Saturday, March 10, 2018 - Talkeetna, Alaska
After a long day of traveling and a full day of education, it was time to do some exploring outside of Anchorage. We began traveling north on the Glenn Highway towards the town of Talkeetna to reach our first excursion. We decided to be stereotypical tourists by going dog sledding and meeting the wonderful pups of Dallas Seavey Dog Racing. It was an amazing experience with not only getting to go for a ride and stand on a sled, but also just the people and the dogs were perfect. I was truly impressed with how respectful and patient all of the dogs were with people, and I think that speaks highly of the trainers. It was so peaceful looking around to see mountains and be out in the nature. It also made me think about how for some people this was, or may still be, their main source of transportation. After leaving Dallas Seavey, we headed to the town of Talkeetna where we toured around. There was a fat tire bike race going on so there were a lot of people hanging out in the town. Some of us went to the Talkeetna Roadhouse where I enjoyed some delicious homemade quiche and reindeer chili.
Sunday, March 11, 2018 - Seward, Alaska
For our second day of exploring, we went south on the Seward Highway, which follows the coastline and goes through some mountain passes. Seward is a beautiful coastal town with a lot of history as it is a part of the Iditarod trail. Within the first few minutes we saw some seals playing close to shore in the water, and the view of the mountains in the background over the sea was breathtaking. Sadly, not everything was open since it was a Sunday and the off-season for tourists, but it was nice to be able to walk around and get a feel for it. There was also a sea life aquarium, though I did not visit that, but heard it was really interesting. The ride toward Seward was beautiful yet uneventful, whereas the way back we got stuck for about an hour and half due to a backup from an accident. In the car while we were waiting, we were talking about how difficult that it would be for healthcare providers or rescue services to get in or out since it is only a two-lane road. Not only from an accident, but parts of this road have avalanche warnings and mother nature could strike at anytime. This shows how access is a huge problem in the secluded state of Alaska, and how this is a life threatening challenge to overcome. Where I'm from there are many ambulances, and if really emergent there is a helicopter that can come to grab patients in critical condition. It has been really eye-opening to compare my normals and what I know, versus the people in Alaska and how easy it is to take it for granted since that is all I have ever known.
After a long day of traveling and a full day of education, it was time to do some exploring outside of Anchorage. We began traveling north on the Glenn Highway towards the town of Talkeetna to reach our first excursion. We decided to be stereotypical tourists by going dog sledding and meeting the wonderful pups of Dallas Seavey Dog Racing. It was an amazing experience with not only getting to go for a ride and stand on a sled, but also just the people and the dogs were perfect. I was truly impressed with how respectful and patient all of the dogs were with people, and I think that speaks highly of the trainers. It was so peaceful looking around to see mountains and be out in the nature. It also made me think about how for some people this was, or may still be, their main source of transportation. After leaving Dallas Seavey, we headed to the town of Talkeetna where we toured around. There was a fat tire bike race going on so there were a lot of people hanging out in the town. Some of us went to the Talkeetna Roadhouse where I enjoyed some delicious homemade quiche and reindeer chili.
Sunday, March 11, 2018 - Seward, Alaska
For our second day of exploring, we went south on the Seward Highway, which follows the coastline and goes through some mountain passes. Seward is a beautiful coastal town with a lot of history as it is a part of the Iditarod trail. Within the first few minutes we saw some seals playing close to shore in the water, and the view of the mountains in the background over the sea was breathtaking. Sadly, not everything was open since it was a Sunday and the off-season for tourists, but it was nice to be able to walk around and get a feel for it. There was also a sea life aquarium, though I did not visit that, but heard it was really interesting. The ride toward Seward was beautiful yet uneventful, whereas the way back we got stuck for about an hour and half due to a backup from an accident. In the car while we were waiting, we were talking about how difficult that it would be for healthcare providers or rescue services to get in or out since it is only a two-lane road. Not only from an accident, but parts of this road have avalanche warnings and mother nature could strike at anytime. This shows how access is a huge problem in the secluded state of Alaska, and how this is a life threatening challenge to overcome. Where I'm from there are many ambulances, and if really emergent there is a helicopter that can come to grab patients in critical condition. It has been really eye-opening to compare my normals and what I know, versus the people in Alaska and how easy it is to take it for granted since that is all I have ever known.