After Crepe Suzette and I picked the family up at the airport, we drove up to the cabin Mom and Craig reserved for us on Jade Lake in Big Lake, Alaska. We were told that Big Lake was only 45 miles from Anchorage but they must have been referring to the route that birds travel, as opposed to vehicles, because it took us no less than 1 hour and 30 minutes to make the trip.
On Sunday, we got up and readied ourselves as soon as possible with one bathroom and four girls (out of the door by around 12:00) and drove to a quaint town called Talkeetna. We ate lunch at a homey little place called Roadhouse.
A big, flat pancake for Crepe Suzette and breakfast with reindeer sausage for Craig (which he chose not to eat because of the fat content and because he didn't believe it was really reindeer sausage).
Sunny sippin' on hot chili.
We then wondered around the town, sometimes even posing for pictures while standing in the middle of the main street through town. There was very little traffic. We all gathered in a gift shop and purchased a couple of things we could have easily lived without.
Gift shops are fun. Well, unless you have a 5 year old kid who believes she needs to own every stuffed animal on the universe. No really, I enjoyed the gift shop. Saying no is getting easier. It’s in the repetition, I think.
A yurt. I tried to talk Chuck into buying one of these when we lived in Alabama and living in it down by the river on his mother's property. Chuck didn't go for it. They make them all different sizes. You can get them plumbed and wired with electricity. If you want to, you can even put walls up inside. This was the first time I'd seen one aside from on the internet. I think it was a place for renting outdoor equipment and they were closed, so I didn't get to go inside.
After lunch, we drove up to Hatcher’s Pass. The drive up the mountain was like nothing I have seen in Alaska thus far. A stream rushing with crystal clear water paralleled the road. Boulders were scattered in the stream that made it “A River Runs Through It” like, if “A River Runs Through It” were filmed on the side of a steep mountain. I failed to get any photos of the picturesque scene because I was in the backseat of the truck and we didn't stop for a photo shoot until we reached part of the old gold rush camp.
This is the kind of thing I do when surrounded by majestic beauty.
I take photos of broken table tops. I love them. Well, not all broken table tops. Just the especially colorful ones.
Did the cold do this to them? I wonder when.
We didn’t travel up the mountain further because we had been in a cramped truck for as long as was tolerable that day.
On Monday, we had a tire incident. Fortunately Craig noticed that the tire was low and we were within ½ a mile of a tire service center. It had to be completely replaced as it was busted in more than one spot. I was so grateful the tire decided to “bust” not only when Craig was with us and when we were so close to a tire center, but when we were off that route from Delta Junction to Anchorage. I mean, I think I could change the tire but there aren’t many places ideal for a blowout along the way. Thank you Lord. Also, I picked up a spare tire for Chuck’s truck while we were there. Happy Birthday hun!
We found this place along the way. I think this is where float planes frequently dock. There were no planes when we stopped but I saw one when we drove by earlier in the day.
We found this place along the way. I think this is where float planes frequently dock. There were no planes when we stopped but I saw one when we drove by earlier in the day.
Before we left Crepe Suzette had thrown all of these ropes into the water (they were tied on one end). Guess those pilots are going to have to fish them out. Sorry 'bout that.
See how I struggle? God's creation or garbage in the woods? The garbage in the woods pulls at my camera. Actually in this case, I think it was the moss that got my attention.
6 Comments
I've enjoyed your entries and photos from your recent adventure and visit with family. I'm glad you visited Talkeetna and Hatcher Pass. I love the drive up to Hatcher PAss - especially on a clear day when you can see the valley below. Talkeetna is much more fun in the summer months when everything is open, but it appears you enjoyed yourself.
ReplyDeleteThe drive down the Richardson can be quite lonely. Likewise the drive across the Glenn. It's pretty though, so I enjoy it. The Matanuska Glacier tourist trap makes me mad. Anyone who owns a home along that stretch tries to cash in on charging people to cross through their property to see the glacier. The overlook you stopped at is brand new. You should have seen that road when they were repairing! Talk about SCARY!
As for big cities (Anchorage), Steve and I drive THROUGH Anchorage as fast as we can when we travel. It's way too busy for us, and the drivers there can be so rude. We much prefer smaller towns too.
Great Post. Love it. Thanks for documenting our trip Hayley. Ma
ReplyDeleteLove your post today :)
ReplyDeleteLove the pictures and the moss covered building and table tops are very interesting...they would have caught my eye also :)
Looks like ya'll had a good time! All of your pics are so good.
ReplyDeleteHey Susan. Thanks for your trip suggestions again. I wish we could have hit them all.
ReplyDeleteThanks everybody!
Thanks for doing this, sister. Now we have an "album" AND a "journal" of our trip! I like that. I would've never gotten around to it. (i procrastinate i'm a procrastinator yeeeeaaahh you know that).
ReplyDeleteListen, I was noticing you didn't have the camera centered on ME when I was doing my "hamming it up" high kicks. I forgive you, but this is something we need to talk about. When I give it my all like that, I expect to be the main focus in the photo. Number ONE in the PHOTO!!! I don't usually do this for free, sooooo....I don't really know what else to say. Great. Thanks.
BTW, those mosaic tables fall apart when you leave them out in any kind of weather. Why, even I, myself spent days mosaic-ing a table top which I promptly destroyed by leaving it out in the rain. And wind. And sun. And then rain again but that doesn't really sound like me, does it? DOES IT.
These are some goooooooood photos, sister. Good job. Thank you.