Day 60 & 61
Trip Start
May 07, 2008
1
69
205
Trip End
Nov 22, 2008
Healy,
Alaska,
United States
Monday, July 7, 2008
Off we go again, this time Marian had the experience of Mandy taking us around into a couple of "interesting dead ends" to get us out of Anchorage.
Eventually after overriding her instructions to obtain a road out, we proceeded to our supermarket linked to our "Vons" card ( the loyalty Supermarket card we obtained in LA)
Did our shopping, filled with gas (petrol for the non- conversant with the USA language) then found the road north.
The trip was uneventful with a good road, again we mention the sad lack of rest stops on these roads. Earnie and Rick shared the driving and arrived at the Denali National park turnoff in time to head in and check out the tours or buses for the next day.
We chose a trip beginning at 8:30am to take us into about mile 63, this is a round trip of 8 hours, at this stage we all agreed that would be enough on a "Green School Bus"
Off we head to our RV park previously booked, We did this on the net to ensure we had a spot in this busy holiday period in a famous National Park.
Off we head (I might mention here Rick hadn't "checked" the email he had sent) we pass through the small village of Denali and on, to spot the RV park. It is around 8 miles north of Denali. Pulled in and head to the office, mention our name, no booking, oh dear! They searched through their information and still no go, but of course they said they had room for us. Time to check the email because we had paid the money! Upon checking the email Rick finds we are at the wrong RV park! Oh dear U turn required and head back the 8 miles to Denali. Find the RV park and hook up, settle in and begin cooking dinner.
Gee where did the girls go? Is the question Earnie and Rick ask as they begin the fight with their various IT responsibilities. Rick was unable to hook onto the net and Earnie couldn't obtain a picture on the Television!
Of course by now you have all guessed the girls had found the shops , A row of quaint shops situated at the back of the RV park with a board walk and some interesting stuff.
Well we had our dinner and Karon suggested ice cream as dessert, and we all know the boys reaction to ice cream, so off we trot to have our ice cream, and then of course we "just have to have another quick look in here." Earnie lasted 2 shops and then decided his book required his presence, but a bit of browsing in shops can be a weakness Rick can show at times.
We wandered back to settle down for a sleep away from the train line, well, relatively speaking, we still heard a train at around 1am but not as close or as loud and long as in Anchorage.
I apologise to all for no bear photos up yet but the net connection is a little challenging and spasmodic here, I promise to flood you with photos as soon as I am able! LOL.
Day 61 Denali National Park
Up we rise at a good time to enable us to travel the short distance to the park to catch our shuttle bus into the park.
The system is well set up with buses running to the various centres inside the park and returning.
The longest trip being to mile 91 inside the park which takes you closest to Mount McKinley.
The driver gives some instructions and commentary on the way, with photo stops for any animals or wildlife on the way.
We were obviously spoilt with our trip to Brooks Falls, our closeness to bears etc. The contacts with the animals was from a distance, we spotted Snowshoe hares on the road, Caribou at a distance of about 500-1000 metres, bears at about the same and a moose, Dall Sheep (Way high up white specs on the side of a mountain!) and a wolf, all great to see and experience as well as driving through the tundra and viewing the rivers etc in the area involved in this park.
We arrived at the end of our trip to alight at an information centre to have our home packed lunch and read more about the park.
The highest mountain in the Rockies (Mt McKinley ) at 20,000 ft was not to be seen, it had chosen today to cloak itself behind cloud, as Earnie commented ; "it is an upside down Land iceberg, IE; 2/3rd of it hidden in the sky behind clouds and 1/3rd showing on the ground" a fair comment. The Americans around Earnie and Rick didn't really understand our sense of humour when we commented that the mountain is a myth and doesn't exist it is just something put out to attract tourists!
One woman was explaining "no it is there, I was here yesterday and we had a beautiful view"
Rick just waved his hand over the top of his head, Earnie nodded and we walked away just smiling.
The pictures around the wall of this huge mountain that were taken on a clear day certainly show it dominates the landscape, but it wasn't a day the mountain was showing itself. According to our bus driver when it is a clear day in the summer and the mountain does show itself, the animals are harder to spot because it is to warm for them, being of cold climate usual habitats.
We climbed back onto our bus after a 45 minute break and headed back out on the same road.
Most of the busload fell into intermittent sleep on and off but one observant traveller spotted the only wolf sitting on a rock a long distance away (how we have no idea,) as well as spotting a few other distance bears and Caribou, but by this stage the stops were interrupting our "nanny naps"
Never mind we managed to arrive back and head home to have a lovely cup of tea and coffee and it was time for Roast NZ lamb and vegies for dinner.
Everyone agreed the 8 hour trip in and out was enough and were thankful the 12 hour tour was already booked, it saved us a lot of similar travel and a costly supplied lunch, all in all we are pretty happy with ourselves.
More so because Earnie has managed to master another step in the Television set up IT department, to obtain a signal tonight whereas last night it was nonexistent. Rick is still struggling with a very weak Net signal so he doesn't get full marks tonight but we managed to make a few calls and receive a couple of emails, but not dispatch any as this is being written. Hopefully it will sort itself soon.
Best regards everyone, we have survived another day in the Wilderness of Alaska and all still enjoying the fun things and interactions we are having.
