Everybody knows that A is for Apple, B is for Boy etc. This series is about places we have visited or places that we would like to visit. They all have some special meaning to us. For some of the letters it was very hard to choose as there were many that we loved.
In 2019, we took a trip (driving) to Alaska. My highlight of this trip was Denali State Park. It had everything that I love to see on a vacation; fantastic scenery, lots of wildlife and, of course, good geocaching.
Denali is a word from the Koyukon Athabaskan language of the Native peoples of Alaska that means “the great one.” It was used for centuries to describe the highest mountain in the state, which was renamed Mount McKinley during the 19th-century gold rush. On the eve of the National Park Service's 100th anniversary in 2016, the name of the highest peak in North America changed from “Mount McKinley” back to “Denali.” The timing of the change not only helped mark the agency's centennial, it shines a light on the long human history of the park.
Denali is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of 6,190m above sea level. It is the tallest mountain in the world from base-to-peak on land, measuring 5,486m and earth's highest mountain north of the 45th latitude.
We took a bus tour into the park as this was the only way to get in to see the wildlife in their natural habitat. We were very fortunate to be able to see many animals and birds…..a ptarmigan family, 2 bobcats, caribou, Dahl sheep, elk, and the best and last viewing was a grizzly bear with 2 cubs.
We were unable to see the mountain due to cloud cover, but the next day as we were travelling to our next destination, we had the most beautiful view of this impressive mountain.
If you are ever travelling to Alaska, this should be on your bucket list.