Alaska -- Day 56

Maybe we can go home now. We have seen "the mountain." This was the scene as we drove north on the Talkeetna Spur road early this afternoon.



Looking at the photo I took, I have to wonder, "Is it real?" It towers over the other peaks in the Alaska Range and seems to just float there. We stopped in the Alaska Railroad station and one of the employees asked if we had seen "the mountain" today. He remarked that they had only had 6 good days so far this summer. "Do you mean, there have been only 6 days when you could see it?" "Yes." We are so fortunate.

Yesterday we saw all the wildlife and beautiful landscapes. Today this marvelous mountain. God has created so much beauty for us to enjoy in His world.

For two nights, we are in Talkeetna, described as "a funky little town known as the 'Gateway to Mount McKinley.' Most climbing expeditions originate here." We aren't here to climb Mount McKinley (Denali). We are here to ride the Hurricane Turn, a 100-mile round trip flag-stop railroad. Our RV park is right next to the tracks.



We have watched a couple of trains go by.



And a lot of cruise-line buses waiting for passengers. Most of the lines bring their land-tour passengers here for a few hours.



We walked down the main street and saw typical tourist shops.





Everything grows so well in all this daylight. There were flowers everywhere.





On the drive here, we stopped in a small rest area and I took a picture of these neat flowers. I believe they are called cotton grass.