Aruba - Hidden Paradise

Aruba is 17 miles from Venezuela in South America. Aruba was a colony of Holland until 1985. The economy was subsistent on gold and oil , but now dependent on tourism. Tourists from all the over the world primarily USA, Holland and South America visit Aruba.

Aruba is only 19 mile long and 6 miles wide. We saw Aruba in less than a day. The rest of the time we spent by the pool and the beaches.

Aruba offers stark contrast from the deserts of Arikok National Park to the beautiful sandy beaches. Aruba seemingly escapes the hurriacanes every year, and the only tell tale sign during the huricane season is the wind gales rushing through the island and causing dust storms.

All over the island you can spot the Aloe Vera plant (not indigenous) – Aruba is now the world’s largest explorer.

We checked out the Guadirikiri Cave famous for dark chambers that are illuminated by sunshine streaming through. Peer up and you see many bats resting in the cooler inner recesses of the cave.

The Fontein cave has drawings of Arawak Indians on the ceiling.
Don’t miss the Huliba cave – also called the tunnel of love due to the heart shaped entrance.
The old stone California lighthouse stands as a silent sentry in the area known as "Hudishibana," near the island's northwestern tip. The lighthouse is named for the U.S ship - the California - which sunk about two years previous to its construction in 1910.

Carnival Cruise to Cabo San Lucas

View of Carnival Elation.




Sailing in the Sea of Cortez, watching hump back whales

View of Cabo San Lucas

Delhi Jaipur Agra – Golden Triangle.

(THis is a rough draft of the salient points, will revisit soon to present the finer details )

Ajmer Fort

We considered taking the Palace on Wheels – it is expensive but runs only during the Indian Summer vacation schedule i.e April through mid June. Xzmde2 h2
Indian vacations are great, as we don’t have to do the fine grain granularity level planning, pack your bags and get rolling; you know what to expect, and we are able to think on the fly and improvise////as you will see…read on.

We were quite tied up with work activities and “Vacation Planning” just stayed on the TO DO list. We did surf quite a few web sites, and did some online exploration nothing serious. Airline reservations are good to have, and India pretty much works like the USA, the earlier you book the better off you are. You don’t need an Indian travel agent to help you mostly. The online world has enough information to help you navigate. And just talking to other folks who have been there, done that, certainly helps too.

We booked our tickets on Deccan, one of the cheapest airlines in India. Sometimes the fare was Rs 0/- and the taxes would get tagged on. Some pretty good deals, but it is a basic airline, does not offer the end to end experience of a Jet Airways - but makes us feel right at home considering the pathetic state of American Airlines. Depends on what you want. We ended up flying from Mumbai to Jaipur, and then to Delhi and then back to Bombay. Delhi, Jaipur and Agra form an isoceles triangle with each side being 250 kms. Thus, it is not advisable to fly between any of these points. Fly to one point and then drive down to the others. Doesn't matter which sequence you do it in.

We were planning this vacation in the month of August which is off peak season for India (as schools and vacations are taken during April – June) and the only advise that was offered to us was to take it easy and let things happen. There is no hurry to make the bookings. We took it too easy and made our flight reservations at the very last minute. We got our car reservations done for Jaipur and Delhi – through some family friends. At Jaipur, we had the INNOVA which was quite comfortable and ideal for city driving. At Delhi, we rented the Toyota Qualis, which is quite rugged, but a tad uncomfortable. The Qualis is now discontinued and we usually end up getting older run down SUVs - stay away from the Qualis. We didn’t bother to find out the specifics of the rental. Typically rental charges for the city is Rs. 900/day and you are restricted to 8 hours and 80 kms. Anything beyond that you need to get the rates set before you get into the car. The charges typically are Rs x for each extra hour and Rs Y/ each extra km. You can get an estimate of the total distance, everything is negotiable. If you have the car for a longer period (beyond 3-4 days) you can also negotiate a lumpsum payment.

JAIPUR
We had booked the ManSingh Hotel in Jaipur. The hotel is divided into two properties with separate rates – the ManSingh Towers and Hotel Mansingh. The Tower is 5 star, (we were told because it has a gym too), while the Hotel Mansingh is 4 star. This is not the Taj type hotel and needs a remodel but neverthless quite nice, breakfast included in the rates. We had negotiated a rate of Rs.4500/ for 2 nights. This was the rate that was offered to us also by calling the Mansingh hotels Mumbai office.

We ended up spending the first evening at Chokhi Dani, on the outskirts of Jaipur. This is an ethnic cultural fare hosted by the Chokhi Dani management team. A wonderful effort to provide a livelihood for the traditional people of Rajasthan. You get to understand the arts and crafts of Rajasthan with friendly locals. A Rajasthani Culture 101 of sorts. We took Camel rides, Elephant rides etc and also enjoyed a very traditional Rajasthani dinner. We spent a good 3 hours at Chokhi Dani.

