Alaska Part IV , trip day 3; July 4, 2018You would think after living the longest day ever, that we would have slept for 20 hours straight, but sadly this was not the case. At 6:00 am, my dad frantically woke Brinn up (which caused me to wake up) in a complete panic that we’d slept too late. “Brinn, it’s already 10:00!” My snippy, sleep deprived response informed him that it was indeed 10:00 in the morning… “yes, in Knoxville. Go back to sleep.” I’m such a delight when I’ve been kept awake for two days.

After another earlier start than planned, we all dragged ourselves over to the bathhouse to reluctantly start our day. But once we left our cabin and took in our surroundings, we forgot all about sleep. Otto Lake has absolutely stunning views. Hands-down, this was absolutely my most favorite place that we stayed during our 12 day trip. Denali Outdoor Center’s outpost offered a large campground as well as four small cabins. The cabins all shared one bathhouse which contained toilets, showers, and a fully stocked kitchen. Later that evening we hit the Three Bears grocery store to stock up so we could cook during our stay in Healy. This worked beautifully as dining options near the park were more limited than other areas we would visit. Surprisingly, the grocery prices weren’t all that bad, either!

Our cabin door opened right onto the large lake, which had some of the cleanest water I’ve ever seen. The lake was surrounded with all kinds of native flora, and occasionally moose would even ramble over to take a drink from the lake. Supposedly the lake was stocked, but I don’t think Brinn or Ian ever actually caught anything. Outpost guests could borrow boats to paddle out across the lake or even swim in its chilly waters. The mountains in the background reflected off the surface. The white-capped mountains contrasted against the abundance of bright green leaves, grass, and bushes everywhere! My Tennessee eyes had trouble reconciling snow with summer foliage, but that didn’t mean that I failed to appreciate the wonder of this view.

Every morning and evening we walked around the lake to take in the mountains. Often we made this trek simply to breath. The complete lack of humidity combined with purity created the perfect atmosphere to revitalize your energy and to just feel good. My legs didn’t burn from climbing hills and I didn’t puff from exertion. Ian’s little legs didn’t fatigue quite as often, and none of our heads hurt. Sinus pressure simply didn’t exist!

When (not if!) we make it back for another visit in Alaska, we will be revisiting Healy and staying on Otto Lake. If I had one regret from this trip, it would be that we didn’t spend more time here. While everywhere we saw was amazing, I can for certain say that the Denali area was the most impressive and enjoyable for me.