Texans seem to love Alaska. The lure of wide open spaces and independent people runs common through both cultures. As a result I have always had Alaska on my bucket list. Despite travelling for many years and visiting six continents, I never made it to Alaska. This was all about to change. In December of 2021, my first born gifted me an amazing Christmas present: A trip to Alaska. She and her husband would be my travel partners on an amazing itinerary North.
The prospect of visiting Alaska was settled and a loose “wish list” of things to do and places to visit was discussed. Alaska would also be a place for me to pick up some birds that I have never seen in the wild. The trip was planned for far in the future to coincide with the summer season – August 2022. As 2021 rolled into 2022, all reservations were made and we settled back into our daily routines. While winter transitioned into spring, the anticipation slowly increased. When summer arrived we acquired some additional clothing and camera accessories as the departure date drew closer.
Finally the week of departure arrived and we were all upbeat and raring to go.
The flight
The flight from Houston Texas to Anchorage Alaska is not trivial. Being in excess of 7 hours, it has the feel of an international flight. The afternoon flight was comfortable and quiet and we arrived in Anchorage in the early evening. Leaving Texas in 100 degree temperatures and arriving in Alaska to a cool 52 degrees provided some relief from the long Texas summers.
Texans in Alaska – Anchorage
After a quick meal of pizza and beer at a local spot, we bedded down for the night in our hotel. We planned to get an early start the next morning for our first destination – Denali.
Anchorage to Denali via Takeetna
After a quick coffee and breakfast we picked up some snacks and water from the local Walmart and headed north on Alaska Highway 1. A quick stop at Reflections Lake north of Anchorage produced a stunning Common Loon in breeding plumage on this beautiful morning. On route we planned a stop in Takeetna and had reservations for a scenic flight from Talkeetna to Denali National Park. The flight departs from Takeetna and follows the river systems of Talkeetna, crossing the Susitna Valley and presents a close flyby of glaciers and incredible granite peaks. In addition to the flight we booked a glacier landing. Unfortunately the weather was marginal and the glacier had to be skipped. Regardless, the flight was an incredible close encounter of the best kind.
On to Denali
After a breathtaking flight of unimaginable beauty, we landed back in Takeetna. Following a quick lunch and short walk around the small tourist village we jumped back in the car for the 2 additional hours it would take to reach Denali. Shortly after leaving Takeetna, I called for a stop near a roadside marsh to capture some images of a pair of Trumpeter Swans. There are a few records of Trumpeter Swans in Texas, however they are very rare and I have never seen one in the wild….until this day.
After capturing the photos we continued on to Healy Alaska, just North of the Denali NP visitor center. We settled into a comfortable B&B. Weary from travel we caught dinner at 49th State Brewing Co. in Healy. Halibut fish and chips, seafood chowder and an extortionately expensive order of King Crab graced the table. The halibut fish and chips was amazing and hit the dinner table multiple times during the trip. I highly recommend the restaurant and especially the halibut.
Texans in Alaska’s Denali NP
Denali NP is immense. Texans in Alaska always thought Big Bend National Park in West Texas was a pretty big place at 800,000 acres. However, it pales in comparison to Denali’s 6.1 million acres of pristine wilderness.
We arose early and had a quick coffee and breakfast at the B&B and made the short drive into the park. Due to a landslide near Pretty Rocks, a portion of the Denali Park Road into the national park is closed. The road is open as far as Mile 43 of the 92-mile road. However private vehicle access is limited to the Savage River bridge crossing at the 15 mile mark. Beyond this visitors are required to ride a park bus. We decided to drive to Savage River and hike the loop trail there. Even in early August it was pretty chilly especially with the light rain we contended with throughout the majority of our Texans in Alaska trip. The loop trail was a nice introduction to the backcountry and I imaged up a couple of cool birds and an Arctic Ground Squirrel along the way.
After, we drove back to the visitors center and decided to hike the Horseshoe Lake Trail. Starting from the Visitor Center it is a 4 mile round trip hike that drops about 300′ down to the lake. The trail splits in two directions and circles the lake in a loop. Canada Jay, Boreal Chickadee and Common Goldeneye were among some of the birds seen. There is a beaver dam on the east side of the loop. Although we looked for them, they were nowhere to be seen. This is a nice hike and the view from the trail above the lake is quite a good one.