The next day, we ended up visiting the 3 forts. Sangamner Fort, City Palace Hotel and the Jaisalmer fort. The City Palace hotel – where BHOOL BHULAIAN was shot at - is right in the heart of the city and not to be missed. Part of the palace continues to be occupied by the resident king and the the other half is exposed out as a tourist attraction. This is worth a visit. There is shopping inside the hotel and the prices are quite reasonable (specially because it was off peak season). You can done some of the shopping done here – or wait to get into the heart of the Jaipur shopping district. But no harm in checking out the merchandise that the merchants enthusiastically hawk at you. Hawa Mahal is right next door, so don't miss it. Be prepared to shelve out extra for the camcorder whereever you go. Jaisalmer Fort is quite striking and not to be missed. Sangamner Fort has hosted lots of Bollywood films and you will have that familiar feeling when you walk inside. The Hawa Mahal was under construction, but neverthless we walked in there.

The next day we ended up shoopping at Bapu Bazaar. Excellent shopping and very reasonable rates – do not miss out on the experience. We wanted to head to Puskhar – which is one of the pilgrimage - pure and pristine spots of India - has the only Brahma temple of India, but we didn’t make it there. There are lots of things to do around Jaipur and you can’t do them all- as they are a good driving distance. We also wanted to go to the Maqbara of

DELHI

We flew that evening to Delhi. We got stuck in the Delhi traffic. Delhi is seemingly like how Mumbai was in the mid 90s. Lots of traffic jams all over, they sorely are in need for flyovers and drainage systems. We got stuck due to an incessant downpour that water logged many of the roads. Delhi is certainly greener than Mumbai. We stayed in the **** area, at one of the non descript hotels. They all have hot water and air conditioning and make reasonable attempts to make you comfortable. The breakfast is typically included too. We spent the first day checking out the tourist attractions starting with the Red Fort. We checked out India Gate, Gandhi Samadhi, Kutub Minar, Lotus Temple, Swami Narayan Mandir etc. We made the cardinal mistake of allocating a Sunday for this and found most areas to be very crowded. Most places have separate lines for women and are usually much shorter, so make sure you leverage this facility instead of standing in long lines.

AGRA / MATHURA / VRINDAVAN
The day after we drove to Agra. We stopped on the way at the birthplace of Krishna - Mathura Vrindavan. The temples close at Noon, so make sure you get there prior to noon. We then drove to Fateh-pur-Sikri (passing Agra) which has lately become a tremendous tourist attraction due to Jodha Akbar. We also visited the Saint Chisti memorial behind Joda Bai’s palace.

AGRA
By the time we got back to Agra it was past 10PM. We were wishing we had driven down from Jaipur to Agra and finished up Fateh pur Sikri on the way. We had booked the Taj View hotel. We had been recommended the Oberoi hotel across the Yamuna with a view of the Taj - but that was Rs.30,000/night and we were looking for two rooms - and we couldn't quite get a deal for that one. The internet deal for Taj View was Rs.6000 for 2 nights which included breakfast and dinner. But we were staying only one night - and we were paying about Rs 5000/ night. We were supposed to have a Taj view – we got there late night and all we could see was a foggy view of the Taj Mahal about 5 kms away in the distance. The next day was a rainy day, not the best day, but we did the best we could. Put Anu’s recommendation. We scampered back to New Delhi where a new driver awaited us for our Char Dham trip.







Our pictures from the trip to Jaipur, Delhi, Vrindavan, Mathura, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra and CharDham (Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath) July 18, 2007 to August 2, 2007

CharDham Yatra -

Mount Shasta - Connecting with the Spirit

An Indian Mystic has said "Really, one doesn't need to go to India. Everything I have needed to know about connecting to the spirit I learned meditating on a rock on the side of Mount Shasta. Its a place where the veils between the ethers are thinner than elsewhere, and where the Masters can communicate with you more easily. You should go there"

The Sanskrit word Shasta means one who lives according to divine law. Although, some say that Mount Shasta was actually named by French fur trappers who called it chaste, meaning "pure." Or, it could have received its name from the Tshastel Indians who lived in the area.

There is something uncanny about Mount Shasta. A buddymentioned how strange it was to see Mount Shasta rising above into the sky as he drove by on I-5....a sinister feeling to it. The mountain exerts a strange force. John Muir wrote that the first time he saw Shasta, "all my blood turned to wine and I have not been weary since." Peculiar and unexplained things have been happening around the mountain at least since 1883, when a young man in nearby Yreka named Frederick Spencer Oliver claimed his hand was seized by strange forces that made him write uncontrollably. The result was "Dweller on Two Planets," an occult classic that told the story of the Lemurians, an ancient race who abandoned their Atlantis-like continent when it sank beneath the Pacific Ocean and formed a mystical brotherhood inside Mount Shasta. (Many years later, Shirley MacLaine was browsing in a bookstore in Hong Kong and reported that this very book fell mysteriously off a shelf and landed in her hands.)

