[McCarthy / Anchorage, AK, Aug 2, 2025]
And just like that, our time in Wrangell-St Elias national park came to an end and it was time to make the long trip back to Anchorage. It involved a morning flight back to Glenallen, then a 3+ hours drive to the state’s capital. Because getting to Anchorage would take all day, we had booked one final hotel night in Anchorage before flying home on Sunday.
We woke up to the crisp, clear weather we anticipated after we saw last night’s storm blow through. We woke up early because our flight was scheduled for 8 am at first. This allowed us to snap some photos with the early morning light. Our flight ended up being a bit delayed though, so we had extra free time at the lodge.
We made our way to the airport with another couple in tow. We waited for a while for the plane to show up and when it finally did, we realized the reason for the delay – the thing was chock-full of mail!
A lady who lives in McCarthy year-round also showed up. She volunteers to unload the mail and sort it in the shed by the airport. The mail was mostly packages, and they simply got placed on a table in alpha order. No locks, no security. The residents would just come by and grab their package when they could. Because McCarthy is so small, the lady knew pretty much every name on the packages. She would even comment on its possible contents based on what she knew about the owner. Dog food for this person, something or other for that person. It was quite fascinating!
With the mail out of the plane, we loaded up our stuff and boarded. Our pilot was the same guy as on Wednesday! This time, he told us where to sit so he can balance the weight properly.
The flight was even more spectacular than last time because there weren’t nearly as many clouds!
The drive to Anchorage was long and uneventful. The highlight was our lunch – we stopped at the same place in Palmer! It was just as tasty.
We arrived in Anchorage shortly before 4 pm. We wanted to do something that allowed us to stretch our legs. After checking her guidebook, Olivia suggested the Alaska Native Heritage Center. According to its website, the ANHC preserves and strengthens the traditions, languages, and arts of Alaska’s Native Peoples through statewide collaboration, celebration, and education.
In the Hall of Cultures, I enjoyed the various exhibits, especially the clothing made out of animal fur. It’s such a contrast to today’s clothing, what with all the artificial textiles and fast fashion!
The village sites housed 6 authentic life-sized Native dwellings dating from the time of first contact with Westerners. Alaska Native Elders built them in the 1990s to pass along traditional building methods to youth and also to share with visitors. Each village site also has cultural belongings that each group would use in their daily lives.
It took us about 90 minutes to go through the center. We could have spent even more time, but it was a little on the chilly/rainy side and we were hungry!
After checking into our hotel, we headed to 49th State Brewing. The rain had passed by then and we enjoyed fabulous views from the rooftop deck. The food and beer were also great and it made for a fantastic last meal in Alaska.
On our flight home, Olivia scored amazing pictures from her window seat once again. I especially love this photo looking east because you can see the Wrangell-St Elias ranges way in the distance. Had we not just visited the park, we would have had no idea what we were looking at… and also, crazy that we can see those mountains from 250 miles away! It has been an amazing week in Alaska and I now I have confidence to plan even more of its national parks!
