Alaskan adventure - day 8

Captain Rodger (that) was accurate on his sea state prediction. There was definitely motion in the ocean last night. Waves astern at 3 - 6 feet provided a few of the passengers with an uncomfortable ride. Our group were all fine. It was a tearful goodbye to our attentive cruise staff. We were treated very well. The ship will be back at sea today with 2,000 new passengers headed for Vancouver. In a few weeks the Radiance of the Seas will make the trip from Vancouver to Hawaii, then to Polynesia and finally to Sydney, Australia to cruise the Tasman Sea. The crew told us that is always a lumpy ride from Sydney to Hobart.It was an early morning departure for our 2.5 hour bus ride (motor coach) from Seward to Ankorage. We had 1.5 hours to explore downtown Anchorage. We found a quaint coffee shop that had a quilting bee in progress. Rachel befriended them immediately. Then it was back on the bus for a 6 hour ride to the Denali national park. The scenery is more beautiful than can be described. There has already been an early snowfall at the higher elevations so the mountains are majestically snow capped.Alaska is 579,374 square miles. It is largest state in the US and is five times larger than Texas. The state motto is North to the Future.On Saturday we will go an 8 hour tour deep into the interior of the Denali National Park. They have set our expectations by telling us we will be on a school bus with slightly better seats than a standard school bus. If the skies are clear we will be able to see the peak of Mt. McKinley which is the highest mountain in North America.We have another early morning with bus call at 6:00 am, We ordered pizza and the six of us ate in our room. Pandora works in Alaska so we had good tunes and Alaskan Brewery beer. After the Denali tour we will take the glass domed train to Fairbanks on Saturday night. We will arrive around 8:00 pm and stay in Fairbanks for two nights. We have been told that the dining car on the train is excellent and the prime rib is not to be missed.I walked across the street from our hotel to the Grizzly general store. They also sell liquor. When someone in Alaska tells you someplace is just across the street it has a different meaning than other places. I walked uphill for about a mile then downhill. I went into the Grizzly and saw the wine and beer selection just to the left of the cash register. I said hello to the female clerk. She responded in a thick Eastern European accent. I asked her if she had a Chardonnay. She told me I had to go outside, down the stairs and enter the side door to buy liquor. I went out the door, down the stairs but only found the shower rooms. I went back upstairs thinking that perhaps the clerk thought instead of saying I need a Chardonnay I said I need a shower today. She clarified that she told me not go down the stairs and to try again. This time I was successful and entered the room only a few feet away from where I started the conversation. Somehow this state government regulation makes sense to someone.We are finally in Denali.A fine micro brew with pizza.Horns. They must get a lot of snow here.