Life on the road, life at Denali

Location: Rainbow Village RV Park, McKinley Park, Alaska

Outside: Raining. Again.

Miles traveled: None today or this week. We are just parked behind the shops along the boardwalk.

Walked: Here and there and everywhere in the canyon and in the national park

Hubby is: typing

Milestones:

• Two weeks ago today we arrived at Denali
• Four weeks ago we were camped by the ocean in sunny southern California just heading out on this middle stretch of our epic journey
• Six months ago we were starting to move into the RV and preparing for the big trip

Recent happenings: Copious amounts of rain resulted in mudslides and flooding yesterday. One slide here just above the canyon brought a tree down on power lines cutting off the electricity all along the boardwalk for 3 1/2 hours. Flooding in the national park washed out chunks of the road leaving tourists and staff stranded in buses at the end of the remote highway until helicopters could rescue them

Unexpected: so much rain and such cold temps. Not sure why this surprised me - except that it is late June

Other surprises: Lots of snow on Mt. Healy

Discoveries: the General Store that carries lots of little necessities - for a price!

Makes me smile: Hearing the train as it comes through the canyon

Makes me sad: Such limited internet access

Makes me drool: pulled pork at the Black Bear

Blessings: my winter coat found in the cargo hold - which makes a great raincoat, our cozy rig, close proximity to the Black Bear where I can get internet access AND see my daughter

Reading: History of Alaska - Land, People and Events.  (Thanks, Karina!)

Watching tonight: Probably nothing much. Maybe a little channel surfing. My excitement last week about finally having TV reception after four years without has quickly dwindled into disappointment at the lack of anything worth watching.

Considering: whether to make the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Fairbanks for supplies or just get by with what we can get here in the canyon and give up an arm and a leg to pay for it.

Accomplishments: I finally took time to find the addresses and write little notes on that pile of postcards I've been collecting. AND I took them to the post office!

Lessons: People are often more interesting that they might originally seem.

Looking forward to: Stacy coming in two weeks!