Tourists love to soak up Talkeetna's flavor

Talkeetna is one of those places that you treasure -- a step back in time when the sense of community really mattered. For tourists, Talkeetna is a must-see on their trip to Alaska, and many are leaving Talkeetna happy this summer.

Two weekends ago, the Talkeetna Moose Dropping Festival was a perfect time to catch up with tourists and get their feeling on the true flavor of Talkeetna.

"This is exactly what we expected when we were talking about coming to Alaska in the first place," said Rebecca Greeley of New Jersey. "It's like on Northern Exposure. It seems like everybody knows everybody else, and if they don't know you, they know you're not from here."

When pointed out that Northern Exposure wasn't filmed in Alaska, Greeley gasped.

"No? Are you kidding me?" she said. "You could have told me it was filmed here in Talkeetna and I would have believed you."

Greeley and her husband, Tom, enjoyed a flightseeing trip and some fishing, but downtown Talkeetna provided just as many thrills.

"We went into every shop on Main Street," Tom Greeley said. "I'd say our time here has been among the best times we've had. We've been from Homer to Fairbanks, and I think this is the best stop. I got a big kick out of the flightseeing trip. It was a perfect day and we got great shots of McKinley."

Of course, a cloud-free view of Denali and 90 degrees on the thermometer didn't hurt Talkeetna's chances in the Greeleys' minds, either.

"It's warmer here than at home," Rebecca Greeley said. "I never would have thought that."

From Texas, Sean and Faye Truchett are used to seeing big things. But the view of Mount McKinley made them Talkeetna fans.

"It really is awe-inspiring," Faye Truchett said of the view. "I only hope it turns out like that on my pictures and our video camera. I won't even be able to describe just how beautiful this place is to our friends when we get home."

Sean Truchett said the festival itself was a highlight of his trip to Alaska.

"Let's just say I thought it was unique," Sean Truchett said. "I can now say I saw the country's shortest parade that is about moose droppings. You don't get to see that every day at home."

People like the Truchetts and the Greeleys are what keeps Talkeetna going. While retaining its small-town atmosphere and way of thinking, tourism is a strong industry in Talkeetna. Without the tourists, the fishing charters, the flightseeing operations and events like the Moose Dropping Festival wouldn't be nearly as successful.

"I know that it is a real tourist trap, but you don't feel that way when you're here," said Seattle resident Karl Freesas. "We've been to a couple of places that were nothing but touristy stuff that really wasn't interesting.

"The stuff in the gift shops is made in China, and there's a kid from the East Coast working the shop in the summer. You don't get that kind of feeling here," Freesas added.

Freesas' 16-year-old daughter, Taryn, said Talkeetna was her favorite stop on her vacation.

"We got to go fishing, and that was a lot of fun," Taryn Freesas said. "The fish are so huge.

"My dad caught a 40-pound king salmon. My mom and I didn't catch any, but it was still a lot of fun," she said.