In May/June 2023, Jill and I toured Alaska by land and by sea. We traveled from Fairbanks to Whittier by motor coach and train and then sailed from Whittier to Vancouver aboard the Majestic Princess. We had a blast!
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our Cruisetour.
This story, part of a series, is about our drive from Fairbanks to Denali - what we saw along the way and what we did when we got there.
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our Cruisetour.
This story, part of a series, is about our drive from Fairbanks to Denali - what we saw along the way and what we did when we got there.
Denali National Park, Alaska (Tuesday, May 30, 2023) A good angler, aka fisherman, knows how to bait a hook, the right bait to use, and how to cast her line. She must also have the right mechanics to reel in her catch.
Well, a few months back, in mid-February, I discovered that Jill was a good angler. In fact, she was a VERY good angler.
She baited the hook with the right bait and cast her line…
Well, a few months back, in mid-February, I discovered that Jill was a good angler. In fact, she was a VERY good angler.
She baited the hook with the right bait and cast her line…
“Hey dad,” she texted, “do you want another shot at seeing Denali?”
(Only 30% of the people who came to the third-largest national park in the United States caught a glimpse of Denali, the highest mountain peak – 20,310 feet above sea level – in North America. Oh, how Jill and I had hoped to join the ‘30% Club’ when we visited the park last year.
“Batter up,” said the umpire.
“Here’s the wind up…and the pitch,” voiced the play-by-play announcer. “Oh, too bad!” he screamed into the microphone. “It was a swing and a miss.”
And that was that – it was a ‘swing and a miss’ for Jill and me in Denali last year, despite reasonably good weather.
So yes, I thought, I would like another shot at seeing Denali.)
“Batter up,” said the umpire.
“Here’s the wind up…and the pitch,” voiced the play-by-play announcer. “Oh, too bad!” he screamed into the microphone. “It was a swing and a miss.”
And that was that – it was a ‘swing and a miss’ for Jill and me in Denali last year, despite reasonably good weather.
So yes, I thought, I would like another shot at seeing Denali.)
Jill teased out a bit more of the fishing line…
“It’s a 12-day cruise tour with Princess. You’re retired. Let’s go!”
(Well, I was retired…and yet I wasn’t. I no longer worked full-time at a ‘real job,’ but I did work part-time as the bookkeeper for a family-owned business…and so I hesitated.)
And then, Jill yanked the line…
And then, Jill yanked the line…
“You’re going to let a part-time job – one you told me you don’t really like, and
only fills a few hours of time each week – stand in the way of a bucket-list trip.”
only fills a few hours of time each week – stand in the way of a bucket-list trip.”
Before I knew what had happened, she had me – figuratively and literally – hook, line, and sinker.
“You got me!” I cried out. “Let’s go.”
The rest is history.
“You got me!” I cried out. “Let’s go.”
The rest is history.
That cool damp morning in May – it was the 30th – Jill and I went Rollin’ Down a River, a three-hour cruise along the Chena on board the sternwheeler Discovery III. It was a unique experience on our 12-day Cruisetour, a quest on which we learned more than we knew about Alaska mushing from a champion musher and Native culture from Athabascan people.
Great stories, great memories!
About two that afternoon, the ‘press group’ – 11 journalists and their guests, our guide for the land portion of the Cruisetour, and our Princess host – boarded a coach bus and motored south from Fairbanks on the George Parks Highway (also known as AK-3).
Near the end of my story, The Spirits Moved Me!, I introduced our guide, Carlos. He was terrific – patient, personable, and a fount of knowledge on the sites and sights we saw from Fairbanks to Whittier.
“The George Parks Highway,” Carlos began, “was originally known as the Anchorage-Fairbanks Highway when it was completed in 1971. A few years later, in 1975, it was renamed to honor George Alexander Parks, governor of the Territory of Alaska from 1925 to 1933. It is the state’s widest and best year-round road.”
Great stories, great memories!
About two that afternoon, the ‘press group’ – 11 journalists and their guests, our guide for the land portion of the Cruisetour, and our Princess host – boarded a coach bus and motored south from Fairbanks on the George Parks Highway (also known as AK-3).
Near the end of my story, The Spirits Moved Me!, I introduced our guide, Carlos. He was terrific – patient, personable, and a fount of knowledge on the sites and sights we saw from Fairbanks to Whittier.
“The George Parks Highway,” Carlos began, “was originally known as the Anchorage-Fairbanks Highway when it was completed in 1971. A few years later, in 1975, it was renamed to honor George Alexander Parks, governor of the Territory of Alaska from 1925 to 1933. It is the state’s widest and best year-round road.”
