Talkeetna: Getting There, Where to Stay, About

Getting to Talkeetna
From Anchorage, you can reach Talkeetna by train, bus, or car.

* Train (www.AKRR.com)

We encourage taking the “Denali Star” train departing Anchorage 8:15 am and arriving Talkeetna 11:20 am. The Alaska Railroad is an experience unto itself, and the views will be much better than those from the highway. Transportation will be provided (or walk the 0.7 mi) from the train station to the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, the location of our ceremony and reception. Return train departs Talkeetna Sunday 4:40 pm, arriving Anchorage 8:00 pm.

* Buses and Shuttles

The Alaska Park Connection bus makes a stop at our wedding ceremony location, the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge. (www.alaskacoach.com)

Denali Overland Transportation caters to mountaineers and will make individual arrangements for pick up locations and drops offs in Talkeetna. (www.denalioverland.com)

The Go Purple Shuttle also offers door-to-door service for a great price. (www.gopurpleshuttle.com)

* Rental car

Check online for rental cars, which are available at the airport. Local rental car companies are also an option, but may be harder to find online.

Where to Stay in Talkeetna

Options range from tent camping to luxury hotel suites, and everything in between.

* Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge (www.talkeetnalodge.com)

This is where the wedding ceremony and reception will take place. For the greatest convenience, this is the place to stay. We’ve reserved a block of rooms for our guests. Please ask for Kristi and mention that you are with the Colt/Gore wedding. This block of rooms is only being held through June 1.

* Talkeetna’s Best

If you want a taste of “real” Alaska, the

Talkeetna Roadhouse (www.talkeetnaroadhouse.com) is a favorite, full of local character

* B&Bs

A B&B on C (www.abbonc.com)

Swiss Alaska Inn (www.swissalaska.com)

* Camping

Our friends the Knapps have generously offered to let us use their wonderful lakeside compound for the weekend. There’s ample ground space for tents, a sauna, an outhouse, and a lake to jump into, but limited water and no showers. There is also a cozy cabin with wood stove for warming up, cooking, and generally avoiding the weather. This is the location of our sunday party, and it is about 3 miles from the Lodge.

About Talkeetna

We chose Talkeetna as the site for our wedding because of its beautiful location at the confluence of three rivers. On a clear day the views of Denali (known outside Alaska as Mt. McKinley) and the whole Alaska Range from Talkeetna are spectacular. A flightseeing trip from Talkeetna airstrip to, or onto, the Ruth Glacier below Denali is a real treat for those who enjoy flying in small planes. Talkeetna Air Taxi (talkeetnaair.com) and K2 Aviation (flyk2.com) offer these trips.

Talkeetna still retains much of its frontier charm. This recent article from the Anchorage Daily News sums it up. Or, to read a little about its history, visit this page on the Talkeetna Chamber of Commerce website: talkeetnachamber.org/history.html.

For any other information about Talkeetna, most of your questions should be answered here: talkeetnachamber.org. If not, just ask us.