Thursday, June 16, 2011

This morning came very early.  We got in at 2:00 am, in bed by 2:30 am and up at 5:00 am.  Bags had to be in the hall by 6:00 am.  As soon as we put the bags in the hall off we went for breakfast.  Since all they served for breakfast was a buffet which wasn't very good, it didn't take us very long to eat so we had time to rest a little bit before having to be downstairs to catch a bus to the train at 7:20 am.

The train left a little after 8:00 am and the ride lasted a little more than 4 hours.  It was a nice peaceful ride.  Holland America has dome rail cars for their land tour passengers.  We were up high where we could see all around.  Our car seated 88 people and downstairs was a dining car that seated 44 people.  Since we had already eaten breakfast we didn't eat.  We will have an 8 hour train ride on Saturday morning and we have both lunch and dinner included on that ride.  I heard people saying that the food was very good.  Krista got some really good pictures.

We got to our hotel at Denali around 1:00 pm.  We were in our room waiting for our luggage to arrive.  We had a jet boat tour scheduled for what I thought was 2:30 pm.  I decided to double check the time and it was at 2:00 pm.  Our room is in a separate building from where the tours depart.  We took off walking and they told us the shuttle going to the main building had just passed and they pass every 15 minutes so we had to walk UPHILL almost the whole way.  I was huffing and puffing the whole way.  Oh and we hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast so we went in the little store and I got a Dr Pepper.  They didn't have any diet ones.  I was looking for something to snack on.  I wanted peanut butter crackers or something like that.  I didn't see any so I asked and they told me they had been on back order for some time.  Not really sure where they get their supplies from but oh well.  I just purchased a package of cookies.

A bus picked us up and it was about a 30 minute ride.  About half of the bus were going on a Dog Sled Tour and the others on the Jet Boat.  When we got there they sent 9 to the jet boat and took all of the rest of us in a little building and gave us a snack and then told us about how it is to live up there.  It takes a special person to be able to do all that they do.  After that they had us pan for gold.  I really don't like doing that so I just kind of stood there and acted like I was doing it and when Krista finished hers I got her to finish mine and then I gave her my gold.

After that panning for gold they had some reindeer for us to look at and feed.  By that time it was our turn to ride the jet boat.  We didn't see any wildlife but it was fun.  The ride lasted about an hour.  After the ride it was time for us to head on back to our hotel.  We did see several moose and Krista was able to get pictures.

When we got back to the hotel we immediately walked across the highway and looked in a few shops, bought some peanut butter crackers and then found someplace to eat.  There was a little fish place and I had a hamburger.  It was so good.  A real homemade burger.

We then walked back to our hotel.  It was downhill this time so that was much easier.  When we came in the lobby there was a man there on his computer.  After we went to our room to make sure our luggage had arrived, I came back to the lobby to see if he was getting wifi and he was so here I am.  I thought I was going to have to go to the main building to get wifi so this is much better.

Tomorrow morning we have a Denali Wilderness Tour that leaves at 6:10 am which means we need to be at the main building by around 6:00 am.  The tour is supposed to last 8 hours.  After that tomorrow afternoon Krista and I are renting a car to drive around and look on our own.  When we reserved it we didn't realize there was going to be a wilderness tour that was included in our landtour.  We tried to cancel the car rental but they told us it was too close for cancellation so we will get our car and go see what we can see.  I told her we should just go find a good restaurant and eat.

Since I have had very little sleep the past 2 nights I am sure I will go to bed very early tonight.