May 26, 2009
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May 18, 2009
I've mentioned here more than once that Wasilla is a town you go to when you need things, like groceries, or stuff at Wal-Mart. But even Wasilla has tremendous views you won't see elsewhere, as this simple picture shows. What beautiful country!
May 18, 2009
You’ll see plenty of “Moose Crossing” signs like this one in Alaska. Any time I see a “Deer Crossing” sign in the Lower-48 I think of these signs.
May 18, 2009
As you're driving north out of Anchorage, you'll eventually come to this sign, where the left lanes take you north to Wasilla, Talkeetna, and Fairbanks, and the turn to the right will take you to Palmer, and eventually Canada (if you stay on the road long enough).
May 18, 2009
You know you're somewhere near Wasilla when you see the Gorilla Fireworks, with this Love Bug parked in the parking lot.
May 18, 2009
If you ever find yourself in Wasilla, and you're craving some Mexican food, I highly recommend Senor Taco. From the outside you'll see it in this little strip-mall, and the inside is nothing too special, but the home-cooked food is wonderful.
May 18, 2009
Driving south to Wasilla offers incredible views, like this one. After a while you think, "Okay, I'm not going to take any more pictures", and then you run into another tremendous view.
May 18, 2009
Here's another piece of the view that you'll see on the simple drive from Anchorage heading north to Wasilla. The amazing views never cease to amaze me.
May 18, 2009
Even a simple drive from Anchorage to Wasilla -- two of the more "workman-like" towns in Alaska -- offers incredible mountain views.
May 18, 2009
The color of the trees in the fall in Alaska is just spectacular. This is just one picture of the millions of trees that line the roads, in this case, just north of Wasilla.
May 18, 2009
One thing that really stands out as you drive from Anchorage to Wasilla for the first time are these amazingly-tall light poles. I have no idea why they're built this tall.
May 18, 2009
Just a quick note here of the distance from the "Y" in Talkeetna south to Wasilla and Anchorage. I remember when I had problems with my Toyota RAV-4 I used to leave the cabin at 5 a.m. to get to the Toyota dealer in Anchorage by 7.a.m.
May 18, 2009
Talkeetna, Alaska Hostel photos: Unfortunately I don't have any good pictures of my old neighbors, the hostel in Talkeetna, but if you're wondering what it looks like, hopefully this one will do. The Talkeetna Hostel is the building on the right. I'll try to get some more photos in the future, but I will say this: If you're used to staying at hostels, the Talkeetna Hostel is very nice, and if it's still run by the same people, they were also very nice.
May 18, 2009
I don't know what the story is behind this closed coffee shop in Talkeetna, but I would have gladly rented it as a place to live in 2007, I was that desperate. It was closed all of 2007, and still closed when I came back in the fall of 2008.
It's a great-looking place, but my guess is that it's a little out of the way for all the tourists that come into town. Most tourists will only see it if they're staying at the hostel, or going to the local airport.
May 18, 2009
The only way out of Talkeetna by road is to take the 14-mile spur road, and when that roads ends at Highway 3, you're faced with this decision. North to Fairbanks, or south to Anchorage? Your choice. :)
May 18, 2009
This picture shows the snow line in the mountains around Wasilla on September 26, 2008. You know winter is coming soon ...
May 18, 2009
You'll see lots of "Give Moose a Brake" signs in Alaska, usually accompanied by a death toll from the previous winter, or year-to-date. This sign was just south of Talkeetna.
May 18, 2009
It's not at all uncommon in Talkeetna -- or in Alaska in general -- to see someone riding an ATV, often accompanied by a well-trained dog.
May 17, 2009
I just happened to catch this picture that shows the contact information for the Jenny Lane Cottage in Homer, Alaska. The cottage might be a little hard to find, but I enjoyed my stay tremendously. By coming to Homer in October I was able to call the owners up and rent the cottage with little notice. While this is just a brief Homer Alaska rental stay, a man could get used to living here.
May 17, 2009
Here's another picture that shows the view out the back of the Jenny Lane Cottage in Homer. It was too wet when I visited here in the fall of 2008, but I'd love to sit on that bench for a while and just look across the water at the rolling mountains.