Alaskan Adventure

Back in 2017, the top of my bucket list of places I wanted to visit was Alaska, the largest state in the USA. In my previous life, where I worked as the head of the product department for a tour operator, I was lucky enough to be invited to go on an educational trip with Iceland Air and the Pursuit Collection - I jumped at the chance. The tourist season in Alaska is very short, usually from mid-May until mid-September - we were just going to catch the end of the season and I was very excited! We were to travel out on the 13th and back on the 18th September 2017. So, first thing to cross my mind was ‘what to pack?’. Well, at the end of the summer season it is still cold, so winter walking gear seems the best attire; not quite ski gear but you do need warm clothing. We all met up at Heathrow airport to catch the Iceland Air flight to Anchorage via Reykjavik. A popular choice when visiting Alaska is to stay a couple of nights in Iceland on the way to see things like the Blue Lagoon or drive the Golden Circle. We were on a tight schedule so we only had a couple of hours in Reykjavik airport before we were off again to our destination. The flight and connection were very easy - Reykjavik Airport was undergoing a renovation so there was not much to do there but that should be all finished by now. Alaska is the largest US state and five times larger than the UK with a population of only 700,000 people and half of those live within the Anchorage metropolitan area. On arrival we headed off to the town of Talkeetna; a town formed in 1916 when the area was designated headquarters for the Alaska Railroad. We stayed in the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, a large 212 room lodge that offers outstanding views of Denali and the Alaska range. The Towering River Rock fireplace is a stunning centre piece; a magnificent 46-foot fireplace created from of rocks from the Matanuska River. The next day, after a good rest, we headed off to the Denali National Park, learning loads more about Alaska during the course of the day. Up until the mid 1800s Alaska was part of Russia. According to the locals, Russia decimated the otter population for their thick fur and didn’t see any value in keeping hold of it once they were gone so they sold it to the USA in 1867 for $7.2 million or about 2 cents per acre. I think the U.S. Secretary of State William Seward got a great deal there and you will be happy to know the otter population is now thriving once again. The Denali National Park is a 6-million-acre national park with the 20,310 feet high Denali Mountain at its heart - the highest mountain in North America. The tour into the park was great: wide open spaces and watching out for the Alaskan big 5 - grizzly bears, wolves, moose, caribou and dall sheep! We stayed overnight in the Denali Cabins: just eight miles from the National Park. Nestled in the wilderness, these 46 cedar cabins are an idyllic setting. In the morning, we were off to the Denali Translation for a trip on the world-famous Denali Star - Alaska Railroad’s flagship train - for a beautiful journey on the glass roofed train back to Talkeetna. With hardly any light-pollution, this location is perfect to see the Northern Lights but unfortunately, on this occasion, we didn’t get to see them. There were so many highlights on this trip, but the next part was probably top of my list. We headed to the K2 Aviation offices and got ready for an hours flight in a small 12-seater aircraft to go and see the Denali National Park and mountain range from the air. This was spectacular and the pilot was great; flying over the glacier was an unforgettable experience. Back to Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge to warm up by the fire and a good night’s sleep. The next day we took a nice walk into Talkeetna town itself for a huge breakfast in the Talkeetna Roadhouse; this place was great fun and had atmosphere in abundance: a great spot for a hearty breakfast. Next up, it was back into Anchorage for an overnight stay at the Hilton Anchorage; a well located hotel in the city and a short walk to the train station. This is where we headed to for the Coastal Classic Train to Seward which offers another hearty breakfast en-route. On arrival at Seward, we headed down to the harbour and picked up the Kenai Fjords tour where we saw a vast range of wildlife: seals, otters, whales, puffins and even a pair of Golden Eagles. The Alaskan wildlife was incredible. After an amazing tour, we headed of to our final hotel of the trip - the Seward Windsong Lodge: a serene estate nestled into the ancient Exit Glacier Valley just outside of Seward. The 180 comfortable guest rooms are entwined with the boreal forest and the Resurrection River. It was a perfect base camp for exploring the natural wonders of the nearby Exit Glacier and Kenai Fjords National Park – both by land and by sea. Our last treat was a walking tour to visit the Exit Glacier Area. Exit Glacier is the primary destination for visitors to witness, up close, the power of the glaciers - to see a glacier up close and personal was an amazing experience. It is also the home to the Exit Glacier Nature Centre. 5 days in the stunning Alaska was an experience I will never forget and a destination I can thoroughly recommend.