Off To Denali!

 Yesterday Steve went with the guys to the Anchorage Dealer Open House.  Lucky me, I got the rental car so I could go to the Anchorage Temple.  It's a beautiful little temple and I was fortunate they had a session I could fit into our schedule.  It worked well for both of us.  I drove back to the dealers and joined Steve for the BBQ lunch.  About an hour later we were on the Park Highway headed north through the Denali State Park and Denali National Park for Fairbanks.

 Our first stop was about 20 miles off the beaten path but so worth it.  Talkeetna was an early mining and railroad town that became the starting point for climbers who wanted to make it to the top of the tallest mountain in North America, Mt. McKinley, or Denali as the locals call it at over 20,000 feet.  This year is the 100th anniversary of the first successful climbers.  Now the climbers come to Talkeetna and are flown 60 miles to the Denali base camp by helicopter.

 Steve is standing in front of the place where three rivers join with Denali in the background.  It is challenging to get a good picture of it because it is usually surrounded by clouds. The town is quite quaint with galleries, gift shops, and old fashioned places to stay and eat.  I loved the flower boxes in front of almost every shop.

 These next three pictures are of the Roadhouse where locals told us to eat.  It was too early for dinner so we bought a scone and a raspberry roll from the bakery. I saw inside one of the small boarding rooms on my way to a shared restroom.  The Roadhouse had tables for eating, reading areas, desks,  and sleeping rooms, etc. 

 Our next stop was one of the few lookout points you can see the mountain because there are so many trees lining the highways.  We were pleased to get pretty clear shots of the mountain.  Many people travel hundreds of miles to see it and can't because it is cloudy or raining.  It started to rain about an hour after we took our photos.

 We had another fabulous Salmon dinner at a restaurant called Salmon Bake at a very touristy area near the entrance to Denali National Park.  It was pouring rain by then and we had to wait a bit but the food was fab!!! We didn't stop to ride the bus into the park as it would take too long and we were happy with our sightings of the mountain.  The only way you can go closer to the mountain is on that bus, by off road tours or by air.  Many tourists take trains to the park and then ride the bus to see the mountain.
We arrived at our hotel in Fairbanks about 11:30 p.m.  We were exhausted but it was still daylight.  We don't wait for dark as it doesn't come until about 1 in the morning.  And we never see the sunrise because it starts about 3:45 in the morning. All the rooms are equipped with room darkening drapes or shades.

 Steve had another open house today in Fairbanks. I drove him over and then  I stayed back at the hotel and washed laundry and took care of real estate issues--lots of roof problems this year. I came over and joined him for lunch and by then he was ready to go.  It's so nice that he isn't in charge of anything anymore.  He just helps the salesmen and answers questions.  He is very charming so all th edealers and customers like him.  He's just a good guy to have around. 

 This afternoon we drove to a lookout point for the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline.  It's an engineering marvel.

 We also went to The Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center.  It was like a museum showing what life was like in early Alaskan history.  It showed a lot about the native cultures and we saw and heard some native Alaskan youth singing and dancing.  We went to a family business called The Great Alaskan Bowl Company where they make birch bowls by hand and sell other birch items.  That was fascinating to watch.  We checked out the University of Alaska campus and enjoyed the views of the valley.

 This archway is made by a local artist from over a hundred moose and caribou antlers.  Hence comes Steve's saying "Who goosed the moose or antlers in the treetops."
Once again we had a fabulous dinner at a restaurant called The Pump.  Tonight we shared grilled halibut with mango salsa and the best seafood chowder I can ever remember.  We also liked our spinach salad.  Our waitress was on an exchange program from Bulgaria.  Her English was very good and so was her German as she and Steve chatted.  Our food has really been excellent on this trip.  We are loving the seafood.

 Here is a sampling of the wildlife we have seen.  With the exception of the moose family on the first night all of our other wildlife sightings have been stuffed.  Maybe tomorrow as we drive through the mountain pass, we will see some more in their natural habitat.

 These photos were taken around the restaurant which was built on an old historical pumping station.