I can hardly keep track of what day it is. Tom assures me it is Sunday. We left Delta Junction this morning around 9:15 after getting coffee at the Buffalo Diner. Everything is “Buffalo” there, the Buffalo Laundry, the Buffalo Auto Parts, the Buffalo Quick Stop. We had only 50 miles to get to the turnoff at Paxon and with all of our photo stops and viewing stops it took us till 11:15. The most interesting thing about this small 50 mile strip of highway was that it was the most perfect stretch we have seen in Alaska. High, snowcapped mountains, close up foliage covered mountains, acres upon acres of Birch trees, miles and miles of water – literally streams and creeks everywhere, and best of all – the pipeline kept reappearing at every turn – sometimes very close.
We saw moose, rabbits, prairie dogs (we think) and a big porcupine. Hardly anybody else was on the road – maybe we encountered 10 vehicles. There was no litered iron stuff from mines, no deserted shacks, no substandard houses – in fact we saw one lodge, a pipeline pump station, and several summer houses by the lake, and just a couple of RV places during that stretch. Truly a beautiful drive.

We turned onto the Denali Hwy at 11:15. I had spoken to a fellow traveler at a Viewing turnout and he said he and his wife made it in three hours. I wouldn’t have asked if they had made the trip except that their car was a mess – completely covered with dust. So, I figured with my constant “Tom, it would make me happy if you would just slow down.”, that Tom and I might make it in say, four hours. The end result was 135 miles in just over five hours.

The first 21 miles was paved – sort of. The rest of the road was dirt – packed hard dirt with gravel in it, some areas in pretty good shape and some others with potholes. We stopped every few miles to get photos. It was beautiful – just beautiful – even in the fine mist that we had most of the day. I cannot imagine what it must look like in full sun.
I tried to get Tom to think about camping there – what fun it would be. But he decided against it. Probably because he has to do all of the work. I can do the work – he just does it faster and better and his way – so I relent.
We decided to stay overnight at the Backwoods Lodge in Cantwell - we stayed here in August 2006 on our way in and really liked it. They like dogs here too.

Tomorrow we head back to Anchorage – via the Hatcher Pass. Another dirt and gravel road. Just hope we are not pushing our luck with the truck. She has sure been a trooper so far. I hope for sun.