DENALI!!!!!!!!

July 25, 2013

Did NOT have good wifi at Denali so could not post at all, but Will make up for it with my "paired Ipad on Verizon LTE"!!  Did not work at Denali, either - very poor cell service...  

July 20, 2013

Before we left Anchorage, we took one more drive to find something more of interest.  Drove around and saw the Railroad shipping yards, then went out to this sweet little pair of lakes where LOTS of folks had their float planes moored.  We watched as the planes flew in and out of the lakes, and it was WONDERFUL!! 

 Love those SKIES!

ANOTHER beautiful sunset in Anchorage!

July 21, 2013

Pulled out of Anchorage  and after our lunch at a pullout, we went over to the viewing station and THIS is what awaited us! It gave me GOOSEBUMPS!!!!  

A bit farther down the road, we found a sweet sight at another turnout!

Finally, we arrived at our park, Denali Rainbow Village in behind the strip of shops of EVERY kind.  Some were very touristy - T-shirts and coffee cups, etc;  some were very nice carvings and some great Rock jewelry, and the usual, popcorn, ice cream, etc. shops.

We were crammed in like Sardines, as usual, but it still got VERY quiet around there by 10:00 P.M.  Limited cable TV, and TERRIBLE wifi, but we still slept WELL!

Up Monday (the 22nd) and drove up into the park as far as we could go in our vehicle (15 miles), but we still saw some GREAT spots to view Mt Mckinley from afar!  (Thank GOODNESS for my long lens!!!)

Of Course, TG had to get into the shots!!!!!! LOL!

Not bad, huh?  I just get SHIVERS every time I look at these!

July 23, 2013

Packed our backpack with lunch and dinner sandwiches and drinks and jackets and took off for the Visitor's Center - by 8:15.. On our Bus with Wayne as our driver - if you guys EVER get up here, request WAYNE'S bus, as he was SO informative about the History of the park, details about how things have changed since he started driving for the Park - he lives in Colorado when the park is closed Mid September till Mid May, then comes up here.  This trip was a 12 hour trip and bathroom stops about every hour and a half, and cost was $50.00 for each of us, but WELL worth it!  Wayne had everyone helping him watch for Critters and stopped IMMEDIATELY when we saw them!  Everyone yelled STOP!! and he DID, then told us all about the particular critter ! LOL!

We had no more than gotten past the "stopping zone" for private vehicles till we saw THIS Caribou in front of us, and we followed it about 2 miles and a simple stroll pace! LOL!  He just would NOT move and you are not allowed to 'shoo them' or honk... so, we followed... and followed..... and FOLLOWED! LOL!

Around the next curve in the road, we saw this small group of more Caribou.

And THEN more views of the STAR of the park!

Down by one of the streams, very FAST and COLD water!

And THIS was at the Eielson Visitor Center - 2 sets of horns locked together. The 2 moose fought to the death, sadly and the story board next to this told of how that happens occasionally.

LOVE our 49th State!!!!

Taken at the Visitor Center

Another group of horns  - love this picture, for some reason...

More of Mother Nature's Beauty.....

And the KING!

Caught this Mother Moose and her baby (sort of hidden by the bush).

Our bus took us all the way to the end of the Road!  92.3 miles of VERY tight curves, one lane WIDE, I might add... when you meet a Bus or Park vehicle, you get as close to the edge as possible.. NOT for the faint of heart! But our driver was WONDERFUL...

Then saw some more of Nature's Beauty on our drive back toward the Visitor's center and our truck.

On our way back OUT of the park, we saw THIS beauty!!

Trust me when I say there is a DALL sheep in this picture, the only one we saw - it is just below the peak of the hill (kind of under the dirt part - and it is a WHITE Spec! LOL!

A bit farther down the road, we spotted this Bear! and while watching her, we saw another one emerge from the brush!  Wayne said that this was probably Mother and her offspring - they usually stay with Mom till they are 2 or sometimes 3 years old.

 Mom did not seem to alarmed by our presence - we WERE inside the bus and about 30 or so feet away!  But she DID keep an eye on us.....

Down at the floor of one of the passes, with the small river running through..

And another stream, COLD, COLD WATER!!!!!

This is the ROAD we were on - along with SEVERAL buses, some coming our way, some opposite.  And also, 2 emergency vehicles came along that same road while we were on it - one from EACH direction.......  WHEW!

Another part of the road.

And from a high spot at the Visitor's Center

Beautiful Wonder Lake.

From a High spot on the road.

Green sides of the valley.

We were pretty exhausted yesterday the 24th, so didn't even LEAVE the rig!  Rested and watched TV and rearranged the fridge......  We needed the rest..

More later, I think!  We got into Fairbanks this afternoon and signed in for 4 nights, but after discussing it, decided we will stay a week- park is very nice, trees and GRASS!!! and we will use this as our 'home base' and go up to Circle Hot Springs, the North Pole and hit the 'Farmer's Market' here in town....  Den is ALSO kind of thinking about taking an "Arctic Circle Air Adventure"... spendy, but I told him WHEN will we ever get back up here?  While he is gone doing that, I can catch up on reading, cleaning, etc....  told him he just might need to take MY camera!!  His is just too small to catch when mine will.....

What a LIFE we have...  I am just SO glad that we are able to do these things that my Mom never got a chance to do.....  But she is with me in Spirit!