Mat-Su Valley

On Sunday we headed South from Denali NP after doing Laundry chores before leaving the park. Our Grey water tank was so full that it began to seep into the floor of the "shower"/Bathroom of the camper. We had a small rug there and a small pile of laundry which then needed to be washed. Fortunately there was a laundry room at the mercantile at Ripley Campsites. $2 per washer and dryer and we were all set! We had a double scoop of ice cream (caribou caramel and moose tracks, yum!) while we waited. Then the rains began as we left. We drove south on the Parks Highway (Route 3) down the valley and wished we could see the mountains we were passing. The clouds hung low and there were just glimpses of them. It is a very beautiful area. We will probably return in a few weeks. We did gas up just south of the park in Cantwell, but decided after $80 we would wait for more, it was $447/gal. It would be $4.03 to $3.94/gal in Wasilla and Palmer. We continued on in rain and it began to let up half way to Wasilla. The whole trip was about 200 miles. We went straight down the highway until we reached a Fred Meyer's. We picked up needed groceries and camped in the lot. It was quiet. At 11:08 we stepped out for a walk to stretch our legs and noticed a string of mountains just south east of the town with a vertical bar of rainbow colors reaching up from the ground to the clouds at the top of the mountains. The sun's rays were turning the clouds golden hues. It would not set fully for at least another hour, and then rise at 3:15am! This being said, the sky would not get very dark. Kind of like a state of twilight. I wished I'd gotten a photo of that! Monday (June 9th), we awoke to dryer skies. We went back into town but the Dorothy Page Museum and visitors center was closed, so we headed east to Palmer for their Visitor's Center. It was situated in a log cabin with 2 acres of gardens. It was just precious! There were many fine exhibits inside detailing the "New Deal". Where in 1937 about 250 families from Minnesota were encouraged to leave the farms they were starving on and relocate to this valley, expenses paid and provisions provided, with low interest loans. The majority did very well and lived in a kind of paradise. The growing season was actually given a huge boost from long hours of daylight and they discovered they could produce record breaking large veggies! Such as a huge head of cabbage that would not fit into a grocery cart! We asked about Hatcher Pass as Bob wanted to head over that narrow dirt road and also visit the Independence Mining Buildings on the Palmer side of it. We found out that they'd had a snow storm about 3 weeks ago and the road still has not opened for the season as a result to that. So we headed to nearby Finger Lake SP and camped there $15/night. The road loop for camping was very pot-holed and bumpy but we found a spot and backed in. The mosquitos surrounded the truck! It was cool and moist and lots of greenery all around the site. A short walk over to the lake and boat access was nice and we appreciated the strong breeze heading over the waters. That kept the area mosquito free. There was a family with 2 small children camping here along the day use area. The children were a bit "screechy" and Bob said he wanted to sleep back over in the trees with the mosquitos instead. ;-) Tuesday (June 10th) we awoke to rain so moved slowly. It was quite damp too! So I made a hearty breakfast of Oatmeal, blueberries and maple syrup. (couldn't find the darn pecans!) Then we headed back to Wasilla (about 10 miles) and stopped into the Dorothy Page Museum. We stayed for just over 2 hours. The exhibits were very well done. The "basement" area was partially set up to give you the feel that you were in a gold or silver mine. It was quite cool and damp with no heat on to boot! Exhibits included a 1930's and 1940's kitchen, and things a housewife would need around the house. A camp area that miners might have, a Miners Assay office. Then there was a good section on the Iditarod Dog Sled Race including a movie about the 2013 Race. We stayed and watched the whole movie! It was quite interesting to see what the teams had to go through. We left there at 2pm and headed to the Mexican Hacienda for a good hot meal! It was raining up until we left the restaurant and headed to the south-east side of town on the Knik-Goose Hwy to the Iditarod Headquarters.

When we arrived we found a string of dogs ready to pull a "sled" on wheels. One of Bob's classmates "Mellon" Shea had raced in 1992, and was able to finish! She came in 54th, and I don't have her exact time now, but it was 15 days! The weather was brutal in that race as it can often be. Sadly we lost her to cancer a few years back. She will always be remembered for her strong spirit of accomplishment. As we are discovering about this wonderful state Alaska, the people who settled here and eek out a living had to have a strong spirit.