(This is the George Parks Highway in a photo I took LAST September. I loved the colorful autumn foliage. Don’t you?!)
Carlos continued, “The miles are marked from Anchorage to Fairbanks, so we will count them down as we drive south to Denali National Park. We’ll make the two hour drive in two hours and thirty minutes...”
(Drum roll, please.)
“…because we’ll stop at a gift shop where you can use the bathrooms, stretch your legs, and browse the souvenirs.”
Ba Dum Tss!
And with a sly smile, he said, “Sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery along the way.”
And that was what I did...although I might have dozed off from time to time!
Carlos continued, “The miles are marked from Anchorage to Fairbanks, so we will count them down as we drive south to Denali National Park. We’ll make the two hour drive in two hours and thirty minutes...”
(Drum roll, please.)
“…because we’ll stop at a gift shop where you can use the bathrooms, stretch your legs, and browse the souvenirs.”
Ba Dum Tss!
And with a sly smile, he said, “Sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery along the way.”
And that was what I did...although I might have dozed off from time to time!
We drove through the town of Nenana, an Athabascan word that means ‘a good place to camp between rivers’ – the Tanana River and its tributary, the Nenana. Last year, Jill and I stopped for lunch in Nenana as we drove from Denali to Fairbanks. Our waitress at The Top Plate was small-town friendly, and the food was mmm mmm good!
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Just past the town of Clear (a whopping 61 residents), our driver exited the highway, and within minutes pulled up at the Tatlanika Gift Shop, R.V. Park, & Campground.
As I stepped off the bus, I quickly surveyed the grounds. The first thing I noticed was an old-fashioned gas pump – it was canary blue and sported a few dents – with a crank handle on the side. |
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I nudged Jill, who stood beside me, and said, “You’re too young to remember – and I am, too! – but an attendant cranked that handle to force gas into the top of the fuel pump, where gravity sent it into the tank of the car.”
“I wonder how much gas was then,” she said. We both did a double take when we looked at the face of the pump. Twenty-six cents per gallon! “Geez - the cheapest gas I remember buying as a teenager, in the late 60s, was around 33 cents a gallon,” I said. “You are old!” Jill said with a wink. |
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Jill headed to the gift shop while I wandered across a gravel road to look at a few old trucks – the rust bucket at the right was a Chevy – parked in a stand of birch tree. Like the pump, those trucks hadn’t been used in years…but not for lack of gas.
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I used the bathroom (I know…TMI), nosed around the gift shop (nothing caught my eye), and then stepped out and onto the back deck. There was a small refreshment corner with sodas, snacks, and freshly-made popcorn for $3 a bag.
A young lady was in charge. She could not have been older than 12, but she proved wise beyond her years. How? When I handed her a ten dollar bill to buy a bag of popcorn, I watched in amazement as she counted out the change to herself and then to me.
A young lady was in charge. She could not have been older than 12, but she proved wise beyond her years. How? When I handed her a ten dollar bill to buy a bag of popcorn, I watched in amazement as she counted out the change to herself and then to me.
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I was impressed that this 12-year-old had more business sense and skills than many retail clerks in their 20s and 30s.
“Who taught you how to do that?” I asked. “My mom,” she replied. “She’s a smart lady,” I said with a wink, “and you were a good student.” I detected a smile on her face as I turned to walk away. (If you wonder what this photo of a polar bear – stuffed, of course – had to do with my story about the young lady, the answer is, ‘nothing.’ I just happened to like it!) |
I was the last to reboard the bus. Carlos counted noses – 12 people present and accounted for – and gave our driver the thumbs up to head out.
Forty-minutes later, we arrived at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, which was our home-away-from-home for two nights.
Forty-minutes later, we arrived at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, which was our home-away-from-home for two nights.
The Main Lodge
The original lodge was opened in the summer of 1987 as Harper Lodge Princess. It was expanded seven times over the years; the last expansion, to 663 rooms, was in 2017. It was the largest lodge in the area, and one of the largest in Alaska.
We stayed on the third floor of building ‘B,’ which was added in one of the many expansions. It was located on a small rise south of the Main Lodge – a five- to ten-minute walk uphill one way and downhill the other.
Our room was on the west side of the building – the side that faces the park – and from our balcony, we had this amazing view of the Tanana River and a couple of smaller mountains within the Alaska Range, a narrow, 600-mile-long mountain range that runs through southcentral Alaska.
Our room was on the west side of the building – the side that faces the park – and from our balcony, we had this amazing view of the Tanana River and a couple of smaller mountains within the Alaska Range, a narrow, 600-mile-long mountain range that runs through southcentral Alaska.