We decided we had enough time for another short hike. We strolled along Riley Creek as far as the Alaska Railroad Bridge Crossing. Its very scenic along the creek and the adjacent forest.
South to the Kenai Peninsula
A bit of weather blew in during the night and we awoke to freezing temperatures and a light dusting of snow. We set out about 08:00 for the 400 mile journey south to Seward on the Kenai Peninsula. Immediately after leaving Healy the snow picked up and stayed with us for the first 100 miles. Eventually it transitioned into a chilly rain all the way to Anchorage. We made a pit stop at Potter Marsh near Anchorage to stretch our legs and the short visit produced some cool birdlife. After a long wet day of driving we arrived in Seward and checked into our accommodations. DInner and a short drive to Lowell Point uncovered a single Harbor Seal and some Marbled Murrelets in the bay.
Resurrection Bay
The weather finally broke for the better. The Texans in Alaska troop were excited about the change on the day they would be cruising Resurrection Bay on a 5 hour wildlife cruise. I got up early and walked among the beach cobble and found a few more good birds to add to my growing list during the trip. We met up after a short while and had some much needed morning coffee. After the java wakeup we strolled the south shore of Seward for a few hours before our 12:00 boat departure from the marina. Bald Eagles are ubiquitous in this part of Alaska and its no surprise that I saw 3 this morning.
We checked in for our cruise and boarded about 11:30 on a brilliant sunny and pleasant day. Mild temperatures and sunny skies portended a good day on the water. The images below include a distant Humpbacked Whale, sea lions, otters and numerous bird species. The cruise is highly recommended for birders and marine mammal watchers.
Texans in Alaska and Sockeye Salmon
So far the trip has been about awe inspiring vistas, soaring mountain peaks, abundant wildlife and seafood dinners. It was time to change from a spiritual encounter to just plain fun! To attain that goal these Texans in Alaska were going salmon fishing on the Kenai River. The weather returned to the rainy pattern we had been experiencing, but this wasn’t going to hinder our quest for salmon.
A 04:45 departure and a 2 hour drive from Seward planted us along the banks of the Kenai River near the town of Soldotna. We met our guide and after changing into waders and some instructions we headed down river to chase Sockeye and Silver Salmon.
The day was a success! Although we lost quite a few during the day we ended up landing a good stringer of Sockeye and Silver Salmon. For anyone who remotely enjoys fishing, this is an awesome experience with a tasty outcome.
Alaska’s Exit Glacier
The Texans in Alaska journey was rapidly coming to an end, but we had some time to visit Exit Glacier. Just 15 minutes north of Seward, it is the only portion of Kenai Fjords National Park that’s accessible by road. We drove there, in the rain and hiked a 4 mile round trip to the Glacier Overlook. We didn’t have time to do the 8 mile to the Harding ice field which feeds Exit Glacier. After the short but great hike we headed north to Anchorage
Texans in Alaska Make One more stop
We really wanted to see a moose and not so sure if we wanted to see a Grizzly during our trip. Since neither was seen, we stopped at a rehab/ research center south of Anchorage to get a closer look at these two impressive animals. I can say…..Big!
Texans in Alaska return Home
The day came to a close with another halibut dinner in Anchorage and a final drive to the airport. A redeye flight over the Canadian Rockies and into the lower 48 put us back in Houston at 06:00. The temperature was starkly different when we exited the airport (about 40 degrees warmer), and we headed home travel weary, but mentally invigorated.
For those of you that have never considered a visit to Alaska…..reconsider! For those of you who think about visiting Alaska…get going. You won’t be disappointed. It is an incredible place.
Special Thanks to my first born and her husband for the fantastic Christmas gift. It will never be forgotten!
PS. Check out Bird Images of 2022 for more images from the trip.
Can’t believe it’s been over a year. What an EPIC trip. Love you, Dad!
I reminisce about that trip a lot! It truly was epic. Love you too!