memorable dinners we have ever had. The fragrant air, the fresh food, the glow of the fireside, and the lilting lyrics of Rocky Mountain High spun unreal charm for a few hours. Next morning, we took the much acclaimed Tundra Wilderness tour. The 6 million acres Denali Park has only a gravel road inside it where private cars are not allowed. Only travelers taking organized tours can experience the sights and sounds. The trip was conducted by a naturalist guide cum driver with full narration. We stopped at several points that afforded good photo opportunities. Unfortunately, the tour was truncated from its scheduled 8.5 hours to only 4.5 hours as a landslide had closed part of the Park Road. We had planned the following day to be pinnacle of our Alaska experience, and it turned out that way indeed. We left very early and drove to the airport in our rented van. We reported to the office of Northern Alaska Tour Company for a fly-drive tour beyond the Arctic Circle. We were checked onto a ten-seater plane and our bags were stuffed into its small hollow wings. A bold blue and white sign proclaimed this toy aircraft to be part of Arctic Airways. The pilot in his stentorian voice cried out a seat to each passenger based on his presumed body weight. Next, he handed out a pair of headphones to protect our ears from the engine noise and to be able to hear his instructions. Denali Park With a beating heart, we took off. The plane remained very steady and soon we could see the mighty Yukon River, and the legendary Alaska Pipeline on the ground. The pilot pointed out a small village called Stevens located on the north bank of Yukon. UPAHAAR 2021 উপহার ১৪২৮ 21
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