We went into Denali National Park on our own today and had a good time. We started out with a ranger walk in the morning which was very interesting. The ranger was a pretty good naturalist and we learned a lot about the plants. We ended up at an ox bow lake which had a bunch of beaver dams. It was very scenic and qualified as my photo for today. Unfortunately, the weather was overcast so the sky comes out pretty crappy looking.

We then went on an activity to visit the sled dogs that the park owns and uses quite a bit in the winter time. It was interesting to hear about what they do. They hooked some up to a sled on wheels and took a turn around the path so people could see how fast they go. Some of these sled dogs have very weird gray eyes.

We headed back to the Visitor Center and went through the museum and gift shop. I took an opportunity to have a sit in the cafe and drink a cup of coffee. Also watched a baby red squirrel run around looking for dropped food on the patio.

In the evening we went to a dinner at the Princess Hotel. One of the realities of Alaskan tourism is that the cruise companies are offering shore side activities for the folks before their cruises. Here in Denali, Princess and Royal Caribbean have giant hotels for their customers. They also offer activities at the hotels. Anyway, we went for dinner and a show. The food was very good. We sat with some very amiable people which was fun. The show was sort of hokey, but it was fun. And so, thus gorged and entertained we headed back to the hotel for the night. We have another full week here in Alaska. I am not looking forward to going home. This is too much fun!