Читать книгу Graphic USA - Ziggy Hanaor - Страница 15

15 Anchorage, AKSEWARD HIGHWAY Take a drive south on the Seward Highway, along Turnagain Arm for views of the Cook Inlet, Kenai Peninsula, rocky cliffs, and untouched shoreline. Visit Beluga Point and Bird Point. If you’re lucky, you may spot a Beluga whale, the vanishing white giant that follows fish up the inlet as the tide comes in. There are a number of trail heads along the Seward Highway that take you up the cliffs to beautiful viewpoints. KENAI FJORDS NATIONAL PARK If you’re up for a longer drive, continue south along Route 1 onto the Kenai Peninsula and into the Kenai Fjords National Park. The landscape as you drive south is positively mesmerizing. Eventually you’ll reach the end of the road at Seward (three-hour drive from Anchorage) on the east side of the peninsula, or Homer (four-hour drive from Anchorage) on the west side. Both towns are full of culture, history and natural beauty. If I need to clear my head, there are two great hikes in CHUGACH STATE PARK that help me reconnect with mother nature, and reset my brain. Common sightings on both: ptarmigan, porcupine, moose, dall sheep. Necessities: boots, water, camera, map, hat, extra layer, hiking poles, and bear spray. Winter addition: snowshoes. NEAR POINT TRAIL Easy to moderate: first three miles wide and flat, last mile steep and narrow to the top with rewarding views of the Alaska Range, Sleeping Lady, Chugach Mountains, Anchorage, and Cook Inlet. Access at Prospect Heights trail head off of Hillside Drive. Elevation Gain: 1900 ft. Easy cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter for the first three miles.LITTLE O’MALLEY TRAIL AND THE BALLPARK Easy to moderate: five miles round trip to the back of the ballpark. Access from Glen Alps trailhead off of Upper Huffman Road. Elevation gain 1800 ft. In summer, view rock formations left by glaciers, colorful summer flowers and dall sheep. At the end of the ballpark discover bottomless mountain lakes and connect up with Williwaw Lakes Trail. Snowshoe and backcountry ski in the winter.DRIVESHIKES