HAL CruiseTour Report - Dawson/Denali Plus (Y4T) - June 26 to July 14, 2013

[shrimpboat123]

Day 6 continued

 

We safely crossed The Top of the World Highway and made our first pit stop after 4 hours of driving. We are now in Chicken Alaska. We thought this was kind of a funny name for a town until our driver told us how the town got it's name. You may know that the state bird of Alaska is the Ptarmigan. Because the local people couldn't spell "Ptarmigan", they called the town "Chicken"!

 

 

Chicken Alaska

 

 

Chicken Facilities

 

 

End of Alaska Highway

 

 

Alaska Pipeline

 

 

North Pole Alaska

 

 

 

Around 7:30PM we finally arrived in Fairbanks Alaska. We were so tired, we grabbed a quick hamburger for dinner at 8:30PM and retired early.

[shrimpboat123]

Day 7 July 2nd:

 

Thank goodness today was an easy day. There were 2 included excursions in Fairbanks with this tour. The first one started with everyone getting on the bus at 9:35AM for a short ride to the "Gold Dredge #8". We had a short train ride and then we got off and panned for gold. Between the two of us we managed to get $18 in gold. Some people got as much as $40-$50. We were able to keep the gold and if we so desired, we could buy a pendant to hold the gold in. Of course DW had to purchase a nice pendant. Hey at least they gave you a nice gold chain with it.

 

Next stop was the Riverboat Discovery for lunch. Our group of 42 along with a few hundred other people streamed into a mess hall and everyone ate family style at large picnic tables. It didn't pay to be shy here if you expected to get anything to eat. Pass this pot or that pot and scoop out your stew or beans. The meal was quite good.

 

After lunch, we got in line with the couple of hundred other people and boarded the Riverboat Discovery II. The tour lasted about 3 hours. While on the tour, we saw a float plane take off and land right beside our Paddle Wheeler. We passed the home and kennel of the late Susan Butcher (4 time Iditarod winner) and were entertained by the dogs and they showed us how the dogs love to pull an old ATV around a track. Later on we stopped for a tour of an Athabascan Indian Village.

 

Klondike Discovery II on Chena River Fairbanks

 

 

View on Klondike Discovery II

 

 

Bush Pilot Float Plane

 

 

Dog Sled Puppies

 

 

Dog Sled Kennel

 

 

Athabascan Indian Village - Women's Winter Parka

 

 

 

After we got back to the hotel, a group of us decided to be adventurous and try out the local transportation system. It was time for supper and so we found out what bus to take to get to "Brewsters". I like the Fairbanks bus system. If you are a senior, you get to ride for free. Just show the driver a picture ID with your birthdate on it. When we came out of the restaurant, it had started to rain so we decided to call a few taxis. Six of us got in a Van and had a very exhilarating ride back to the hotel. The driver weaved in and out of traffic and if it weren't for the hotel parking lot being just before the traffic lights in front of us turning red, we'd have gone through the red light. I almost kissed the ground when we got out of the cab.

[shrimpboat123]

Day 8 (July 3rd)

 

Today, the bags had to be outside the room by 6:00AM so we could get the bus transfer to the train station at 7:25AM. It would also be the last we would see of our Driver/Guide Jimmie. On the HAL Domed rail car we had assigned seating. We would be on the train for about 4 hours.

 

 

Domed HAL Car Fairbanks to Denali

 

 

View from Train to Denali

 

 

View from Train to Denali

 

 

View from Train to Denali

 

 

View from Train to Denali

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 8 continued

 

 

View from Train to Denali

 

 

View from Train to Denali

 

 

View from Train to Denali

 

 

View from Train to Denali

 

 

View from Train to Denali

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 8 continued

 

We arrived in Denali around noon and were transferred to the McKinley Resorts Chalet by bus. We would be staying in the McKinley Canyon Lodge for the next 3 nights.

 

 

McKinley Canyon Lodge

 

 

Since we had to eat somewhere, I figured why not see some of the back country. What better way than to take the Covered Wagon Back Country Dinning excursion at 5:45PM that evening. It turned out to be a good choice. We saw lots of nice scenery and had a good meal of salads, salmon, ribs, and dessert.

 

Covered Wagon Excursion

 

 

View from Wagon

 

 

View from Wagon

 

 

View from Wagon

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 8 continued

 

Moose on side of road back to Canyon Lodge

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 9 (July 4th)

 

Today is a real early day. We have been given the first Tundra Wilderness Tour bus into the park that leaves the lodge at 5:50AM. So we got up at 4:00AM to get ready and head up to the main lodge to grab a bite to eat.

 

Temperature day of TWT

 

 

Yes it was 5AM

 

 

TWT Views of Denali Park

 

 

Grizzly Bear in Park - See the small brown speck

 

 

TWT Views of Denali Park

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 9 continued

 

At the first view point in the park that you could possibly see Mt. McKinley, we were able to do just that. Since we were the first bus into the park our driver was able to decide for us and all the later bus tours that we would go beyond the traditional mile 53 turn about for the TWT. So we got to go a further 9 miles into mile 62.

