthe Anchorage area. I thas a small park area with swings and wonderful views of the surrounding hills. Fall colors were nice. All along the road on the way to Palmer are nice parks to pull over and exploor. Definitely get out of Anchorage and explore.

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Alaska’s wildlife, taking in injured and orphaned animals year-round and giving them a home. If they can be rehabilitated, they are released. If not, they have a spot at the AWCC permanently. You can also learn about these animals, some of which it would otherwise be virtually impossible to see in the wilderness on your own (and with time constraints of many vacations). Great photo ops.

Cost is $10 per adult, kids $7.50, or $30 max per car

Mile 79 Seward Highway
Portage Glacier, Alaska

If you're visiting in the summer please be sure to check out the coastal trail. You can walk the trail all they way from downtown to Kincaid park or vice versa. You'll have awesome views of Cook Inlet & Mt. Susitna.

The sign says "Drop your carcass here!" and that got my attention! This is a place to drop off your kill or catch for proper processing!
Inside, there's all kinds of meats and fish to sample or purchase and bring home like I did! Outside you can visit exhibits of whatever they are raising at the moment - I saw birds.
You will find signs to this along the coastal road known as the Seward Highway about 15 miles south of Anchorage. The address is:
HC 52, Box 8809
Indian, Alaska 99540

Ship Creek runs between Elmendorf Air Force Base and North Anchorage flowing down into Knik Arm near the entrance to Anchorage's deep water ship port. A special viewing area at a dam over Ship Creek is fenced for safety and is ideal for viewing salmon spawning in the shallow of the fast water gravel bed creek. While I was there, a Japanese group from a Tour Bus were gathered watching the romantic fish action; the Voyeurs!! just kidding!

Salmon spawning is a serious business because adult salmon return from the ocean to the waters where they originated from fertilized roe in the spawning process. They mate to produce new salmon, and then die; carcasses of dead salmon were in the creek and flycasting fishermen were fishing downstream. In late August the red salmon (with humped backs) were actively spawning and easy to see in the shallow waters. I took a number of pictures of several males attempting to mate with single females. The males are brighter in color and the female red salmon are drab. (Please, no email about this-it is just the way Mother Nature is here). Please enlarge the pictures to better see the fish.

From downtown Anchorage, Go on A Street north down hill becomes Loop Road, cross Ship Creek and turn right on E. Whitney Road a short distance past the upscale Bridge Restaurant spanning Ship Creek to the dam and bridge viewing area. Do this ONLY in daylight hours. This area is a free exhibit with some interpretive panels to view and read. Park right at the exhibit area and make a careful U-turn to return to downtown Anchorage in the reverse of the directions. Do NOT try to turn right into the commercial port area on Port Road-this port entry is controlled and off-limits to tourist vehicles.

This fabulous mural can be found on the side of J.C. Penneys, 406 W. 5th Avenue.

It's 400 Feet Long x 50 Feet High, Dedicated August 8th, 1994 by Mayor Rick Mystron.

Judging by the website of the wayland foundation they seem to be springing up all over America.

Though quite small, Mirror Lake is a nice place to stop. Here, there is fishing (stocked trout) but I think a better thing to do is just have a picnic. The reason it’s called Mirror Lake is not baffling…the reflection of the mountains in the water makes for a perfect picture. Since there are lots of other larger fishing areas and bodies of water around, in the lesser touristy seasons, you’ll likely be alone. For kids (and for me!), there’s swings right at the waters edge.

It's on the Glenn Highway after Peters Creek

If you aren't already headed out to Girdwood or Seward and you have a car, it is worth it to take a drive out on the Seward Highway (Turnagain Arm). Just get on the hwy and drive South from Anchorage. The mountains rising straight up out of the water on one side is so startling, and there are many waterfalls on the other side. In the summer you may see pods of whales right off the road in the bay, and dall sheep (sometimes with babies!) are a regular sight on the rocky left side. I believe that highway is one of the most beautiful drives in the world.

If you are a hiker, one of the most amazing hikes you can do is Crow Pass. It is a 27 mile stretch from Girdwood to Eagle River. It's best to start at the Girdwood end, where you will have some serious uphill for several miles. Then you reach an idyllic mountaintop area full of glacial lakes and discarded gold-mining equipment. Then you will cross some rocky/icy parts and see some enormous glaciers. Next you descend to the valley through the woods and cross several rivers, including the imposing Eagle River. Finally, you hike through some pleasant trails and end up at the Eagle River Nature Center. You will see so much...bears, moose, marmots! And the views are indescribable.

The main road out of Anchorage heading south is called the Seward Highway. It's about a 50 minute drive to Girdwood which is Alaska's largest ski resort. Another 10 minutes further on is Portage Glacier. Keep going and you can reach Seward, Kenai and Homer and all the great spots on the Kenai Peninsula.

The Seward Highway has many scenic turnouts to see the sights as you head south along Turnagain Arm. The bore tide is great to watch. Usually some windsurfers out enjoying the breeze. Beluga whales can usually be seen. Trailheads all along the way to get back into the Chugach range.

If you see a lot of cars pulled over and folks looking up at the cliffs, pull over yourself because there lots of dall sheep on the cliffs.

Turnagain Arm was named by Captain Cook on his third voyage. He anchored off present day Anchorage and thought he had found the northwest passage. He sent Lt. Bligh up this arm thinking it was a navigable river. Lt. Vancouver was sent north to explore what also appeared to be a great river. Both returned empty handed. Had to turn again - darn it!