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| Denali on a clear cool morning |
We were up early Saturday morning for the 235 mile drive back to Anchorage. When we went to the car we were greeted with a thin coating of ice on the car. Not enough to require an ice scraper, but just another reminder that winter comes early up here. The skies were clear which made for a great treat. For most of the drive we had a great view of Mt. McKinley. First in front of us, then along side and finally in the rear view mirror. It is is called "Denali" by the Athabaskan Indian, which roughly translates to "the tall one". It certainly lives up to it's billing. Even yesterday after we got back to Anchorage we had a view of the mountain. We had great views on three separate days. That's a little unusual. Because of clouds and fog it can be hidden from view for weeks at a time. It's estimated that only thirty percent of the people that visit Denali National Park actually see the mountain. They even sell t-shirts for those who are fortunate enough to see it (and want to plunk down $20 or so) proclaiming membership into the thirty percent club.
We also saw a young bull (male) moose grazing on the side of the road. So far our moose count is three. One adult male, one adult female and her calf. Moose, whales, bears, harbor seals, river otters, bald eagles...…….it's been quite a safari!
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| Young bull moose enjoying breakfast on the side of the road |
The weather here in Anchorage over the weekend was fantastic! The highs both Saturday and Sunday were in the 60's. The great majority of residents and visitors seemed to be outside enjoying the pleasant, sunny days. Of course we joined right in. There is a downtown weekend market during the summer. Booths offered local handmade products and a wide variety of foods.
We also enjoyed hiking a bit of the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail on Saturday. This trail is just under 20 miles in length so we only did a small portion of it on foot. It's a very nice shared path (pedestrians and bikes) that follows along the Cook Inlet. It was so nice that on Sunday we rented bikes and were able to cover a bit more of it, although we didn't come close to biking the whole trail.
The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail
The bikes were "rent one get one free", thanks to the Alaska Tour Saver Booklet. We also used a coupon to visit the Alaska Zoo. The zoo is fairly small and serves as a rehabilitation facility for injured animals. It has a number of nice displays of various animals including brown, black and polar bears, caribou, moose and much more. It's certainly a nice place to spend an hour or two if you get a chance.
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| The Alaska Zoo! |
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| One of five wolves at the Alaska Zoo |
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| Brown Bear-Alaska Zoo |
The Alaska Zoo
Tomorrow morning we'll be up early again. This time to catch the train back to Seward. Tomorrow afternoon we'll be back on board the Norwegian Jewel starting our seven day journey back to Vancouver. We'll be passing back through Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway. We'll also be visiting Icy Strait Point, which over the past couple of years has become a favorite Alaska cruise stop.
When we tell people about our travels one of the first questions we hear is "what's your favorite place"? Every place is special so we really don't have favorites. If we did, we'd have Alaska high on the list!
