2012.8.31~9.1We resupplied at Fred Meyer supermarket and left Fairbanks to Denali National Park in the morning. We drove west on AK-4. It soon became George Parks Highway (AK-3) once we were out of the city. Connecting Anchorage and Fairbanks and providing the major access to Denali National Park, George Parks Highway is one of the most important roads in state Alaska. However, the mountain range around the area is mild and the road side view is less dramatic compared to the Richardson Highway.

George Parks Highway, Alaska

We reached Nenana at the noon time. This is a small town 55 miles south of Fairbanks, at the juncture of the Nenana River and the Tanana River. The discovery of gold in Fairbanks brought prosperity and train access to the town, but it had no road access to Fairbanks until the bridge was constructed in 1968. The completion of George Parks Highway in 1971 gave the town a direct route to Anchorage. We made a brief stop at the railway station and a gift shop in the town.

Mears Memorial Bridge over the Tanana River, Nenana, Alaska

Nenana, Alaska

it’s been cloudy all the way since we left Fairbanks. At about 1:30pm, we entered Denali National Park and Preserve area. Only 1 mile north to the park’s entrance, overlooking the Nenana River, there is a large area full of lodging and restaurant options. It has maybe the only traffic light in the whole stretch of the George Parks Highway. We took a quick stop and decided to see the park first before going to our lodge.

Nenana river, between Healy and the entrance of Denali National Park, Alaska

We picked up our tour ticket for the next day at the Wilderness Access Center and stopped by the Denali Visitor Center. They are located at the beginning of the Park Road. The first 15 miles of the Park Road is open to private vehicles. We came to Alaska in late tourism season in September, which sees more rains, but also offers unbeatable view of fall colors and tundra field. A couple of miles into the park, we found ourselves surrounded by the seemingly endless red and purple sea of tundra. Tundra is dwarfed shrubs adapted to the short growing season. They blossom in August and turned to brilliant colors in the fall.

Tundra panorama in Denali National Park dotted by spruces, Alaska

Fall color of Denali National Park, Alaska

Fall color of Denali National Park, Alaska

It’s a good decision to see the park first. It started raining at the time we turned back at about the 12 mile mark. Our lodge, McKinley Village Lodge, is 7 miles south of the park entrance. It’s a large facility with multiple buildings. The lobby was warm and cozy. The lodge was built along the Nenana river bank. One of our rooms got the river view.

The section of Nenana River where McKinley Village Lodge is located, Alaska

Our Denali National Park bus tour started at 7:30am the next day. We waited at the Wilderness Access Center half an hour before the shuttle bus came to pick us up. We chose the tour that reaches Eielson Visitor Center that is located at Mile 66 of the park road. The round-trip time is about 8 hours. It’s a good duration considering that we had to keep some strength to drive back to Anchorage at the night. The furthest point that the shuttle bus can take you is Kantishna at Mile 92, but most visitors who are willing to go that far probably camp at Wonder Lake at Mile 85.

The sighting is generally better if you sit on the left side of the bus, which offers more open views of the river and the valley on the way going into the park. It’s also more “scarier” when the bus runs on the cliff at some section of the road. On the way back, you would most likely fall asleep anyway. Our guide was funny. He almost keep talking all the way without stop. The tour is somewhat disappointing mainly because of the weather. We had a grey day and animals were rare. We didn’t see Mt. McKinley at the Eielson Visitor Center because of the cloud. (The rangers also kept us inside because some bears were around.)

Tundra in wonderful display as we just passed the check point where private vehicles have to turn back, Denali National Park, Alaska

The park offers hiking options in the total wilderness, Denali National Park, Alaska

At Stony Hill Overlook where we should supposedly see Mt. McKinley in a clear day, Denali National Park, Alaska

Only tundra no taiga near Eielson Visitor Center, Denali National Park, Alaska

A bear with her two cubs, Denali National Park, Alaska

A Bull Moose near the entrance of Denali National Park, Alaska

We returned to the Wilderness Access Center a little before 4:00pm. We left the park immediately – we had 240 miles to drive to get to Anchorage. The rain stopped and started. It’s raining very hard near Wasilla. Somehow we managed to beat the time to step into the VIP Korean restaurant that we liked so much before its close. (We ordered the food while driving as we were approaching Anchorage).

