Riding the Rails of the Alaska Railroad

We departed the Island Princess at 7AM for an eight hour train ride to Denali National Park.  Our
eight hour train ride included riding in a double decker train with a glass roof.  During the long train ride we passed a lot of scenery with lots of beautiful ponds with birds and waterfowl, deep gorges cut by rivers, with fireweed and cow parsnips lining the tracks along the way.  Each domed window car had its own personal conductor who would provide information and stories about the areas as we passed. 

Tony opted instead for the “lounge area” on the lower level which allowed us to spread out a little more, but we lost the view provided by the upper compartment.  However, I discovered a smoking area in the back of our train car where you could go outside to smoke or take pictures.  They really needed a “photo area” because that’s what most of the people were doing and we needed to get rid of the smokers! 

Dinner Plate Dahlias

Just past Anchorage on the tracks, we passed thru Wasilla.  As the train made its way through the 6^th largest city in Alaska, we learned interesting facts, like the Wasilla sits in the bread basket area of Alaska.  Stuff just grows big in Alaska, big bears, big fish, big flowers and world-record holding jumbo crops including a 19-pound carrot, a 76-pound rutabaga and a 127-pound cabbage.  Their State Fair must be incredible.  The 20 hour days evidently more than makes up for their short growing season.

Duct tape decorated moose

Of course everyone knows what Wasilla is really known for.  You got it-duct tape!  The Walmart in Wasilla is world famous as the duct tape capital of the world.  http://www.octanecreative.com/ducttape/wasilla/  Alaskan’s buy and use more duct tape for everything from creating art, patching planes or using it for medical purposes if no doctor is handy.  The Mt. McKinley Princess Lodge had its own duct tape Moose, proving how versatile duct tape can be.  As we passed by the Wasilla Walmart,  the day was very clear.  I swear I could see Russia from the parking lot!   

Dall Sheep along side the tracks near Turnagain Arm.  Too bad
they wouldn't smile for me!

Out in the “photo area” I ran into Gina who I had met the first day on the cruise.  We were both attending a photo seminar on the Island Princess; trying to get the most out of our cameras and we exchanged some tips afterwards.  We exchanged itineraries and we were both bound for the Denali Princess Lodge.  She was traveling with her husband and son, Tony and Tony and they lived in Connecticut.  We spent hours on the outside platform comparing photos, cameras and life, all the while taking photos when something interesting passed by.  That really helped make the 8 hour trip go a little faster.

Beautiful scenery along the way to Denali

Shortly before we made it into  the station, Aliy Zirkle came into the car to talk about her experiences with the Iditarod race, which starts in Seward and ends in Nome Alaska; an 1150 mile trek.  The Iditarod gets its origins from a medical crisis.  In January 1925, doctors realized that a potentially deadly diphtheria epidemic was poised to sweep through Nome’s youth.  The only serum that could stop the outbreak was in Anchorage, over a thousand miles away.  The only plane in the area was not operational.  Twenty  individuals volunteered to transport the vaccine to Nome the old fashioned way via dog sled, to save their neighbors from an epidemic.  The route the couriers had to travel to Nome was in the dead of winter over frozen water and through a whole host of mountainous terrain in sub zero weather.  They did so in record time of 6 days and were able to save the community. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1925_serum_run_to_Nome  In commemoration of the race, pitting man and dog against nature, the Iditarod race was started.  However, rather than 20 mushers, each team of dogs is operated by a single musher.  Men and women compete against each other, hoping to win the coveted title in a race that can take between 8 - 11 days. 

Trumpeter Swans and four babies 

Aliy Zirkle has run the race for 13 consecutive years and has come in 2^nd the previous two years, being in the leading position until late in the race.  She also raced in the lesser known Yukon Quest, a 1,000 mile race in February and won it in 2000.  She figures that to come in first next year, her dog team just needs a little more exposure and encouragement so she was passing out literature to spread the word and asking people to visit her site; http://www.spkenneldoglog.blogspot.com/ .  I just checked on it when I got home and they had pictures of the cutest little puppies that were just born in July.   Check them out!

Welcome to Denali

As we made our way into the station, all the lodge transportation crew were there waving to us with the Disney “Princess Wave”.  A nice welcome to Denali.