I desperately needed a vacation, my husband agreed. We both grew up in the Anchorage 
area, and knew every little bit of the town. We decided that we would take a few days off and get out of the city. We made reservations at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, a mellow drive past Houston on the Parks Highway.
Seeing as how we both knew Alaska pretty well, we figured Talkeetna would be just another small town out in the woods. How wrong we were. When we pulled into the town to get our bearings before trying to find the lodge, we were hit immediately with the sheer life of the town. Cottages littered the roadside, and the smell of cooking food wafted through the trucks open windows. I told Garth we just had to stop. He groaned knowing I was going to spend money at the abundant shops, but he soon succumbed to the town’s charm. Stained glass wind chimes, carved ivory, chocolate, and lots of handmade products were of abundance. Most, if not all as far as I could tell, was locally made and you could see the pride in the craftsman’s faces. I had only gotten as far as the woodcarvings before my husband reminded me that we had to check in before midnight. (In my defense, no matter how long you live here, the long summer days never escape you.)
As we took the road into the lodge I was caught by the sent of that true Alaskan wilderness. The sky was still blue, and Denali would have been visible if not for the curtain of trees that surrounded our little vehicle. We checked into our room, opting for the Mountain View room so we could admire Denali in all her wonder. (We rarely see her from Anchorage, but it’s not unheard of.) While we settled into the room it occurred to me that we were only two hours from home. That’s it, just two hours. It was easily the most relaxing vacation I’ve ever had. We did a little light fishing in the area, and we let the long days melt away all our tension from the bustling city just across the inlet.
-Marcy & Garth Medaughs