We spent a short weekend trying to experience Shasta country...and it was one wonderful weekend.

Here are some things to do in and around Shasta

We had camped out at http://www.yelp.com/biz/castle-crags-state-park-castella.
It is a fantastic location if you ignore the I-5 freeway noise that becomes a tad annoying more so in the middle of the night if you happen to wake up. It didn't bother me - sleep is not an issue. One of the amazing experiences of camping out here was to see the galaxy of stars, the milky way streaming up in the sky in a straight line. This was the only time I have seen it.


We took a short trail at Panthers Meadow and also a trail @ Castle Crags
We bought some crystals in the town - interesting experience (though a ripoff in retrospect)
We also drove upto Mount Shasta as far as we could and did a short hike.
I am sure I am missing a couple things.


Everitt Vista Point
Drive up Mount Shasta on the Everitt Memorial Highway (just follow Lake Street up out of the center of Mt. Shasta City past the high school). After you drive approximately 8 miles, you will see the sign for the popular Everitt Vista Point 1/2 mile before the destination. The view west over the valley from your car is breathtaking, but if you walk through the parking lot and take the trail starting next to the restroom facility, you will soon come to a stone lookout which affords a panoramic view to the south. On a clear day you will see Mount Lassen and Castle Crags in the south, with the sweep of the Eddy Mountains and distant Marble Mountain Wilderness Area to the west.

The Everitt Vista Point lookout is the location of frequent "star parties" during the summer, where local astronomers bring their telescopes and binoculars for the celestial show. Check the local newspaper the Mt. Shasta Herald, to see if a star gazing party is planned during your stay.

Panther Meadows is one of the most beautiful locations on Mount Shasta, with the purest spring you will ever find, and the most pristine energy in which to meditate, sleep, camp, etc. This area and its campground are reached from Everitt Memorial Highway, and is a short distance from Bunny Flat. The campsite is located in Lower Panther Meadows and is maintained by the Forest Service, so their regulations apply to all camping here. There are ten campsites, no drinking water, and vault toilets. The campground is open in mid-June through Labor Day, depending on weather conditions. anther Meadows, Shasta-Trinity National Forest: A two-minute walk on the south flank of Mount Shasta, 7,400 feet, takes you to this camp along a pristine meadow, with nearby hikes available to Gray Butte for eye-popping, long-distance views. Directions
To reach Panther Meadows, take the Central Mount Shasta exit off California's Interstate 5, head east on Lake Street through town, curve left onto Everitt Memorial Highway, and drive 13 miles up the mountain. There are plenty of campsites and vault toilets, but no drinking water except for the spring itself. The campground is open from mid-June through Labor Day, depending on weather conditions.


Here are extracts from a writeup in San Francisco Chronicle by John Flinn
I am following Beverly Ann Wilson through room after room of her sprawling crystal emporium, and Beverly is following a pair of twitching metal rods.
I'd come in to shop for a souvenir. But in Mount Shasta's Middle Earth Crystal Room, she informs me, customers don't choose their crystals. Crystals choose their customers.
Beverly is using the metal divining rods -- the same tools dowsers employ to find hidden water -- to tune into the vibrations emitting from "my" crystal.

Still trying to get a handle on the town's status as a "world renowned spiritual energy vortex," as a brochure I picked up in the visitor's center put it, I called the Circle of Life Wellness Center for Conscious Living and made an appointment to have my body's energy systems checked out by something called the Aurastar 2000.

In a little office above a Papa Murphy pizza restaurant, a woman named Carol Ito had me place my left hand on a device with 50 metal sensors and count backward from 100. Ito booted up her IBM ThinkPad laptop, and in a few seconds an image appeared on its screen -- Leonardo da Vinci's famous sketch of the male body superimposed on what looked uncannily like the swirling colors of a tie-dyed T-shirt.

Those colors, Ito explained, represented my energy fields. "It's the same as your aura, but we don't like to use that word," she said. "It's too charged. "

Examining the readout, Ito told me that my heart, solar plexus, spleen and root chakras were doing just fine, but that my neck and throat chakra wasn't doing so well -- probably stress -- and that my brain and third eye were working overtime.

"People use this feedback to make decisions in their life," she said.

Frankly, I wasn't much taken with the Aurastar 2000 -- until Ito noticed the band of gray around my midsection in the readout. "You've had an injury to your waist, haven't you?" she said. As a matter of fact, I had. I'd had a kidney removed three years earlier, the only serious trauma to my body in many years. I left her office a bit less skeptical than I arrived. On my last day in town I drove 15 miles up the Everett Memorial Highway to its end on Shasta's southwest flank, at about 7,900 feet. I set off walking up a rocky trail, past the last, stunted trees. Much of Shasta's paranormal activity has been reported in this area -- probably, the skeptic in me thought, because it has easy highway access.