We had some time to stop by the University of Alaska Anchorage in the next day morning, before we took the flight heading home at noon.

2012.8.30Fairbanks is located in the Alaska Interior, half way between the Gulf of Alaska and Arctic Ocean. It’s second largest city of the state. At latitude of 64 degree north, Fairbanks’ summer sees long hours of sun light, but as it enters September, the daytime is shortened by an hour every week. The winter is long and cold. The temperature can often reach −30 °F. However, locals don’t see it as an inconvenience. They wear heavy coats with only T-shirts inside, so they can quickly adjust to the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures.

We came to Fairbanks with very little expectation to see Aurora – the northern lights. The auroral activity was only 1 or 2 for the two nights that we were there. Because Fairbanks is in the central of Tanana Valley, the sky is often cloudy in the night. It’s said that the chance is better if you drive north away from the city and up to the mountains. Some lodges there also offer the Aurora Viewing programs with hefty price. As I knew the chance was very low in September, other than opening the window to watch the sky from time to time, we didn’t do anything.

In the morning, we first went to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline visitor center, which is located only 10 miles north of Fairbanks. The pipeline is one of the largest projects of its kind. Although controversial, it’s truly a man-made wonder and solved many difficulties to deal with permafrost and earthquake faults to being financially and environmentally feasible.

Trans-Alaska Pipeline visitor center, Fairbanks, Alaska

We then went to see the Georgeson Botanical Garden. It’s a lovely garden with many species, which is specially challenging consider Fairbanks’ northern environment. The garden is within University of Alaska Fairbanks’ campus and serves as the field ground to study subarctic horticulture.

Huge cabbage in Georgeson Botanical Garden, Fairbanks, Alaska

Different species of wheat in Georgeson Botanical Garden, Fairbanks, Alaska

Berries of Alaska, Georgeson Botanical Garden, Fairbanks, Alaska

We drove back to the main campus of University of Alaska Fairbanks and walked around the Museum of North.

University of Alaska at Fairbanks’ campus, Alaska

University of Alaska Museum of the North, Fairbanks, Alaska

There are not many choices for restaurants in Fairbanks, but a Japanese Restaurant with a very plain appearance named Ajimi is one of the best.

Our first stop in the afternoon is Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center located in the downtown. There were some informative displays and video here. It’s a good free “museum” to spend a hour or so. After that, we went to the Pioneer Park. It’s a park that was built to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the purchase of Alaska from Russia. Later, some old cabins were moved to the place and it has became a historic park that mimics a gold-rush town and demonstrates living environments of the early settlers.

Pioneer Park, Fairbanks, Alaska

Pioneer Park, Fairbanks, Alaska

Pioneer Park, Fairbanks, Alaska

2012.8.28~29From Anchorage to Fairbanks, we would take Glenn Highway (AK-1) and then Richardson Highway (AK-4 and AK-2). We’d go to Denali National Park later in our trip, At that time, we would go back to Anchorage by the shorter route, AK-3, to complete a loop.

The first 40 miles of the Glenn Highway is the only road access to Anchorage from the north. After this section of the busy road, as we turned east after passing Palmer, the vehicles were getting fewer and fewer. The highway runs along the south side of the Alaska Range and, for the most part, along the Matanuska River. The road is winding and climbs over Eureka Summit at 3,332 ft. There are many pullout places for you to view the beautify valley created by the receding Matanuska Glacier.

Mountain range and glacier lakes by the Glenn Highway, Alaska

Matanuska Glacier, about 100 miles north-east of Anchorage, Alaska

The 180-mile Glenn Highway took us almost 5 hours. We stayed over night at Caribou Hotel in Glennallen. Some travelers gave low rating to the hotel, but we found it to be nice and most importantly clean, and the front desk was very helpful too. It’s not cheap, but this is in the middle of nowhere, I don’t think you should expect full facilities.

Overlook Mount Drum from Glennallen at sunset, Alaska

Caribou Hotel, Glennallen, Alaska

The next morning, I went back 10 miles along the highway and found the beautify lake we passed by the early night. The view was wonderful in the sunrise.

