Mt. McKinley, Train Ride to Denali, 6-7-09

The photos of Mt. McKinley don't do it justice. The sun was extremely bright this morning; so Aubrey got some great shots. Yesterday in the clouds it looked more like a mirage.

We boarded the glass-topped train this morning early. This one was a double-decker with the dining car underneath the viewing car. We've enjoyed every person we have met on this trip--except for today. We were assigned a table with Gloria & Leonard from Ohio. They were like travelling with 2 lumps of coal. Neither one had anything to say and didn't get excited about anything along the way. All around us was the most incredible sights in the world; and Leonard read a book. We, on the other hand, had a great time, visiting up and down the car, Aubrey hanging out the viewing deck outside to get these photos, etc. We escaped Gloria & Leonard to eat lunch with a really nice couple we met today. Something about the rocking motion of the train puts me to sleep every time. I think I slept about 30 minutes of the 4-hour trip.

The "lodge" at Denali is unbelievable. It's more like a city. There are probably 50 buildings in the compound. Our room for the next 2 nights is near the river. Tonight we're going to a dinner theatre for a historical musical and a BBQ ribs/salmon dinner. (I know--strange combination.) Tomorrow morning we have a natural history tour for 4 hours. Aubrey has booked another guide for a fly-fishing adventure for all afternoon. I plan to get a massage while he's gone. We've been doing so much sitting and rubber-necking the past 2 days that my back and neck are giving me trouble.

Hope all is well. We've enjoyed hearing from everyone and learning about the rain.

Love, A&J

A&J