We camped just outside of Denali Sunday and Monday nights as our trip into the park was on Sunday and our Cabin Nite Dinner play was Monday night. The town is called Canyon. The campground is not the greatest but there are lots of shops and eating places.
More of Canyon.
Our campgrounds. Turns out it is basically a parking lot behind all the stores. Had to pay for showers.
More shops which Fran enjoyed.
Big lodges for visitors to the park. Fran checked and I think she said it cost close to 200.00 a night. Our little van at 30.00 a night was just fine thank you.
Lots of wild roses around our camp. Monday we went back in to the park and went to the dog sled show put on by the Rangers. Very interesting history and modern day use of dog teams in maintaining the park. Walked the 1 1/2 miles back to visitor center on roadside trail.
Monday night we went to the Cabin Nite Dinner Theater. You were assigned a specific table that 10 people sat at. The Actors and Actresses served you dinner. Salmon, potatoes, corn, beans, salad, pork spare ribs, rolls, fruit cobbler. If your table ran out of food you just hollered and more was brought. At our table there were a couple from Holland so we had an informative discussion time. Others were from MI and a couple other states.
There are two performances in the evening so we elected for the late one. We took a shuttle bus to the theater then stood in line until doors opened at 8:30. It ended at 10:30
The play was about the history of the Denali area and the gold rush. Lots of stories played out as well as singing. A well spent evening.
On Tuesday morning we headed for Anchorage but decided to take the side trip into the little town of Talkeetna. It was worth the time.
Got to see the excursion train that runs from Seward to Fairbanks. It stopped here to unload and load passengers. A must trip on our next visit to Alaska.
The moose in them thar parts were not exactly like those seen in other places. Actually this shop made and sold the cutout moose and you decorated them as you wished. Around town were several examples.
This was a fast food store and as Fran was standing there reading it a lady walked by and said "I'm Shirley" and kept going into the shop.
On our way back to the main highway we stopped at this shop. Had to try their birch syrup.
These are the little units that they use to bring the sap in to the processing shed.
They weren't actually tapping the trees but had these buckets as part of their display. Unlike maple syrup that takes 40 gallons of maple treesap to make a gallon of maple syrup, it takes 110 gallons of birch sap to make 1 gallon of birch syrup.
Back on the main highway we were wondering where we could find a grocery store to buy some veges etc for lunch. Out in the middle of nowhere this IGA store showed up. It had everything, and I do mean everything, you could think of.
At least the front entrance was kinda made to resemble a log cabin style store.
Some of the scenery as one approaches Anchorage.
Our camping site for Tuesday night (June 26th). I walked past a lady who was really whooping (coughing) and I think the bugs must have caught me because by Friday morning I had a very bad cold.
Wednesday morning we headed for Homer, AK which is the Southern most point you can drive in Alaska. Unless you took ferry to Kodiak Island. Just out of Anchorage we saw this moose.
Some views as one drives towards the Kenai peninsula.
This is Al's favorite area of Alaska. Our next trip would be to fly in to Fairbanks, take the train to Seward then rent a motor home and spend a couple of weeks just exploring the beaches and wilderness areas of the Kenai peninsula. Dream on Al.
We stopped at a beach and there were lots of bald eagles flying along the beach. This immature landed nearby so Fran snapped it's picture.
Lots of beautiful flowers. I think the middle of June to middle of July is best time to visit. Lots of flowers not many mosquitoes or tourists.
Some of the beautiful beaches and scenery as one drives down towards Homer.
There is a gravel spit that runs out of Homer. You can faintly see it here.
As you drive out to the end of the spit this is the view on your left. The tide is out so there is lots of beach.
This is the view on the right side.
An interesting building.
Lots of camping sites on both sides of the spit.
A common sight on lakes in Alaska. The float plane is a necessary form of transportation in this part of America. Can you imagine just being able to hop inyour plane and fly to a wilderness lake to spend the Sabbath. Just you, God, and His wonderful creation. Now "That's Really Living".
Come back for Part V as we travel by ferry from Whittier to Valez.
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