Talkeetna, Alaska- Cruise Ships in the Interior?!

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

It was a short drive up the Parks Highway today from Susitna Landing to the turn-off for Talkeetna. The McKinley climbing season which starts in April is about over. The expeditions are staged here, and the climbers are flown to the base camp by local flying companies. We expected the town to be quiet. Never having been here before, we were hoping not to be disappointed by lots of change, as we have been everywhere else we have been in Alaska.

Driving into town we were amazed to see the crowds, and then noticed the trains and the buses. The cruise ships transport their passengers here, many, many miles from the ocean. Princess Lines has their own trains and we also saw buses for Celebrity Cruises. Talkeetna is not very large and every eating establishment and gift shop was overwhelmed. We couldn't find a place to park, so we decided to go ahead and check in to the Talkeetna Alaska Boat Launch and RV Park administered by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. For $20 we picked a spot in the woods away from the few other campers and near the Talkeetna River. I guess when the salmon are running it gets very crowded here.

Princess tourist coaches with Alaska Railroad engine

Tourists are the summer lifeblood of Talkeetna

Talkeetna River near our campsite

There was a short muddy path through the woods over to the town. We crossed over the railroad tracks and searched out the Twister Creek Brewpub run by Denali Brewing from Talkeetna. Sitting on the outside deck, we enjoyed lunch and a brew. Greg had a filet of Sockeye (Red) Salmon sandwich and tried their sour beer, a new experience. My choices are never as interesting, but I enjoyed my lunch and brew. Then we walked the town, which consisted of me visiting gift shops, while Greg drank coffee outside. One old Sourdough eating a burger in the bed of his old pick-up truck tried to flirt with me, and we had interesting conversations with shopkeepers, including one who noticed Greg's Dr. Who shirt. She had just discovered the show on Netflix and was happy to talk about it.

Denali Brewpub, deck, inside pub and beer garden full on a Wednesday afternoon

Sour beer is surprisingly tart!

Jet tour boat on the Susitna River at the end of Main Street

Silver salmon at the Salmon Education Center

Kathleen's Sourdough friend

Every gift shop also hosted air or raft tour companies.

Moose sculptures everywhere

What snow machines looked like in the late 1950s.

Several shopkeepers, when they heard we lived in Alaska 18 years ago, asked what we thought of the changes in Alaska. Everyone seems to be lamenting them. We signed a petition for out-of-staters to protest the planned damming of the Susitna to generate electricity. That would devastate the salmon runs. The governor is pushing it, but the locals seem pretty uniformly against it.

Most of the Main Street buildings were gift shops or restaurants

The shopkeepers took care to preserve the old log cabins.

Rare hand-cut log shape used by a Norwegian craftsman who settled here in 1920.

Nicely preserved cabin

The food wagons were thriving.

 

Birch Burls at a wood carving shop

Three German Bachelors Cabin- now a gift shop.

Greg was tired of shops and people by now, even though the cruise people clear out by 4:45 every visit, so we walked through the woods back to the campsite at a rapid pace to outrun the mosquitoes. We are now sitting in the rig away from the bugs and listening to the constant drone of airplanes. After the climbing season the small flying companies make their money flying tourists to see Mt. McKinley. I told Greg it was probably good that it is very cloudy today, and we have not been able to see the mountain. Otherwise I would be tempted to make a splurge, blow the budget, and buy a flight!


One more night to wait until we can drive into Denali Park to our campground. Looking at Byers Lake State Recreation Area a little farther up the Parks Highway for tomorrow night. I think tomorrow may be rainy, but the weather should clear later. I hope we luck out and get to see the mountain!