NORTH TO ALASKA! –Denali National Park and on to Fairbanks

TRIP DAY – 51, 52

DAILY MILES  (132 bus miles) - 125

TOTAL MILES – 6,003

 

8/4– Denali Day 4 – We took the park shuttle bus into the park to mile 66 (132 miles round trip) to Eielson Visitor Center.  This was a “school type” bus, traveling on a single lane gravel road that had sections that were literally hung onto the side of a mountain over a valley 800 feet below without a single inch of guardrail.  The fact that we saw 13 grizzly bears wasn’t the least bit scary compared to the ride out and back.  Our bus driver, who was a lady about our age, explained the way to use the bus radio to call for help in the event she was incapacitated.  If the lady had experienced one “senior moment” we would still be falling off that road on the way to the valley below.  Well, we love an adventure and this one will be topping all others for some time to come.  Other than the scary moments we really enjoyed the 8 hour journey and in addition to grizzlies saw moose, caribou, Dall sheep and views of Mt. McKinley for the fourth time.   

This is the park road hanging off the mountain

 


Park road looking out the bus window

8/5– Fairbanks Day 1– Today we left Denali NP and stopped about 40 miles north on the road to Fairbanks for one last look at Mt. McKinley.  Wayne and I both were sad to be leaving the best campground so far in Alaska.  Denali is one of the best national parks we have visited and there have been many.  The fact that the park has 6 million acres and all but the front country are wilderness makes it something special to see. 

We arrived in Fairbanks about noon and headed to the University of Alaska Museum of the North and spent most of the afternoon.  Two movies we watched were excellent:  Dynamic Aurora and Winter. Next it was off to find a grocery and campsite for the night.  We are at River’s Edge RV Park and plan to stay here a couple of nights.