Talkeetna became my husband's favorite Alaskan town. We were scheduled to go on a glacier tour Sunday morning. Weather postponed the flight. We were learning that weather dictates plans, especially when small planes are involved.

So we wandered around Talkeetna. The chatty bus driver yesterday informed us this small town was the inspiration for the television show Northern Exposure. But she expressed her strong opinion that they got it all wrong, and didn't even film it in Alaska.

The charming little town was perfect for strolling. We did the tourist thing, buying souvenirs and gawking at the rugged buildings.

We received a call. The flightseeing tour was back on, but Denali was socked in with bad weather. Would we still want to go on a flight to see glaciers? Well, we had nothing else on our agenda, and we couldn't cram anymore souvenirs into our luggage, so the altered schedule sounded like a good plan. 

The K2 Aviation company was walking distance from Talkeetna. We strolled over. I learned from our pilot Jack that the plane we were taking had been used during the Vietnam war. He assured us they built planes to last back then. Already with some trepidation about small airplanes, I was certain I would not enjoy this flight.

The plane seated ten passengers. We climbed aboard, buckled in, and pulled on headsets. The plane lifted off smoothly. Soon, I relaxed. The pilot was experienced and confident. 

He flew to his favorite places. From the air, we saw the Colony and Knik Glaciers. A herd of Dall sheep were travelling up a hillside. The pilot pointed out a dog sledding camp far up on a snowy mountain. The pilot pointed out a dog sledding camp far up on a snowy mountain.

We had hiked to the Exit Glacier in Seward, and viewed glaciers from a boat on another tour. Seeing them from the airplane impressed on me the magnitude of the ice fields. My photos can’t deliver the feeling of how huge the expanses of ice and the glaciers are.

You might notice we are wearing heavy coats. At times they were overkill, but the weather seemed chilly to us. This was late August in Alaska. While parts of the lower 48 were still sweltering, and even Colorado was pretty darn warm, Alaska was already slipping into fall weather.

The elusive mountain Denali was hiding today. Would we get to see it tomorrow? 

This Alaska adventure is providing inspiration for book three in the Tapestry Tales series, written with co-author Merida Bass under the pen name Ann Belice, coming in 2026. Books one and two are available now in e-book and paperback. Audiobooks are currently in production!
Broken Strands: book two
​Frayed Dreams: book one