A Taste of Denali National Park
I was checking email this morning and saw a Square purchase receipt for a purchase in Orlando, FL yesterday for $105 on my LL Bean Visa. Since we are in Alaska, a rather long way from Florida and I'd never heard of the merchant, this was bit fishy. I called the credit card customer service and also found a zero dollar charge had been made on Expedia. Someone has my card number. They voided the charges, but the card has been cancelled. This is a bit of a hassle as we are not a home to receive a replacement. Fortunately, Ellen's card has a different number so it still works, but it will be a bit awkward.
I don't know how long it would have been before I noticed it without the email receipt. Square, a credit card processor that provides free and inexpensive readers and apps for small businesses, allows purchasers to sign up to get their receipts by email, which I had done quite a while ago. Anyone can get a Square reader free (I have one), but unfortunately, they also allow vendors to key in card numbers which was done by someone called Adriana Gilson, LLC...probably a front.
After fixing up my credit card woes we were of to breakfast at the Roughwood Inn, the local breakfast joint. For a place serving breakfast, they open a bit late at 8 am and we were the first ones in the door quickly followed by a couple of local characters who must come in every day. The food was only adequate and the coffee weak, but the characters were interesting with tales of life in Nenana.
We also got the details on the local Ice Classic which I wrote about a few days ago. They have a chart with all of the dates and times that the tripod fell since the contest started. They are all in April and May and mostly it is in the afternoon, but it has been virtually any hour and all the days within the range. Four out of the last five years have been early...climate change anyone?
With a payout of over $250,000 dollars and half the income going to local causes, how could we resist. We each bought tickets for the coming year at $2.50 each. They can only be purchased in Alaska.
Harry is interested in knives and there was a display case in the restaurant with a couple of custom knives for sale in it. They were made by the husband of one of the restaurant employees who came over to show them off. They were the first real custom knives we've seen, with locally forged Damascus steel blades and solid wooden grips. There have been lots of "custom" knives in the shops we've stopped in, but they've been cheap Asian blades with locally crafted handles, mostly of bone. These were quite well made, but out of Harry's budget.
We also got the details on the local Ice Classic which I wrote about a few days ago. They have a chart with all of the dates and times that the tripod fell since the contest started. They are all in April and May and mostly it is in the afternoon, but it has been virtually any hour and all the days within the range. Four out of the last five years have been early...climate change anyone?
With a payout of over $250,000 dollars and half the income going to local causes, how could we resist. We each bought tickets for the coming year at $2.50 each. They can only be purchased in Alaska.
Harry is interested in knives and there was a display case in the restaurant with a couple of custom knives for sale in it. They were made by the husband of one of the restaurant employees who came over to show them off. They were the first real custom knives we've seen, with locally forged Damascus steel blades and solid wooden grips. There have been lots of "custom" knives in the shops we've stopped in, but they've been cheap Asian blades with locally crafted handles, mostly of bone. These were quite well made, but out of Harry's budget.
It was time to head south. We were planning to go to Denali State park, south of the national park for a few days before our stay at the national park. This would also give us a chance to make a day trip to Anchorage to pick up our new tires before the next gravel road venture, the park road to Teklanika Campground.
On our way to the state park, we decided to stop at the national park to check on our reservations and see if we might add a few days at the beginning. It was a nice warm day and a pleasant drive from Nenana...right up until just before the park, when the traffic got quite heavy in the big village area outside the park with all the hotels and resorts.
On our way to the state park, we decided to stop at the national park to check on our reservations and see if we might add a few days at the beginning. It was a nice warm day and a pleasant drive from Nenana...right up until just before the park, when the traffic got quite heavy in the big village area outside the park with all the hotels and resorts.
Our first stop was at the Riley Creek Mercantile, just outside the campground. They do on-site camping reservations and check-ins there. Unfortunately, they were unable to add three days at the beginning at any of the RV campgrounds.
We then went on to the Wilderness Access Center where Sally wanted to reschedule one of their bus reservations. The parking lot was just about completely filled and we found the last available spaces in the RV lot.
While waiting for Sally, I took advantage of the free WiFi connection to go onto the Denali reservation site (which is not the same as the other National Parks) and found two sites available for the 16th, so now we will be able to arrive a day earlier.
Since it was so hard to find parking, we left the vans at the Wilderness Access Center and walked to the trail to the Visitor Center complex, about a a mile away—our first hike at Denali NP. At the visitor center we picked up as much information as we could and checked out the exhibits before stopping across the way at the Morino Grill for lunch.
Since it was so hard to find parking, we left the vans at the Wilderness Access Center and walked to the trail to the Visitor Center complex, about a a mile away—our first hike at Denali NP. At the visitor center we picked up as much information as we could and checked out the exhibits before stopping across the way at the Morino Grill for lunch.
It was back down the trail to the vans and we continued on to the Byers Lake Campground in Denali State Park. The highway was a bit lumpy in parts but the scenery is getting much better with mountains and snow. We hope to spot Denali (the mountain) tomorrow.
The road got much lumpier at Byer's Lake. It was a pretty large campground, but the roads inside of it were abysmal. It was dodge-em potholes all the way in and around the campground loop. We were fortunate to find the last pull-through site in the campground. It fit both vans and the state park has a limit of two vehicles per site...and, unlike many other places, it can be two Roadtreks.
It was fairly late when we pulled in, but we had a nice outdoor dinner and a walk down to the lake.
The road got much lumpier at Byer's Lake. It was a pretty large campground, but the roads inside of it were abysmal. It was dodge-em potholes all the way in and around the campground loop. We were fortunate to find the last pull-through site in the campground. It fit both vans and the state park has a limit of two vehicles per site...and, unlike many other places, it can be two Roadtreks.
It was fairly late when we pulled in, but we had a nice outdoor dinner and a walk down to the lake.
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