Talkeetna

Daniel booked a surprise weekend away in the quiet town of Talkeetna. It lies 2 1/2 hours north of Anchorage and is famous for its proximity to Denali (Mount McKinley to cheechakos), the highest mountain in North America. Eager climbers catch bush planes to the Base Camp to commence their attempt up the 20,320-foot summit. We were treated to a beautiful view of 'The Great One' as we drove in, but we missed the photo point. Unfortunately the clouds rolled in before we could capture the spectacular mountain on film, but we were awed by its beauty.

The population of Talkeetna is 800, and we saw quite a few of the locals in the Fairview Inn pub on Saturday night. The Denali Brewing Co. operates out of Talkeetna and there were plenty of local beers on tap. Daniel sampled a Chuli Stout, while I enjoyed a nice brown ale of Moose's Drool.

Talkeetna is the place where three rivers meet to form the formidable Susitna River. On our first foray along its banks, we saw great examples of Alaskan break-up. Ice was cracking up along the surface and the glacial waters were crystal clear in the pebble bed. Our second visit was slightly different as two inches of snow had fallen during the night. So much for spring!

Talkeetna is another quiet Alaskan town just waiting for the summer season. If there's nothing to do, the locals have a couple of suggestions...