Elephant Seal Walk - Guided Tour

Fifty-five miles south of San Francisco and the Golden Gate, a low, rocky, windswept point juts out into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish maritime explorer Sebastian Vizcaino sailed by the point on January 3, 1603. His diarist and chaplain of the expedition, Father Antonio de la Ascension, named it Punta de Año Nuevo (New Year's Point) for the day on which they sighted it in 1603.

Today, the point remains much as Vizcaino saw it from his passing ship. Lonely, undeveloped, wild. Elephant seals, sea lions, and other marine mammals come ashore to rest, mate, and give birth in the sand dunes or on the beaches and offshore islands. It is a unique and unforgettable natural spectacle that hundreds of thousands of people come to witness each year.

Año Nuevo State Reserve is the site of the largest mainland breeding colony in the world for the northern elephant seal, and the interpretive program has attracted increasing interest every winter for the past 19 years. People who hope to see the seals during the winter breeding season are urged to get their reservations early. The males battle for mates on the beaches and the females give birth to their pups on the dunes.

During the breeding season, December through March, daily access to the reserve is available via guided walks only. Most of the adult seals are gone by early March, leaving behind the weaned pups who remain through April. The elephant seals return to Año Nuevo's beaches during the spring and summer months to molt and can be observed during this time through a permit system.

Alaska - Seward's Folly???

Play Video

Mount McKinley (Denali)
29 Footer Ford Winnebago

Exit Glacier

Exit Glacier Closeup

Alaskan Totem Pole

Portage Glacier

Inside Denali

Play Video

Prep Stage:

We were quite enthused about this trip and did our best to plan ahead. We got the MILEPOST 2006 from the local library along with a couple of DVDs on Alaska (highly recommend ALASKA - SPIRIT OF THE WILD – watching this one at an IMAX theatre in San Diego implanted the Alaska bug in my mind). We took care of the three priority items - Flight / RV / Denali Park Bus Ride reservations (Denali Park Reservation Ph: 800-622-7275). We even contacted friends and got their itineraries from visits before. Alas, we stalled after that. We hemmed and hawed and couldn’t quite get to finish up on the minute details. Thus, the departure week we were still scampering.

Brace yourself before you leave, it is an eye-popping vacation. Prepping everyone with a bit of Alaskan history, IMAX movies / DVD, Ice Age, Glaciers etc certainly helps set the mood and the expectations. You will need fall/winter wear in peak summer and don't forget to shop for the ponchos, parkas etc. Mental reconciliation to the Alaskan summer/rainy season is also helpful.

Itinerary Considerations –
We considered going to Fairbanks http://fairbanks-alaska.com/faq.htm#aurora which has quite a few things to offer. It is a quick two lane highway connection after you leave Denali. We decided against it, primarily because it is early in the year to see the Northern Lights http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_(astronomy). We did speak with the Fairbanks visitor's bureau to confirm. They recommend visiting in winter – in October and beyond months. This would ensure a high probability of generating the ideal conditions (dark, clear and cold nights) for the appearance of the Northern lights. The Arctic Circle is 198 miles from Fairbanks on the Dalton Highway. If you travel to the Arctic Circle, make certain you stop by the Visitor's Center and get your Arctic Circle Certificate! (NL light prediction @ http://www.gi.alaska.edu/predict.php3). But it didn’t make sense for us to be there to just get a picture at the Arctic circle highway sign and the certificate.

We also left Juneau and surrounding areas for a future cruise trip. We decided against taking a cruise, as we felt it may not give us the complete feel for Alaska, based on our prior cruise experience. We felt, we really need to drive around and soak in the splendor of Alaska. The one-way cruise is very appealing though.

Valdez – remember Exxon oil spill? - was recommended to us and is conveniently connected on your way to or from Denali, but it is a tad out of the way. It is 120 air miles east of Anchorage, or 305 miles by the Richardson and Glenn Highways. Due to it being an excellent ice-free port, Valdez developed in 1898 as a debarkation point for men seeking a route to the Klondike gold fields. Valdez soon became the supply center of its own gold mining region, and incorporated as a City in 1901. During the 1970's, construction of the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline terminal and other cargo transportation facilities brought rapid growth to Valdez. Just being an ice-free port has been of tremendous asset for Valdez!

We had heard splendid reviews of the drive from Anchorage to Homer. This drive offers a completely different and rich landscape. Dahl Sheep at Windy Point, Turnagain Arm with belugas and eagles, Potters Marsh Bird Sanctuary, Turnagain Pass with great mountain scenery (Views from the highway here show off the distinctive U-shape valley created by retreating glaciers), Portage Glacier, Summit Lake’s calm and tranquil waters, Kenai Lake, Kenai River, The Glacier’s stark and barren landscape and the incredible views of Kachemak Bay and the glacier capped peaks. If you do plan to go to Homer read up on this link http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Alaska/Homer-738699/Things_To_Do-Homer-BR-1.html. Details on Homer further down in the write-up.

