On To Denali for the Grand Finale

If your memory serves you well, you will remember that Laszlo, Gina and Emma departed a day earlier than us to take the Golden Dome Train from Anchorage all the way to Fairbanks.

They thoroughly enjoyed the ride, including exclusive Gold Dome access to an outdoor viewing platform.  Based on our experience on the train a couple of days later, that additional height would be significant.  As Laszlo said, they had ever-changing scenery and never got bored on the 12-hour ride on the Denali Star route.

With breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks included, they could focus on enjoying the trip.

After passing the stop for Denali National Park's main gate, they experienced unexpected drama: a wildfire right next to the train tracks!

I asked if they were frightened to be riding the rails through a forest fire.  They each said they trusted that it must be safe enough to complete the journey, or the Alaska Railroad wouldn't have carried on.  It reminded me of an old Dylan song, "This Wheel's On Fire," but none of them knew that song when I referenced it.

Photo snapped by Gina from the Alaska Railroad.

Fortunately, the train rolled on.  They arrived in Fairbanks unscathed but with what is certainly a unique memory of their train trip to share for years.

The sky was still smoky, so they found indoor activities in Fairbanks.  Their love of idiosyncratic attractions on vacations drew them to the Ice Museum, where "visitors can interact with life-sized sculptures."  One display is a fast ice slide, which they all sledded down.

They found an ice skating rink, where Emma had another great figure session, but there was not a two-time Canadian National Champion like in Anchorage.  Gina mentioned that it was nice that skating sessions in Alaska only cost $5, whereas in most US cities they're more like $15 to $25.

Emma brings her own skates on vacations.  She has set a goal of skating in all 50 states.

Throughout the vacation, Gina took advantage of the long days to work full days at her job in addition to exploring whatever caught her fancy, which is exactly how she likes it.  Laszlo is always ready to delve into all aspects of a vacation.  Emma has a new resolution to say yes to more possibilities.  They all had a great time in Fairbanks.

Back in Anchorage, Julie and I awakened early on the 4th of July for our usual Anchorage breakfast of Eggo Waffles and coffee.

We walked a half mile downtown, suitcases in tow, to catch our bus to Denali National Park.

Our magic chariot parked at Talkeetna Lodge.

Perhaps because of firework prohibitions in Denali, the bus was almost empty on this holiday, with eight guests on a bus with at least five times that many seats.  That suits us!  We were able to freely move between seats for photo opportunities that became available.

With so few people, there weren't too many extra stops on our itinerary.  One whistle-stop we passed without stopping was Wasilla, a sprawling community strung out along the highway.  It is most famous as being the place where 2008 Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin served on the City Council and then became Mayor.

Wasilla Chamber of Commerce Building

Sarah parlayed that position to subsequently become the youngest and only woman Governor in the history of Alaska.  When Senator John McCain picked her to be his running mate, she was demeaned relentlessly by media rather than being heralded as a ceiling glass-shattering woman.

On Saturday Night Live, Tina Fey's hysterical impersonation of this very competent lady is still believed to be real by many.  Tina coined the phrase, "I can see Russia from my house," which many still to this day attribute to former Governor Palin.

Of course, the media likely felt justified because she shared the Republican ticket with the former Vietnam War POW absurdly branded as being a Nazi.

In other words, just partisan politics as usual in an election year.

The scarcity of stops for new passengers to board allowed our driver to give us 45 minutes in Talkeetna, where we had high hopes of catching views of Mt. McKinley.

We did see it peek through in the distance occasionally.

With clouds and haze presumably caused by smoke on this bright, sunny day, we never could make out most of the mountain at this stop, despite using binoculars.

In any case, the spot still provided lovely panoramic views.

The Talkeetna Lodge, where we took in the vistas, is ruggedly handsome.

It would be easy to pass the day on the viewing deck or next to the lodge's panoramic windows to watch the changing sky and catch glimpses of the famous mountain.

It's easy to see why cruise tours often spend time at Talkeetna as well as by the main gate to Denali National Park.

All too soon, it was time to go.

Onward and upward, we caught better glimpses of Mt. McKinley through the bus's windshield.

As we got closer to our stop in "Glitter Gulch," the small downtown near the park entrance, smoke became progressively more prevalent.

The fire between Denali and Fairbanks had not abated.

We were happy the driver stopped directly in front of Holland America Denali Lodge, where we had secured two nights of lodging.

This HAL property and its next-door neighbor, Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, were perfectly located across the street from shops and restaurants of Glitter Gulch and on the direct line for regular shuttle buses into the park.

The courteous desk clerk said our room wouldn't be available for at least a couple of hours, but after checking our bags, he gave us each a beverage voucher that could be used anywhere on property.

Our original plan called for Gina, Laszlo and Emma to meet us there, but partial shutdown of the highway from Fairbanks to Denali caused by the fire meant they could not make the drive that day.

