May 6, 2012 4:15 p.m.

Our first stop was Nenana, AK, population 553.  First settled in 1902, it prospered as a trading center for natives in the area.  Today it is a hub for the tug boat/barge shipping industry.

But its claim to fame is the Nenana Ice Classic, a sweepstakes held annually since 1917.  The lucky winner receives a cash prize for guessing the date and exact minute of the ice breakup on the Tanana River.  The festivities begin the last week of February with the Tripod Raising Festival and culminate at "break-up time" in late April or early May.  When the surging ice on the river dislodges the tripod, a line attached to the tripod trips a clock.  Recent winners have earned over $300,000.  Our pick is May 6, 2012 at 4:15 p.m.  Keep your fingers crossed.

It was on to Denali National Park, encompassing over 6 million acres of land, bigger than the state of New Hampshire. 

It prides itself on wild landscapes, all kinds of animals and, the star of the show, Mt. McKinley, the tallest peak in North America.  We left the park having enjoyed only the wild landscape.  We were dejected!  In a funk! 

Good news though—the clouds lifted  and we got to see McKinley from the roadside miles down the highway.  Magnificent!

 

Found a charming oasis in the middle of nowhere to spend the night.   More about that later.