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I'd like to share my thoughts about Talkeetna with you.  Talkeetna is two hours NE of Anchorage, 2.5 hours SW of Denali, and 5 hours SW of Fairbanks.  The town of around 700 bustles this time of year  Bus after bus of cruise tourists arrive continuously.  Trains run daily from Talkeetna to Anchorage and Fairbanks (one each way).  There is also a train that leaves each day at 12:00 PM and returns to Talkeetna at 6:00 PM.  The train stops in many small towns along it's journey, out and back, and is the life-line to the small towns and villages it stops at along the way.  It also serves as an alternative source of transportation for hikers, back-packers and overnight campers.  Not sure if you heard about the teenagers that were attached by a grizzly bear the night before last, but likely the teens, who were on a 30 day outdoor leadership sabatical, were dropped off by this train. 

No idea why I took this picture or included it in this blog.  I just liked the truck for some reason.

Kind of speaks for itself (Train)

Between flights, I have been spending a lot of time in Talkeetna.  I usually head to the "Roadhouse" after my morning flight (8 AM - 10 AM) to update my pictures, have a cup of coffee and a huge morning roll.  The Roadhouse has large tables set up to accommodate up to 15 people each.  It also has like 6 bathrooms which is rather peculiar. The last couple of days I grab a table, or part of a table, pull out my laptop and camera and go to work, mostly to keep myself busy, and drink my coffee, and kill time till my next flight at 12:00.  Both days I have gotten into conversations with other travelers.  Because I'm by myself, and I look studious with my laptop in front of me, I'm a natural attraction for them.  Plus, they are on vacation and usually people on vacation are in good moods and more talkative. The visitors to Talkeetna, in my observation, break up into four groups.

FIrst and foremost are the retired couples.  They are obvious because thay all went to Gander Mountain or Cabella's to outfit their wardrobe before departing on their excursion to Alaska.  I think Alaska must be on the majority of peoples bucket list.  It's one of those "must see" destinations.  I guess that's why over 1.5 million people come to Alaska each year to visit. Most of the elders are part of cruises that bus or train people through the infrastructure of Alaska.  Talkeetna is a natural stop for these tours because of its location relative to Anchorage, Denali and Fairbanks.  Plus, Talkeetna is a hub for transportation with the aforementioned train and its airport.  PATK (Talkeetna airport) is the hub for ski planes and float planes.  The ski planes, which accommodate 5 passengers and up, if weather permits, land on the north end of Ruth Glacier, at the base of Mt. McKinley.  Today was one of those weather permits days.  The airport was a buzz with many departures and arrivals.  From what I heard in town, the mountain was socked in with clouds from about 12,000 feet up.  I think the Glacier landings are at 11,000 feet.  This would allow the planes to land on the Glacier, but the view of McKinley, which as I look out over the trees, is still obstructed,  Many people have spent days in Talkeetna waiting for the day when the mountain "shows itself".  Some come and go without seeing it at all.

I also me many retirees that drove up here in RV's and on motorcycle tours.  From the lower 48 that's over 4,000 miles.  It's crazy to imagine driving an RV, or sitting on a motorcycle, for that many miles.  I give them a tremendous amount of credit.

The second group of people I run accross in Talkeetna are the visiting families.  They may be RV'ers or they may be on a cruise or they may have dragged the kids here in a rental car to experience the scenery and the wildlife.  Most of them haven't stopped at Gander Mountain or Cabella's yet, and they like to wear T-Shirts and Sweatshirts that show where they come from.  Someday they'll shop at Gander Mountain or Cabella's.

The third group are the youth.  Almost reminds me of the old Hippie days.  Many of them come here to build small cabins in the woods or work in the restaurants or tourism services or they come to camp and hike the woods or the mountains.  They seem to have a lot of dogs.  There are tons of dogs in Talkeetna and usually they're around the young people. 

The fourth group are the locals.  They seem to overlap into the third group (the youth).  They have dogs too and most of the males have beards, long ones, or side burns.  I don't think most of the locals were born here but came here in the third group (the youths) and never left.

This weekend there is a traveling performance group in Talkeetna.  They showed up today and the local radio station is really promoting them.  It's some "New Chetauqua" group that performs vaudeville and acrobatics and stuff.  They put on a parade while I as in town this afternoon.  Bizaar.  Like the ultimate hippies (not that there's anything wrong with that).  Wild colors, jugglers, men and women on stilts.  Seemed very appropriate for Talkeetna for some reason.

It's weird being here without Sandy or people I know.  Gives me more time (when I'm not flying) to observe and try to stay, kind of, "under the radar" so to speak.  It also gives me more time to sit and type so I am apologizing for the length of this narrative.

Tomorrow's my check ride for the float plane certification (a float plane just flew right over the B&B headed for Fish Lake, maybe that's an omen).  I know my skills are in order but I'm nervous about the outcome.