Our Future Trails...

James and I took an overnight trip down south to check out the two areas we want to move to but had to see first hand in order to refine our vision and decide where to focus our energies.

One area is in Talkeetna/Petersville off the Parks Highway and the other is Kenny Lake/Copper River off the Richardson Highway. Both places are at about the same latitude but are on opposite sides of the state, and when dealing with Alaska that's a HUGE distance!

We were pretty sure the area off the Rich Hwy was going to be ideal so we headed down to check that out and planned to stay overnight at a nice place off the Glenn Hwy.

On the way down we drove through Paxson and they still had a lot of snow but we were put off that area with its harsh winters and the big snowmachine event that leaves the landscape scared as far as the eye can see with tracks. Of course all of that disappears in the summer but the idea of being mobbed with so many people and all that noise is not what we are looking for, even if its only for a short time.

The town of Kenny Lake was so cool, so quiet and beautiful scenery all around. The mountains provided a beautiful backdrop and the little country store was so neat. We had stopped to get gas and sat there for a moment enjoying the quiet. It had been a long time since I could sit on the side of a main road and not hear a single car. It was so wonderful...

But the land there is mainly used for farming and was hard to come by. The tracts that were available were small (an acre or so) and may or may not have been the best for the team and I. There were many more swampy areas than we thought to find so that was kind of a disappointment.

James and I decided to go back to the place we were going to stay at and see about canceling our reservation, which they were kind enough to do. Then we headed down the Glenn Hwy (connecting the Rich and Parks Hwys) and on up to the Talkeetna area.

The drive on the Glenn was amazing and so beautiful. I wish James and I hadn't been chatting so much, I would have had more thought to take pictures. The mountains there were AMAZING and so close! I look forward to taking that drive again just for the scenic view.

By the time we got to Talkeetna my minor headache was becoming a major problem and my fatigue riding for so many hours was wearing on me. We halfheartedly looked at a few lots around the town of Y but decided to drive all the way up to find a place to stay.

The tiny town of Talkeetna was so cute! You could tell it was growing due to the growing tourist base but they keep to their small towns roots. Very good sign for us! I don't want to end up on the outside of another town like Fairbanks!

I joke with James about the straw that broke the camels back and forced us out... Walmart was one, the overpass at the end of our quiet street was another and when Hotel North Pole went up that was it... we are officially on our way out! : )

After spending the night in Talkeetna I was feeling much better and we had a wonderful sit down breakfast at a restaurant called Latitude 64. We were the only people there (tourist season hasn't officially started yet) and the place was wonderful. It was so charming and I can see us visiting that place again. Ajax loved the reindeer sausage and its been forever since Ive had biscuits and gravy!

The actual town of Talkeetna didn't appeal to us completely as a place to live so we headed to Petersville 14 miles away but a stones throw across the highway from Talkeetna as the raven flys. I brought my GPS but Petersville wasn't showing on the map... that was our first clue that it was the right place!

Its so quiet there but growing as well. Fortunately there is only one main street for the town and just a handful of side streets developed so far. Land is still available and the view of Denali is breathtaking! Waking up to that every morning would be a pure slice of heaven!

The land all around is largely uninhabited and there are some nice main trails. The boarder to Denali National Park is only a few miles from our door step and there are many remote cabins and parcels in the area that we would like to buy eventually as another retreat apart from our main home. This would also be an excellent destination for our mushing tour clients!

Its strange how perfect the area is... the more I think about it the more positive I am about settling in... but the rental still needs work and it will need to be sold before we can commit. We are so close though and more determined than ever to make this dream of ours a reality! Its so close I can taste it!!