Fairbanks to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Hello from Alaska. I guess the spotty Wi-Fi deep in the wilderness means you're supposed to enjoy nature and get off your phone. But I did want to remember everything since there is so much beauty and we're having such a fun first day--so I'll type what I can.

We flew to Fairbanks on July 2nd and arrived around 7:30, or 11:30 p.m. Florida time. The couple of pics above were taken in the cute little airport. We checked into our hotel and went right to bed. Waking up at 5 a.m. the next morning, fully rested and to bright sunlight, we started our trek south to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.

Alaska is a huge state. This is the largest of our national parks, larger than the state of Switzerland. We were hoping to do something a bit off the beaten path, but nothing in any guidebook could have prepared me for this.

Our first stop was North Pole, Alaska...you know, where you used to send letters to Santa as a kid. Yes, there is a post office, a giant Santa, and candy cane light poles which rival any World's Largest Ball of Twine.  Rika's Roadhouse was further down the road: a depot at Delta Junction, the crossing of two major thoroughfares in northeastern Alaska.
Here and there we got a glimpse of the beautiful, yet somehow out of place, Trans-Alaska Pipeline.

Along the drive were clear views of Denali, or Mt. McKinley for you old timers.

We started to get a bit nervous because we had to meet a bush plane at the tiny Chitina airport at 2:30. The ranger at the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park visitor center assured us it was close by. One hour later, we arrived 15 minutes before takeoff. No plane, but a number of other tourists waiting. I was told don't bother showing up early. They were correct.
A few minutes later, the buzz of a small plane approached. This was a small plane, indeed. Four seats included the pilot. Oh boy. Glad we packed our gear into three duffle bags instead of luggage. He had room for just two.

Flying over the national park into was stunning (of course)...much of the glacier looks like piles of dirt because the massive force moved said dirt over the years. Here and there pools of blue and green water reminded you that there is ice underneath.
When we checked in, we were lucky enough to get a corner room that looks out onto the glacier and the surrounding mountain ranges from the porch. I think the best part about this park is the lack of other tourists. Whereas previous summers we visited the national parks and shared the beautiful surroundings with hoardes of other tourists, here we saw just a few people as we walked along the glacier, the abandoned mine & mill, and the dusty paths. As I looked at an American flag with the snowy peaks in the background, I was thankful for a beautiful end to a glorious first day.