Due to time constraints, we made Seward our final destination in Alaska to check out the Kenai Fjords National Park for the overall glacier experience- http://www.nps.gov/kefj/#Kenai. The park is capped by the Harding Ice field, a relic from past ice-ages and the largest ice field entirely within U.S. borders.

Weather conditions - longer daylight hours. In Denali National Park around Summer Solistice, the sun rises around 3:30 a.m. and sets after midnight. It is uncanny. We visited in August and dusk was around 11AM at Denali. We loved the longer daylight, but you may want to consider taking a sleeping mask if you anticipate sleeping problems. Temperature wise, Anchorage has an average high of 65 ° F and average low of 52 ° F in July – which is presumably the warmest month. It rains almost three times in August (comparing average precipitation) in comparison to June. Don’t forget to take your heavy winter wear – gloves, ski caps, jackets etc. – and do take them on the cruises you take.

Good reference material that we carried along. Folks referred us to the MilePost 2006 and the Lonely Planet. The Milepost 2006 is very detailed and useful at times. We found the AAA Alaska handbook better though - more crisply laid out and information was easier to find and reference – considering the short timeframe of our vacation. Milepost was very useful to have a passenger read out as we passed the through various mileposts – lots of detailed information.

RV selection and tips/hints - There was a quite some thought into renting an RV versus taking the cruise. Driving a RV is certainly a bit daunting. But what we heard was Alaska has been built for RV vacations, which is very true. It was very encouraging to see other friends who had done that too.

We got the RV from Great Alaskan Holiday located on Old Seward Highway. Overall it was a fun experience, slowed us down a bit, but all in all worked out very well. Kids loved it so much, they want to rent RVs in our CA trips too. It is a bit more complex than renting a car - but that’s about it. Most RV camps have cable/water/electric hookup. The RV makers (this was a Ford Motor - Winnebago) have their act together. Do carry some good water proof gloves for the dump. Is it easy to dump the waste? I did it twice and it takes all in all about 5 minutes. But it is bothersome.

Great Alaskan Holiday are quite good - courteous customer service, a state of the art maintenance facility, and well maintained low mileage RVs in perfect condition. They do show a short video - an RV 101 of sorts, that we sorely needed. Key RV Tips/Hints –

• Move past obstacles before you start turning due to the RV overhang from the rear tires – about 15 feet past.
• Avoid any sharp turns.
• Leave driveway slowly, at an angle to avoid the bottom rear portion of the RV bumping into the ground.
• Watch out for trees, and be extra careful at gas stations, parking lots etc.
• Keep a safe distance behind vehicles in front (24 car length)
• Turn on TOW HAUL / Low gears to prevent brakes heating up, pull over to allow brakes to cool off
• Watch out for clearance signs – our RV had a clearance limit of 12 feet or 4 meters.
• Be careful of sway during high winds.
• Check tire pressure often specially driving on gravel.
• Check the exterior compartments every time before driving – sometimes they open up, even if locked. Return step to stowed position before driving,
• Ensure bubble is fairly level after parking to prevent any equipment damage (fridge) inside the RV.

The video was fairly comprehensive and Jordan the friendly customer rep, answered all our questions and went over the details of the generator, dumping instructions etc. that the video had already covered. We were apprehensive but less so now.

Alaskan holiday gave us a choice to purchase the propane / gasoline upfront or fill-up before return. We discovered that we really don’t consume much propane (used for hot water, heating) and if you purchase the propane upfront, it may not be economical....... better to fill-up the propane and gas yourself before the return – if you have time for that. The attendant at the gas station will fill the propane.

The RV was convenient, and created a good comfort zone for the kids as they relaxed in the confines of the RV. It did not have a DVD player connected to the sound system, and that troubled us a bit, as we had taken our music DVDs. But carrying our favorite movies worked out great, as we did get a chance to watch them in the evening.

The economics maybe the same versus hotel rooms, but the intangible benefits are various. The convenience of not packing/unpacking every (other) day, built in restrooms – good things. We carried frozen half-cooked meal packs and we didn’t have to go searching for decent restaurants to eat at - saved us quite some time. Having the same room every night is good too. The shower area in the RV is certainly a bit cramped. We preferred using the RV park showers, which were clean and well maintained anyway.

It isn't too bad getting reservations into the RV camps etc, which means you can wait to make reservations after your plans are truly finalized. We did make RV reservations for every night before we left San Francisco, though we tweaked it a bit.

