prudhoe bay to anchorage
Dates: August 8, 2022 - August 15, 2022
Distance traveled: 900 mi / 1448 km
Route: Prudhoe Bay > Fairbanks > Healy > Talkeetna >Anchorage
Returning south on the Dalton Highway
With ever-changing weather, road conditions and unpredictable wildlife roaming about, you could drive the Dalton Highway a hundred times and have a completely different experience each pass. Our trip south from Prudhoe Bay back to Fairbanks was no exception to this rule as we watched the land around us transition from the low-lying plains of the arctic tundra to the rocky mountains of the Brooks Range, a return of the stunted black and white spruce in the permafrost regions, and finally, the dense boreal forest we had left behind days ago.
Arctic tundra for days.
The familiar scenery tinted in new shades of light kept us plenty entertained on our five-hour or more days of driving. Now that we had checked the Dalton Highway and Prudhoe Bay off of our list, we were itching to get south to explore the highly beloved Kenai Peninsula.
On our way up the Dalton we had made a mental note of a campsite right off the road by a riverbed surrounded by stunning mountain views. This is where we would spend our last night on this famous highway and revel in our accomplishment. Little did we know that we would be joined by our new friends, Tara and Logan, and their big Fuso rig, Oscar. Our friends’ arrival was a welcomed sight, and we spent the evening trading stories about our experience over the past few days and our lives prior to hitting the road full-time. They too have just begun their Pan-American adventure and we hope to cross paths with them many more times down the road.
After a gorgeous evening spent outside, we awoke to a cold and wet 32°F morning. We quietly slipped out from our campsite as Logan and Tara were still slumbering away and continued south. Mike had heard that the truck stop in Coldfoot had tasty biscuits and gravy, which meant we would be seeing for ourselves if that was the case. At $16.50 each, it wasn’t the best breakfast buffet we’ve ever had, but it wasn’t too bad either. The biscuits and gravy were “ok” and the chocolate chip pancakes, “pretty good.” But the experience alone of dining out in this part of the world, chatting with the folks who run the truckstop, and seeing how highly the local truckers were respected along this route was worth the cost–the nicest table in the joint was always reserved for the truckers.
Hanging out in Fairbanks
That evening we rolled back into Fairbanks, spent $30 dollars washing the Dalton Highway off of the truck, and returned to a free camping area next to a ball field, complete with its own regularly cleaned porta-potty. With lots of sunshine in the forecast, we decided to spend a few extra days here getting our lives back in order and busting out the paddleboards on Tanana Lake.
A group of camper vans that we had yo-yo’ed with to and from Prudhoe Bay showed up at the ball field one night. Clearly in a celebratory mood, they were from Argentina and had just completed the entirety of the Pan-American Highway. Watching them embrace each other in long, joyful hugs, we wondered how we might feel the day we complete our voyage to Ushuaia, Argentina, and who might be there with us to mark the occasion.
An unplanned night in Healy
After lingering in Fairbanks for three nights, it was time to keep heading south towards the Kenai Peninsula. We hadn’t made it very far when we drove past 49th State Brewing around lunchtime and decided to stop for a bite to eat. Blue and white checkered plastic cloths and decorations covered every inch of table outside where several workers were setting up for a large, weekend-long event–Augtoberfest. When we told the host we didn’t realize an event was going on tonight, they excitedly told us we just had to stay for it–they even had a campground out back.
Checked into our campsite for the night, we rested up for the evening’s festivities. The live music beckoned us from our camper around 7pm. With Granger in tow, we headed towards the entrance of the event. The bouncer was skeptical of my ID, eyeing it and me while saying “no one is from South Dakota.” I then explained that he was correct–we have yet to meet residents of South Dakota who are actually from the state, rather than just taking advantage of lenient residency laws like we are. He let us pass and we took our seat on a log bench around a campfire. Mike grabbed a beer (I’m not drinking much alcohol these days) and there we sat for several hours enjoying the ambiance, soft pretzels and high-quality people watching.
The only picture we snapped at Augtoberfest. We were too busy enjoying the moment!
This was clearly a local’s affair, with folks bouncing from one group of friends to another, everyone seeming to know one another. When they got bored, one group started tossing rocks at an empty stein sitting on a deserted table. Soon there were ten people launching rocks, sometimes by the handful, into the air at this mug. No one seemed to mind.
We made friends with a young couple from Fairbanks sitting next to us at the fire. They were huge fans of Granger’s and spoiled her with loads of attention while sharing their insider knowledge on areas we should visit in Alaska. The hours passed pleasantly and before we knew it, it was nearly 11pm–later than we’ve stayed out for quite some time. We bid our new friends farewell and called it a night.
Seeing friends in Talkeetna
The next morning, after attempting to eat the largest pancake I’ve ever seen in my life down the road from the brewery at Rose’s Cafe, we made our way to Talkeetna, a tiny, cute town with a cat presiding as mayor. Caught off guard by how busy this little one-road town was, we headed to the VFW to claim a campsite.
Mike: “We heard you let folks camp in the parking lot for ten dollars?”
Bartender: “Where did you hear that from? It’s true, but I just don’t know how you people figure it out.”
Mike: “There’s an app…” and he proceeded to show her.
With camping squared away, we headed down the street to meet up with our friends Brian and Christina at the Denali Brewpub for dinner. What began as an online Instagram friendship with these two (@dirttrailswanted), we first met in person one day on the side of the highway in Colorado when we happened to realize we were heading in the same direction and weren’t too far apart. Tapping hurriedly away on our phones, we coordinated a quick gas station meetup and solidified the friendship in person. Fast forward to present time, our paths have crossed yet again in Alaska, and this time we made sure to at least share a meal.
After an enjoyable dinner of swapping all of our Alaska experiences, and our benefitting from their insider tips as they’ve already covered the terrain where we were heading, we parted ways hoping to see each other again soon. Which we would, two nights later camped in the Cabela’s parking lot under a stunning sunset in Anchorage.
Anchorage
Before finally reaching the Kenai Peninsula, we had a few things to do in Anchorage. Wanting some added support for our truck’s suspension, we decided to add an additional leaf to each spring in the rear. This would help with the sway we experience from the weight of the camper sometimes on turns or over bumps. Mike found a local shop in Anchorage to take care of this for us while I spent all day in a coffee shop working on one of our latest videos.
Apart from the work on the truck, we also had some long lost family members of Mike’s to track down. He hadn’t seen his cousin Tracy, who has been living in Alaska for nearly 20 years working as a teacher, since he was a little kid. Tracy’s husband, Paul, is in the Air Force working in search and rescue, and their three young and spirited daughters surely keep them on their toes.
One of the most interesting things about spending time in Alaska has been talking to the people who live here year round, and learning about their experience. Most people think you have to be crazy and a Bear Grylls-type of person to weather the winters this far north. Sure, you have to have some grit and know-how, but talking to real-life people who have done it for years demystifies the whole thing and makes it seem much more attainable… which is probably the last thing our families (who live very far from Alaska) want to hear, as we think about where we want to end up when we’re done with full-time travel.
