We were up early since our bags had to be in the hallway at 6:00 am. We were going to have a late breakfast on the train so we went to a nearby Starbucks to get a snack and Conrad could get his coffee. Got back to the hotel and 43 of us loaded a bus to take us to the train. Since we had some extra time, the driver drove us around Anchorage for a quick tour. We got on the train, the McKinley Explorer on the Alaska Railroad for a 7 hour ride to Denali National Park. We were on the upper level of the car with a glass dome roof. The bottom level was the dining car.
Our Journey Host, Rosemary - she was great!
The train car
The engine
Boarding the train
Inside the train car
Before going on, I have to say that we were expecting a smaller group. There were 43 people in our group and there wasn't one person that we wouldn't have wanted to spend more time with! Everyone was was so nice, nobody complained about anything and it was a great experience.
We had a late breakfast on the train of eggs, reindeer sausage, potatoes, fruit and a biscuit. We ate with a nice couple from San Francisco. The food was really good.
This railroad is the only one in North America that still provides flag stop service. That means if anyone who wants to get on the train just goes out by the tracks and flags it down to get on it. There weren't any roads in that area so the residents didn't have a way to get around other than train, 4 wheeler or snow machine..
It was a cloudy day but the scenery was still beautiful. We talked with some of the other people riding with us. We also had a tour guide who pointed out things along the way and also had lots of trivia to share. Rosemary also added information along the way since she was born and raised in Fairbanks.
Water and Mountains
Loved the mountains
These mountains were interesting
The Nenana River is glacial fed so the water is
cloudy and not clear.
We also had a late lunch on the train. Conrad ordered a Cubano Sandwich with chips and I had a seafood salad sandwich with chips. Dessert was included and we both had had the mixed fruit berry pie. YUM!!
There were still areas of snow on the ground in spots along the tracks. We also noticed that about an hour from Denali, the trees were just starting to leaf out.
We arrived at the McKinley Chalet and we will be here for three nights. It's a beautiful spot and the rooms are down the hill from the main lodge, on the Nenana River. We were on the second floor and had a nice view of the river. It was a large room with a living room area and the bedroom area behind it. We had two tvs, one in the living area and one in the bedroom but no time to watch it. Once we got our luggage and settled in, we caught the shuttle up the hill to the main lodge and looked around. Then we crossed the street to check out the shops and a place to eat. We decided we really weren't hungry after two late meals so we ended up at Prospector's Ale House for some local beer and had some really good spinach artichoke dip with crackers. Then it was back to our room to get ready for tomorrow. We've scheduled our first excursion for 8:30 am.
The "shopping center" across the street
Our room is on the top floor, far right
Inside the main building at the lodge
So, it's off to bed to get ready for a big day tomorrow. When I get up in the night, the fun thing is to look out the window and see how light it is! It's something you really can't explain. I know Jim and Debbie Hansen will agree with me after living there this past year. Also, our friends Jan Hogue and her daughter Gwen Casson have tried to tell us about life in Alaska because they spent a few years in Fairbanks when James was in the Air Force but it's something you have to see for yourself. It's simply amazing! Until tomorrow.........
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