First Night in Anchorage

We flew from San Francisco to Anchorage via Vancouver and discovered that passports were not needed. Alaska airline escorts you into the next boarding area and thus you never need to go through immigration. On the plane to Anchorage – sit on the right / stern side – that way you get some great looks of the glaciers in the southern part of Alaska. Great Alaskan Holiday sent a shuttle for pick up at the airport. Their office closes at 7PM and by the time we got to their facility it was almost 5PM. They were short staffed and by the time we were checked in, it was almost 7PM – not very efficient.

Once we had checked-in and gotten the RV, our next stop was at the Fred Meyer on O'Malley. We had a shopping list (make sure you have yours) that included things like – Milk, Yoghurt, Water, Drinks, Fruits, Cooking oil, Paper products, Juice, bread, dishwasher liquid etc. We outlined our food plans the week before our trip and that made it quite efficient. Being vegetarian, does impose constraints, and planning ahead makes perfect sense. The tour saver coupon book http://www.toursaver.com/alaskatravel.php saves a bundle too. You can also get it most stores in Anchorage but also on eBay.

We had reservations at the Anchorage RV Park for the night. It is an excellent facility, we would recommend that in a heartbeat.....very clean facility, wonderful staff and you have your privacy too in your parked spot. Offers wireless internet too. It is right next door to the Alaskan Heritage center too.

We discovered that our hosepipe ( dump) was broken while doing the test drive, and had to head back the next day to Great Alaskan holiday to get that changed and also to pickup other minor things (sheets, pillows etc). Thus, it may be a good idea to not leave town until you are sure of the RV and its condition. Otherwise it may become a hassle trying to fix something.

Day 2 – Drive to Denali from Anchorage

We had a leisurely start from Anchorage RV park. Scenic drive, took us all day with so many stops. It drizzled all through the drive. The part of Route 1 from Anchorage to Willow is at least two lanes, and quite good, easy on the RV. Beyond that, Willow to Denali is one lane and gets quite bumpy, it was hard to go beyond 55 mph. Some sections have tire grooves dug into the freeway, and it seems like we are losing control of the RV at those point, as the tires try to fit in and ride those grooves. Milepost is good reference. We made sure that we were well fueled and stocked before we entered Denali. There aren’t any paved roads inside Denali – I would certainly want them paved soon – and driving an RV becomes a slow process.

After the customary picture at the Denali National Park entrance sign, we decided to stop by at the Visitor center. We discovered there that we would need to pick up the bus tickets from the Wilderness Access Center. (We had gotten the Teklanika pass for our bus tour in Denali – details here http://www.reservedenali.com/tek_pass.php - one of the three priority items from the first paragraph). This probably helped us avoid a trip back to collect the bus tickets – which we would have found out after getting to the Savage River checkpoint. This pass cannot be used to re-enter Denali National Park. If you go toward the park entrance beyond mile 20, you will need to purchase another shuttle ticket to reenter the park. You are advised to refill at Riley Wilderness Access Center, dump etc before entering Denali.

We had reservations at the Teklanika Campground http://www.wildnatureimages.com/Teklanika_campground_photos.htm – referred to as Tek, it does NOT have water/electrical hookups/ shower facilities. It is nicely located amidst some great foliage. The restrooms have flush toilets and running water (weather dependent). There are 53 sites. You can clearly hear the flow of the Teklanika river. See Tek campground picture above.

Details here http://www.denali.national-park.com/camping.htm & http://www.reservedenali.com/campground_teklanika.php

Day 3 – Inside Denali

We got the JV Shuttles to Wonder Lake. Make sure you sit on the left / aft side of the bus for McKinley viewing. Wild life can pop out from any and every direction. Watch out! Sharp eyes are well respected in the bus.

Shuttle travels 86 miles into the park, approximately 11 hours round trip. Be prepared to board 15 minutes prior to departure time. No food or water is available in the Park on shuttle route. Riley Creek Mercantile (approx. mile 0.5 on the park road) across from the Wilderness Access Center sells food items. $4 change/cancellation fee per shuttle bus ticket. Notification of change/cancel is required at least 2 hours prior to departure time. Children under the age of 4 years old, or under 40 pounds, have to be riding in a safety seat. Do not forget to carry your binoculars – but there is only one thing you can do use your binoculars or use the camera. Try to get into the earliest shuttle (starting at 5:15 AM) for your wild life viewing pleasure.

