Category Archives: Wasilla Alaska

Alaska Berries

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Berry picking landscape!

Berry picking landscape!

One thing I love about fall (besides all the other things I love about fall) has to be the berries! As I go for walks with my son I almost obsessively stop (much to his dismay) to check on the berries, blueberries, cranberries and lingonberries, and to glean a handful here, and a handful there to check their ripeness. I invariably stop at all good rosehip patches to test my skill at eating these seed laden and delicate berries. I swear the trick is to use your mouth instead of trying to pinch out the seeds and eat the remaining berry, which is fine if your just nibbling away your afternoon, but if your making jelly or collecting them for tea, you may need to hone your berry picking skills a little further.
The variety of colors always brings to mind the waning days of summer and the crisp fall days ahead. Perhaps it is because our leaves don’t stay on the trees long enough to become orange and red, that I look to the little berries and the fleshy rosehips for my omens of fall. The rich earthy smell of ripe cranberries, always reminds me that winter is on it’s way, so I better get picking!

A Weekend of Hiking in the Mat-Su Valley

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Independence Mine at Hatchers Pass

Independence Mine at Hatcher's Pass

I spent most of the day hiking in Hatcher’s Pass. The weather was mostly cloudy with periods of light overcast and filtered sunshine. It’s definitely cooler because of the clouds, but perfect for hiking (and still no rain!).

The primary attraction at Hatcher’s Pass (elevation 3500 feet) is the old Independence Mine, a gold mining site that was active in the 30′s and 40′s and eventually closed for good in 1951. I would have enjoyed this visit no matter where the site was located but, as a bonus, the site is in the mountains with incredible views and hiking trails all around. I took one of the trails (Gold Cord Trail) up a steep mountain slope through a massive boulder field to a beautiful lake that overlooked the mine site below. It was one of the best hikes I’ve ever done (easily in my “top five” list).

The next day, I took a short drive to the Bodenburg Butte hiking trail, a moderately difficult climb to the top of a butte. The 360-degree views were excellent! On the way up the trail I kept hearing an intermittent sound that was like a drag strip in the distance. When I got to the top, I could finally see the source of the noise in the valley below; there was a drag strip in the distance (Labor Day races at North Star Speedway).

This really was an incredible way to enjoy the natural beauty of Alaska.

Grant Dufrer

Alaskan Musk Ox and Qiviut

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Qiviut pronounced ki – vee – ute, closely resembles cashmere in its hand, luster and microscopic appearance. It can withstand temperature shock and agitation without shrinking. Warm, soft and lightweight the wearer is barely aware of having it on. All the fiber combed from the animals at the Musk Ox Farm in Palmer each year, as well as fiber from other hand combed sources as they become available. As well as fiber from the Alaskan Native people who have hunted musk ox for subsistence use. They will comb the fiber from the hide and sell it to us as part of their effort to utilize every part of the animal they have hunted, carrying on the traditions of their lifestyle..

Musk Ox Farm Palmer Alaska

Musk Ox Farm Palmer Alaska

The Eskimo name, Oomingmak, meaning “the Bearded One.” Is a more appropriate name for the Musk Ox. The name “Musk Ox” is deceiving, as the animal does not produce musk, nor is it related to cattle they show a closer relationship to sheep and goats. Although the musk ox was indigenous to Alaska, they were hunted to extinction in the 1850′s.
The Qiviut Shop is one of the “must do” shops in downtown Anchorage, the corner of 6th and H, during your Anchorage walking tour. The Musk Ox farm tour is a stop on the road to Denali National Park while enjoying your vacation using a rented car.

Best Western Lake Lucille

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We decided to stop of an overnight in Wasilla, so we stayed at the local Best Western, which ended up being the Best Western Lake Lucille. This is significant because the 2008 Republican nominee Sarah Palin lives on Lake Lucille in Wasilla AK. We asked the front desk if they could point out which house was hers and they did (even though they must have been asked that question a hundred times!). Well I couldn’t see Russia from my room, but we still had a great time! The hotel was warm and comfortable, and we were close enough to the local attractions that we had no problem finding our way around Wasilla and the surrounding area.

Fall Munches

Fall Munches

We did some driving around and were absolutely delighted that we could see spawning Salmon in some of the nearby creeks and rivers. What a wonderful vibrant color they are in the water, it makes them nice and easy to see.
We were driving home when we had to stop to let the Moose cross the Park Highway right in front of our rental car. We used the opportunity to take all the pictures we could possibly take, and ended up with some wonderful shots to share with the family back home.
Wasilla was well worth the stop!

Top Five destinations in Alaska

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Denali
Seward
Anchorage
Fairbanks
Prudhoe Bay

I have talked with quite a few Alaska visitors. And by and large they have all named the top 5 places to visit in Alaska are:
1. Denali National park
2. Kenai (Pronounced “keen-eye”) Fjords National Park
3. Anchorage
4. Fairbanks and
5. Prudhoe Bay

By a very large margin, Denali is the number one attraction for Alaska visitor. The main reasons being Mt. McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America and the famed wildlife. If you plan to visit Alaska, don’t miss Denali. And ones there don’t miss a day trip into the Park. Unless you are staying inside the park, like at Denali Backcountry Lodge, I would highly recommend you take the full day trip, Denali Backcountry Adventure. This one trip will get you to the very end of the road and give you the best opportunities to see both the Mt. McKinley and the famous wildlife of Denali National Park.

Kenai Fjords National Park is the second most visited place in Alaska. The two major reasons for that are the calving salt water glaciers and the sea life. Again the best thing to do is a full day boat tour such as the Major Marine Tours but if you are the kind that gets sea sick easily, make it a half day trip. The full day trip will take you very close to the calving glaciers and give you time to hear the grinding sounds of the glacier as these rivers of ice slowly move down hill finally calving. It’s a great experience to watch the huge icebergs splitting off the Glacier. The crew might even manage to lift up one of the smaller iceberg and make you a drink from the glacial ice. This is the not the opportunity you get every day.

Anchorage Vistor Center

Anchorage Vistor Center

Anchorage and Fairbanks are the two main gateway cities and there are plenty of activities available at each of them. I would recommend you come into one gateway and leave from the other. Most Airlines will let you do that without any extra charges. They call this the open jaw and treat is as though it was a round trip. So all your discounts, normally available for the round trip, stay intact for the open jaw.

In Anchorage, one could do the city tour. Fly out on a bush plane for bear watching, visit the Prince William Sound, or the Museum of Art & History. Visit the Alaska Heritage Center or any of the host of other activities, depending on your time frame and budget.

Fairbanks likewise and many choices; the famous Stern Wheeler boat “River Boat Discovery”, the tour of an active gold mine, visit to University of Alaska Museum
and/or the Famous Oil Pipe line.

Alaskas Grand Oil Pipeline

Alaska's Grand Oil Pipeline

Arctic Circle (and receive a Certificate to that effect), Dip your toe in the Arctic Ocean see and hear about the oil rigs and the interesting technologies of today’s oil drilling. If you have slightest engineering inclination, you will love this one. Generally, you will fly one way and ride the famous “Haul Road” the other way. Attigan pass is a great sight and the vastness of the ‘North Slope” is unbelievable. Along the way, you will see wildlife such as the Musk Ox and the Caribou herds.

Allow your self about two weeks to do all that. You need two to three days for days in each location. For most of us, Alaska is once in a lifetime trip, so don’t rush. Take your time and soak it in.

Sam Mature