 

First View of Mt. McKinley

 

 

American Ground Squirrel

 

 

TWT Views of Denali Park

 

 

Dall Sheep

 

 

TWT Views of Denali Park

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 9 continued

 

Caribou in Park

 

 

Moose on the run

 

 

Moose on the run

 

 

TWT Views of Denali Park

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 9 continued

 

 

View of Mt. McKinley at Mile 62

 

 

View of Mt. McKinley at Mile 62

 

 

View of Mt. McKinley at Mile 62

 

 

Caribou

 

 

TWT Views of Denali Park

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 9 continued

 

 

TWT Views of Denali Park

 

 

Dall Sheep

 

 

TWT Views of Denali Park

 

 

TWT Views of Denali Park

 

 

TWT Views of Denali Park

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 9 continued

 

 

TWT Views of Denali Park

 

 

More Caribou

 

 

Great Invention

 

 

McKinley Resort Lodge

 

 

View from Glitter Gulch

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 10 (July 5th)

 

Today is what I have been looking forward to - Summit McKinley Flight Seeing Excursion. I was scheduled to go up at 2:00PM. I was picked up along with 7 other people and we headed to the air field. Everyone signed in and was assigned their seats on the twin engine 8 seater plane. One of the ladies was assigned the co-pilot seat and as a result, I was assigned a seat part way back and no one was assigned the seat beside me. That was great as I could look out both sides of the plane without any obstructions. Didn't rally matter because the pilot was excellent and for over an hour, we flew towards Mt. McKinley. He would bank the plane to left, then to the right and everyone was able to see and take pictures.

 

At one point, we were told to put on our oxygen masks. We began our assent above 10,000 feet. We flew all around the mountain and over the mountain (20,320 feet). We were able to see two groups of mountain climbers (group of 6 and group of 3) on the mountain that day. The weather was perfect and we got great views of the mountain.

 

 

Aerial View of Denali Park

 

 

Aerial View of Denali Park

 

 

Aerial View of Mt. Mckinley

 

 

Aerial View of Denali Park

 

 

Aerial View of Mt. McKinley

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 10 continued

 

Aerial View of Mt. McKinley

 

 

Aerial View of Mt. McKinley

 

 

Aerial View of Mt. McKinley

 

 

Aerial View of Mt. McKinley

 

 

Climbers on Mt. McKinley

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 11 (Jul 6th)

 

Today we leave Denali. This morning is a little more respectable time wise. Our bags have to be outside our room by 9:00AM with a bus transfer to the train station at 11:15AM.

 

Once again we were assigned seats on the McKinley Explorer and we departed the station at Noon for an 8 hour ride to Anchorage.

 

 

Domed Car Denali - Anchorage

 

 

View Denali - Anchorage

 

 

View Denali - Anchorage

 

 

View Denali - Anchorage

 

 

View Denali - Anchorage

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 11 continued

 

View Denali - Anchorage

 

 

View Denali - Anchorage

 

 

View Denali - Anchorage

 

 

View Denali - Anchorage

 

 

Former Alaska Governor Residence (Sarah)

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 11 continued

 

 

View Denali - Anchorage

 

 

 

Twelve of us decided that we would like to go for dinner in Anchorage after we arrived at the hotel. Since it was going to be around 9PM when we could get to the restaurant and it was a very popular restauranr and busy night, our Tour Director got on her cell phone and called ahead and made us a reservation. You couldn't ask for a better tour director. Since this would be our last day with her, we made sure she came along for dinner.

 

 

Time for a cold one - Anchorage

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 12 (July 7th)

 

Well this is the final leg of the land tour. We have chosen to upgrade our passage to Seward to take in the Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise. Today our bags had to be out by 8:00AM. Today we also say good-bye to our Tour Director.

 

We arrived in Seward around 11:00AM and the cruise to the Kenai Fjords left at 11:30AM. The cruise lasted until around 6:00PM. We were dropped off at the cruise terminal and we were in our cabin by 6:20PM.

 

 

Moose Anchorage - Seward

 

 

Sea Lions Kenai Fjords

 

 

Rough Water Kenai Fjords Tour

 

 

Kenai Fjords Sea Otters

 

 

AIALIK Glacier Kenai Fjords

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 12 continued

 

 

AIALIK Glacier Kenai Fjords

 

 

AIALIK Glacier Kenai Fjords

 

 

AIALIK Glacier Kenai Fjords

 

 

AIALIK Glacier Kenai Fjords

 

 

AIALIK Glacier Kenai Fjords

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 12 continued

 

Whale Tail in Kenai Fjords

 

 

Mountain Goat Kenai Fjord

 

 

Common Murre Kenai Fjord

 

 

Cormorants Kenai Fjord

 

 

Sea Lions Kenai Fjord

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 13 (July 8th) Sea Day 1st Formal Night

 

Day 14 (July 9th)

 

This is Glacier Bay day. We invited a few friends over to our cabin to view the glaciers from our balcony. Turned out to be a good choice because we were on the port side and we were in front of Margerie Glacier for close to 60 minutes before the Captain started turning the ship.

 

 

Nosey Seagull on Balcony at Glacier Bay

 

 

Margerie Glacier, Glacier Bay

 

 

Margerie Glacier, Glacier Bay

 

 

Margerie Glacier, Glacier Bay

 

 

Margerie Glacier, Glacier Bay

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 14 continued

 

 

Margerie Glacier Calving, Glacier Bay

 

 

Margerie Glacier Calving, Glacier Bay

 

 

Margerie Glacier Calving, Glacier Bay

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 15 (July 10th)

 

We docked in Haines at 6:30AM this morning. We are taking the Fast Ferry to Skagway to do the Klondike Explorer and White Pass Railway excursion at 9:00AM. Since we had lots of time, our bus driver took us on a quick tour around Skagway before dropping us off at the train depot.

 

 

Haines Panorama

 

 

Statendam in Haines

 

 

Statendam in Haines

 

 

Fast Ferry to Skagway

 

 

WP&YR Views

 

[shrimpboat123]

Day 15 continued

 

 

WP&YR Views

 

 

WP&YR Views

 

 

WP&YR Views

 

 

WP&YR Views

 

[jbhcw]

Wonderful pictures and report:):):) thanks so much for sharing....thinking of Alaska in '14 or '15:)