Denali Road Lottery - September 2019

As I dip my toes back into the world of blogging, I thought recapping some of our adventures over the last two years might be a good place to start. It is doubtful that these adventures will end up being in any sort of chronological order, because let's be honest - organization has never been a strength of mine. I'll try my best to label the posts with dates though to provide a little bit of context to our adventures.

In the summer of 2019 (Annika was 1.5 at the time) we found out we'd won a ticket for the Denali Road Lottery. Cody and I were so excited! You see, personal vehicles aren't allowed in Denali National Park. Generally, you have to book a tour on one of the park buses if you want to see the entirety of the park. The exception is the Denali Road Lottery that happens each year. In order to qualify to drive your car into the park you have to enter a lottery ($25ish per ticket) and hope for the best. Miraculously, we won the first year we entered, which we are told doesn't happen very often. The park assigned us a single day in September that we were allowed to drive the park road.

The second week of September we packed up our Jeep for a long weekend spent in Healy, AK (the town right outside the park). We booked the best little AirBnb (here's the link!). It was a secluded cabin probably 15-minutes outside the park. We really loved the location because the front porch hung right off the mountainside and we could sit out there and drink coffee while staring out onto the most beautiful scenery. They also had a great grilling area and lots of flat play space for small children (Annika pictured below running around behind the cabin).

The day that we drove the park was a little crazy, but in a good way. It can take 10+ hours roundtrip to drive all the way to Wonder Lake (mile 85), which is the final stop on the Denali Park Road. With a toddler in tow, we didn't even entertain the idea that we'd make it that far. Our goal was to make it to Eielson Visitor Center at mile 66 of the park road. Driving 60 (or 80) miles might not sound that far, but you have to consider the condition of the park road. The Denali Park Road isn't like your typical road. It's extremely primitive. There are no road markers, traffic signs, or even any pavement. The roads are roughly graveled (in some places VERY rough) and often only one lane through mountain passes. At one point, we actually traveled a section of road that was one lane, covered in orange cones, and had a handmade sign asking us to "stop, get out of the car, and make sure you don't see any oncoming traffic before proceeding." Turns out that particular stretch of road collapsed the following winter.

We succeeded in making it to the visitor's center at Eielson. It was a bit of a long day for Annika, but lots of stops and playing at the different campgrounds was helpful. Eielson was gorgeous and we are so glad we made it that far. It took us just over eight hours roundtrip. Unlike many visitors to Denali, we didn't really see much wildlife along the drive. We did see a couple of moose, but they were pretty distant. We weren't hugely concerned though because after years in the bush, we'd seen more wildlife than most people will in a lifetime.

One other cool thing about the trip was our dinner at 49th State Brewing Company. The brewery has a great location in Anchorage too, but we just adored the one in Healy. It was much more rustic and the outdoor seating was great. They also had a decent vegetarian menu, which is a huge bonus for me. Our favorite part was the bus though. I was a big fan of the Into The Wild book and movie in my younger days, and they happen to have the movie set replica of the bus at the brewery in Healy. Cody and I loved exploring the bus and taking pictures in front of it. I'd definitely recommend hitting up the restaurant and seeing the bus if you're headed to the park.

Currently listening to...Woodland - The Paper Kites 

June Travels

The month of June was hectic and fun for the Middleton family. We arrived back in the lower 48 during the last few days of May, and tried to get a little bit of r&r at my mom's house in Illinois before we started traveling all over. However, the "rest" part of our trip didn't last long, mostly because my mom and I started getting wild ideas to go places about two days after Cody and I landed in the state. We ended up hiking two different state parks in the first week of being there. We first went to Kankakee River State Park, which is only 30ish minutes from my mom's house, so we packed up the dogs and took them on a nice hike around the river. The second state park was a little further, but also super cool. We spent a day hiking at Starved Rock State Park, which I hadn't been to since I was a kid. It was gorgeous!

The next week I drove Cody down to his hometown in southern Illinois and I stayed there to visit for a few days. I actually went to college close to where Cody grew up, so it was a blast to drive around campus and check out some of my old favorite hangouts. It was also really nice to see Cody's family because I hadn't seen them in a year and a half.

From there, I headed back to my mom's for a few days (and finally got some of that much needed r&r) before jetting off to my dad's house in Michigan. I spent Father's Day in Michigan and my grandfather, who is 84, drove up to MI and spent the weekend with us too. It  was so special to get to spend a long weekend with two of my favorite guys. We spent a wonderful weekend living the lake life - floating, swimming, watching sunset from the boat. It was great.

My dad and I took a road trip to Virginia after Father's Day, where he then left me at my sister's house for 10 days. My sister and her family live near DC, and I really love going to visit them. She has three girls (17, 9, and 5), so we had a BLAST playing and hanging out all week. We did a ton of fun stuff, but my two favorite adventures were hiking in Shenandoah National Park and spending a beach day at Lake Anna State Park. The Blue Ridge Mountains were amazing. I fell instantly in love and stood in awe of them as we hiked.  It was a truly incredible trip!