A lake in sunrise, 10 miles west to Glennallen, Alaska

After having some instant noodles as our breakfast, we were on our way at 9:30am. After 2 miles, we turned left onto the Richardson Highway (AK-4). The highway cut through the Alaska Range at its east end, the view continued to be breathtaking.

Summit Lake on Richardson Highway (AK-4), Alaska

Richardson Highway (AK-4) near Summit Lake, Alaska

Most of time, Richardson Highway run parallelly with Trans-Alaska Pipeline. This is one crossing section (63° 44′ 47″N, 145° 50′ 30″W)

AK-4 meets AK-2 at Delta Junction. There are several military bases around the area. Driving through the town, we surprisingly saw a sign as “Chinese Food”. We decided to give it a try. Luckily, it’s eatable. It’s about 3pm, we were 100 miles away from Fairbanks. As we had passed Alaska Range, the view along the road is less impressive.

15 miles south-east to Fairbanks, lies a small city, North Pole, Alaska. After driving the whole day, it felt good to see a meaningful city. Thanks for city’s name, a gift shop named Santa Claus House becomes a popular attraction. We made a stop at the store. It’s a nice place. There was a Santa taking pictures with visitors all the time.

Santa Claus House, North Pole, Alaska

We reached Fairbanks at around 6pm. We would stay two nights in the city.

2012.8.27~28The second day morning, we did some souvenir shopping and had a walk in the Waterfront Park before setting off to the Exit Glacier.

View the Resurrection Bay from the Waterfront Park, Seward, Alaska

Seward’s main street, 4th Avenue, Alaska

Exit Glacier is the only part of Kenai Fjords National Park that can be accessed by road. It is one of tens of glaciers descending from the Harding Icefield, which covers most of the Kenai Peninsula. From the parking lot, the 3-mile round trip trail can take visitors to the edge of the glacier and the vista point that offers panoramic view of the glacier by the outwash plain. The trail is well maintained and easy to walk. My parents had no problem walking to the wall of ice.

Overlook Exit Glacier, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Exit Glacier, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Cottonwood forest at Exit Glacier, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

We left Exit Glacier at 2pm and on our way to Anchorage. We made several stops, such as Bear Creek, on AK-9 and tried to watch Alaska Salmon migration, but eventually we had to go west onto the Sterling Highway until Russian River. There is a large campground by the river. . We walked down to the river level. The water is clear and the condition is excellent for sport fishing. Thousands of salmons swam up the stream to the Russian Lakes where they spawn. The part we went to might be towards the end of the salmon runs. The fish had transformed into deep red color and a lot of them were already dead.

Sport fishing at Russian River, Alaska

Returning to the Seward Highway, we had no plan for the rest of the day. We drove leisurely and enjoyed the sunset on this beautiful scenic drive.

Near the “Y”, the junction of Seward Highway and the Sterling Highway, Alaska

Near Girdwood by the Seward Highway, Alaska

The next day morning, I got up early to try my luck of viewing Mt. McKinley from Anchorage. I drove west along the Northern Light Blvd. After passing the Earthquake Park, there was a parking lot by the Cook Inlet. It is 150 miles south to Mt. McKinley. They day was clear with a little haze. I could easily see Mt. Foraker on the left and Mt. McKinley on the right. At the height of 20,320 ft., it’s the highest peak of Northern America.

Mt. McKinley (right) from Anchorage, Alaska

Anchorage Skyline, Alaska

Anchorage is a not a big town. The downtown district is taken by souvenir stores, restaurants and a shopping mall. You can pretty much cover them in a half day on foot.

Downtown Anchorage, Alaska

Historic City Hall, Downtown Anchorage, Alaska

A typical souvenir store in Anchorage downtown, Alaska

Overlook Cook Inlet at Resolution Park, Anchorage, Alaska

We had a lunch at VIP Korean restaurant. The food was excellent, especially to my parents who do not enjoy western dishes. After lunch, we resupplied at Walmart and leave for the second biggest city of Alaska, Fairbanks.

Korean dishes at VIP restaurant, Anchorage, Alaska