- Ate b-fast about 7am in the Mountaineer Grill at Denali Bluffs Hotel. Then I walked down into the row of shops and restaurants. You have to check your luggage in and they transport it to the railroad depot. My train was scheduled for 12:15pm.
- I decided to walk to the Train Depot. The clerk told me it was about a mile, it ended up being about 3 miles but hey it was good for me. The park service visitor center is also located right across the street from the train, it's worth a look and is a really nice facility. They have a film and some ranger tours you can take. The train arrived on time and we left about 12:40 after everyone had come off and we boarded. I was booked on the "standard" fare which is the cheapest price with the Cruise lines having the more expensive cars with the Glass domed roofs. To tell you the truth, I thought the standard fare was fine, I had plenty of room and we actually had a couple of cars with the "domed" roofs which we could use. I had no problems getting awesome views of the surrounding countryside.
- If you ever go to Alaska I would put this train ride at the top of your list. Granted, I got lucky and had a beautiful day weather-wise but I think on any day the views will be spectacular. The Train travels slow (we arrived back in Anchorage at 8pm) and you have plenty of time to take in the vistas. We got really lucky in a few spots because the clouds had cleared from Denali and we could see it perfectly. My tour agent had told me that some people prefer the bus ride, which I had done on the way up, but there really is no comparison. The train, in my mind, is the way to go!!
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