Talkeetna

my dog’s name, Keetna.

My friend came up from Dallas, TX and we took a drive to Talkeetna; we drove home knowing we’d never be the same. The simplicity, the hospitality, the size – it was all warm and welcoming. We very much enjoyed our walk through this ‘office’; it’s like therapy, at no charge.

My old home town. I love it and so will you.

It’s a stepping stone waypoint to Denali. Off the beaten path, but very touristy. Nice when the tour buses are gone, you feel like you own the place. But when the cruise ship tour buses drop people off, it’s like Main Street Disney. Looked like Dawn of the Dead with all these tourist zombies walking around. Gotta good laugh from that during our visit! Definitely check out the soup and bread dinner at the Roadhouse. And the homemade pies are exquisite!

Talkeetna is also base for flightseeing excursions to Denali. Went on a beautiful morning, clear blue skies and the day after new snowfall in the mountains. Beautiful and highly recommended!

I really enjoyed Talkeetna. It’s pretty, has an amazing view of the mountains, and just feels comfortable and friendly.

Talkeetna is fun for the events around the year. Otherwise, meh. I got lost there when I was 6, really lost. It lasted about half an hour. Not a big place. Common launch for Denali climbers.

I couldn’t believe how all of the guide books gush about how quaint and fun this place is. It’s not. It’s basically a collection of faux log cabins selling kitchy, overpriced trinkets (many of which were probably made in China).

There is a lot to see and love about Alaska, Talkeetna is not one of those things. Sorry.

I spent 1 month hiking through the wilderness of the Talkeetna Mountain Range. On a clear day you have a view all the way to Denali. It is a beautiful place. In the summer you can climb a mountain in the middle of the night, we summited an 18,000 ft. peak at around 2:30, watched the sun set and rise within about 1 hour and hiked down in the dawn light.

Very small town, lots of interesting people to talk to, things to see, and stuff to do. Very open to tourists, you’ll definitely find something nifty to do here. A lot of the cruises use this as a stop on the land part of their tours.