It’s been a while since I have had a chance to blog, so I will do this in sections and try to break this into appropriate dates. I am writing this on August 13 in Banff. We have no Internet connection, so I am taking my time and trying to sort out my thoughts.
Our last stop in Alaska was in Chicken, and what a fitting end it was. Chicken is about 65 miles from the Alaska highway up a road that covers rolling hills then turns to dirt 2 miles out of town. It is a stop for those who are taking the “Top of the World Highway” through Dawson City. Our trek bypassed that route because it is dangerous and difficult to drive. We added Homer instead, and – believe me – the tradeoff was worth it. Homer was probably my favorite stop on the whole trip.
Chicken is a bustling metropolis of 26. They generate their own electric (when they feel like it), have no phone service, no cell phone service, no local government, no local taxes, and a VERY rustic way of life. Downtown Chicken consists of a souvenir shop, a café, and a liquor store.
The campground in which we stayed had no hookups at all. We dry-camped (generating our own electricity, using stored fresh water, and draining into our own holding tanks). It was quite an experience, and almost half the group opted not to go. Their loss! It was a real look at frontier Alaska. (OK. Not total frontier. We had wifi Internet through a satellite connection. No need to go THAT far!)
The town was founded as a mining town (weren’t they all!) and was supposed to be name Ptarmigan (after the local fowl). When the founders could figure out how to spell ptarmigan they settled for “Chicken.”
Oh, yes. The cheer for the local (fictional) school: Go Peckers!
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