On Sunday, my mom and I drove back up to Anchorage. Her flight was early Monday morning, so we got a hotel room to make sure that there were no complications getting to the airport. It takes a good 3 hrs to get to Anchorage from Soldotna. Because it was raining on the way down to Soldotna, this was mom's first time really seeing the mountains on the way, so we made some scenic stops to see the views.
The Seward Highway drive was named one of the world's 10 most beautiful drives, and it is incredible. On one side are the mountains of the Chugach range, and on the other side is Turnagin Arm, which connects to the Cook Inlet, and where beluga whales have their babies in early summer. Because of that though, it's also really dangerous. 8 people have been killed on it since May, and we haven't even hit winter yet. Part of the problem is if people try passing in dangerous areas and hit on-coming traffic. If someone is driving towards you, the options are to drive into the cliff-wall of the mountains, or down a cliff into the water, neither of which are ideal. This also makes the drive to and from Anchorage take much longer than it would if there was a standard interstate to drive on. Not to mention the wildlife in the road....
But the views are spectacular:
(Notice mom wearing capris, even after I warned her to pack warm clothes!)
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