The long and not so winding road......

Blue sky, sunshine, and Mt. McKinley.......I can't describe this and do it justice! Loading the bags into the car before visiting Rosie's Diner for breakfast, I turned to see the smartest looking fox watching me from close quarters......and was relieved it wasn't a bear!! We returned to Denali Park and re-ran the previous day's drive....simply breathtaking!

We met and chatted to James, a cool guy hailing from the San Juan Islands, who is currently teaching in nearby Healy. (We really will try to visit the Islands, if time permits!). After gassing-up in Healy, we set the GPS for Talkeetna, our next stopover, and pulling out of the gas station my GPS buddy coolly told me to "Turn left and drive one-hundred and fifty miles"....we obeyed and reached our destination without having to slow down and probably only sighting around ten other vehicles....it really is a big place....and the scenery!! Arriving in Talkeetna we soon found our hotel, the Swiss Alpine Lodge, and were very pleasantly surprised. The afternoon sun was still warm so we walked to the river.....what a view!!....and back to Main Street (a dozen or so buildings!) where we dined in the local Brewery and then visited the historic Fairview Inn for a drink....a very Bohemian place! Alaska definitely grows on you!!

I was minded to choose a piece of music today that played during our journey, but on reflection, I'm going for a very apt track kindly suggested by someone who has been tracking the blog.....even though the 'Big Country' referred to, is minute in comparison!