Monday finds us underway about 30 miles down to Chitina on
the Edgerton Highway. From this
small community we continue on the McCarthy Road, a sixty-mile gravel road that
traversed beautiful but desolate country before arriving at the McCarthy Bridge
(the end of the road literally). A
short walk across the bridge, we climb aboard a waiting van for the last five
miles up to Kennicott Lodge. The
National Park Service now owns about 2800 acres around the area that includes
the Kennicott Mine (closed in 1938) and the town. We check in and are assigned Room 17. Rooms here are very nice decorated with
period furniture and pictures.
Dinner is served family-style at 7 PM for about 60 guests.
Tuesday dawns clear as we sit enjoying a buffet breakfast
looking over Kennicott Glacier.
After a walking tour of town we prepare to depart traveling back down
for a brief stop at McCarthy (contains one street, 3 business along a
hundred-yard stretch of dirt road).
We have been enjoying the Alaska Tour Save Book during our
trip through Alaska. It costs $100
and is available on-line and at Safeway stores. It has all types of buy one-get one free coupons for tours,
hotels, museums, Alaska Railroad and other fun things. While at Kennicott Joy and Sharon could
not decide about taking the flightseeing tour, figured it was expensive. As we were leaving we ran into a couple
we had met earlier and they were raving about the flight. That’s when Joy and Sharon discovered a
Tour Saver coupon. Suddenly the
girls decided and even though we were leaving – they called and booked a flight
at 3:30 today. Yippee, it was
wonderful. Thanks again Alaska
Tour Saver book. We arrived back
at Kenny Lake and our motor homes about 8 PM.
View of Copper River near Chitina, AK |
Downtown Chitina |
Start of the McCathy Road |
View north toward Wrangell Range |
Copper River |
29 miles into McCathy Road |
We enjoy a beautiful day with friends |
A quiet and still lake reflects the mountain above |
Over a foot-bridge to a waiting van from Kennicott |
Kennicott Copper Mine and Lodge from a distance |
Welcome to Kennicott Lodge |
NPS now owns and is restoring the mine |
Joy and her "older sister" Sharon |
Restored powerplant |
glacial moraine covering the glacier ice |
Ready for dinner we sit on the lawn |
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