Julie making us another great lunch in a beautiful place…except for the constant drizzle

We’ve been feeling lately like we’re part of Game of Thrones.  It is late August and summer is over in Alaska, winter is coming, and everyone is making final preparations before the long dark cold winter sets in.  In our case it isn’t so much life and death as just lousy weather, low grey clouds every day, drizzle or rain most of the time, winds blowing, temperatures dropping to chilly levels.  Tourist sites are beginning to close and there’s a sense that the end is nigh.  Winter is coming.

But hang on, there are still many places in Alaska we want to visit and we’ve named this trip Follow the Sun.  We want more sun!  We’ve seen the sun for one day in the last two weeks (and a glorious day walking up Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park it was!) and we wouldn’t mind if this Alaska ‘summer’ could just hang on for a couple more weeks.

One good thing about all the rain is that we get some great waterfall scenes and the rivers are all rushing fast and furious

But we’ve heard over and over from the locals we speak to that this has been a short, cold and rainy summer.  One guy told Julie that usually in August when it starts to rain it will continue until winter sets in and it starts to snow.

We’re enjoying the semi-sunsets again, even if they are at 10.30 pm, but they usually feature dark rain clouds

We spent a couple of days in Anchorage exploring the sites, such as they were, and attending to some ongoing maintenance and administration issues.  Tramp’s ongoing problems with his rear axle and differential are not yet resolved and he also developed an oil leak in one of the rear after-market shocks which we had to get fixed.  We’ve been working the old boy pretty hard lately and unfortunately he’s showing a little wear and tear.

Julie has a love/hate thing with bears. This one she loves.

Anchorage does not dazzle the visitor but it is Alaska’s shining metropolis and central nervous system for the state’s economy.  The downtown area is packed with tourist shops selling cheap and authentic souvenirs, T-shirts and all the usual garb.  And yes, we supported the local economy by breaking our golden rules of no souvenirs and no gifts.

Anchorage highlights one of the great Alaskan features – drive-through coffee huts. This one is made like a log cabin and also sells other food.

The amazing explorer Captain James Cook remembered in Anchorage for his exploits in the region

We were impressed by the statue and memorial to Captain James Cook, colonial discoverer of Australia and global explorer extraordinaire.  Cook cruised the waters off modern day Anchorage on his third global voyage in the late 1800’s (the body of water Anchorage is built on is called Cook Inlet) as part of his unsuccessful search for the Northern Passage.  We also found his fingerprints in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland earlier on this trip and we know he’ll be down in Vancouver as well.  The guy did some amazing exploring stuff!

We had a fabulous night out at a local brewhouse, feasting on grilled King Salmon while downing local IPAs.  We hit the weekend markets (meh) and also the acclaimed Anchorage Museum.  But after restocking our pantry we headed north again, veering off at Palmer on the Glenn Highway to the east.  We camped the first night on the banks of the rushing Matanuska River, the water that milky glacial green, jagged mountains in the background.  Cocktail hour at its finest!

What a stunning camping spot – on the banks of the rushing
Matanuska River with snow capped mountains all around

We followed the Matanuska River up the valley along the Glenn Highway, a national scenic byway, through the deep valley with its sharp-edged mountains, the highest peaks sporting fresh snow from the recent first snow of the winter (in August!).  We passed the huge Matanuska and Tazlina Glaciers as they snaked down the valley like huge frozen rivers.  When we reached the small intersection town of Glenallen we met the Copper River which weaved its way below us as the icy-topped Wrangell Mountains spread across the horizon.  Everywhere we looked it was jaw dropping gorgeous.

The Matanuska River weaving its way through its own valley

Our plan was to follow the dirt road out to the historic town of McCarthy and the old mining centre of Kennecott, both deep within Wrangell St. Elias National Park, the largest national park in America.  From there we would make our way to the port town of Valdez along a road that numerous Alaskans have said is the most beautiful drive in the state.  We couldn’t wait.

Our lunch spot overlooking the Copper River with the Wrangell St. Elias National Park in the background

The Matanuska Glacier slowly carving away at yet another deep valley

They might live in a remote place of Alaska but the locals can still put on a bit of character and colour to their business

And then, as the twisted finger of fate pointed its ugly face at us again, disaster struck once more and would ensure we’d be spending more time in Alaska, not all of it wanted.  Alaska is beautiful but for us it is also cursed.