On the road: Anchorage and Portage Valley

July 13, 2023

The population of the entire state of Alaska is about 730,000 with almost 300,000 of them living in Anchorage. We generally avoid cities, but this one is difficult to avoid if you are traveling to the south central coast of the state. We did enjoy a few days exploring the city, mostly the murals, outdoor art, and historic sites.

We first visited the unique town of Palmer. In 1935 as part of the new deal, an agricultural colony was established that brought in farmers from Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The area is well known for growing giant vegetables that are showcased at the state fair.

We drove eastward from Palmer, following the gray water of the Matanuska River laden with "rock flour" to Matanuska Glacier, The sun lit up the ice in a spectacular way.

King Mountain and the Matanuska River

After leaving Palmer, we drove up into the Talkeetna Mountains to Hatcher Pass, but the weather was miserable so we didn't explore much.

We camped at a campground just 15 minutes from downtown Anchorage so we were able to access points of interest quite easily over the span of three days. We saw some excellent films at the Public Lands Information Center.

Downtown Visitor Center

Interesting murals and sculptures around town, and totem poles.

huge bronze sculpture of a blue whale

Captain James Cook

Gigantic chocolate fountain at Alaska Wild Berry Products

with 3,000 pounds of molten chocolate.

If you ask, you can hold a 10-pound bar of chocolate.

After three days, it was time to get out of the big city and head to Chugach National Forest after driving alongside Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet. Our first geocaching stop was at this huge rotary snow blower used by the railroad.

The drive along Turnagain Arm is very scenic.

After visiting Chugach National Forest Ranger Station, we decided to spend a few days in the Portage Valley. Here is our view from our site in Williway Campground: