It all ended, predictably, with a flash in the pan ... namely, with little bits of bratwurst frying in their own grease.
The truth is that Unprincipled Vegetarianism ended earlier in the week, on Day 17, after trying to make separate noodles for a vegetarian dinner guest. I suddenly remembered that I've spent 31 years believing that eating only vegetables is kind of crazy, and my vegetarianism, however unprincipled, might be giving people the wrong idea - namely that I believe in giving up meat. As my friends have pointed out, normally vegetarians are people who want to give up meat and hence vegetarianism makes them happy.
And so I ate shredded Chicken of Convenience on Night 17. Although I did not turn into Mr. Spock or any kind of bodhisattva, certain discoveries were nonetheless revealed during my brief bout of vegetarianism:
- I probably love meat.
- But I don't need meat.
- There is a special time and place for meat.
In fact, aside from eating out of convenience, even as I threw in the vegetarian towel, I felt no great urge to consume meat, except of course in the middle of a camping trip to Denali when we fried up that AMAZING bratwurst on a picnic bench near the Riley Creek Mercantile. Many a visitor smelled our bear bait dinner and looked wistfully upon our fare. I had a sudden flash of enterprising genius - we could make a tidy profit by selling off our bratwurst to tourists with an outrageous tourist mark-up. This must be how MA got started with his reindeer dogs.
But we did not sell the bratwurst, which was fine with me because on a rainy camping day, very few things taste as good as bits of greasy bratwurst. As I was frying the luscious bits, I observed that bratwurst, being made thoroughly of ground meat, would technically fall under the Small Bits Exception. A friend remarked that the next time I become an unprincipled vegetarian again, I could save everyone a lot of trouble just by eating hamburger. Duly noted.
The bratwurst was a fitting accent to a great weekend beginning in Talkeetna. Talkeetna apparently is the town on which Northern Exposure's Cicely, Alaska was based. I've learned this fact only recently even though for years, when people have asked me if life in Alaska is like Northern Exposure, I've always said, "I bet in Talkeetna it is." "Downtown Talkeetna" is actually a Main Street of a handful of blocks. In fact, if you are nodding off in the car, you might just miss all of Talkeetna. It's a cute little town situated by the Talkeetna River. At the "end" of town, you can get to the riverbank easily and when not overrun with ATVs and snowmachines, it is a great place to just be.
Unlike Anchorage, Talkeetna offers a very decent breakfast at The Roadhouse, which also boasts affordable modest rooms in addition to solid baked goods. For breakfast, I gobbled up some very satisfying biscuits and gravy in addition to the day's special, banana pecan sourdough pancakes. Unless you're a burly lumberjack, however (and often I think I eat like one), order the half-plate. Breakfast also comes with fresh juice and coffee included! You've got a love a policy like that.
Between Talkeetna and Denali is a long stretch of highway on which you can't get a decent cup of coffee regardless of how many times you try or how much you are willing to pay for it. During this time of year, however, the highway is lined with patches of brilliant fireweed, all reminding us that summer is in full swing and will be over before we know it. As is true with any highway in Alaska, during the ride you may also encounter some interesting characters. And despite the bad coffee, of course the Park itself did not disappoint. You can while away an easy lifetime exploring the Park. As I drove along the road, I thought about the land teeming with all of those animals, the miles over which tourists from all over the world travel to see the Mountain and the creatures. Even at the height of tourist season, with people clogging the gift store and campgrounds, there is so much park out there that you can feel like you're alone, which is of course the nature of this state. Standing on the tundra, it is hard to figure out why anyone would possibly live anywhere else but Alaska. Before the day was over, I did finally manage to spot some wildlife. I think this little fellow may have been thinking the same thoughts.
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