Chelsea Inn Hotel Anchorage

... the bears (most of them are brown bears or grizzlies) can get all the food they need before hibernating in the mountains. You have to be very careful when visiting the region because bears are everywhere and you may meet them at any moment! As soon as you arrive at Brooks Lodge, the rangers tell you what to do – and not to do! – if you happen to encounter a bear: you should talk to him while ...

Took the train from Talkeetna to Anchorage yesterday...another nice ride. We saw a moose as we crossed through the grounds of Elmendorf Air Force Base. It was dark and rainy so no pictures of him.

I am now sitting at the Anchorage airport waiting for my flight home. It will be a little more pleasant as for an extra 10k frequent flier miles I was able to get first class seats for the return trip. That will be nice on a red eye ...

We woke up early as we had to be at the ferry terminal by 07:00. Packing up camp was fast and we were there in plenty of time so we detoured for coffee. Yum!

The ferry trip took about 6 hours. We had breakfast onboard and then proceded out on deck where we stayed for a good part of the trip. The panorama was again spectacular and our cameras were constantly clicking. One of the highlights was seeing a seal fighting off seagulls to keep ...

... fog had burned off a bit and we were able to take in a little of the view.

Our next stop was the Wildlife Conservation Center - a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Alaska's wildlife through public education. AWCC takes in injured and orphaned animals year-round and provides spacious enclosures and quality animal care. Animals that cannot be released into the wild are given a permanent home at the center. We saw bear, elk ...

The last night at Alaska. No specific schedule, just shopping, and easy short drive to the berry farm to see the chocolate fountain. Our flight was like 1:28 a.m., so we got to the airport around 10 p.m. Finally, the night fell. I was so glad to see the night. My eyes felt comfortable. No wonder we all felt sore for the eyes, the sun's been shining all day long!

... seems like a lot of work for the dogs, but they all seem eager to run and pull the sleds. As the last teams were starting out, we returned to the car and started the drive back to Anchorage. It was a slow go taking about 2 1/2 hours to make the trip. This was about an hour longer then it took to get there. Tomorrow we say good-bye to Anchorage and Alaska.

... Unfortunately, although I have seen two full grown female moose grazing and twin mooselets the size of Great Danes by the road, I haven't had the opportunity to immortalize them on film. I was, however, able to snap a quick pick of the famous wild side striped shrimp. Corney, but I have to tell you they are delicious. Buttery and tasting like lobster they are worth the work. Ribs are coming along. Jeff has managed to secure some golf clubs for my use ...

After 18-months of planning, our trip to the Canyon was finally here! Standing on its rim, you can't help but be inspired by it's sheer size and overwhelming beauty. But we would see it from a different perspective ... more than a mile below the rim, from the world's largest gorge and the ...

... or a cabin in Talkeetna. Talkeetna is a small community that serves as the staging area for hundreds of Mt. McKinley climbers. This is also where you can get yourself a flightseeing (where the best views of Denali can be seen ...

... largest city in Alaska. We only had one full day there so we hired bikes and cycled along a coastal trail to try and see as much as possible. It was a beautiful route but we managed to get completely soaked on the way home when we got caught in torrential rain. Our last trip was Seward, a small fishing town on the coast to the south of Anchorage. It's a really beautiful place surrounded by snow-capped mountains and looking out onto a turquoise blue bay ...