North to Alaska 10: Goddess of the Log

The next day I took the shuttle into Talkeetna, the base for climbers up Mount McKinley (Denali). It is a laid-back town full of artists and outdoors types. It is the place I felt most at home in Alaska. This town was also the inspiration for the TV show Northern Exposure, although it wasn't shot there.







I ate breakfast/lunch at Mountain High Pizza Pie, which was to become my home away from home. Very cool, friendly vibe, lots of beer on tap, and some of the best food I ate this entire trip. Definitely a true Roadfood establishment.



One of their signature dishes is the Italian flatbread sandwich, which is made from their own dough and unlike anything I have ever tried before. This one is stuffed with delicious reindeer sausage.



They have loads of interesting pizza toppings, and you can make your own slice (which is so big it is really two slices). I went for Italian sausage, banana peppers and mushrooms. Swoon.







I wandered down to the river and happened upon a fallen log that fascinated me. A couple of girls were posing on it, and we started trading cameras, trying to come up with the best poses.



I found a .45 jacket and one of the campers said they thought they had heard firecrackers on the beach the night before, but apparently it was gunshots. I didn't see any aluminum cans or broken bottles. What the hell were they shooting at? Salmon? (Because if I were really drunk, the salmon were jumping, and I had a .45 in my hand - well, the thought might cross my mind). But it was dark at the time, and salmon were no longer jumping. Someone offered helpfully, "Moose? It is moose season." Who the hell shoots moose with a .45? It's a mystery.



For dinner I met up with my travel partners at West Rib.





Glacier Brewing Company makes a special high-test brew especially for West Rib called Ice Axe Ale.



You can also order "fat ass sauce" for your burgers - a combination of sour cream, bacon and jalapenos. I'm not sure it was the perfect topping for burgers, but may strongly influence my dip-making this coming holiday season.



Ralph got a surf and turf and immediately fell in love with the strong spices on the crab. The caribou was OK, but none of us will be rushing off to buy sides of caribou anytime soon.



I wandered around town taking pictures of giant flowers, then met up with my friends from the beach for beers at Mountain High.





There was a spectacular rainstorm, like nature showing off. It reminded me of the end of The Tiki Room when our sounds of merriment have angered the gods. After about 15 minutes, it calmed down and the sun came back out. It's confusing in Alaska because the sun is still up, and you want to hang out and party, but things still close down just like everywhere else.

The last shuttle back to the lodge was leaving town at 9:30pm and I had to be on it. I called the lodge to see if there was an alternative, and the desk clerk told me that the driver had my name and would not leave without me. There was no way I could just stay in town and get drunk. Costco holidays are very safe. They are great people to entrust your senile Aunt Myrtle to, because you can't even get into trouble when you are genuinely trying.

EliseT..your latest installment is great, as I've come to expect...TALKEETNA sure does remind me of Northern Exposure...and thanks for the heads-up on caribou,,,I've cancelled my order!

C'mon Elise !! you're slipping !! should have found a friendly local to POSE as you! just duct-tape up one of thier shoes, hand them some king crab shells and point them toward the bus !!

Love the flower photos! Have you seen any of the giant vegetables that people grow up there? I like the folk art moose.

Thanks for another great trip report, EliseT!
Teresa

quote:

Originally posted by AHI MPLS

C'mon Elise !! you're slipping !! should have found a friendly local to POSE as you! just duct-tape up one of thier shoes, hand them some king crab shells and point them toward the bus !!

Oh god, you remember that???

You are truly an evil genius. Of course, then I would have needed some way to get to the lodge and they don't have taxis out there.

...unless my patsy had a CAR, hmmm.....

Just for a point of interest, the TV show Northern Exposure was shot on location in Roslyn, WA just off I-90 in the Wenatchee Mountains. We were there the day they were shooting Maggie talking to her dog on her front porch when she thought the dog was her reincarnated former boyfriend. Maggie's cabin was not out in the woods as the show intimated. It was just around the corner from the main street and the large building side billboard that opened the show with the moose walking by.

