We packed up the camper and managed to get on the road by 9am! We drove the beautiful drive up to Hatchers Pass (3,886 ft) and Independence Mine. Beau and I had visited this area years ago but we had more time to explore the mine and hike around this time. Absolutely stunning!
Afterwards we made the trek down to the Mat-Su Valley and connected to the Parks highway to head north towards Denali. We stopped at the famous Miller’s Ice Cream and enjoyed some delicious soft serve!
We stopped for the night at Rolly Lake Campground in the Nancy Lake State recreation area. We got a spot right on the shore and took out our blow up kayak. When I took Brady out we saw two loons with a fluffy baby loon! At night we heard the loons which is always a neat sound. It rained as we put the kids to bed but by the time Beau and I went to bed the sky was a gorgeous orange-gold hue.
Belanger Family Adventures 