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Junco Creek

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    • Osi InglinAlaska & Kanada
      1
      Day 4

      Alaska Railroad

      July 4, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

      Die wenigen amerikanischen Eisenbahnen, die es noch gibt, werden gehegt und gepflegt, ja richtiggehend zelebriert. Da gibt es nicht nur 1. und 2. Klasse. Die 2. Klasse heisst „ Adventure Class“. Dann gibt es die GoldStar-Klasse und die absolute Luxus-Klasse mit dem Namen „Wilderness Express“, alles Angebote im gleichen Zug, und je nach Preis mit oder ohne Aussichtsbalkon im ersten Stock. Auch die Abfahrt am Bahnhof ist ein Ereignis: Das Perron ist bis kurz vor Abfahrt weiträumig abgeschirmt. Beachflags weisen auf die verschiedenen Eingänge hin, und die smarten „Conductors“ tragen ihre schmucken Uniformen mit sichtbarem Stolz.

      Der erste Teil der heute 750 km langen Strecke zwischen Fairbanks und Seward wurde im Jahre 1914 eröffnet. Heute fuhren wir die ersten 193 km bis zum Denali National Park, was ganze vier Stunden dauerte, denn die riesigen Dieselloks mit ihren schweren Anhängern können oder dürfen auf dem Trassee nur relativ langsam fahren, was einem immerhin ermöglicht, die schöne Landschaft zu geniessen.

      In Denali angekommen, bezogen wir Blockhäuschen Nr. 105 im Crow‘s Nest. Morgen geht‘s in den Park.      Read more

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    • Osi InglinAlaska & Kanada
      Day 5

      Denali National Park & Preserve

      July 5, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

      Er ist 24‘000 km2 gross (was etwa der Fläche des US-Bundesstaates New Hampshire entspricht) und er umgibt den 6‘190 m hohen und höchsten Berg Nordamerikas gleichen Namens: der Denali National Park.

      Bis 2015 hiess der Denali, was in der Sprache der athapaskischen Indigenen „der Grosse“ oder „der Hohe“ heisst, Mount McKinley. Der Goldgräber William Dickey portierte 1896 diesen Namen, weil der damalige Präsidentschaftskandidat William McKinley im Gegensatz zu seiner Gegnerschaft den Goldstandard für die amerikanische Währung propagierte. McKinley wurde dann auch gewählt. Kurz nach seiner Wiederwahl erlag er 1901 einem Attentat. Ihn verband mit dem Berg und dem Park allerdings ausser dem Namen nichts; er war auch selbst nie vor Ort. Im Zuge des wachsenden Respekts vor den Traditionen der amerikanischen Urbewohnenden wollte man den Berg schon 1975 umbenennen. Dies wurde aber jahrelang durch Kongressabgeordnete aus dem Heimatstaat McKinleys, Ohio, verhindert. Der Denali wird jedes Jahr von etwa 1´000 Alpinisten und Alpinistinnen bestiegen, wobei es jeweils nur etwa 50% bis zum Gipfel schaffen.

      Der Berg ist die Hauptattraktion des Parks, wenngleich man sich ihm auf der einzigen in den Park führenden Strasse nur bis etwa 45 km Entfernung annähern kann. Dass man ihn dann auch sieht, ist Wetterglückssache.

      Wir hatten unheimliches Glück, konnten wir ihn doch mehrmals aus verschiedenen Perspektiven und Distanzen sehen. Unser Guide beglückwünschte uns denn auch zur Mitgliedschaft im sog. „30%-Club“, so gross ist nämlich die Chance, den Berg bei einem Besuch des Parks auch wirklich zu sehen.

      Tiere gab es erwartungsgemäss nicht viel zu sehen. Immerhin sahen wir ein paar Bären, die allerdings zu weit weg waren, um sie auch fotografieren zu können. Im Bild unten sieht man einen Karibu, welcher dem europäischen Rentier entspricht. Er war etwas näher an der Strasse.

      Morgen gehts mit der Alaska Railroad weiter nach Anchorage.      Read more

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    • Walter FiedlerPanamericana 2016
      Day 4

      Der unsichtbare Berg

      June 3, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ❄️ -21 °C

      Da der Autokauf sich noch ein wenig hinzieht verlängere ich meinen Aufenthalt im Minnie Street in bis Sonntag Nacht, lass mich mit dem Taxi zum Flughafen fahren und miete mir dort ein Auto – einen süßen kleinen Chrysler Spark. Jetzt bin ich mobil und kann die Umgebung von Fairbanks erkunden.

