From JuJu with Love

After a few hours on the bus, we stopped in downtown Anchorage to stretch our legs before continuing the drive to Denali.

We wandered through the streets, browsed souvenir shops (because apparently I didn’t own enough Alaska-themed things yet 😉), posed under the famous Anchorage Mushing District arch, made fools of ourselves with a giant bear photo op, and snapped plenty of “Welcome to Anchorage” pictures.

Of course, no stop is complete without food. We had lunch at what our friend Janet swore was the best bakery in town when she was here a few years ago, and it definitely lived up to the hype.

The biggest surprise? The weather! At 65° and sunny, it felt downright tropical after yesterday’s cold, fog, and rain at Hubbard Glacier. Funny how quickly your definition of “warm” changes in Alaska.

Now we’re back on the bus, watching the scenery roll by as we make our way to Denali National Park. More mountains, more laughs, and hopefully more adventures ahead.

We had already caught our first glimpse of Denali from the bus, but then our guide pulled over at a scenic overlook.

Within seconds, everyone spilled out of the bus. No one had to ask where to look. Twenty people all turned in the same direction, phones and cameras raised, hoping the clouds would cooperate just long enough.

And they did.

Denali is so massive that it creates its own weather. Some days it’s completely hidden. We were lucky enough to watch the clouds drift by just enough to reveal North America’s tallest peak.

It wasn’t a perfect blue-sky view. It was something even better.

It was our moment.

From Juju with love 💙