When we first started discussing a trip to Alaska, we were considering visiting Denali National Park. My parents had been there previously, decades ago, and hoped to see it again. The rest of us were interested, too. However, when my mom began researching the trip, a number of obstacles came up. The lodging in the park itself was accessible only by private plane, and was therefore out for us (and most other people, I would imagine). Lodging within striking distance of the park is limited, and with July being a peak month for Alaska tourism, it was sounding like visiting Denali National Park could turn into a logistical disaster. After doing further investigating, my mom suggested visiting the town of Talkeetna, where one can sometimes view Mt. Denali (on clear days), and where there is plenty of lovely scenery and places to hike.
As a word to the wise for anyone thinking of traveling to Alaska, lodging in Talkeetna is pretty limited, too, and it seems like a lot of people use it as a stopover between Anchorage and Denali National Park. So, if you'd like to visit there, particularly in the summer, it is worth booking ahead. My poor mom had a terrible time booking lodging for us several months ahead of time. The place where we ended up staying was lovely, but they ended up bending the rules for us (they normally required a three-night stay but allowed us to stay for just one night). So, we were lucky in that way.
Unfortunately, it was quite rainy while we were in Talkeetna, so no views of Mt. Denali for us. We visited the Talkeetna Historical Society Museum, which was housed in a cluster of small buildings. They had some interesting exhibits, and my mom even recognized the names of some people who were mentioned in some of the informational materials. At least in the past, they had a "moose dropping festival." I couldn't really figure out what that was about, but they had some fabulous t-shirts on display, none of which, sadly, were for sale.
The town itself had an almost festival-like atmosphere when we visited, with outdoor booths selling a variety of crafts, in spite of the rain. The scenery was also very beautiful even without views of Mt. Denali. (Unfortunately, some sort of technological/personal failure seems to have resulted in my losing my pictures from around our lodge, so anyone reading will have to take my word for it!) One thing to keep in mind about anywhere, really, but maybe Alaska in particular, is that rain can alter your plans and expectations. Especially if you're on a tight timeframe, it may be best not to have a list of things you absolutely must see or do and just focus on enjoying what the weather allows you to do.
