Talkeetna, Day Two, AK

​I got back to Talkeetna early enough to beat the crowd and was able to nab the same exact parking spot in the shade. But I decided to take Jo Jo with me as I was seeking out either a nice fresh bakery item, and of course, coffee. So I came across Conscious Coffee, with outdoor seating, and ordered at the window. The Lane Creek crêpe caught my eye with white cheddar, tomatoes, and spinach. It’s been quite some time since I had a crêpe, and it was absolutely delicious, along with a cup of iced coffee. I didn’t catch their name, but I shared a table with two ladies, who used to live in California now in Colorado, and on a cruise ship land tour of Alaska. Of course, Jo Jo was the icebreaker as she had to meet him after leaving her 18 year old behind. Jo Jo is a therapy dog, as far as I’m concerned, for people who are traveling away from their own fur babies. When they learned that I drive the Sylver Gypsy, the younger woman told me that this is her dream goal as well. She seemed pretty excited to have met me and Jo Jo for the little bit of our morning. I got a second coffee refill and spent a little extra time in the white rocking chair people watching, which can always be interesting, as Jo Jo was sniffing the grounds.


I continued walking and visited a few more shops, investing in a jar of homemade blueberry jam, and birch caramels. I visited the national park visitor center, Gateway to Denali, where they directed me to the historical museum for a couple of short films and more history on the area. Of course it’s based on the mining industry. The one film discussed climbing in Denali, and I learned a lot with all the details required for one to do this. The idea is daunting, and there is much to consider. I’m trying to figure out why people would want to take this risk, but like anything else, they want the personal challenge. I decided on a late lunch and stopped at the Denali Brewery. They only had space at the bar, so this is where I settled in and met Diane and Louis. Another couple traveling from Florida on a land cruise ship tour of Alaska. It’s always fun talking to people about our travels. Another couple joined us, who drive a large class A. I couldn’t help but “brag” about my nimble class B as it gets me to places the class A’s only dream of. There’s always a trade-off, as I don’t have nearly as much room, yet everything is sweet cozy and compact. But that’s the point, is to not take up so much room, so I can plant myself in a lot of places. 

I got back to Jo Jo, who is always happy to see me. It’s gotten warmer today, so I decided to go back to my glamorous rock quarry for the night, and took a nice cooling shower. 










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