First thing I did in the morning was visit Wunderground to check the weather. Wasilla was a rain-out, but Palmer had localized rain cells and was otherwise clear. The conditions in Palmer were semi-favorable to hike the Bodenburg Butte, but I would have to play it by the seat of my pants….

As I proceeded down the Old Glenn toward the Reindeer Farm, after leaving the Musk Ox Farm, I noticed another scenic pull-off just over the Matanuska River Bridge. I would come back to this location after I was done with the farm. The bridge turnoff is a popular location for four-wheelers and campers. It offers [...]

I saw the trail to the Butte off to my right as I drove down Bodenburg Loop Road to the Reindeer Farm now less than a quarter of a mile away. I would check out the Butte later….

Located off the Glenn Highway at 12850 E Archie Road in Palmer, Alaska the Musk Ox Farm is home to dozens of these domesticated ice age-era animals. The word, “ox,” is a misnomer. Musk ox are in the goat family and have cloven hooves. The farm has birthing, yearling, steer and retirement pens.

Today, I would visit the Musk Ox and Reindeer Farms, and the Wasilla Museum of Transportation and Industry. Temps were in the high 50s and low sixties with periods of on-and-off rain. I learned quickly that rainstorms in Alaska occur in highly localized cells. You can be in one part of Wasilla or Palmer and be caught in a major downpour while the other side is dry and watching double rainbows.

My journey to Alaska had been “planned” on and off over the past two to three years, but the final decision was made when I met Chuck Heath Sr., and Junior in New York City to have a copy of Our Sarah Made in Alaska signed. I decided that I would go during the time of the Alaska State Fair.