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Fairbanks, AK to Anchorage, AK
Got up this morning at 10:00 and packed ourselves up; checked out of the Best Value Inn, our home for the past four nights. Drove up through downtown Fairbanks to get a sense for the part of town we hadn't seen, then gassed up and took off on the Parks Highway, echoing the previous day's route and seeing the same landmarks (and enduring the same construction delays). It was butterfly courtship season, and we kept getting pairs of them splattered on the windshield, one right after the other.
The road rose over the highlands north of the Tanana and Nenana Rivers, then rejoined the plains at the town of Nenana where they flowed together. Then we climbed abruptly into the Alaska Range, stopped at Denali again to get some drinks at the mercantile just inside the park, and came through the Broad Pass to our first unassisted view of Mt. McKinley itself. Cantwell and the first few miles to the south are a wide flat neck passing us from the Nenana River side of the mountains to the Chulitna River side, with few trees anywhere to obstruct the great views of McKinley and the other mountain walls surrounding the pass. As the road descended out of the Alaska Range, we got several awesome views of the mountain from the less-photographed south side, ending with the Denali Viewpoint South near Troublesome Creek—a great viewing platform with many visitors stopped for the spectacular, cloudless view. Continued on into the Susitna Valley, noticing the appearance of walkers and bicyclers who for the first time didn't seem equipped for a weeks-long journey. Just a few miles further on, though, we got the thrill of the day—a cow moose and youngster grazing right at the side of the road. We were the first car to notice and/or stop, and we got several awesome close-up photos before remembering the law (and common sense) prohibiting us from getting within 75 feet of a moose, especially a mother with a calf; we skedaddled while quite a few more cars clumped up to take pictures. The moose never showed concern or a desire to leave or charge anyone, at least by the time we left.
Traffic picked up as we passed through the Susitna Valley communities of Willow and Houston; we started seeing things like recreational lake access and turnouts and parking lots for things other than scenic views. As we neared Wasilla, we saw a long string of really hicktacular businesses, including two huge fireworks stands—one covered with American flags called "Freedom Fireworks", and another across the street in tie-dye color with a hippie VW bus out front called "Groovy Fireworks"—evidently trying to capture all possible demographics, as both were owned by the same company. Wasilla itself is a sizable and modern town with a Wal-Mart and fast food and a Lowe's and car dealerships and even a Cold Stone Creamery. Not only that, but the Parks Highway turns into a freeway at Wasilla, where the Chugach Mountains fade into view directly ahead. (I'm sure that on a less smoky day the mountains would have popped into view rather than fading.) We joined a respectable city-sized traffic stream on the way into Anchorage, enjoying the high mountain walls to the left and the sea haze coming in from the right with the sunset.
Drove into downtown Anchorage and parked near the 5th Avenue Mall, which we entered at about 7:45; it's a gorgeous, modern mall I'd expect to see in any top-notch city. We shared a Quizno's sandwich in the 4th floor food court, got quarters in change, and took to the phone book to find (after a few dispiriting "We're full" responses) a motel on the outskirts of town for the coming two nights: John's Motel & RV Park, for $60/night. The room is small but clean, and there's wireless Internet at the main office which I'll use to post some Denali photos. Unfortunately it doesn't reach out to where the room is (too many RVs in the way), but I'll brave the mosquitos and sit at the table in front of the office and hope this tired old battery doesn't run down before I can finish typing the post.