Daily Archives: August 2, 2019

Alaska Day 5

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Day 5 was a traveling day on a train. Long day of travel but I enjoyed it. 🙂

  • Breakfast again at the Black bear cafe- Alaskan Benedict with smoked salmon. Yum!
  • Back to Denali Park to romp around for an hour before we had to board the train.
  • I made the most of that hour and hiked to Horseshoe Lake to see the Beaver dam and hopefully to see some beavers. It was raining and I made it to the damn but saw no beavers. I had to run un the trail to get back to the shuttle in time- up steps and hills. It was a breathtaking exhausting, wetty, and sweaty run…but I made it back!
  • We took the Alaskan Rail Wilderness Express train with the glass domed ceiling.
  • Smoked salmon chowder for lunch on the train and Halibut for dinner on the train.
  • I bought a goofy engineer cap because why not?!!
  • Got back into Anchorage in the evening, and to avoid spending time in the gross hotel, we walked around and got ice cream at Wild Scoops. Fireweed again. I got mine with a “baked Alaska” on top. Marshmallow Fluff torched! Sooooo good.
THE WEX
I'm sorry that you're feeling queasy
Motion sickness isn't easy.
And when ginger just won't do the trick
You can step outside to get sick.
But how amazing is it to ride the rail!
Sit back. Enjoy the view. And drink some ale!
With it's views of Alaska from the glass dome ceiling
The Wilderness Express gives you a special feeling.

Alaska Day 4

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Today was an early 6am morning! But we slept with the sliding door open and waking up to the crisp mountain air and the sound of the river rushing with glacial water was quite awesome.

  • Breakfast at the Black Bear Cafe- Really good vibe and great coffee…ate a “Bearito” but don’t worry, there was no meat in it. 🙂
  • We went to Denali park today and were given the Green Bus tour, which is an 8 hour ride to Eielsen Visitor Center with a stop every 90ish minutes to stretch the legs and empty the bladder. Our tour guide was Aaron from Utah who was very entertaining.
  • Animals we saw: grizzlys, caribous, ground squirrels, a moose’s caboose, grouses, and snowshoe hare.
  • Upon returning to the main visitor center, Jes and I hiked a wee bit, and found some cool “off path” hikes as well as some terrific views!
  • Dinner at 49th State Brewery. Ate smoked salmon chowder and the halibut. Took some photos with the bus used to film Into the Wild.
  • Saw a baby moose and mom from afar, but only got one blurry shot of the baby. 😦
A CLIFFHANGER
We're riding on this old green bus
Driving through curves that'll make you cuss.
The mountains are high and the valleys are low
The cliffs are steep and the bumps really blow.
Craning my neck to take in the view
Stop! An animal is at our two!
Thrown to a halt we gather to one side
Take photos and stare, then back to the ride.
8 hours on the bus and with any luck
My lunch I'll keep in and I won't up........


ANIMAL POEM
I could do without another caribou.
But another bear and I'll be there. 
Have you seen any wondering wolverine?
Was it stalking prey or just enjoying the day?
I've seen plenty of the silly squirrel
One even sat on the lap of this girl!
I stared a moose in her caboose.
And a snowshoe hare in the posterior. 
From afar I peeped a mountain doll sheep
A cotton ball dot, didn't look like a lot.
All the creatures and their features
From behind the glass through our mountain pass.

BREWERY BLUES (Sing it like a blues song, duh)
After 8 hours on the Denali Bus
I was so hungry I made a fuss!
I should have had a larger lunch
Instead of just a little munch.
By the time we got to our dinner spot
I only complained "It's too hot!"
Woahhhh ohhhhh I was Hangry!
Yeahhhh ahhhhh I needed to eat
Oh Man! I was Hangry!
Woahhhh! I'd even eat meat!
I finally got an IPA in me
Chowder too with things from the sea!
I began to feel like myself again
Singing songs every now and then.
And what a surprise Mike bought our next beer
For switching rooms, oh what a dear!
Woahhhh ohhhh I was Hangry!
Yeahhhh ahhhhhh I needed to eat!
Oh man! I was hangry!
Woahhhh! But I didn't eat meat!
😉