Alaska - Our 50th state

Day 9 - Sunday, August 28, 2022 - McKinley Denali Express to Denali


Up before 6 and dressed when room service was delivered at 6. Ate and got ready to disembark at 7:15. We were assigned wave #s and when they called we took off to the train. It is the McKinley Denali Express but don't let the name fool you. It is a 9 1/2 hour ride and average speed is 32 mph. They had a tour guide who pointed out highlights along the way, a bartender, and a food person for breakfast and lunch. It is a domed train to give you greater views. Along the way we saw osprey, bald eagles, trumpeter swans, and dall sheep. We also saw glaciers; beautiful mountains, waterfalls, and meandering streams. Lunch was available for purchase on the train and we arrived to our stop at 6. From there we got on busses and it was a 10 min. drive to McKinley Chalet. Our suitcases were waiting for us and we had a really nice room - 2 beds - king and queen- and rustically decorated. Because so many people were arriving at the same time we quickly made our way to Karston's Public House in Denali Square for dinner. We ended up sitting next to a couple from Syracuse - small world. Had fish and chips and a fish sandwich for dinner. Even though we didn't do much we were tired and went back to our room for a good night's sleep so we'll be ready for Denali tomorrow.

Views from the Train




Dall Sheep in the 
Mountains


As I said we had exceptional weather











We even had a rainbow 🌈 


McKinley Chalet






Karsten's Public House








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