      Das Wetter ist schön, also mache ich mich auf den Weg Richtung Denali National Park. Mt. Denali (Athabasikisch für „Großer Berg“) ist der höchste Berg des nordamerikanischen Kontinents. Meine eigentliche Reise führt dort nicht vorbei, aber ich möchte ihm dennoch einen kurzen Besuch abstatten.

      Es tut gut, unterwegs zu sein. Der Highway ist gut ausgebaut und es bieten sich immer wieder schöne Ausblicke auf die Landschaft Alaskas. In dem kleinen Örtchen Nenana, wo der Nenana River in den Tanana River mündet (an diese Namen gewöhnt man sich in Alaska), mache ich bei strahlendem Sonnenschein einen Zwischenstopp.

      Weiter geht die Fahrt entlang des Nenana River ins Gebirge hinein. Leider wird das Wetter immer schlechter. Die Gipfel verschwinden in den Wolken und ein paar Mal regnet es sogar ein wenig. Dafür werde ich durch den Nenana River entschädigt, der sich ein schönes Tal durch die Berge gegraben hat.

      Auf einer Passhöhe kurz vor der Einfahrt zum Nationalpark wimmelt die Passhöhe plötzlich vor Leben. Rechts der Straße stehen mehrere Hotels, links Fressbuden und Souvenir-Stände – alles in braunem Holz gehalten. Ich esse einen Burger und suche mir unterhalb eines Hotels ein Plätzchen zum Malen. Der Ausblick ist schön und es sind sogar einige Berge zu sehen. Ich frage einen Passanten, welcher davon denn nun der Denali sei. Keiner, erklärt er mir. Denali sei viel höher als das mindere Geröll hier, vollkommen mit Schnee bedeckt und heute über den Wolken. Er zeigt mir Bilder, die er gestern bei einem Rundflug gemacht hat. Sehr beeindruckend!

      Trotzdem hält sich meine Enttäuschung in Grenzen. Mit sowas muss man im Gebirge immer rechnen und alles in allem war es ein schöner Ausflug.      Read more

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    • Bobbi and Rod ReevesAlaska Adventure 2018
      Day 22

      On to Denali

      June 6, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

      We left Fairbanks and headed southwest on the Parks Highway, also known as Alaska 3. You can see where parts of the road have the dips and heaves showing it was built on permafrost. Also, you pass an access road that leads to Clear, a large radar site that is part of the ballistic missile early warning system. After crossing the the Tanana River we stopped in the village of Nenana. This village is used as a transfer point for fuel and other goods from the railroad to river barges headed for villages on the Tanana and Yukon Rivers. Nenana is known for their Nenana Ice Classic, an annual betting pool where hundreds of thousands of dollars are wagered by people around the world trying to guess the exact day and time in the spring when the river ice will go out. Of course we placed our wagers! When the Alaska Railroad was completed in 1923 President Harding drove a golden spike in Nenana to commemorate the railroad completion. Nenana has also been a stop for the Iditarod Race. We then continued on to Denali.Read more

    • Jenn JinhongAlaska - June 2022
      Day 8

      Enjoying Mckinley Chatlet

      June 26, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

      Pretty cool spot. Close to Denali park entrance and a nice place to soak in the breathtaking surroundings. Looking forward to our adventures tomorrow exploring the park.
      Mom saw a Moose on the ride up, but I missed it…
      Come on Moose, I just need 1 good pic.      Read more

    • Alaska 2
      Day 6

      Back to Denali Princess Lodge

      June 5, 2014 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

      We began this morning by boarding Michael's bus. The weather was cool and cloudy with occasional light showers. Because we had to board a bus for Denali we had a quick pizza with David and Carol Friedman and Mike and Chris Wrinkle as soon as we arrived around 1 PM. Mike is a retired Navy Captain who worked in the Washington, DC area at the Pentagon. Earlier in his career, he flew P-3’s from Moffet NAS in California. At 2 PM we met our Denali bus driver, Gary Seekins, who obviously loves Denali national Park very much. Although we did not see any animals, the park was as beautiful as we remembered it. Glenda and I had a wonderful meal of king crab legs at the Salmon Bake Restaurant. We saw Dan, a waiter, who had served our table during our visit of September 2012. We remembered him by his handlebar mustache. I ordered a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and enjoyed it thoroughly with the meal. I noted in its nose melons and peaches. It was delicious. After supper we bought some snack mix from a convenience store for tomorrow's train ride to Talkeetna. Mike and Chris Wrinkle and the Friedmans are becoming our friends.Read more

    • North to Alaska By RV 2021
      21
      Day 22

      Day 22 Ends @ the Boardwalk

      May 24, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

      Actually, we’re behind the Boardwalk in what is officially the Nenana Canyon Denali Park Commercial Area.

