Alaska after-action (with promised pics!)

OK, I'm back, am somewhat rested, and I've sorted through the latest Picasa problems which kept me from putting pics up yesterday. I have a lot of pics, so I'll do a few here and a few there for a while. To start with, welcome to Talkeetna, Alaska. Nice place when it's not overrun by hippies.
My lodging for the night.
A few stars short of four-star, but after hitting all of the local pubs, I really didn't mind this quaint room (with bathroom down the hall).
The Talkeetna airport. Here are some float planes on a lake just off the Talkeetna road. Alaska has a lot of these. I'm thinking that I need a float plane.
Look--dogs. These are the National Park Service sled dogs used at Denali National Park in the wintertime. Betcha didn't know that your tax dollars paid for dogsleds and sled dogs, didja?
Woof.
They even have puppies, and a webcam where you can watch them.

And here's the bear I met a short time later. Kinda wish those dogs were handy because my .40 wasn't up to the challenge.

But bear or no, Denali's beautiful. I was a bit bummed that I didn't see any moose though.



Thanks again to Liz for the hook-up with the dogs, the tip on the road being open, and the rice and spinach salad you made for lunch...also for the trail mix that I snacked on all the way back to Anchorage.