The next morning, we were at the Tek campground bus stop at 7:20AM – the one and only vacation we had an early start. This is almost a 10-12 hour bus tour so make sure you carry the things you need – no fancy dining places inside. Our main objective was to check out Mount McKinley, having been to Mount Whitney a few years back. We got lucky, as we got a couple sightings – luckily it had turned sunny for a brief couple hours. Statistics say that only 14% of the visitors get to peek at the peak. Wildlife is another reason why folks love Denali. We had been warned that wild life viewing is not as good as Yellowstone – and it lived up to its reputation. We saw a few Dahl sheep (like a blimp in the radar), a grizzly bear –the polar bear’s cousin - that crossed our bus’s path, Caribou etc, not a whole lot, but still worth the scenery experience – and for the “Been there done that”. The grizzly bear sighting was particularly good – it was completely ‘blonde’ unlike any bear we had seen so far. Someone sitting at the back spotted it and the driver immediately turned the engine off. A hush descended in the packed bus as everyone peered into the vegetation to spot the bear, camera clicking, kids focusing their binoculars, and some folks still peering into the landscape trying to spot. The bear seemed a bit agitated, probably due to the sound of the bus and kept moving. Our bus stayed put and we suddenly saw it cross the dirt road right in front of our bus. The bus crowd gasped – some in delight, some in surprise, while I fiddled with my camera. But as they say “ELVIS has left the building”, the grizzly bear, the king of Denali, had disappeared into the dense Denali jungle.

Some would say Denali is a bit too much hype, but we felt it was good to go, just for a glimpse of Denali (Mount McKinley). We were constantly comparing it to the African Safari and Yellowstone – having done both – and even the ‘native’ Alaskans we spoke with compared it to the two. But it is just good to go through Denali and get a feel for what it is like.

In retrospect, we spent almost 3 days towards our Denali trip – not sure if it was worth it. You may want to consider rail tours that are conducted from Anchorage to Denali and back, might be more time efficient. Doing a railroad/ RV combo might be a bit more difficult to pull together. But spending 3 days towards visiting Denali seems overkill, considering we spent only a day touring Denali.

Most of our Alaska visit, we missed the famed mosquitoes, but we found them at Wonder-Lake while having our lunch. So even though we had gallons of mosquito repellant, we barely used any all through our trip.

TEK Camp ground versus RILEY. The advantage of staying at Tek was we could catch the later 7:25AM bus, as against the 6:15AM bus if we had stayed in the Riley Creek facility. In retrospect, it does not make sense to camp at the Teklanika campground, as we really missed the electrical, water connection and the clean showers. Tek has a 3 night minimum, but we left after the first night and luckily found a spot in Riley. Riley and Tek management are two separate organizations and have to be dealt with separately. We loved our Riley camping spot, it was very private, clean restrooms and again, couldn’t ask for more.

Here is a nice video of Denali http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/places/videos/video_alaska_us_denalinationalpark.html

A nice writeup on climbing Denali http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/features/denali0211/denali.html?fs=plasma.nationalgeographic.com

Day 4 – Drive back to Anchorage

We left leisurely in the afternoon after our lunch, and it was drizzling as we drove back to Anchorage. We Californians miss the rain all summer, and having an overcast sky was a welcome change, providing us a different perspective to the fantastic scenery playing out in front of our eyes. As usual, there were frequent RV stops, due to the Ooohs and AHhhs. We were doing 50 - 55 mph. It was a single lane highway both sides. Suddenly, we see this black bear start to cross over. By the time we started braking, it had crossed over our side and disappeared into the Chugach State Forest. What timing eh?

At Anchorage, we visited the Alaska Zoo to make up for all the wildlife that we missed at Denali. Alaska Zoo is no great shakes, but if you can catch the Polar bear (it was in siesta mode when we visited) it might be worthwhile. We were done with the zoo in about 30 minutes. The wildlife is good, and you can get quite close to them, but they all seemed unhappy, restless and wornout in their captive environment.

This was a good chance to also refill our pantry. We made the trip to Fred Meyer and then back to Anchorage RV. The Anchorage museum is quite good and worth a trip, but we didn't get to it.

Day 5 – Drive to Seward

The next morning, we found the Alaskan Native Heritage center, right next to the Anchorage RV park. The tickets are a bit expensive $90 family pass with AAA discount, but it is worthwhile. We took the 45 minute walking tour around the lake, which demonstrate how various cultures and tribes used to live in the bygone eras.... very informative tour. They had a drum and dance show after that. It is good education, especially for the kids in understanding the history and heritage of Alaska.

After this, we continued on our drive to Seward. Seward is named after Secretary of State, William Seward who bought Alaska from the Russians for 2 cents an acre and was generally regarded as Seward’s folly until gold and subsequently petroleum was discovered at Alaska.

From answers.com - Acquisition in 1867 by the U.S. from Russia of 586,412 sq mi (1.5 million sq km) at the northwestern tip of North America, comprising the current U.S. state of Alaska. The territory, held by Russia since 1741, was considered an economic liability, and in 1866 it was offered for sale. Pres. Andrew Johnson's secretary of state, William Seward, negotiated its purchase for $7.2 million, or about two cents per acre. Critics labeled the purchase “Seward's Folly.” Congressional opposition delayed the appropriation until 1868, when extensive lobbying and bribes by the Russian minister to the U.S. secured the required votes..... With the purchase of Alaska, the United States acquired an area twice as large as Texas, but it was not until the great Klondike gold strike in 1896 that Alaska came to be seen generally as a valuable addition to American territory.... Alaska Day celebrates the formal transfer of Alaska from Russia to the United States, which took place on October 18, 1867. Currently, Alaska celebrates the purchase on Seward's Day, the last Monday of March. http://www.answers.com/topic/alaska-purchase

