Denali National Park is larger than the state of Massachusetts and tenderly watched over by Denali — “the high one” — at over 20,000 feet the highest mountain in North America.Weather can be an issue. For current conditions, please follow this link here: https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

On an African safari, the goal is to spot the Big Five — lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, cape buffalo. In Alaska, the concept is the same — just the names are different: moose, bear, wolf, caribou and Dall sheep. But when we initially stopped to see a rabbit — okay, our guide called it a Snowshoe Hare — I thought, “This is not a good sign.” And in truth, you can’t always accurately decipher what you see in the distance: snow fills are mistaken for sheep; large boulders for bears. Hopes rise and are dashed and the guide takes refuge in another Snowshoe Hare.

But this is a tour for the long haul — and you’re not likely to be disappointed. And even more impressive, our driver/guide, with infectious enthusiasm, kept up a constant patter covering vegetation, history, animal lore, Alaska peccadilloes, personal experiences and other tantalizing tidbits for more than five hours. The fact that it was still interesting by that fifth hour is even more of a phenomenal accomplishment. The running commentary that accompanied our guide’s driving along narrow, winding roads clutching the mountainside while he rapidly gazed right and left for any movement that might indicate animal activity was a heroic act of multi-tasking I didn’t want to think too much about.

And there was always something to see –over the course of the tour, we saw numerous Dall sheep, occasional moose, caribou (the North American relative to the reindeer),the ubiquitous snowshoe hares, of course, and other native wildlife. And should the animals play hard to get for a period of time, just lifting your eyes to the proverbial snow-capped mountains in the distance is enough to keep you enthralled until the next native creature reveals itself.

Because the bus is so big, the sound of recognition travels like a wave from front to back — and there’s always a risk the animal the front has viewed is gone by the time the back of the bus catches up. But never fear. On the off-chance you miss the mama moose and her calf or the Dall sheep straddling a steep slope, it will magically appear on the TV screens lowered above the seats in the bus. Close-up images from the driver’s video camera are reflected on the drop-down screens. I was torn between resenting seeing my”in the wild” Alaska wildlife resembling a Discovery Channel documentary and feeling grateful I could see them at all — and close up at that.

But, in truth, I was in it for the bears. Earlier in the trip, I had discovered that we were there too early in the year (June instead of July) for the peak running season of the sockeye salmon and, therefore, too early for the bears to gather around the streams just waiting for those happily spawning salmon to fly into their mouths. My own mouth had been watering at the very thought of watching such a spectacle.

So once in Denali, I hoped at least to finally get my chance to see bears. Our guide kept reassuring us we would certainly see grizzlies, but by hour number five, when only a glimpse of brown had been seen once in the far distance, he finally, guiltily, sorrowfully, very apologetically acknowledged that maybe we wouldn’t this trip.

And then suddenly, the cry went out — waves of wows traveled along the bus — as a momma and two bear cubs came into view. “Hallelujah,” cried one excited passenger; “Thank goodness, we paid $5000 to see that critter,” noted another. Our guide admitted he was getting quite nervous — only 20 times in 18 seasons had he not seen a bear. It was far away and it clearly wasn’t catching any fish, but I did feel some sense of vindication.

At the end of the trip, our guide played back the video that captured the highlights of our bus trip from hare to bear and all the other denizens of Denali in between: the many Dall sheep, mama moose with twins, caribou, golden eagle, ground squirrels, ptarmigans(the state bird) and, of course, the bears. We just missed Alaska’s Big Five by one wolf. Not surprisingly, like the ubiquitous gift shop at the end of every museum tour, the video was for sale.

But Denali was only one stop on the Gray Line escorted Alaska Explorer Tour. There were also glaciers and mountains and gold mining history and native cultures and whale watching tours and frontier towns and backcountry plus a myriad of experiences I’ve had nowhere else.In the process, I learned to appreciate not only America’s Last Frontier but the hardy, independent-minded people who inhabit it. Still next time, I want to see more bears.

For more information, visit https://www.denaliparkvillage.com/tours/tundra-wilderness-tour or call 888-452-1737.88-452-1737.

The post Alaska’s Denali National Park & Preserve: Hours of Wildlife, Wild Scenery and Wild Stories appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Forty pairs of eyes scan the countryside looking for movement, any movement. With binoculars and cameras at the ready, we hoped for a bear or a moose, but were willing to settle for some Dall sheep high up the mountain. Not a passenger aboard the bus maintained a semblance of composure. We scurried like kids from one side to the other, eager to be the first to announce the next sighting. Such was my introduction to the Tundra Wilderness Tour, a 7-8 hour excursion into Denali National Park & Preserve, one of the highlights of my Gray Line Adventure Tour through interior Alaska.

Denali National Park is larger than the state of Massachusetts and tenderly watched over by Denali — “the high one” — at over 20,000 feet the highest mountain in North America.

On an African safari, the goal is to spot the Big Five — lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, cape buffalo. In Alaska, the concept is the same — just the names are different: moose, bear, wolf, caribou and Dall sheep. But when we initially stopped to see a rabbit — okay, our guide called it a Snowshoe Hare — I thought, “This is not a good sign.” And in truth, you can’t always accurately decipher what you see in the distance:  snow fills are mistaken for sheep; large boulders for bears. Hopes rise and are dashed and the guide takes refuge in another Snowshoe Hare.

