ADA2601 Alaska Adventure
After a more or less long journey, all our guests finally made it to Anchorage to the hotel near the airport. Some have already arrived a day earlier to avoid the jet lag while others have a slightly shorter journey. As usual on all our tours, we meet at the hotel on the evening of the day of arrival and start with our welcome and safety briefing. Then we do the paperwork and go to dinner together at an excellent restaurant not far from the hotel. No, the bikes will not be handed over today because we will take them over the next morning directly before the start in Anchorage. Full of tension we sink into our beds and can hardly wait until it starts tomorrow.
Today it finally starts with the tour and we start shortly after breakfast and the morning briefing towards our bikes. After the mandatory takeover procedure, we finally leave Anchorage and after a short time we get a first impression of the wilderness. After a viewpoint over the Turnagain Arm we make our first stop in a Wildlife Sanctuary where we marvel at the local Big Five and have a first coffee. Shortly before lunch, Alaska shows us how unpredictable the weather is and we get the first drops. Nevertheless, we arrive in Hope in a good mood and enjoy a lunch in a nice circle. Since the rain is getting stronger, we decide not to go to the open-air museum but to drive directly in the direction of our accommodation at Moose Pass. Although there are still a few drops, the surroundings are incredibly beautiful and some of us make a little stroll through the community and along the picturesque lake. Finally, we meet for dinner in a local diner and let the evening end with typical local food . Tomorrow we will go north, we are already excited.
Today we are heading north. Because our breakfast was so excellent, we need a little longer to clutch out and finally head over the Turnagain Pass towards Anchorage. First of all, the weather of Alaska spoils us once again with a few drops and also with a scenic play of the clouds, but after we have passed the city it dries up, and the temperatures rise again. Our highlight today is, in addition to the natural beautiful landscape, a visit to the Musk Ox Farm in Palmer where we are informed about the production of the finest wool. After an adventurous ride over parts of the Hatcher Pass which is partially unpaved, we finally reach our lodge in Talkeetna. Here we let the evening end again in a social circle and discuss exciting events on the last pass and the options or the course of tomorrow's rest day. That much has already been said, it will be exciting again.
Today is a day of rest and of course we use this for recreation. While some go to Denali National Park with a rental car, others try to find the pet mayor of this town. That sounds weird but the mayor of this city is a dog. He won the last election against a cat that has been the Major before. What a good boy… Still others get on the motorcycles after breakfast and explore a part of the Hatcher Pass that we did not ride yesterday. So the first half of the day was full of great experiences and we all meet again in the second half to experience a no less exciting adventure. We board two small planes and circle the highest free-standing mountain in the world to finally land on the glacier. The absolute stillness of standing on a glacier after landing there with this small plan literally took our breath away. Viewing Denali and some of the surrounding landscapes from above cannot be put into words, unfortunately. It was just amazing. Since we have become a bit hungry as a result, we meet again in the city in a historic salon and have an excellent time there in the evening. Tomorrow, we will be back on the motorcycles and continue our journey towards the north.
After yesterday's eventful rest day, today we continue north with the motorcycles. After breakfast with a beautiful view, we leave on time to arrive at the Denali National Park Centre at noon after our usual coffee stop in the morning. Here we stay a little and inform ourselves about the nature and geology of the national park and have a small lunch. Yes, today distances are bridged so it's back on the motorcycles and we continue to cross beautiful mountain and river landscapes. Finally, we reach Fairbanks in the early evening and still have enough time for one or two city strolls. Before that Olli surprises us with the traditional Edelweiß Boot Beer. At the end of the day we meet in a locl pub where we end the evening with Jazz music and the best food. Tomorrow it will continue towards the east.
Even today we cover a long distance again, but before we embark on the long journey we visit the Trans Alaska Pipeline and inform ourselves about the challenges of this technical masterpiece. Then we start a visit to Santa Claus in North Pole, but since we are not in Christmas mode yet, we continue on our way. We ride again through beautiful landscapes and are fascinated by the solitude of this area. After an excellent lunch on the way, we go on one of the longest straight roads without curves in all of Alaska. We cover this distance in one piece and almost fall into a meditation, but as a result the landscape once again plays the main role. After we have arrived at our hotel for the night, we enjoy an excellent dinner in a local diner and fall happily and satisfied into the beds. Tomorrow it will go further south until we reach the coast again. But more on that tomorrow.
The long daily distances obviously accompany us on this journey. Today, too, it is over 400 km or over 260 miles. After we have left Tok, we go a bit through the plain before we meet mountainous land in which unfortunately the rain clouds have settled. We quickly put on our raincoats and can enjoy the unusual scenery well protected. But after a short time the clouds break up and we drive through the most beautiful sunshine and again wonderful landscapes. So it continues after lunch in Glennallen and we ride in the best weather through the Wrangell-St.Elias mountains whose summits are still covered with snow. Today is Independence Day in America, and unfortunately the only two cafes on the route were closed and we had to enjoy just the landscape. A glacier and a few waterfalls later we reach our hotel in Valdez where we still have the opportunity to take a little walk through the harbour after our arrival. In the evening we meet as usual for dinner in an excellent restaurant right next to the hotel. Tomorrow, we have a day off and we already have big plans. But more of that tomorrow.
Today we have our second day of rest and we come up with something special again. After a slightly later breakfast, we board a boat and explore the Prince William Sound. After the day has started a bit foggy and the clouds create a very own atmosphere, we manage to take really nice pictures of the original landscape from the start. When we came out of the harbor entrance we meet the first whale. The highlight of the ride is a stop at the Mearse Glacier where we can hear the movements in the glacier and see and hear the ice breaks. During the small lunch on board we drive back in the direction of Valdez and also on the way back we encounter unique landscape and some seals and sea lions. Still a little wobbly on our feet we go back ashore to rest a little and then let the evening end in one of the numerous small restaurants in the harbor. Tomorrow we will go north again because we have no other option and there is only one road.
After the very relaxing and wonderful day of rest yesterday, today we continue our journey towards Anchorage. First we go north again to Glennallen where we refuel and take a little break. Then the path leads us straight west and just before our lunch stop in Lake Louise we turn onto an adventurous road that has been folded by the tectonic movements. Interestingly, the road is completely intact, but there are long waves and lows in the asphalt. That was a bit adventurous to ride. After an excellent lunch in a rustic pub by the lake, we continue the last part in the direction of our overnight stay at the Sheep Mountain Lodge. Here we enjoy great views of the mountains and with another excellent dinner we end the evening. Tomorrow we will go the last part back to Anchorage but on the way we have another little surprise. But more on that tomorrow.
It is the last day of our tour and we start it with an excellent breakfast in our lodge. After we are so strengthened, we deal a little with the technology of our motorcycles until we finally start on the last stage. Right after the start we enjoy the view of one of the enormously large glaciers in this area and continue our way along the beautiful glacier river to the Iditarod Museum. Here we learn a lot about the most famous dog sled race in the world and the Iditarod Trail and then have a small lunch nearby. Now it's time, we have to return our bikes and finally reach our city hotel in the early afternoon. We spend the last evening in a sociable circle in one of the brewery restaurants in the city centre and review the entire trip. Everyone has gained their own highlights and impressions that we share extensively with each other. It was an excellent tour and the tour guides Olli and Holger would like to thank everyone who was there. We hope to see you again on one or the other tour in the future and experience new adventures together.