Much better day than yesterday. We left Fairbanks a little after 8:00 AM on the Alaska railroad. HAL has their own custom built rail cars (as do other cruise lines) called McKinley Explorer.

The front of the train The rest of the train

The double decked cars with their own dining areas and full view Vista Domes. Breakfast on the train was delicious. We enjoyed talking with the couple we shared a table with. Richard had reindeer sausage, and even Karen tried some.

The views and scenery are spectacular. And many folks tell us this is the boring part of the trip.

We arrived at Denali around noon, and by 1:00 PM Richard was off on a river rafting adventure. He had a great time on an 11 mile trip through class 3 and 4 rapids.

We’re staying at the McKinley Chalet Resort (a HAL property) just outside Denali National Park. This is a much nicer place with better service than at the Westmark Hotel in Fairbanks.

When Richard got back from the white water trip, it was time for diner and show at the Cabin Nite theater at the resort. Diner is served family style and includes a lot of fun in getting it served. The food was delicious and included salad, fresh rolls, BBQ ribs, Salmon, corn, Potatoes, and ended with a berry cobbler topped with whipped cream that was to die for.

After Diner the serving staff put on a musical show that was very entertaining and funny.

Another early day. Continental breakfast in the lobby of the Chalet and on to the bus at 6:00 AM for a Tundra Wilderness Tour of Denali Natioal Park. The weather is still cold and cloudy. Everyone says that spring is coming late this year. We’re glad we had our layers of clothing to keep us warm and dry. It even snowed some today. Still and all it was beautiful and exciting. We saw a lot of wildlife including some of the first Grizzly Bears of the season. Besides 11 Grizzles, we saw a moose, many Dall Sheep, Caaribou, and an Great Horned Owl Nest with momma and baby.

Click the following image to see our photos from our tour of the park

we rented a Jeep for a self drive tour which was a disappointment though other folks on our tour said they enjoyed it. Guess the combination of the weather and our tiredness did us in on that one.

Had a delicious King Crab Leg diner at a restaurant called the Alaska Salmon Bake.