The drive from Anchorage to Denali was the easiest 5 hours I've spent behind the wheel.
Glimpses of the Denali mountain range lured us from the distance.
If only the roads in the Midwest were like this.
Our first close-up look at Alaska's moraine.
Some parts of the dirve were less scenic.
Wal-Mike's was a little creepy and not teribly inviting.
Watch out for bears in these parts.
Words of wisdom: “If it's black, fight back. If it's brown, lie down.”
We passed by a giant igloo!
Welcome to Denali.
The heart of Denali is accessed by a single road.
Before heading in, we set up camp for the night at Riley Creek.
It's 12:36 a.m. and the midnight sun turns my sense of time upside down.
In the morning we set out on a 5 hour shuttle ride that passes alongside the Polychrome Mountains and Denali's expansive moraine.
We were quite happy to stretch our legs at the many scenic spots along the way.
Toklat River.
A pair of caribou.
I'm a caribou!
Kate is a peek-a-bou.
We ditched our shuttle at the Eielson Visitor Center and hiked up this mountain ridge.
Wildflowers peek out from a cluster of rocks alongside the ridge trail.
A distant look at Mt. McKinley (far right) as it rises into a crisp blue sky.
Denali is home to countless wildlife like these mountain goats.
More caribou!!
A grizzly bear lumbers towards us in the distance. Yikes!
