The nice thing about this trip is it’s all inclusive, aside from souvenirs and personal sundries you might have forgotten to bring. So, it is fine to get the breakfast buffet that costs $75 for two people! In my normal travels I wouldn’t be staying at a Marriott or eating in the Marriott restaurants. I guess we will take advantage of this opportunity and just enjoy it. I will say this buffet was really good. Have you ever seen Eggs Benedict on a buffet? Me either but they had it. Along with cereals, pastries, fruit, an omelet station, pancakes, French toast, sausage, scrambled eggs, bagels with lox AND a giant container of Nutella with a pump. We ate outside with a nice view of palm trees and it was wonderful. Today was one of the days ... read more

Last day of no worries! One last buffet breakfast where again the plate was a jumble. Pancakes (not very good), fruit, hasbrowns, fried cheese, rice pudding and a donut. I'm sure some people eat and eat and eat but I limited myself to one trip each time I ate at the buffet. Otherwise I would have had to buy new pants! First I was just going to sit on the beach so I wouldn't have a super wet suit to pack. Then I decided I had to get in the water and it didn't matter if things were wet in my suitcase. Threw on my suit, slapped on some sunscreen and gave myself an hour and a half in my happy place. One of the most relaxing sounds is waves crashing on the shore. Whether I'm ... read more

Today I did a lot of nothing and it was great! Started off with breakfast at the buffet restaurant. They have a huge selection of things so if you can't find something to eat then you must be very picky. Really good fruit, some ok waffles, pastries, eggs, fish, cheeses, meats and a ton of things I had no clue on. Also some fresh made juices, I had cantaloupe. First stop after breakfast was to the lobby to schedule my Covid test. Hopefully this is the only trip I will ever take that I need to do this. There was a desk in the lobby to make the appointments but no one staffed it the two days I was there. Finally someone came and told us to go to the medical center, which was just a ... read more

Last day in Alaska:( The temperature in the morning in Denali was a crisp 32° but clear. Today I had to head back to Anchorage for my 10PM flight back to Chicago. I had hoped to take the train back but the shortened summer schedule didn't work out with the timing of my flight so I was back on the Park Connection bus. We departed from Denali at 7:15 and headed on the journey out of the Alaska Range down to the coast in Anchorage. The driver for this stretch was a lady named Karen and she was awesome! She has lived in Alaska for 25ish years and provided all kinds of information on the landscapes and the towns as we went by. She told us all about the Talkeetna Bachelor Auction and Wilderness Women Competition ... read more

Today I was able to venture further into Denali NP by taking a tour bus. Originally the tour was to be 8-9 hours but the park road is closed at mile 45 so instead it was 5 hours. The tour buses are converted school buses (same as the free shuttle) and they are able to travel beyond the Savage River stop onto the unpaved portion of the road. If you want to see the park beyond the pavement and do not want to go hiking off into the wilderness, this is what you want to do. There is probably a greater chance of seeing wildlife and there are breathtaking views of the Alaska Range that you don't get in the first 15 miles of the road. Take a bus tour if you come to Denali. You ... read more