DENALI, AK (Day 2).  We drove to Denali yesterday and are staying at an RV park 8 miles east of the national park.  We drove into the nearby village of tourist shops, eateries, and hotels.  The wagon master calls it Glitter Gulch.  We walked through the shops and bought a couple things.  On the way back, we saw cars parked along the road.  Slowing down we saw a moose cow leisurely eating in a pond below.  We had not brought our good cameras, but I took a mediocre shot with my phone (see below).

Phone Image of Distant Moose

Today a park bus picked us up as a group and took us on the only road through the park.  It is paved for 30 miles, then loose gravel.  It is narrow and winding around sheer rock cliffs.  With all the dust, it is amazing that so many buses navigate the road safely.  The buses have windows that will lower to allow photographing without glass in the way, except that the windows are hard to open and even harder to shut, sometimes sliding shut by themselves.

For the first 3/4 of the trip we were very disappointed, since the haze/clouds/dust is so bad that no sight of the mountain Denali is possible.  Even driving here yesterday afforded no view of the mountain.  Then caribou began appearing, one running nearly into the bus, then another running down a tall hill headed our way, then veering off to the front of the bus in front of our bus.  Then some distant bears along the river.  Then a cow moose and her calf walked out of the brush and appeared by the road on our left for a long time.  We shot many photos, but still wish we could have some clear weather and (especially) a view of Denali.

Bus We Rode on Gravel Road in Denali National Park

In There Somewhere is Mt Denali

Betty Got This Shot of A Moose Cow Along Denali Road

Tomorrow we leave at 12:30 pm for a raft ride.  This will be just Betty and I.  The group will do other things they have signed up to do.  On Monday, the weather is forecast to clear up.  We shall see.  Have not decided what to do that day.