On the way to Seward, we stopped over to take the cruise to Portage glacier. The visitor center there has a decent movie on Glaciers – 20 minutes. We also lucked out in getting 50% off deals for the last cruise of the day to Portage Glacier. This was our first upclose glacier sighting. It got very cold in the upper deck and we were glad to have our gloves, jackets etc. See pictures above

Talking to the ranger at the visitor center, I got some interesting tidbits on life there. Apparently, last winter they were so snowed in, they had to send someone through the dome to get inside the building. The river next to the visitor center gets frozen – 5 feet deep, hard as a rock - and folks camp out on the ice.....Veeerrrrry interesting! The ranger had a home in Phoenix and he was looking forward to his winter, considering it has been such a cold and rainy summer in Alaska.

At Seward, we stayed at the Stoney Creek RV Park 1-877-437-6366 http://www.stoneycreekrvpark.com/index.html. We had heard good things about this RV park, but were quite disappointed to see the setup like a parking lot. There is not much privacy and all the foliage is at the perimeter. The rain and the resultant window fogging produced some natural privacy. But restrooms were clean, you have water/ cable/electric hookups and if you had a laptop, you got internet connection. But I would have loved to try the RV camping by the water which is probably cheaper and offers splendid views. We didn’t quite explore what it would take to get a spot there, but we were too much in love with our water/electric/cable connection. This is surrounded by thick forest and in the night we could hear the sound of animals. A bit eerie!

Day 6 – Kenjai Ford cruise

This is an excellent cruise. We had booked this a couple of days before we left from San Francisco. On the way to Seward, we stopped by at the visitor center / Seward business center, who were not too helpful, but we did see a very nice stuffed bear and bald eagle on display. We had to park a bit away on Phoenix street off 4^th avenue and got their courtesy shuttle for the cruise. It is a catamaran, and sitting in the heated cabin feels more like a train, very comfortable. They serve lunch or dinner pretty decent. It is prepared and loaded from their restaurant at Fox island, the cruise makes a brief stop for the pickup. This island has excellent cabin accommodations that is also owned by the Kenjai Ford Cruise management. This cruise covers wildlife, glaciers, etc just like they advertise. The captain of the ship was a talker and patiently provided tidbits of information. It was time well spent. The cruise ship took us to the base of the Aialik glacier. This was like being at the IMAX movies.... indeed an experience traveling through icy water, with chunks of ice floating here and there. Once the cruise ship shuts off the engine, we can hear the rumble of ice breaking off in chunks and falling into the water. Indeed an experience. The young, the old, kids everyone quiets down waiting for chunks to fall. We lucked out spotting two hump back whales, whom we also saw on the return. We were at the fringe period where most whales are already heading towards Hawaii to spend the winter. We also saw Sea Otters, Sea Lions and lots of the bird species. The boat does rock quite a bit in free float mode after the engines are turned off. If you are prone to sea-sickness, remain seated in the heated cabin. There is a True Value / gift shop right across the cruise office, where we did a bit of Alaska shopping.

Day 7 - Exit Glacier and Trail of Hardinge Ice Trail

The next day, it was raining the hardest we had ever seen, and we reluctantly left the campground to check out the Exit Glacier and to do the trek to the Hardinge Ice Field. There are three trails, one leading up close to the glacier, another (center trail path) giving you a top view of the glacier, and the 3^rd Hardinge Trail – which is a 7.7 strenuous trail that apparently goes above the tree line. There was a bear family that most hikers were ‘bumping into’ on this trail. Unfortunately, with the prevailing damp, cold conditions we turned back farily quickly. Do the Hardinge trail some other time ....

As we walk towards the Exit Glacier, there are signs to show how the glacier has receded over the years starting from the year 1917. The base of the glacier is starkly barren of all vegetation – shows the power of the glacier as it erodes and cuts through everything in its path. Remnants of this force through is the dark landscape filled with small, tiny rocks. We did get a chunk of the glacier ice (hundreds of years old ice) and it is in the fridge now.

Day 8 – Drive to Anchorage, Wild life conservation center –

As we left Seward, the scenery was quite overwhelming, calm lake waters, overcast skies making it quite serene and peaceful – and then we see this bald eagle fly by against the dark gloomy sky. That was an amazing sight! We decided to stop by at the Wild Life Conservation center which is a few hundred yards away from the Portage Glacier exit. We spent about 45 minutes and it is better than the zoo or Denali to get up close to wildlife and get some good pictures.

With that done, we filled the required propane and gasoline into our RV and hurriedly packed up to return the RV. Soon, we were at the airport, where we discovered the additional security that had been enforced in our absence from the world. We were back to reality.