our land tours ~ part one

We stayed in two lodges that are both owned by Princess Cruises. The Denali Princess Lodge was more basic compared to the McKinley Princess Lodge. We also liked the McKinley Lodge better because of the layout. The lodges were built separately on a hilly terrain making the place more interesting to explore. There were plenty of dining options and shops around the resort as well as across the street. The accomodations may be basic but in a remote location, they may be considered one of the best.

Denali Princess Lodge (top photo) and displays around the lodge

the view surrounding McKinley Princess Lodge

interesting signage at McKinley Lodge in Talkeetna

20320 Alaskan Grill in Talkeetna and Sourdough restaurant in Denali

cute bear wood carvings and metal sculptures of wildlife

Included in our land package is a Natural History Tour at Denali National Park. It was another early start for us the following day as we got on our bus to the park. There were plenty of opportunities for taking photos of nature and wildlife along the way. We were lucky to see a moose grazing alone at a distance. Our bus driver and guide made sure we were well informed and had enough time to walk around and enjoy the tour.

(clockwise) early morning bus ride to the Denali National Park, moose grazing by the highway, a quiet trail at the park, mountain views and at the Savage Cabin with our park ranger host