Lumpy-Alaska Highway-2004 Thumbnails

On the Way to Denali: Aug 24

Comments: After Eklutna I rode through the towns of Wasilla (a fairly large community with lots of chain-store merchants), and Houston and Willow, to name a few. I stopped for gas at the turn-off for Talkeetna and wanted to drive the 14-mile road into Talkeetna, but I knew I needed to get up to Denali before it got too late. (Talkeetna is the Alaskan town whose residents inspired the TV show "Northern Exposure").

After the turn-off for Talkeetna I eventually got a little concerned that I wouldn't find gas before my tank ran out, but luckily there were two stations open in Cantwell when I got there. (The Igloo station was closed for the season, apparently).

I made a brief stop at the south Denali Viewing Area and got a couple pictures there, and at dusk I made it to the Denali Mountain Morning Hostel and got checked in and then went across the road and ate at "The Perch". (The Perch rests on the top of a hill with nice views from its windows..the food is very good and a little pricey. Their specialty seemed to be their seafood roasted on planks and their homemade dinner rolls). During dinner, John walked in and had his dinner with me. I hadn't talked to him since morning in Anchorage and was pleasantly surprised that he found me in such an out of the way place like The Perch (you just about have to have heard of the Perch to find it since its back in the woods a bit, off the highway).

The caution sign shown in the last picture shows an elk. These signs were very common north of Wasilla. South of Wasilla a very similar sign was common by the highways, but the silhouette was of a moose.