As I hoisted my suitcase onto the luggage rack, Jill exclaimed, “Dad, come here. I see a moose!”
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Sure enough, there was a moose – maybe two, side by side – on the bank of the river. It was too far to get a great photo with the camera on my phone, but close enough for an acceptable one.
“Well, you can scratch ‘moose’ from your list of must-sees in Denali,” I said with a chuckle. |
Thirty minutes later, as I scrolled through posts on Facebook, Jill said, “It’s almost time for our class. I’m ready if you are.”
And I was.
A few weeks back, on a call with Jill, she said, “Dad, the glass studio at Denali offers a jewelry making class like the one we took a few years back…only different.”
And I was.
A few weeks back, on a call with Jill, she said, “Dad, the glass studio at Denali offers a jewelry making class like the one we took a few years back…only different.”
In the ‘one we took a few years back…only different,’ our family – Debra, David, Jill, Ryan (Jill’s fiancé), and me – went to a glass studio in Phoenix for Jill’s birthday. We learned – hands on – how to make fused glass trays. I can’t speak for the others, but I still have my ‘masterpiece,’ which I proudly displayed in my office.
“It’ll be fun,” Jill continued, “and something for us to do together.”
Well, I hemmed and hawed at first, but then said ‘yes.’
The locally-owned Denali Arts & Glass Studio was located behind the Main Lodge. The retail side was filled with many beautiful items for sale – stained glass panels with caribou, salmon, and trees, and fused glass forget-me-not (Alaska’s state flower) earrings and pendants, wine bottle trays, clocks, and angels.
I sensed a nearby presence as I admired the angels in front of me. It was MY little angel, Jill.
“You know,” she said as she eyed the angels, “you’ll have to buy one for mom.”
I knew too well that she was right, as Debra has an affinity for angels. In fact, while Jill and I were traveling through Alaska, Debra was completing a manuscript for her soon-to-be-published book, How To Chat With Archangels: Inviting Your Divine Best Friends Into Your Life.
“With your help, I’ll find the right Angel for mom before we leave,” I replied.
And that was what we did.
Debra loved it!
Jill introduced us to the lady at the cash register, and told her that we were there for the glass making class.
“Wonderful! I’m Michelle,” she said. “This is my studio and I’m your instructor. There are two more in the class – hopefully they’ll be here shortly.”
It turned out that the two were Allison and Amanda, sisters from New York who were also on the Princess press tour. When they arrived 10 minutes later, Michelle led us into the glass-making studio.
“I’m going to teach you how to create etched dichroic glass – small pieces that you can wear as a pendant or use as a keychain,” Michelle said. “In fact, you don’t have to choose one or the other, because each of you will make two pieces.”
Well, I hemmed and hawed at first, but then said ‘yes.’
The locally-owned Denali Arts & Glass Studio was located behind the Main Lodge. The retail side was filled with many beautiful items for sale – stained glass panels with caribou, salmon, and trees, and fused glass forget-me-not (Alaska’s state flower) earrings and pendants, wine bottle trays, clocks, and angels.
I sensed a nearby presence as I admired the angels in front of me. It was MY little angel, Jill.
“You know,” she said as she eyed the angels, “you’ll have to buy one for mom.”
I knew too well that she was right, as Debra has an affinity for angels. In fact, while Jill and I were traveling through Alaska, Debra was completing a manuscript for her soon-to-be-published book, How To Chat With Archangels: Inviting Your Divine Best Friends Into Your Life.
“With your help, I’ll find the right Angel for mom before we leave,” I replied.
And that was what we did.
Debra loved it!
Jill introduced us to the lady at the cash register, and told her that we were there for the glass making class.
“Wonderful! I’m Michelle,” she said. “This is my studio and I’m your instructor. There are two more in the class – hopefully they’ll be here shortly.”
It turned out that the two were Allison and Amanda, sisters from New York who were also on the Princess press tour. When they arrived 10 minutes later, Michelle led us into the glass-making studio.
“I’m going to teach you how to create etched dichroic glass – small pieces that you can wear as a pendant or use as a keychain,” Michelle said. “In fact, you don’t have to choose one or the other, because each of you will make two pieces.”
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Dichroic glass is a type of manufactured glass designed to change colors under different lighting conditions and viewing angles. The word ‘dichroic’ comes from two Greek roots: ‘di’ meaning two and ‘chroma’ meaning colors. The name refers to the way in which the glass can shift colors, displaying multiple hues depending on your angle of viewing and ambient lighting conditions.
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~ Jockimo Architectural Glass Products
“Has anyone done this before?” she asked.
