The first night after our return from Alaska, my son gazed at the star-studded sky of Arizona, "Wow, Stars!" he exclaimed like never before. Behold: Our trip to Alaska had turned everyday ordinaire to a spectacular wonder.
Besides the awe-inspiring beauty, and the fresh, crisp air, there is another mystique about Alaska summers. The darkest hours of the summer nights still have twilight, which means night sky sans the stars.
Most hotels provided black-out shades, and where there weren’t, I wrapped a soft cotton scarf over my light-sensitive eyes and had no trouble catching some Zzzz. Needless to say, I forgot to pack the eye mask to block out the light.
And, after the first few days of exploring Zoo, Reindeer Park, and Kincaid park (ipenlife.com/2019/07/04/summer-trip-to-alaska-part-1), our family of four (me, my hubby, and our two kids) were ready to embrace more wilderness.
Our next reservation was at Kennicott Lodge (https://www.kennicottlodge.com), which was about 7 hours from Anchorage. So, we halted midway at Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge in Copper Center. While kids played shuffleboard and threw sandbags alongside the scenic mountain backdrop, we scanned the internet about braving the 60-mile unpaved McCarthy Rd drive to our destination-Kennicott lodge.
Reading the tales of others who attempted this rough drive put us in a funk. The big question was-
Drive in the car versus take the expensive shuttle?
We wanted to be safe without spending a fortune. And coming to a decision was ing us down.
But as the weather was almost clear, we decided to take the road less traveled. (literally)
The dreaded MCCARTHY ROAD goes right through the McCarthy Wrangel St Elias National Park, the largest park in the USA. The road connects to the small towns of Kennecott and McCarthy. Besides offering picturesque scenery, this road is notoriously famous for its ruggedness and no connectivity to the outside world. So we loaded our car with food and water, and off we went.
And, fortunately, our drive through this road was nothing but super scenic. We were bedazzled by a black bear on a stroll, a Bald eagle that flew very close to our car, and a hedgehog crossing the road.
In all, the drive was incredibly scenic as we drove cautiously at the recommended speed limit. We parked our car at the end of the McCarthy Road, and a shuttle took us up to a footbridge. We walked across this 1/2 mile bridge with our luggage, to get to another shuttle to our destination- Kennecott Glacier Lodge.
Gosh! The entire experience from Anchorage to the lodge was like a movie clip where I was one of the main casts!
KENNICOTT GLACIER LODGE
The lodge, located on the foot of the Root Glacier, offered cozy accommodation with shared bathrooms. Besides the extraordinary location, views, and friendly service, I enjoyed their homestyle meals, especially dinner served on the tables labeled with our names. And each night offering an opportunity to eat with new people. Thus providing an avenue to socialize in this remote area and exchange experiences.
ROOT GLACIER
We took a half-day (7 hours) guided walking tour on the Root Glacier, and it was the trip highlight for me. We strapped crampons underneath the shoes to walk comfortably on the snow. With some instructions, we headed towards the glacier. Our guide was patient with kids as our family asked for additional stops. While we were mesmerized by the breathtaking formations- moulins and shimmering blue pools; Our kids were bowled over to see our guide prepare hot cocoa for them in the middle of the glacier.
The guide told us that the blue pools are about 150 feet deep. And, my ten-year-old was eager to jump into the freezing blue pool, but I -the Ms. Scaredy-Cat, put my foot down. We drank and filled our bottles with fresh glacier water, and could not get enough of this pristine beauty.
FLIGHTSEEING
We took a 70-minute flightseeing tour through Wrangell Mountain Air in the small town of Kennecott, with a population of 40 people.
Quite contrary to the antiquated interior of the plane, to my relief, the pilot did an impeccable take-off and landing. The views were spectacular with awe-inspiring scenery of white velvet blanket all around. The brown mountains peeked through the snow like a vanilla frosted dark chocolate cookie. However, I could barely hear the pilot’s commentary because of the loud engine and wind noise. After about 30 minutes into the tour, the beautiful scenery could no longer pique my kids’ interest, the way talking gibberish on the microphones did. But either way, the children did alright.
Kennicott Copper Mine
We opted out of the mine tour, as we realized it would be challenging to keep kids enthused for hours. We did take a peek on our own. The mine was massive and made me appreciate the scale of copper mining operations during those times.
This McCarthy Rd trip was the high point of our Alaska trip. It was a perfect amalgamation of adventure and beauty. And of the various attractions, my favorite was the Root Glacier Tour, that provided me with the closest proximity to Alaska’s wonderous nature.
Stay tuned for my family’s experience in Seward and Denali National Park in Part 3 of the Alaska Summer Trip.
Until then, many safe adventures to you!
Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe.
Anatole France