Alaska trip - Part IV

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.

Alaska trip - Part III

Sabbath June 23rd was spent in Fairbanks., AK. After attending church and potluck we drove out to this bird sanctuary.

A nice boardwalk wound through a white birch forest. The mosquitoes were out in full force but thanks to a couple of young ladies we were able to borrow their bug spray and enjoy the walk.

The main attraction were these sandhill cranes.

We then drove up onto the campus of the University of Alaska. This is looking down over the city of Fairbanks. It is a lovely campus built on the top of a large hill.

Sunday morning we had to be on the road by 4:30 am heading for Denali and our 7:00 am shuttle bus trip into the park.

The drive from Fairbanks to Denali was beautiful. Even though it was very early there was plenty of daylight to enjoy the scenery. Didn't see any wildlife but a couple we met on the park tour said they drove the same road about the same time and saw a cow moose with two calves.

We took the 7:00 am to 4:00 pm bus shuttle that took us in to Eielson visitor center. Sat across from a couple from Lansing, MI who were motorcycling around Alaska. Nice to have someone to talk to as we went through the park

This is the beginning section of the tour. Not yet into the park.

The weather was a little overcast so tops of mountains not always visible. At least it was not hot and we could enjoy the ride.

Finally came to park entrance and the Ranger station. A young female Ranger came unboard and welcomed us to Denali National Park.

This is a view out the front window as we headed into the park. A fellow sitting in the fron seat had eyes like a hawk and usually was the first to shout out the location of wildlife. The driver would immediately stop and everyone headed for the windows to take pictures. It's a wonder the bus didn't tip over with the rush of people to one side or the other.

The scenery made the trip well worth while.

Some of the flowers growing along the road at one of the bathroom breaks.

 which came about every hour.

This was our bus drivers favorite spot in the whole trip. It's called polychrome mountain because of the various colors that are seen. As the sun hits it the colors change.

This was our bus.

The gentleman was our driver. His name was Rodney Wright. A very nice driver who added interesting comments about the areas as we drove through them.

Our first glimpse of Mount McKinley.

One of the bathroom breaks. Lots of facilities but I still imagine that in the peak visitor season these become long lines as visitors arrive in busses heading into and out of the park.

A couple of grizzlie bears or as our driver called them, "brown bears".

Mount McKinley as we approached the end of our road into the park. The road does go on further but we were advised not to take the longer trip as there was not that much more to see.

The visitor center where our trip stopped.

Thanks to our friends from Michigan we have proof that we were there.

They have these Elk horns laying around the Visitor center so I figured I would try them on for size. I'm glad I didn't have to wear those things all day as they were quite heavy.

This quilted depiction of the view out of the windows of the visitor center was very impressive.

Heading back. As you can see the road isn't very straight.

Other groups coming in.

Dall sheep were seen at several distances from the road. These were within reach of my lens.

Caribou were also plentiful but often out of reach for my lens. This bull was visible but wish I had a more powerful lens.

Fran did not like the trip back and switched seats with me. She didn't like looking out the side window and not seeing any road beside the bus. 

The road isn't very wide and busses would have to stop at wider areas so other vehicles could go by.

After spending several hours at the Denali Park Visitors center we headed back for our campsite. We took a drive into a region where rafting companies ended there trips. Fran was sure she didn't want to take one of those trips. Looks like fun but most of the riders were drenched.

Come on back as we share our journey to Alaska.