At the end of my 10 days in Virginia I headed back to Illinois, which is where I am now. It's been a crazy, adventure-filled trip, so far. The adventure is far from over though. I still have a trip to Milwaukee for a concert this week, my oldest sister's wedding this weekend, a weekend trip to Beaver Island (where Cody and I used to live) next week, another trip to SW Michigan, and an end-of-summer cookout with my Illinois family. Somehow, I am going to pack all of that in before August 15th. Wish me luck!

Your turn...How is your summer going?
Currently listening to...Hurray for the Riff Raff - Blue Ridge Mountains 

Weekend Explorations

Abandoned buildings dot the tundra throughout our little village.  The beaches are vacant except for the occasional wildlife sighting.  Roads are empty of people, and full of village dogs.  The skies stretch for miles and touch the tops of nearby mountains and volcanoes.

With all of that said, our lives have become full of empty spaces, but definitely not empty experiences. We've enjoyed the solitude and simpleness of our new life, thus far.  Our weekends have been full with experiences and happiness, even though they seem to be much less "full" in the traditional sense.  There's no movie theatre to take in the latest blockbuster, or hip new restaurant to meet friends for drinks. Instead, we've been fishing and berry picking with local families, taking long walks with the students after school, and spending lots of quality time just the two of us. 

Last weekend we took some time for just the two of us, Cody and I. We drove to the end of the road, out near the docks, and took off on foot out into the tundra. The tundra is slowly turning, a sure sign of fall settling in. The color changes have still been subtle.  The deep, dark greens and brightness of the berries has begun to fade.  The tundra is now more brown and light green, with the occasional smattering of orange. The beauty of the tundra is very unique, and I'm enjoying watching it progress through its first seasonal change.

Throughout the course of our walk we explored many interesting places.  We ventured into a couple of abandoned buildings, presumably houses or fishing camps that are long forgotten. It was interesting to look at the household items scattered about and try to imagine who had lived there, once upon a time.

Life has been keeping us busy out here, but we are mindfully trying to take time to explore and take in the experiences that our village and the surrounding wilderness has to offer. Here's to hoping that the mindfulness we've been keeping remains a constant in this new chapter of our lives.

Your turn...What local adventures have you been on lately? 
Currently listening to...Barton Hollow - The Civil Wars 

Cherishing These Days

These days are awfully busy on our little slice of island.  We are officially 6 weeks from our Beaver Island moving date (June 18th) and 10 weeks from our Alaska moving date (July 18th), which means that our days are being spent making lists, purging our clothes, selling furniture, booking plane tickets, and a million other little tasks.  My to-do list seems to be a mile long and no matter how many items I try to cross off it never gets any shorter.

With all the busyness we are trying to cherish the things that we love about the island, while we still can.  There are definitely things about island living that we will miss.  One of the big things is all of the outdoorsy activities.  We hike almost every weekend, and we often find ourselves at one of the amazing beaches to watch sunsets or climb the dunes. There's no shortage of nature to enjoy.

Last weekend, we took a spin around the island in our beat-up car (also one of our favorite island activities) and got out at lots of beaches and trails to walk around and play in the woods.  The footbridge is one of my favorite stops because it leads through the woods and out onto a big, deserted beach. It also just looks incredibly cool because it leads into some pretty thick forest and passes over a gorgeous creek.

We've never seen another human out at the footbridge beach, and it's far from town or any type of recognizable civilization.  There are a few beach houses in the distance, but nobody ever seems to be home. It's about 15 miles from our front door to the footbridge, which is a 30ish minute drive on the rough, unpaved roads on the island.  We spend most of the time bumping along, emphasis on bumping, at 20mph to get there.  The dogs are always anxious to get out of the car and run around on the beaches, undisturbed by other animals or people. They can really cut loose in places like this.

There are so many little gems like this one on the island.  Places where you can relax and be totally undisturbed.  Places where nature seems mostly untouched and you're just a visitor, not an invader. It's definitely something I am going to miss.

Your turn...What are some of your favorite local gems in your town/area?
Currently listening to...Closing Time - Semisonic 

Springtime Hiking at Little Sand Bay

Last week, the weather turned warm for a few days and all of the snow melted.  It was the perfect little bit of relief from the long winter. The warm weather and sunny, blue skies were the perfect ingredients in my recipe for a little springtime hiking.  Accessing some of the trails on the island can be tricky in the winter because we have many seasonal-only roads.  Now that the snow is melted the island is our oyster for exploring.

Little Sand Bay Nature Preserve is one of my favorite hikes on the island. It walks through three very distinct ecosystems.  You start off walking through grassy fields with small brush and berry bushes, then the ground slopes downward and you hit a giant wall of trees. The forested section of the trail is also extremely swampy and the trees are so thick that it is significantly darker, and a bit fairy tale-ish.  Finally, you hit another slight hill and the woods open up to a bright, sandy beach.

