cruisinskier

We spent most of the day around town, visiting the shops, and just relaxing.  It rained on and off throughout the day, which made us even happier we had done the flight tour the previous afternoon.

On 6/22/2019 at 11:50 AM, masterdrago said:

Great pictures! Thanks for sharing with us. Definitely following along. We took the Talkeetna Air Taxi flight same as you the day b4 (May 18) but landed on a different glacier ( Kahiltna Glacier at 7,200 feet). It's where the climbers base b4 making the summit attempt. Looks like all have failed so far this year. Looks as if the weather is great there this morning also. The FAA has two weather webcams set up there. https://avcams.faa.gov/

That must have been great to visit the base camp!!   What an experience!

After breakfast we headed to check out the Ranger Station, where all the climbers must register and prove they are ready, before they start their 17-21 day trek to summit Mt Denali.  They had a great video here that truly gives you insight to the challenges of this climb.

It was still early in the season but no one had summitted yet.   Typically they said 50% of those who try make it to the summit.

The rest of the evening we just laid low, the finale of Game of Thrones was on , we picked up a pizza in town and brought it back to our cabin to watch the show.

The next day we awoke unsure what our plans were.   We had already done the one thing we had come to Talkeetna to do.   We did know we were going to have breakfast at the Roadhouse....one of many places in town built around the climbing community.

After lunch, now almost early evening, we checked into our lodging at Denali Fireside Cabins for the next 2 nights.   Our room was large with 2 queen beds, very clean, and perfect for what we needed.......

I will leave you with one final panoramic photo of our stop on the glacier.....

After a couple of hours, we were back at the airport having experienced one of the best things I have ever done.....and this was only our first full day in Alaska!   

We headed into town and had a very late lunch.  And a drink to celebrate our flight!

2 minutes ago, mapleleaves said:

 

Yes indeed, lots of smiles in these photos !  

You were very wise to take advantage of the good weather and take the flight.  Great photos ! Thx for sharing.

 

p.s.  I grew up in Orillia

Thanks for the note and yes we figured if we could go in good weather it made sense to just do it!  FYI, Both of my parents are from Orillia.....I know it very well!

Great photo of the glacier!!

We were actually docked beside you in Skagway on the Azamara Quest.......

After almost half an hour on the glacier, which seemed much shorter and way to quick, we were back in the air and continuing on with our scenic flight!

While we were on the glacier another plane landed briefly and took off again.....here is their takeoff.....

After about 45 minutes in the air, it was time to descend and land on the Ruth Glacier.  There is nothing like being the only ones on a glacier surrounded by mountains.   You feel isolated and yet it is magical......

I could go on and on with photos but lets just say that the smiles on all of our faces in that last photo sums up the experience.....if you ever get the chance, do it!   It is not cheap and worth every penny!!  And yes that is Mount Denali behind us while we are on a glacier at 7,000 ft.

Thanks for sharing.   We landed at the Ruth Glacier the next day and it was awesome as well!   Denali is a place that leaves you speechless, but wanting to tell everyone it did!!!

And here is another video that better captures the scenery of our flight.....sorry for camera not being full screen but with the size of the windows this angle worked much better.....

The next 2 hours were amazing and definitely one of the highlights of our 17 day trip....and we were only on day 2!  Words, and even the photos, do not do justice to the scenery that is Denali National Park......

Here is a video of our actual takeoff.......

We arrived in Talkeetna around 1:30 and were going to look for food.   However it was a very sunny, clear day and the forecast for the next day was calling for clouds and rain.   So instead  of heading straight to a restaurant we decided to stop by the office of Talkeetna Air Taxi first.   We had the tour booked with them for the next day but wanted to ask if we could go today instead given the great weather.   About 30 minutes later, still hungry, we were headed for takeoff.......

21 hours ago, gottagoacruzn said:

Impressive photos!!! Glad you had a great time.

Thanks!  I would gladly go to Alaska again in a second!

It was time to continue our drive towards Talkeetna.  It was a nice clear day and perfect for driving.   So far our weather had been warmer than home!

This was the view from one of the overlooks just outside Talkeetna.......

Inside the Iditarod Headquarters, they had lots of detailed information, many photos, trophies, a video, and two ladies with extensive knowledge.   Here is just a sampling....

For a place that we stopped at without major expectations, we enjoyed our time here and would recommend a stop to anyone driving past.

Hi all!  Thanks for following along!  I probably should take the time to properly introduce us.   We are Jerry & Patti, a mid-50's couple from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  This was our 14th cruise, our first with Azamara, and our first time to Alaska which has been on our long bucket list for many years.   Our best friends from just north of Toronto were also along with us on this trip.

OK, so back to the review....

We didn't really know what to expect at the Iditarod Headquarters.   We had a great discussion with Raymie Redington and we did decide that for $10 pp we would do the short but fun dog run.   

This is what I think of when I hear Iditarod however today most sleds are made of titanium or other light metals

This is the cart we were pulled in:  

And here is a link to the video showing our actual ride!

We met some of the dogs who had ran in the Iditarod.   And we met musher Raymie Redington who competed in the race 11 times.   And whose father, Joe Redington, was the driving force behind establishing the Iditadrod race (see statue in last post).   We also met some of the pups who will be future Iditarod stars.... 

Sunday May 19 - Anchorage to Talkeetna

After an uneventful flight and a night in Anchorage, we were off.   We had our rental car which we had picked up from Avis at the airport in Anchorage.   Today's destination was Talkeetna, with a stop in Wasilla at the Iditarod Headquarters.

So to start us off......

Hi all!

First, thanks to all those who helped with our cruise planning!   It all certainly helped as there are many options in Alaska.

I was going to do a normal trip review however I think Alaska is different.  Regardless of which cruise line you visit on, the main reason you go to Alaska is for Alaska!  And the scenery and wildlife did not disappoint!  So maybe the best way to pay it forward is via a photo review of what we did and where we went on our trip.....

Our basic outline of plans were as follows:

• May 18 - Fly Toronto to Alaska - overnight Anchorage 
• May 19-20 - Talkeetna
• May 21-24 - Seward
• May 24 - June 4 cruise on Azamara Quest
• June 4 - fly Vancouver to Toronto

We struggled with the decision to not go right into Denali National Park as we knew the road was only going to be partially open this early in the season.   So instead we did a flight tour from Talkeetna with a glacier landing....and it was a great decision!   We also did a couple of tours from Seward into Kenai Fjords National Park.   Overall we were very happy with the decisions we made and we also had a bit of down time in Seward before a port intensive cruise. 

Our cruise itinerary was as follows and we will share photos from each of these ports

Great photos!  Thanks for sharing!

We actually sailed out of Seward the day after you.....I may have a few photos of the Radiance to share when the time comes.  

We also spent a week in Alaska prior to the cruise and also did the rental car pickup and return in Anchorage.  Otherwise the drop fee was crazy!!    We were in Seward for 4 days so just got up early and drove back to Anchorage and took the cruise shuttle back down.   Yes it was a bit of back tracking but it saved us hundreds of $ that were spent on much better things!

Looking forward to more of your review!