Another day in Denali & Healy--July 9

Marvin and Dee went out to breakfast at Rosie's, a mom & pop restaurant which it sounds like was a real hoot. Kind of like the Breakfast Club in Paris, IN near home. Then later in the morning they and a lot of others went on a short float down the river--about 2 hrs--smooth water. Some others went for 4 hrs--the last two over class 3 & 4 rapids. We chose to do neither. If I hadn't had a broken back I would have been right with those that went down the rapids.

I got up and fixed myself breakfast and did a little on the computer and eventually Bob got up. We took Monique--whose husband went on the rapids--with us and we went shopping down in Healy and back to the Visitor's center in the park. We would have loved to have spent more time there but we needed to catch a bus to a free dog mushing demonstration which was free--yeah!!! We had the opportunity to walk around and look at all the dogs and pet some of them. They are not the pure bred malamuts that you think of when thinking of this activity. They are not pure anything but a mixture. When getting dogs they look for long legs, a good coat, ability to get along with the other dogs. These dogs are stronger than horses and mules and they live to run and work. The first superintendent for this park was actually a dog musher so he introduced the sled dogs and they help do a lot of work around the park in the winter using the sleds. When the rangers started to take one out they all started barking--they knew what was coming and they were eager to get on with it. They barked until they took off around the small oval track. The building where they keep the tack for the sled and other things is the original one built by Mr. Karsten for the same purpose. After taking another quick look around it was back to the bus to return to the Visitor's Center/snack bar/gift shop.

Marvin called and we met a bunch downtown at the Salmon Bake Restaurant and had supper, looked around a little more and drove home. We have pulled in the sides and are about ready to pull out in the morning. We are headed to Anchorage.