We had a stormy relationship with Alaska’s Denali National Park; turbulent at first but then growing into a kind of appreciation and fondness.
Things would have gone smoother had we understood Denali peculiarities from the beginning. Even under the best of circumstances, visitors may find Denali to be a bit of a mixed bag. But forewarned is fore-armed, as they say. So here’s what you can expect from America’s third largest park.
They look more like lovable mutts you’d find frolicking in backyards rather than elite canines. That’s because the dogs of Denali National Park weren’t bred for a particular look but for traits crucial to their unique role, like large paws, long legs, and double-thick coats to withstand sub-zero temperatures. Another important quality: a strong desire to run and pull.
Denali is the only national park whose staff includes sled dogs, or Alaskan huskies. Furry, four-legged rangers of a sort, they play an important part in maintaining and protecting the park—patrolling acres of wilderness off limits to motorized vehicles, hauling supplies and humans such as wildlife researchers, and performing other important tasks.
You know you’re in the company of hardy folk when you hear them describe this portion of Alaska’s Kenai Fjords National Park as a “drive up glacier.” It’s true that Exit Glacier is the only area of the park accessible by road, but to describe it as “drive up” gives a whole new meaning to the expression.
We’ve seen a lot of drive-up stuff during our tour of the lower 48. It’s really amazing the ingenuity we use to serve people who never want to leave their car. There’s drive-up coffee, of course, but also laundry, banking, groceries, and – our all time favorite – drive-up liquor. Because, you know, nothing goes with a fifth of whiskey quite like the soft purr of an idling engine ready to hit the road.
It probably implies too much to say that leaving Anchorage, Alaska, is the best part of Anchorage, Alaska. But if you take that as a slam on Anchorage, it might be that you’ve never driven the Seward Highway out of town.
Everywhere Once 