Sunday, July 21, 2013

"North to Alaska"...Day 45...Thursday, July 18, 2013

am most definitely "paying the price" for last night's "festivities" as I grope my way out of the camper around 8:00. I stumble over to the restaurant for coffee. My New Jersey buddies are there, along with several other participants from last night's little "party". They all look like I feel this morning...which is to say...not so hot.
But the coffee works it's magic and, around 9:30, I'm on the road back to Fairbanks. I stop at the campground to see Cousin Bill. He went to a walk-in clinic yesterday, and a doctor gave him a scrip for antibiotics. He's feeling very slightly better, but still not well.
I'm pressing on to Denali today, so Cousin Bill and I agree to meet up again either there or, later, in Anchorage. After an obligatory stop at Hot Licks for another two scoops, I'm on the road for the 200 mile or so drive to Denali National Park. It's a cold and rainy day...temps in the 50's and a steady drizzle. The scenery is beautiful, but it's tough to see much of it through the heavy cloud cover.
Around 4:30, I arrive at Denali National Park and get some bad news. Every campsite in the Park is booked solid for the next seven days. So...I head for the closest RV park. There is a cluster of businesses about a mile from the Park entrance...a very nice Princess hotel, a bunch of souvenir shops, some fast food restaurants...and an RV park. I get their very last open spot.
It's still raining, so I don't even bother to unhitch the camper. Instead, I put on my rain jacket and head right for the Denali Princess Hotel. Inside the "King Salmon" restaurant there, it's nice and warm...there's a fireplace...and a nice bar. I order a Stoli Martini and sip that while I enjoy the great view out the back windows of the restaurant. I get a table...order a Caesar salad (very good) and a big slab of Prime Rib (just OK)...along with a big glass of California Cab. Dessert is a warm Apple Crisp with Huckleberry ice cream...yum!
After dinner, I head back to the bar for a few beers. Since it's still raining outside, I want to delay my return to a wet campsite. Eventually, I return to the campground and have a few more beers sitting inside the Explorer with the heater on. There are no AM or FM stations around here...and I lost my Sirius radio signal days ago...so I listen to music from my iPod until I start to feel sleepy. Then a quick dash through the drizzle from the Explorer to the camper. Inside, it's warm and dry...I'm asleep as my head hits the pillows.

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