Roslyn seemed a bit depressed at the time and a bit rundown. There was no funkiness like Talkeetna. When we were in Talkeetna we had dinner in a restaurant at the edge of the town when you came in that was located in a house. The chef at the time had been featured on the Food Network. That was 7 years ago. Breakfast was hearty in a bar like place where everyone ate community style at large tables. I forget the names. The overnight at the lodge outside of town gave us time to enjoy Talkeetna. What surprised me was how many people in our bus group never bothered to leave the lodge and go into Talkeetna. Their loss.

This whole holiday has been one of great enjoyment from beginning to end.I sure would love to travel with you Elise-you have great adventures!

Just something that struck me funny about seeing not one, but two ice machines in front of Nagley's store and all.

Elise. My thanks for providing us all with a very entertaining trip report from beginning to end.

quote:

Originally posted by Davydd

Just for a point of interest, the TV show Northern Exposure was shot on location in Roslyn, WA just off I-90 in the Wenatchee Mountains. We were there the day they were shooting Maggie talking to her dog on her front porch when she thought the dog was her reincarnated former boyfriend. Maggie's cabin was not out in the woods as the show intimated. It was just around the corner from the main street and the large building side billboard that opened the show with the moose walking by.

Roslyn seemed a bit depressed at the time and a bit rundown. There was no funkiness like Talkeetna. When we were in Talkeetna we had dinner in a restaurant at the edge of the town when you came in that was located in a house. The chef at the time had been featured on the Food Network. That was 7 years ago. Breakfast was hearty in a bar like place where everyone ate community style at large tables. I forget the names. The overnight at the lodge outside of town gave us time to enjoy Talkeetna. What surprised me was how many people in our bus group never bothered to leave the lodge and go into Talkeetna. Their loss.

Roslyn has more than 7 cemeteries in the city, a sign some ethnic grudges never die. The town also had an annual Nothern Exposure festival, at least until a few rears ago.

Although it is the wrong show, it seems like it would be appropriate to call yourself the "Log Lady." And by the way," that gum you like is back in style."

Your trip reports are wonderful.

Yeah, I visited Roslyn back in 99 or so, and it did seem much more depressed than the pictures of this town; Talkeetna seems lovely. Just goes to show what you can do with the Hollywood magic.

So your folks bought this tour from Costco? I didn't know they did such things.

I know. Me neither. I forhet what the subdivision is called. I'm sure it's on all of my paperwork. I'll do one more post before I start on Baja.

So the deomographic was not only the kind of people who take coach tours, but narrowed down even further for Costco shoppers (and a few salesmen) so it was an unusual group. Not a giant muffin in sight though.

quote:

Originally posted by mr chips

quote:

Originally posted by Davydd

Just for a point of interest, the TV show Northern Exposure was shot on location in Roslyn, WA just off I-90 in the Wenatchee Mountains. We were there the day they were shooting Maggie talking to her dog on her front porch when she thought the dog was her reincarnated former boyfriend. Maggie's cabin was not out in the woods as the show intimated. It was just around the corner from the main street and the large building side billboard that opened the show with the moose walking by.

Roslyn seemed a bit depressed at the time and a bit rundown. There was no funkiness like Talkeetna. When we were in Talkeetna we had dinner in a restaurant at the edge of the town when you came in that was located in a house. The chef at the time had been featured on the Food Network. That was 7 years ago. Breakfast was hearty in a bar like place where everyone ate community style at large tables. I forget the names. The overnight at the lodge outside of town gave us time to enjoy Talkeetna. What surprised me was how many people in our bus group never bothered to leave the lodge and go into Talkeetna. Their loss.

Roslyn has more than 7 cemeteries in the city, a sign some ethnic grudges never die. The town also had an annual Nothern Exposure festival, at least until a few rears ago.

I have been in Roslyn a couple of times. The last time I was there was about five years ago and they were having the Northern exposure festival then. I witnessed it for about 3-4 hours and then I had to visit the local emporium for some Roslyn beer and then acroos the street to the Roslyn Cafe. Small remote town but very good food.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN