Talkeetna

Our Alaska farewell driving tour is off to a fabulous start!  I've wanted to visit Talkeetna since I first learned about the Denali Brewing Company when I discovered their Single Engine Red Ale the first year we were in Kodiak.

It seemed like a town that had a sort of rugged, wild allure.  And of course there was the draw of visiting Denali Brewing Company.  So somehow, while we were planning our PCS road trip, a detour up to Talkeetna became part of the grand scheme.

Excellent decision!  We drove about 6 hours from Homer up to Talkeetna after catching the ferry from Kodiak, and my first impressions about Talkeetna were spot on with what I expected.  End of the road isolated and a healthy dose of mountain hippies. With a touch of cheeky tourism and extreme sport aficionados added to the mix.

The town itself is tiny, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in character.  Lots of inns, guesthouses, restaurants, pubs, and gift shops.

Downtown Talkeetna

Our guest house was cute and worked for us as far as being dog friendly, but it was nothing to write home about.  A place to sleep at night after we went out exploring each day was about where it fell. 

Denali Brew Pub didn't disappoint!  They had a dog friendly outside patio we could sit at with Cheety, and we ordered dinner and some beers.  I couldn't resist getting a t-shirt and a Denali Brewing Co. pint glass.  Because yes.

We made a point of checking out The Roadhouse after learning it was built around 1917 and was a legitimate Alaska frontier roadhouse.  More importantly, it's reputation for being the best breakfast in town.  Priorities, right?

All I can say is I had one of the best breakfast burritos ever and their rhubarb pie was divine.  I don't know what makes it so good, but I suspect copious amounts of butter and lard are involved. 

Here's a fun fact about Talkeetna that you wouldn't know until trekking up there yourself. During the summer, the air is absolutely teeming with puffs of cotton wafting in the breeze.  Little white fluffs just floating all through the air.

Not just a few here and there.  It's literally snowing cotton.  It almost looks like the puffy white dandelion seeds we all used to pick and blow on when we were kids.

But, it's everywhere. Floating in the breeze, collected in fluffy white drifts all along the sides of the roads, hovering over every surface.  It's remarkable.  You can tell a little bit in the Roadhouse picture above. Makes for a unique atmosphere! Although, I'm sure it's an interior Alaska thing, not just a Talkeetna thing.

I have more to share about our time in Talkeetna, but I'll save it for my next post.  I'm long winded enough as it is.

Alaska Farewell Driving Tour 2016 to be continued!

Ta-ta for now.

On the road...