Denali, Alaska - A Breathtaking and Wonderious Region

We left Nenana Alaska and continued the rest of our trip to Denali.  On the way there, we continued to take in the beautiful Alaskan scenery as high snow covered mountains were surrounded and covered in dense covered forest.  This area of the state is especially beautiful and something words, movies, and pictures, do a bad job to actually explain how gorgeous this part of the world is.  The bus driver pointed out the bus from the Alaskan based 2007 movie "Into the Wild" (Sean Penn) as we pass it and the road where the film was shot and took place.  Seeing the surrounding area really showed how harsh conditions can be in the winter, where the movie took place.

We finally arrived out our location, the McKinley Chalet Resort, a Holland America owned hotel chain.  The resort was beautiful and backed into a miraculous view of the Nenana river and surrounding mountains.  The McKinley Chalet Resort included multiple bunking cabins and quarters, a newly built area to eat, shops, multiple restaurants, areas duck away to hide and enjoy the views.  Moose are frequently spotted in the area and are told to walk through sleeping quarters at all times during the day.

This was certainly one of the most beautiful places we had viewed in Alaska so far and one place we didn't want to leave.  With almost 20 hours of direct daylight and four hours of twilight, it was easy to crack open a bottle of wine or two and forget what time it was.

In this area there is so much to do including white water rafting expeditions, gold panning, salmon bakes, zip lining, a downtown shopping area, hikes, restaurants, river walks, trips to the Denali

National Park and Reserve, and so much more.  A trip to the Denali National Park and Reserve can talk up one to multiple days depending on the activity wanted and is a short bus ride from the resort and right next to the trains.

We recommend Karstens as a great place to eat in the area for those who like upscale food and dining.  Keep in mind that most food is flown in or not native so it is often times frozen or preserved.  Karstens is a new restaurant that just opened at the resort and had many gluten free and vegan options (the sides.)  The staff was also very knowledgeable on their dishes.

The Denali National Park and Reserve includes a full free museum which features full size replicas of Moose, Wolf, Goats, Ducks, Geese, and many other animals and trees.  Facts of the state, Denali area, and how some of the first settlers survived in the region was interesting to read.  The museum also includes a theater that shows a film with interesting facts about Denali, Mount McKinley and the surrounding areas.

Our group took part of a Mount McKinley photography excursion.  The excursion was an alluring trip towards Mt. McKinley to capture some of the most beautiful pictures of the region.  Along the trip a female moose was spotted by the group as it caught the attention of many people passing by on the road.  Some beautiful shots were taken on this trip of local flowers and many mountain views as shown on this page.

After looking back on the trip, Denali was easily one of the best and most beautify places we visited on the trip, easily one of the places we want to stay longer at while there, and a place we will certainly go back to visit later in life.

Sadly we had to move on as the next day we would be taking an seven hour train ride south to explore Anchorage, Alaska.

Our Adventure Begins: Fairbanks

Our adventure began as we touched down on a nice June day in Fairbanks, Alaska.  A nice 65 degree wind blew through our hair as we waited for our buses to board.  After flying from Denver, Colorado (stopping off in Seattle for a few hours,) it was great to finally touch down in Alaska after a long awaited trip to begin our adventure.

Our trip included 10 days through Alaska, concluding with a Holland America cruise for the last part of the trip.  The tour would be going through Fairbanks, Denali, Anchorage.  Then sailing our of Seward and Cruising through Glacier Bay National Park, Haines, Juno, and Ketchikan.  We would end in Vancouver, Canada for what would be one of the most breath-taking and scenic trips we had ever taken.

Our buses finally arrived as they took us to our hotels to eat dinner and Finish our day.  Tomorrow they would be taking us to Denali destination by bus, a destination we readily looked forward to. 

 

For the small amount of time we had, the Fairbanks area is a unique area to Alaska being so large and so far from water.  It made me wonder what the residents that stay do during the winter to pass the long dark days.  The town is unfortunately over-run by chain restaurants.  

We had a big day tomorrow, as we were heading to Denali by bus in the morning.  For those of you have had the question, can you sleep in Alaska during the summer?  The answer is yes.  You can as all of the rooms we visited have heavy shades.  We might recommend for those over sensitive to the light to bring close pins, to shut the shades extra tight.

Warning: Be careful traveling in some areas as we were chased by a local as they yelled out racist slurs and told us to leave the area.  This was the only time in Alaska we had problems.