Hope, Alaska

On one of the beautiful days when the sun shone (we didn’t have many – Anchorage is having an especially wet summer this year), my husband and I took an outing to Hope, Alaska. This entailed driving 70 miles on the Seward Highway around Turnagain Arm (where Captain James Cook had to “turn again” after realizing this waterway was not the Northwest Passage), then driving 17 miles on the Hope Highway.

Railroad that follows the Seward Highway.

Slough and meadow near the railroad, filled with wildflowers.

The scenery was breathtaking – the Chugach Mountains, Cook Inlet in the distance, and Turnagain Arm dominated the view. We stopped at a Visitor Center/railroad depot to pick up some information, and to explore the railroad tracks and slough. We saw lots of wildflowers, including Fireweed, Cow Parsnip, and Shasta daisies. With all the water, everything was green and lush – almost like Southeast Alaska. This kind of outing reminds me how important nature remains for humans.

The Social Hall in Hope, Alaska.

A more current social hall - the Seaview Cafe.

Hope is a tiny town with a Gold Rush history. There is a Historical and Mining Museum to explore, but we spent most of our time watching people fishing in Porcupine Creek, and walking on the marsh close to Porcupine Creek Campground. The air was clear, the sky blue, the clouds white; being outside seemed more appealing. Later, back in Anchorage, we ate a late dinner at the Moose’s Tooth and then attended our son’s art opening at the Crush in downtown Anchorage. It was a grand day!

Porcupine Creek - a paradise for fishing.