We looked at one another and shook our heads from side to side – except Jill, who nodded ‘yes’ and told Michelle about the class we took in Phoenix.
“Well, this activity is similar, but you’ll be using an acid to etch a design on a piece of glass to make your dichroic glass pendant or keychain. I have lots of glass colors and designs for you to choose from.”
Purple, rose, teal, blue, green, yellow, etc. Butterfly, leaves, moose, bear paw, howling coyote, etc.
We looked at one another and shook our heads from side to side – except Jill, who nodded ‘yes’ and told Michelle about the class we took in Phoenix.
“Well, this activity is similar, but you’ll be using an acid to etch a design on a piece of glass to make your dichroic glass pendant or keychain. I have lots of glass colors and designs for you to choose from.”
Purple, rose, teal, blue, green, yellow, etc. Butterfly, leaves, moose, bear paw, howling coyote, etc.
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Our first decision was colors and designs. I chose teal and green, butterfly and moose.
Our second decision was whether the image would be positive (the image is the color of the glass, surrounded by black) or negative (the image is black, surrounded by the color of the glass). I opted to make the butterfly positive and the moose negative. |
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Our third (and final) decision was to pair color and image. I paired the butterfly with the teal glass and the moose with the green glass.
Whew! That was a lot of work!! Well, not really. Michelle instructed us on how to center the image on the glass and apply the acid. |
“If you have a positve image, brush the acid on the glass around the image. If you have a negative image, brush the acid on the glass inside the image.”
Easy peasey…and it was.
Center the image, apply the acid, wait ten minutes, wipe off the excess acid, remove the image, place a clear piece of glass over the colored glass, and place it on a tray to fire in the kiln.
Twice. Once for the butterfly, and again for the moose.
“I’ll run the kiln in a couple of days, and will mail your pieces to you.”
And that was what Michelle did.
Easy peasey…and it was.
Center the image, apply the acid, wait ten minutes, wipe off the excess acid, remove the image, place a clear piece of glass over the colored glass, and place it on a tray to fire in the kiln.
Twice. Once for the butterfly, and again for the moose.
“I’ll run the kiln in a couple of days, and will mail your pieces to you.”
And that was what Michelle did.
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I received my package a week or so after I got home. Debra claimed the butterfly for her key ring, and I put the moose on mine.
I’m not ready to chuck my retirement for glass making, but…I enjoyed the class and was glad to share the experience with Jill! |
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That evening, we joined the press group for a cocktail reception followed by dinner at King Salmon, the seafood restaurant on the grounds of the Princess lodge.
Briana – or was it Carlos? – ordered a seemingly endless array of appetizers, including seared scallop Caprese bites, wild salmon fritters, and blackened prime rib and chimichurri flatbread. Deelish, especially when paired with one of several offered wines!
There were nine entrees on the menu – fish, fowl, and beef. I chose the ‘Sea Salt Accented King Salmon,’ which was grilled and dusted with gray sea salt and served over crimini mushroom English pea risotto with a ‘beurre rouge sauce.’
I didn’t know what the sauce was, so after I ordered, I used a ‘life line’…
“Jill, what is beurre rouge sauce?”
Jill’s a foodie, and I knew she would know.
“Beurre rouge means red butter,” Jill said. “It’s an emulsified butter sauce made with a reduction of red wine. It goes great with seafood.”
Well, that sounds good. I thought.
My entrée, cooked to perfection, tasted HEAVENLY!
Dinner was the wrap on our first full day in Alaska – a day that began in Fairbanks and ended in Denali. It was great from start to finish.
Click here to read my next story, Into a Vast and Rugged Wilderness.
Briana – or was it Carlos? – ordered a seemingly endless array of appetizers, including seared scallop Caprese bites, wild salmon fritters, and blackened prime rib and chimichurri flatbread. Deelish, especially when paired with one of several offered wines!
There were nine entrees on the menu – fish, fowl, and beef. I chose the ‘Sea Salt Accented King Salmon,’ which was grilled and dusted with gray sea salt and served over crimini mushroom English pea risotto with a ‘beurre rouge sauce.’
I didn’t know what the sauce was, so after I ordered, I used a ‘life line’…
“Jill, what is beurre rouge sauce?”
Jill’s a foodie, and I knew she would know.
“Beurre rouge means red butter,” Jill said. “It’s an emulsified butter sauce made with a reduction of red wine. It goes great with seafood.”
Well, that sounds good. I thought.
My entrée, cooked to perfection, tasted HEAVENLY!
Dinner was the wrap on our first full day in Alaska – a day that began in Fairbanks and ended in Denali. It was great from start to finish.
Click here to read my next story, Into a Vast and Rugged Wilderness.