This was just after we boarded train and one of the few times Kieran sat in his seat during the 4 hour ride south. We logged some distance on the 5 cars that were open for touring. So much more fun than an airplane!
We had to try out the cafe car.
And we rode through Nenana Canyon in one of the open air vestibules between the cars. Most of the terrain between Fairbanks and Denali is flat and looks a lot like the woods around our neighborhood. This short stretch is definitely the highlight.
Once in the park Kieran got right to work foraging. He is a big fan of rose hips, particularly if they are hanging on the plant at mouth level.
Kieran demonstrates his technique for finding blueberries. You get your eyes down to blueberry level and look up. It was a very effective way of finding blueberries but it was less effective for hiding the fact that you are picking berries in a place where you aren't supposed to be picking berries.
Showing off his booty. Oooo.
We didn't see much wildlife outside the park visitor's center - I guess the indoor wildlife displays are for people like us.
Falling leaves have been very entertaining this year. Kieran is happy to help speed up the process by shaking the trunks. We did this for awhile while we waited for breakfast - Kieran doesn't sleep in on vacations.
This was the back yard of our hotel. We had great trails and a beautiful view of the Nenana River. It was Kieran's first hotel stay and it may have been his favorite part of the whole trip. It was a perfect location for a fun overnight stay before heading back to the park headquarters on Sunday. We had a few hours to run around and explore before getting back on the train...apparently that was enough to wear Kieran out because he slept from the moment we pulled out of the park until we pulled into the Fairbanks depot. Kieran was an ideal traveling companion, happy to take in new experiences and terribly charming to everyone we encountered. It was a great trip.
