Our bags are left at the door, for collection this morning, we love this type of tour, so well organised, we just move onto the next lodge, and our bags show up. And we just get to do our own thing every day.

Today was a 2.5 hour bus ride to the Denali Princess Lodge, the bus commentary was one of the best transfers I've ever been on, the information about the park, stories that only the locals know and humour kept the commentary alive.  

The lodge is on the outside of the park, just like they do in Tasmania with Cradle Mountain Park, they have a bus run to the different walks and Visitor Centre.  

Denali National Park, its real draw is its wilderness, this is truly wild land, untouched, and undisturbed. There is only one road passing through it, it is often called the Serengeti of the North and is comprised of taiga and tundra, low, miniaturized trees and dwarf plants that give way to bare ground as you head north and up above the tree line.

Charles Sheldon, the original pioneer of the park, came to Denali in 1906 in search of the Dall’s Sheep. His aim was to bag a few rare specimens of these original wild, white sheep but after several unsuccessful days of hunting he was enthralled by the wild beauty of the region. During the time, miners were flooding into the area; Sheldon saw the pressing need to develop a plan to ensure future protection of the immense living landscapes of the Denali that we see today.

We spent a few hours at the Visitor Centre because it was so interesting; all the exhibits were exceptional, showing how with the season changes the lay of the land will also, which includes both fauna and flora.

There was a short film also, showing us the different seasons – winter is white and summer is green and with blooms of flowers, autumn which we seem to be in, at the start of, is a mix of greens, oranges, amber, browns and reds, watching the film – I think we choose the right time to come.

Lunch was at the Visitor Centre, and then we returned for a free afternoon at our new accommodation, the room is huge, and it reminds me of where the Three Bears would live – the beds have log frames.

8pm was dinner in the Lodge for you guessed it - Alaskan Salmon, and smokehouse ribs along with a theatre show - a rollicking musical comedy that was about the legendary adventures of the first men to scale the highest peak – Mt McKinley in Denali National Park.   We have noticed that American’s like good service and what is on offer for tours/shows have to be high standard also, so this one did not disappoint, the actors/singers were really talented and the skit was very clever, poetry and stories told well with humour.

It’s an early one tonight, as we decided to join an early morning adventure with the Athabaskan Natives in the park.   Photos for today I will send tomorrow, sorry it just takes a bit to download them. I wish you all could be here, to see this place, it’s high on the best places to go list.