Alaskan Adventure by Liz Arnquist

Waking up in Alaska is like waking up on Christmas morning as a kid. It is truly incredible place. My first day there we traveled down the Turnagain arm to reach Seward. Despite the smoke, it was a breath-taking drive. 

We explored Seward for a little bit and then headed out to Exit Glacier. Exit glacier is an incredibly sobering hike as you see first hand how much the glacier has receded over the past one hundred years. Between the Alaskan fires and my experiences as the glaciers, my desire to be eco conscious and support eco friendly companies was reaffirmed. Alaska is truly the canary in the coal mine when it comes to climate change. 

After hiking Exit Glacier  we made our way back to Alyeska for lunch and some hiking. It was beautiful! 

The next day we headed out to Portage glacier. First we hiked up to Bryon Glacier. A quick hike that I highly recommend if you find yourself in Portage. After the hike we took the ferry out the the glacier. I was completely mesmerized by the enormity and beauty of the glacier. 

On Sunday we made our way up to Talkeetna via the Alaskan Railway. It was an awesome experience traveling through the Alaskan bush. We only had a short time in Talkeetna but I certainly ate my way through the town. Be sure to try the taco truck and the fireweed ice cream! 

Monday we made our way up to Denali. Denali is the third largest national park in the US, encompassing more than 6 million acres. There is one road in and out that covers about 90 miles. Your options to explore past the first 13 miles are plane or bus. We opted for the bus, and it was the most incredible experience.

We saw moose, caribou, and a very curious grizzly bear. That alone was amazing but the icing on the cake was that we were able to join the 30% club. Only 30% of the people who visit Denali are able to see the mountain. Let me tell you, she is stunning. With a name like “the great one” there is a lot to live up to and she absolutely knocks it out of the park. 

After a great time in Denali we made our way back to anchorage and enjoyed and wonderful evening before heading back home. Alaska is truly a magical place.