Fortunately, in this era of smart phones and computers, we did not experience the kind of confusion that could be the basis of a series of comedic disasters as in a pre-1991 movie.

Laszlo was able to postpone their rental car reservation by a day and said they would make the drive then, no matter how long it took.  We crossed our fingers that they would be able to make it the next day.  

Disappointed by the plan not coming together and also by smoke obscuring views on an otherwise gorgeous afternoon, Julie and I decided to track down lunch.

There are several restaurants at Holland America Denali Lodge that looked promising, but we wanted to stretch our legs, so we strolled to the Princess Lodge, where something right up our alley awaited: Grizzly Burger.

Unfortunately, the lunch rush was in full swing, and a long waiting list persuaded us to find an alternative.

We walked through the resort to another Princess eatery, Fannie Q's, named after a female trapper, prospector and cook named Fannie Quigley.  

Told the wait would be only a few minutes with a pager which we took to outdoor chairs.

It's a rustic gem, and the Cheesesteak Sandwich we split was delicious.

Restaurant prices at the two lodges, incidentally, are similar to what you would expect in the suburbs throughout the US rather than lofty city rates.

Fast food is basically limited to their Starbucks-like cafes, where at Holland America Lodge we bought delicious muffins in the evening to eat with our coffee the following morning.  However, we did see Subway Sandwiches among Glitter Gulch's restaurants, but we never felt motivated to cross the highway.

As you may know, we're not big shoppers, but we browsed shops at both lodges.

We spent far more time walking the trail beside the Holland America Lodge overlooking the river.

I was very proud of our generation (95% of the lodge's guests), who seemed to be making the most of the day rather than huddling in their rooms until the smoke passed.

Maybe it is more foolish to breathe smoke while walking than hide under covers wearing masks, but we would only be in Denali a couple of days, so carpe diem!

We picked up our bags and unpacked in our river-view accommodations.

Despite being on the bottom floor of a two-level log hotel, it felt like a small log cabin due to its pine accent walls and brown hues.

It had a living area separated by a door from the bedroom.

I could awake early as tends to be my routine, leave Julie undisturbed in bed and head to the living room to make a cup of coffee while checking out my email, the Phillies highlights and other business.

Watching an old episode of Simon & Simon on ROKU after returning home, I found myself missing those pre-computer days.

Julie quickly reminded me that no one forces me to use the internet as much as I do.  And it is great that the internet allows me to work remotely wherever I go in the world.

Julie and I listened to the campfire singers at Denali Square.  While they were talented, I thought their first set consisted of pre-Beatles oldies.  To give you an idea, their hippest number was Ghost Riders in the Sky, which I did enjoy.

The Casey Kasem-like banter felt more AM radio than campfire to me.  I was hoping for a folk singer like we found at Humpy's in Anchorage.  In all fairness, the duo probably played their oldest songs first to get them out of the way, perhaps fulfilling a contractual obligation for an outdated playlist.

Julie pointed out how absurd it was that employees dutifully ignited campfires when the air was already smoky.

In any case, we weren't worried about missing the next set or two, so we made a second attempt to dine at Grizzly Burger.

Most of our fellow travelers, most of who were on cruise tours, sought more upscale meals for dinner, but once again factoring in price as well as taste and nutrition, we still wanted burgers.

We split a Grizzly Burger, which actually has two good-sized hamburgers in a bun and is served with French fries.  The waitress divided that onto two plates before serving.  That proved to be plenty of dinner for both of us.  Not that we can't usually eat more, if the food is there on our plates.  Leftovers are simply trash on vacation.

After dinner, we went out on the deck of Grizzly Burger, where it had become smokier but still beautiful (click here to see Julie's video).  We meandered back to Denali Square, where the husband and wife played songs more to our taste.  The fire rings still burned despite the smoke.  We decided to turn in for the night when that set ended rather than stick around.

For what it is worth, I embedded a video of the kind of song --- admittedly somewhat obscure --- and introductory patois that I personally would prefer.  The unvarnished folk singer was unknown to me until I searched for an alternative version of This Wheel's On Fire...the very song that nobody else in our little travel party recognized when I referenced it.

I admit that the repertoire of the Denali Square duo could potentially appeal to a wider audience, but I do love those deep tracks and indie-artist spin.  Plus, I think a lot of retired folks are really hippies, mods and rockers who've donned perfect disguises.

Hopefully, the smoke would clear by the next morning for extended hiking during our only full day in Denali National Park.

Would Gina, Laszlo and Emma be able to make the drive from Fairbanks in the morning?

Would the drive take two hours or seven hours?

Would they drive for hours and be forced to U-turn?

Spoiler alert:

Laszlo's selfie at the top of this blog was snapped hiking Denali National Park the next day.

More of Julie's Photos

More of Wes's Photos