Alaskan Frontier Adventures

Between Denali and Anchorage is a fun and quirky town which has had a cat as a mayor since 1997. Talkeetna is filled with charming shops and places to eat. The mayor, Aurora, lives in Nagley’s, the town general store. She is the third cat mayor following Stubs and Aurora’s brother, Denali. There is another contender for this year’s election, a dog named Sage. Stay tuned!

It is easy to stroll through the unique art shops and enjoy listening to local gossip and legends over a cocktail and halibut tacos. Rain shortened our stay, however we enjoyed the time we spent in the cool town of Talkeetna.

About an hour south of Anchorage, on the way to Seward, is the beautiful village of Girdwood. From town you can see glaciers, a tram to the top of the longest continuous double black diamond ski slope in the United States, and beautiful vistas. In the small village is the Bake Shop famous for cinnamon rolls. Yup, they are gigantic and delicious.

We took a very short hike through the dense forest to Virgin Falls. Then a tram ride to the top of Mount Alyeska for a panoramic view of Cook Inlet, six glaciers and the beautiful village below. Just breathtaking. We even saw some daredevil bike riders head down the mountain.

In between the panoramic vistas, these small villages filled with local artists and creative bakers add to the splendor of Alaska.