Anchorage and Denali, Alaska

Our Alaska adventure started in Anchorage in the middle of one of their worst heat waves and fire seasons in recent history. We rescued our luggage after a case of mistaken identity, loaded up with supplies at Costco and set out to discover Alaska. Sadly Anchorage is not great for sightseeing. One local told us that Alaska is just 45 minutes from Anchorage. We found that to be very true. We took a trip out to Byron Glacier for a short hike to a nearby glacier. It was good to get out into the wilderness and the drive out along the Turnagain Arm is beautiful. Our second stop was Denali National Park. The park is huge, roughly the size of the state of Massachusetts, and the only way to see it is by bus. The road is narrow and sketchy, so they keep private vehicles off of it beyond just a few miles into the park. We went about 2/3 of the way into the park on the bus and saw some caribou, one moose and a couple of bears. The mountains were hidden by the clouds and smoke, which left us disappointed in our visit. I don't think I would recommend Denali as a stop while in Alaska. There are so many other places to visit. One highlight for Danelle was being able to play with the sled dogs that they use to move equipment and people around the park in the winter.