But this is a tour for the long haul — and you’re not likely to be disappointed. And even more impressive, our driver/guide John Miller, with infectious enthusiasm, kept up a constant patter covering vegetation, history, animal lore, Alaska peccadilloes, personal experiences and other tantalizing tidbits for almost seven  hours. The fact that it was still interesting by that seventh hour is even more of a phenomenal accomplishment. The running commentary that accompanied John’s driving along narrow, winding roads clutching the mountainside while he rapidly gazed right and left for any movement that might indicate animal activity  was a heroic act of multi-tasking I didn’t want to think too much about.

And there was always something to see — over the course of the tour, we saw numerous Dall sheep, occasional moose, caribou (the North American relative to the reindeer), the ubiquitous snowshoe hares, of course, and other native wildlife. And should the animals play hard to get for a period of time, just lifting your eyes to the proverbial snow-capped mountains in the distance is enough to keep you enthralled until the next native creature reveals itself.

Because the bus is so big, the sound of recognition travels like a wave from front to back — and there’s always a risk the animal the front has viewed is gone by the time the back of the bus catches up. But never fear. On the off-chance you miss the mama moose and her calf or the Dall sheep straddling a steep slope, it will magically appear on the TV screens lowered above the seats in the bus. Close-up images from the driver’s video camera are reflected on the drop-down screens. I was torn between resenting seeing my “in the wild” Alaska wildlife resembling a Discovery Channel documentary and feeling grateful I could see them at all — and close up at that.

But, in truth, I was in it for the bears. Earlier in the trip, I had discovered that we were there too early in the year (June instead of July) for the peak running season of the sockeye salmon and, therefore, too early for the bears to gather around the streams just waiting for those happily spawning salmon to fly into their mouths. My own mouth had been watering at the very thought of watching such a spectacle.

So once in Denali, I hoped at least to finally get my chance to see bears. John kept reassuring us we would certainly see grizzlies, but by hour number six, when only a glimpse of brown had been seen once in the far distance, he finally, guiltily, sorrowfully, very apologetically acknowledged that maybe we wouldn’t this trip.

And then suddenly, the cry went out — waves of wows traveled along the bus —  as a momma and two bear cubs came into view. “Hallelujah,” cried one excited passenger; “Thank goodness, we paid $5000 to see that critter,” noted another. John admitted he was getting quite nervous — only 20 times in 18 seasons had he not seen a bear. It was far away and it clearly wasn’t catching any fish, but I did feel some sense of vindication.

At the end of the trip, John played back the video that captured the highlights of our bus trip from hare to bear and all the other denizens of Denali in between: the many Dall sheep, mama moose with twins, caribou, golden eagle, ground squirrels, ptarmigans (the state bird) and, of course, the bears. We just missed Alaska’s Big Five by one wolf. Not surprisingly, like the ubiquitous gift shop at the end of every museum tour, the video was for sale.

But Denali was only one stop on the Gray Line escorted Alaska Explorer Tour. There were also glaciers and mountains and gold mining history and native cultures and whale watching tours and frontier towns and back country plus a myriad of experiences I’ve had nowhere else. In the process, I learned to appreciate not only America’s Last Frontier but the hardy, independent-minded people who inhabit it. Still next time, I want to see more bears.

For more information, visit Gray Line Alaska or call 888-452-1737.

The post Alaska’s Denali National Park & Preserve: Hours of Wildlife, Wild Scenery and Wild Stories appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Joy

The other day I was watching my grand kid’s Christmas play. As we waited for the program to start, I noticed an Asian kid, a Hispanic kid and a Caucasian kid chatting away excitedly. They were the best of friends. I realized how blessed we (who live in the free world) really are. Nobody else seemed to appreciate this triad but I certainly did. Sometimes we take our blessings for granted.

It’s been so long since we were as carefree as these three kids. Most of the time we worry about things we have no control over anyway. Did you know that Christ told us not to worry? He told us to have faith like a little child.

Matthew 6: 31-34
³¹ “So do not start worrying: ‘Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?’ ³² (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. ³³ Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things. ³⁴ So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.”

I guess it’s easy to preach a worry-free life until disaster hits you. On my way to a business meeting this morning, I saw a bunch of flowers and candles along the road near my neighborhood. When you see this strange street flower arrangement, you know that someone had just died in that spot. I don’t know why but I immediately thought of Danny, an old man who biked all around my neighborhood every day. When I got to the meeting, I was told that it was indeed Danny who was run over. Danny waved to everyone who he passed by and was a beloved fixture in the city. There was no foul play. Danny was jaywalking.

Last Friday, a husband and father of 3 young kids fell off a building. The family is still in shock. And just a few minutes ago, someone told me a friend is breathing on life support and it has been announced that the family will be pulling the plug soon.

Indeed there may be no joy this Christmas for quite a few people. I don’t want us to be all gloomy but this is just a reminder that others are going through a lot. Let’s grieve with them. Let’s pray for them. Let’s remind them that even during the first Christmas, it was the worst of times for many people and yet a child was born in a dirty manger to rescue us all.

TGIF people! Christmas is just around the corner. A blessed Christmas to you all. Happy Hanukkah.

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Peter Paul of S Pasadena, CA for sharing this joke.

Don’s Puns

Sent by Don of Kelowna, B.C.

Funny Video

A Christmas Moose Tale

Sent by Art of Sierra Madre, CA

So silly it’s funny. Especially the outtakes.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C. who shared these:

Thanks to Dean of Vancouver, B.C. who shared this:

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