The Alaska Parks Highway Igloo
Igloo At Mile Post 188.5 Parks Highway
This Igloo is the greatest surprise on the road; when your driving along and then you see it, and its really is an amazing sight. There is no town, and there are no stores or any buildings in this area except this giant igloo. It is a giant unfinished wooden structure that is covered in white foam. It is an Alaskan motel, that never made it. So it sits and rots! It is a road side marker for those driving north on the Parks Highway from Anchorage to Denali State Park. It is a conversational piece, and an odd building. Anyone seeing it for the first time, is sure to stop. Wander across the snow to look inside and you will see, nothing. It was never finished, and originally was to be a motel but never made it.
The other astonishing factor is this is not even the area of Alaska where igloos were ever made. The igloo sits on Athabaskan Tribal lands, and he Athabaskan Nation never made igloos. There is not enough of the proper snow to make igloos anyway and, it's is not cold enough; just to far south.
So what else can we say about the igloo? There are few other buildings in the closest town of Cantwell. The town of Cantwell has 102 households as of the last census, and there is a lodge and a few small bed and breakfasts for summer tourists. It is approximately 20 miles south of The Denali Park entrance. Summer activities include mountaineering, wildlife viewing and bird watching. It is also a good area for hiking, camping and fishing.
So what of the igloo? It sits and rots!
Mile Post 188.5 Parks Hwy, Cantwell, Alaska 99729, USA
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I'm sure there is more to this story, and one day we will research this place out, and learn much more.
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Well, that's a shame....such an interesting structure in an odd place...wouldn't it have been a fun hotel? I like odd things....and this sure is one of those :)
There are some rumors around Cantwell that the original owners where the Athabascan Tribal Corporation, and the project ran out of money. Today it is most likely not fixable, and would have to be rebuilt 100%. However it is now a local landmark so the owners just leave it be.
Alaska continues to amaze me with every post I see about it.
Thats is good to hear since we are going to be moving into about 80% Alaska content very soon :-) Thank you for your support here on Steemit.
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Alaska is an amazing place.
Yes it really is :-)
As a travel writer I always find it a joy seeing submissions like this about the wonderful places around our world. Thanks.
Thank you for such a great comment.
It's a shame no one will buy it and finish the project.
I think it's too run down now to fix it up, but I will do some research and report back to everyone in another article in 2017.
OK!
Great story
Thank you