Bob and Ann in Alaska 2009

Please visit July 29 slideshow

Boarding the McKinley Explorer

We were up very early this morning so that we could board our 7:30 train to Denali. The train is called The McKinley Explorer and it runs from Fairbanks through Denali to Anchorage. Holland America has its own dome cars which were built for maximum comfort and exceptional viewing. Each car had its own tour leader who narrated the highlights of the route. Each car also had a bar and a bartender. You could order the special drinks, normal drinks, non-alcohol drinks, coffee, tea, etc.

Once we boarded and got settled, breakfast was offered. We were lucky to be in the first seating. It was a decent meal that made up for skipping the huge buffet breakfast at the hotel. The dining area was beneath the dome seating area and had large windows so that we could see what we were passing.

When we were finished with breakfast, we went back to our seats, settled down and watched the fantastic scenery float by. Passing through the small town of Nenana, we were told the story of how many people gambled by guessing that exact moment of the Spring breakup. It was in the thousands. We passed by the derrick-like device that measures the breakup time. Apparently, it is closely guarded in the Spring.

We reached Denali a little past noon and were bussed to our hotel. We stayed in a 12-room mini chalet a short shuttle ride from the main building of the McKinley Chalet Resort. The rooms were rustic. They had a sitting area in front, a bedroom in back and a bathroom between them. The TV worked but the hot water had a problem - it kept running out. We decided to take early showers so we could get as much hot water as we needed.

Denali - Scenic Drive - Maybe Mt McKinley with Fireweed

We had lunch in the informal dining room. Then we rented a jeep to do our own mini tour for four hours in the afternoon. Our goal was to find and photograph wildlife and landscapes. We did alot of driving around the areas that the rental people suggested, but we found no major wildlife. We didn't find Denali either - it was too cloudy. The weather was overcast and cool and there was lots of smoke from forest fires. The forest managers in this area let the fires burn and don't try to control them.

We went to bed fairly early because our Denali Tundra Wilderness Tour was due to leave at 5:20 tomorrow.