Today is the day we have all been waiting for…a chance to experience Denali National Park here in Alaska. It’s the home to Mt. McKinley, the highest peak in North America at 20,320 ft. I will have a wrapup of our Denali visit later today…Monday.
As for our Sunday, it was unfortunately a cool, rainy day, and it got the best of me. Just a little bit under the weather. I am still having trouble sleeping with the close to 24 hours of daylight. My system is still a bit off. Regardless, it was off and running to our various stops, including a look at the Alaskan Pipeline. What I did not know about the Pipeline…it was built in a zig zag pattern allowing it to expand and contract with temperature changes. It can also flex during an earthquake. After our trip to the pipeline, it was on to the El Dorado Gold Mine. Finally, a chance to strike it rich!!! This stop included riding a train into the Gold Mines, and a chance to pan for gold of our own. Cara and I found some 15 dollars worth of gold rocks….very, very small rocks. Oh well, must keep the day job! A couple of our panning teams found gold worth 39.00. Two of our group ended the day with a special treat….playing golf at midnight in Fairbanks…or the most northern Golf Course in the US. I am sure Larry and David will always remember this round of golf. David has also played golf in one of the southernmost places in the world recently in South America. Check out our pics in our photo gallery. I am not sure about internet connections in Denali, but I will try and get more pictures on the gallery as soon as possible. Keep your fingers crossed that the weather will hold. We are told it’s a 50-50 shot to see Mt. McKinley, which like many of the mountains here creates its own weather!