All aboard, Alaska

 I’ve been dreaming of the railroad, all the livelong day. But seriously, I’ve been daydreaming about riding the rails through the Last Frontier for the better part of 20 years. It was mission critical that I get on that train this trip, and it was looking pretty dicey for a while there.

Alaska Railroad Train in Whittier, Alaska

My entire wishlist for Alaska was: Ride the Alaska Railroad, see Denali and the Northern Lights. I made none of those things happen on our first trip, but I’m making good progress on my list on this adventure. I was able to see Denali from the plane on my emergency rebooked morning flight from Anchorage to Fairbanks. So… score one for Travel Snafu #1, because I certainly wouldn’t have seen The Great One on my late-night flight. My desire to ride the Alaska Railroad was actually part of the cause for Travel Snafu #2. While I was planning, I had one departure date in mind and I couldn’t find any train availability for any logical routing for myself. It was looking like I was going to have to fly to Anchorage to pick up my van. When making our arrangements, my host gave me the correct day of the week and wrong date for their return, and I didn’t notice the discrepancy. I was just so excited that the new return date meant I COULD grab the only available train from Fairbanks before picking up my U-Haul van and starting my Van GO-gh adventure. Availability was pretty limited, and it probably would have made more sense to ride the train to Denali, explore there, and then ride the rest of the way to Anchorage, but it was too logistically nutty and the weather forecast was terrible for those early days. As in the rest of this adventure, everything worked out exactly as it should. The train that was not available while I was making my original plans miraculously had a seat open up, and I was able to emergency re-book on the correct next day. The rest of my trip was a mess, but I could at least leave Fairbanks and work out the rest on the road.

The Alaska Railroad is an experience, not a commuter train. You can fly from Fairbanks to Anchorage in under an hour for under $100. The train ride takes 12 hours (in a mask) and an Adventure ticket ran $255 (plus my $40 travel snafu change fee.) Ideally you’d put yourself in one of the luxury dome cars, but it’s closer to $400 a person for those all-inclusive tickets, and I’m balling on a budget these days. It is worth EVERY PENNY for that “coach” ticket, and I hear it is absolutely spectacular up in “first class.”

 It rained my entire last week in Fairbanks, and I was feeling pretty bummed that it was pouring pretty hard as the conductor called “All Aboard.”  The windows were covered in rivulets of rain and views and photos were going to be pretty hard to come by. Somehow, miracle of miracles, the rain abated, the views were plentiful, the company was spectacular, and I had the time of my life.

The first stop from Fairbanks is Denali, and the ride through Healy is breathtaking. Canyons, rivers, bridges, mountains, MOOSE! There is a panoramic view car in Train E (the car behind mine) that is open to all passengers for 20 minute increments. When the train narrator lets you know that you are entering the border of the park, it’s time to put down your distractions and stare out the left side of the train in awe. We were oohing and ahhing together, shutters were snapping, and we stared unblinkingly out the window at the wonders of Alaska as they flew by.

I met several great families and we swapped suggestions for each others trips and promised to exchange whatever rain-free photos we were able to snap. I also watched some miserable families and my heart went out to the parents that worked so hard to organize a memorable family vacation and were instead dealing with sullen teens and overly energized littles. My car was full of kids staring at phones not windows and griping at each other. I was having the time of my life on my own, and feeling pretty happy with my life’s decisions as I rolled down the tracks with an Alaskan beer in one hand, my camera in the other, and a big ole smile on my face.

 In Denali, a mother daughter duo, Aurora and Laini, boarded and sat across the aisle. We chatted until the train arrived in Fairbanks 10 hours later. I was gifted an Alaska Milepost Guide for my birthday, a directory of everything to see and do at each mile marker in Alaska. It outlines all of the attractions, amenities, and important things for adventurers like bathrooms and showers. I did some web-searches to shape my trip, and used my time on the train to familiarize myself with the possibilities. As Alaska natives, they had so much advice and filled the margins of my milepost guide with tips/tricks/recommendations. Their recommendations in Homer, Eklutna, Girdwood, and Hope all came in really handy for my Van GOgh adventure.

The whole ride is lovely, but besides Healy, the last hour of the ride is the second-most picturesque time to head to the panoramic viewing car. That ride comes to an end with several beautiful rivers and lakes, we even had an osprey join us.

There are 14 different mountain ranges in the 49th state, and on this 12 hour ride you pass 3. The vistas are pretty different, you can’t possibly get bored. Alaska is the largest state in the union and it has so many varied landscapes and terrains. The narrator of the train provides history and context, calls out if there are animals to spot, lets you know in advance if something interesting is coming up, and walks around answering specific questions. It’s really well done and deserving of your attention. Availability is limited, especially in COVID, so be sure to book early and enjoy riding the rails.

You can purchase food on the train- yogurt, veggie trays, cold sandwiches, snacks, beer and cocktails. I packed myself a picnic of delicious CSA goodies prepared at my house sit. I figured it would be soggy sandwiches, and after years of eating terrible airport fare I do everything I can to not eat wet and wimpy food. My neighbors said their sandwiches were really not bad, but I went with safe bet beverages.

I spent so much time working and re-working my itinerary, I couldn’t believe that I had no idea where I was pointing the UHaul once I picked it up. My plan to head to Denali for a bus tour was imploded by my delay, and a ferry reservation from Valdez was making things really tricky. This whole “flying by the seat of my pants” thing was starting to look REALLY problematic. Thank goodness for that train trip. My lack of firm plans meant I had less to change, and when I had service I was able to finalize my adjustments and replan (again.) The ferry folks moved my reservation up two days and I was able to head straight there. I didn’t think there could be a prettier ride than the railroad, but the road to Valdez for the first leg of my Van Gogh Venture sure gave it a run for its money!