Day 6

Full day at sea. We are treated like royalty! Food is great and very abundant...can't decide on which appetizer?.... Have two...or three! Walked all around the ship. It is huge and events going on all over the place. Pulled into Yakutat Bay to see our first glacier. Lots of chunks of ice in the water. Kathy, you would love that!!! Formal dinner and a broadway type musical show after. Our stateroom is very spacious with king bed and big balcony. We have coffee and rolls delivered to the room each morning and sit on the balcony. This is pretty close to heaven!

Day 5

Up early for the 9 hour train ride to Anchorage to board the Island Princess at Whittier Port. Sounds long, but the views never disappoint, the service is great, and we spotted more wildlife including a cow moose with two calves. Had mandatory muster drill then a wonderful dinner and off to bed.

Day 4

It was cold and rainy this morning as we took a bus 14 miles into the Denali National Park and Preserve, but that did not dampen our spirits at all. It makes you very thankful for the adventurous pioneers that cut a road into this vast tundra wilderness, and even more thankful for those folks that had the foresight to preserve and protect this beautiful land by making the 6 million acres a national park. We saw several cow moose and a gigantic bull moose. Also a caribou with a hugh rack. Back in time for lunch of Alaskan Seafood Nachos and the best crab dip ever. Took a quick nap before boarding a covered wagon to the backcountry to a cabin for a country style all-you-can eat dinner. One last drink on the deck before turning in at 11 pm and of course it is total daylight! Tomorrow we take the train to Anchorage and board the ship.

Day 3

Got on the glass top train for 4 hour train ride from Fairbanks through the beautiful countryside of Alaska to Denali National Park. Wonderful breakfast in the dining car. Spotted an eagle and a moose. The Princess Wilderness Lodge is a gorgeous place. Walked along the Nenana River. Enjoyed a wonderful dinner theater where Gene was pulled up on stage to help with the performance and Boots got kissed on the cheek by our waitress!

Day 2

Took paddlewheel boat on Chena river. Weather is gorgeous...80 degrees and no humidity. Visited Indian/Eskimo village and got great insight into the Alaskan culture. Panned for gold at Gold Dredge 8. Saw the Alaska Pipeline. Dinner tonight at Pike's Landing, up early tomorrow for train to Denali.

Day 1

Robert got us to the airport. After slight delay due to lightning we took off and made all our connections arriving in Fairbanks exhausted at about 1 am and guess what... It was daylight! The sun is up 22 hours a day here!
After a good nights sleep, ate a big breakfast (reindeer sausage & eggs) and spent the day in downtown Fairbanks. Tom & Karen arrived around 5 pm and enjoyed drinks and dinner on the deck of the lodge overlooking the Chena River.

Here we go....

We will be going on a dream trip to Alaska with friends Boots and Debra Sloop, Eddie Campbell, and my brother Tom Page and his wife Karen.  We are scheduled to depart from Asheville on Friday, June 22 at 4:27 pm and arrive in Fairbanks, Alaska on June 23 at 12:30 am (4:30 am body time). The first week of our trip will be by rail through Denali/Mt. Mckinley, and the second week we board the ship in Anchorage for 7 days to Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, then through the Inside Passage, winding up in Vancouver on July 4.  We will then take Amtrak to Seattle for 3 days, then back home to Asheville.  
My hope is to update this blog daily with comments and pictures.  Here is hoping you enjoy this travel journal as much as we plan to enjoy our trip!