Alaska Cruise 2014 - Our Denali National Park Adventure

Everything went very smooth from getting off the ship to our motor coach transfer to Denali.

We were able to send most of the luggage on to meet us in Anchorage after our two night adventure making it easy to pack and unpack upon our arrival.

It was a long journey 10 hours to get to Denali that day and of
course we were one of the last on the bus that day which put us in the back seat That’s okay as we met some fun folks to laugh with along the way.

We departed beautiful Seward (what a lovely place), then on to a
stop at Portage Valley with a lunch break at Settlers Bay Lodge in
Matanuska-Susitna Valley close to Wasilla home of Sara Palin. And yes, several comments of not being able to see Russia were made that day

We arrived in Denali around 4pm in the afternoon and what a place! Getting out of the bus and looking gave me a feeling like I was in my own Colorado Mountains. The only difference is the elevation and it never gets dark.  The young people that work there are from all over the United States.  They keep coming back every summer to work this area as they love this area and I don’t blame them.  Even met a guy who didn’t have a place he called home.  He wanders everywhere and picks up jobs along the way.   A very interesting way to live but he sure enjoys it.  Personally I love having a place to call home.

The gang went out for pizza and hiked around for the evening.  We stayed at the Mount McKinley lodge which was recently renovated. Most of the area is being updated and of course growing growing growing!  I headed over to check out Princess lodge as well, both are very nice.
Tomorrow is the big day for the 7 hour Tundra Wilderness Journey.

Facts about Denali:

There are over 100 species of birds that live in Denali National Park.  Large mammals in the park are the top attraction.  In April of 2014, 51 wolves and 13 packs were recorded in the park.

Approximately 2,230 caribou were also counted, the highest since 1992.  A favorite, the grizzly bear, reached a count of about 375-450.

One of the most interesting inhabitant is the wood frog-the only amphibian to call the park home.  Denali wood frog is different from the others of its species by virtue of it evolutionary adaptation that causes it to freeze solid during the winter.  The frogs heart stops beating and its lungs not breathe again until the spring thaw.