      The Boardwalk is a series of small buildings ... tour offices, shops, restaurants ... most still closed but some of them preparing to open for the Memorial Day long weekend that is just around the corner. Behind all these buildings is the Denali Rainbow Village RV Park & Cabins.

      We arrived here around noon, checked in, had a quick bite to eat, and set off to walk the pedestrian path ... which is about a mile to the Denali NP entrance. We walked two miles each way from the RV Park to the Riley Creek Mercantile in Denali National Park. Although the temp was only 66F, the full sunshine made it feel downright hot ... even in shirt sleeves we were overheated.

      The path goes past the huge Princess Cruises’ Denali Wilderness Lodge where we stayed in 2001 ... closed for 2021 due to cruise ships not crossing the Gulf of Alaska when they resume Alaska sailings this summer ... a big hit to the local economy. Then, a pedestrian bridge crosses the beautiful Nenana Canyon, with the river rushing by below. Only a couple of rafters were preparing to put into the river that sees far greater numbers in a normal year.

      Nearing Denali NP, we took a bypass through the woods — much appreciated shade ... plenty peaceful.

      At the Riley Creek Mercantile, we braved the nasty looks of a few patrons to pick up some delicious ice cream. Why the nasty looks ... because we forgot our masks 😷 in the rig and the store had none to give us. Although the masking rules have changed for those who are fully-vaccinated, the park is still requiring them indoors. Anyway, we covered up best we could while there and didn’t dally inside. After a quick look at the nearby campground — our next destination — we retraced our steps back to the Boardwalk.

      The Denali Rainbow Village RV Park is nothing special. A big gravel lot for RVs with some pull through sites and some back-in. Certainly a hard sell for us after our Joe Lake boondock. The park is still preparing for the season. We were only one of two rigs here last night.

      The campground does have several things going for it ... which is why we will be here for two nights. FHU sites and a laundry — which we need after several days of boondocking ... with nine days of dry camping ahead of us that we need to prep for; excellent T-Mobile data and cell signal (thanks to their partnership with the local company, GCI); convenience ... just one mile up the road from the Denali National Park Entrance. Oh, and yes, there are mountain views from our site.

      It is an expensive campground ... nightly rate around $60 with the Good Sam discount; bundles of campfire wood $10; laundry is highway robbery at $5 load to wash and $5 to dry. But it is a sellers market here, so we’ll just count the cost of this stay against all the boondocking we plan to do.      Read more

    • North to Alaska By RV 2021
      Day 25

      Dinner Time!

      May 27, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F

      Moose-AKa’s is one of the restaurants at the Boardwalk Mall in the Denali Park Commercial Area. The name is a play on words ... pronounced like moussaka ... an eggplant dish that is popular in the Balkans and the Middle East.

      Seeing the “Open” sign, we decided to have dinner there tonight. Reservations were requested, so we called in to make one, but they likely would have been able to seat us had we walked in since we dined early.

      It’s an interesting place with a menu based on Serbian dishes. As Mike, the chef/owner, said when we queried him on his choice of cuisine, “There are seafood, burger, and pizza joints all over the area, this is something out of the ordinary.”

      Interestingly, Mike is an Air Force brat who is from Guam. The only waiter, Zac, is from Alabama. The only Serbian in the place is the hostess, Maja. Together, they make a great team. We were as pleased with the service as we were with the tasty food.

      ————————————

      For those interested in such things, we started out by sharing the Meze Platter ... consisting of Mekice (Serbian fry bread ... served with cream cheese and a traditional red pepper spread called Ajvar); Schnitzel fingers; Crêpadilla (a cross between a quesadilla and a crêpe ... served with a mildly spicy sauce); and Russian Salad (sort of a potato salad with sweet peas, carrots, chicken, boiled egg and pickles).

      Since the meze platter was filling enough, we each opted for a single fried crêpe sautéed with Serbian seasonings ... mine was filled with ground beef and bacon and came with a carrot chutney that our Serbian hostess said was a 200 year old family recipe) ... Mui opted for the one that was filled with pepperoni, Mozzarella, and marinara sauce. We found them to be not unlike empanadas, but the seasoning made the taste quite different.

      All of the desserts are made with crêpes except for the one described as the Special Dessert ... Serbian style cotton soft cheesecake with fresh strawberries, bananas, whipped cream, and caramel sauce ... and dusted with cinnamon. The “cheesecake” reminded us of a custard filling.      Read more

    • Alaska!
      Day 7

      Skagway

      May 19, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

      Skagway was somewhat uneventful for us because the weather left us a little bit. We took the train over the white pass and into the Yukon. Then we took it easy. :). That was followed up by 2 days at sea where we saw whales and a calving ice berg. Dave and I enjoyed it, of course, with all our cruising antics. Marissa got sea sick sadly.Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Junco Creek

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