The huge changes in the ecosystems are one of my favorite things about the trail because, at least when I'm hiking alone, I feel like I can kind of let my imagination run wild.  Each change can add a new twist to whatever story I'm imagining in my head.  The open fields might be the happy beginning, the dark forest is the tumultuous middle, and the beach (whether bright and sunny or dark and stormy) is the conclusion to the story. It's kind of awesome if you have an active imagination.

The dogs always love this hike too because it's a decent length and there is plenty of wildlife to chase. It's a great opportunity to catch a glimpse of a beaver, our islands namesake.  There are some dams on the swampy part of the trail and it's not unusual to stumble on one in the water.  Eagles and other beautiful birds also frequent the trail.

Spring hiking is one of my favorites.  It's a great way to get a glimpse of the nice weather to come and shake off a bit of the winter dust.  We always do hiking year-round in our house, but the winter outings tend to be colder, shorter, and involve much less vitamin D. Spring and summer are the best time for long, meandering hikes and camping trips.  Hopefully, camping will be next on the springtime adventure list.

Your turn...Have you been enjoying a little early spring weather?
Currently listening to...This Feeling - Alabama Shakes

Eight Things That Make Alaska Great

I saw this article the other day and it really spoke to me.  The author details the various reasons why he returned to Alaska.  As my long-time readers know, this is something that comes up in conversation a lot in my household.  We almost moved back at the end of last year, but one thing led to another and we committed to another year on Beaver Island.  Nostalgically, Cody and I talk about our time spent living in our little seaside apartment in the southeastern part of Alaska.  And, when I saw this article it just sparked a new longing.  I thought I'd touch on a few of the author's points from the article and shed my own spin on some of the things that make Alaska great.

1.) The Light. The light in Alaska is truly different from anywhere else in the US because it is so extreme.  In the summer, the sun never seems to set.  Darkness is equated more with dusk, and only then for a couple of hours.  Then, winter sets in, and the few hours of sunlight seem to be frozen in between sunrise and sunset, which makes for stellar skies.

Late evening in the middle of summer.

Afternoon sunset in the middle of winter. 

2.) Tundra. When we lived in Juneau we were actually living in a temperate rain forest, but when I lived solo in the Bristol Bay region I technically lived in the far southern tundra.  I've never lived in a place with only scrubby brush and truly harsh tundra climates.  It's on my bucket list though.

Spongy forest floor in Juneau.

View of the landscape in King Salmon. 

3.) Glaciers.  Yeah, this one gets me every time.  I get that there are glaciers in the lower 48, but Juneau literally has a glacier just chilling in the middle of town.  And, that's kind of the norm for Alaska.  These huge, majestic natural formations are just part of life.  Plus, Cody and I climbed into the Mendenhall Glacier Ice Caves one time and it was the most incredible adventure I've experienced, thus far.

Mendenhall Glacier in the spring. 

Standing inside of Mendenhall Glacier and looking up at the sky. 

4.) Wildlife.  You're not the top of the food chain in Alaska, which can take some getting used to.  The wildlife is so different than you can imagine without living there.  My best example of Alaskan wildlife is Romeo.  Stuff like that doesn't just happen anywhere.

A little sea star that we found on the beach. 

Giant moose throwing water with his antlers. 

5.) Aurora. At one point, I subscribed to get aurora notifications sent to my phone.  Every time the notification went off I would be scurrying outside to see if I could catch a glimpse.  Unfortunately, my cellphone pictures don't do justice to the magnificent lights, and they say that the farther north you get the more intense the light. I hope to watch the lights from north of the arctic circle once in my lifetime.

Northern lights over Juneau.  Photo courtesy of this link.

6.) Wilderness.  One visit to a big city in Alaska will have you rethinking the term "city."  Even the land right outside the city borders are true, untouched wilderness.  I once hiked and camped in Katmai National Park, which is a park that covers more than 4 million acres.  You want true wilderness?  Head to Alaska, but make sure you're prepared.

Carefully planning a hike using a maps and trail guides. 

Fish Creek in North Douglas. 

7.) Mountains.  Oh, the mountains.  We've all heard the saying, "The mountains are calling and I must go." I pretty much feel like that whenever I think of Alaska.  There is nothing like spending the day climbing a mountain (without seeing another human), sitting on the top, and overlooking the world.  The views from the top make every adventure worth it.

Wilderness warnings on the mountain tops. 

Tall mountains on a distant shore. 

8.) The People.  People from Alaska are just different.  They have different sayings and unique body language.  Their culture is alive and vibrant and unwavering.  My time spent teaching for the tribe taught me more than I could ever explain about cultural diversity.  Also, some of our best friends in the world have come from Alaska.  They are just different, in their own kooky, lovable way.

Cody and the neighbors filleting halibut. 

With our best friends at a rustic cabin.

Your turn...Have you ever visited Alaska?  If so, what was your favorite part?  If not, would you ever consider it? 
Currently listening to...Going Home - The Shins