Welcome aboard the Trains–Special Interest Tours 2024 Alaska by Rail adventure. Please join us as we travel on the Alaska Railroad for 9 days from Sept. 8 to 17, heading south from Fairbanks to Anchorage, Alaska.
Flying into Fairbanks two days ago the view from above made it appear as if modern Alaska is literally cut from and through the wilderness. Looking down the yellow fall colors and evergreens carpet the land. The location of roads, rivers, and the Alaska Railroad is obvious as they are lines sliced in the forest.
This morning our group boarded the Denali Star for a 3½ hour scenic and dining adventure from Fairbanks to Denali. Departure was slated for 8:20 a.m., and that is when the wheels turned. We’ll discuss the scenery in a moment. Right now it is time for breakfast aboard the train.
On the Trains-Special Interest Tours adventure one rides Gold Star class aboard the Denali Star, meaning meals — in this case, breakfast — and other perks, are included. The dining section is situated on the lower level of an extra-height Colorado Railcar Manufacturing sight-seeing coach. Decorated with contemporary art displaying Alaskan symbols — bears fishing, mountains, and the aurora borealis — the dining room signals a traditional railroad culinary experience is at hand, albeit with modern embellishments. Food is prepared on-board in a kitchen adjacent to the dining room. An Alaskan-sized offering of eggs, potatoes, and bacon leads the offerings, but from there the menu takes interesting twists — biscuits and gravy with Alaskan reindeer sausage and Alaskan blueberry bread pudding. Soft, flakey biscuits welcomed the silky cream gravy, but for me the menu stopped at the bread pudding. Any bread pudding is a weakness. Toss in Alaskan blueberries and my inner-bear emerges. Breakfast Alaskan-Railroad style is a tasty and memorable experience.
Now that we have dined, let’s return to the scenery. Currently, fall color is at peak or just past here in the 49th state. Once urban Fairbanks was behind us, the Denali Star sailed through a slice in the forest with fall color blazing on both sides of the train. The trees are punctuated with small ponds and meadows. The numerous small ponds, the railroad’s on-board guide explained, were caused by rain water pooling on the surface above the thick layer of permafrost — the ground below 4 to 6 feet is frozen leaving water to gather on the surface. The tall, spindly trees made it feel as if the train was running through a Bob Ross painting filled with happy, accidental trees.
About an hour before the Denali station, we pass the town of Nenana and start running along the river of the same name. The Nenana River flows through a deep cut gorge with the tracks perched on a shelf above the rapid-filled water. On board everyone divided attention between the roaring river below and the slopes above, known to be the home of Dall Sheep with their large curling horns. We didn’t see any.
All too soon we arrived at Denali station. It was a memorable ride, which we will repeat in the upcoming days as we continue to Anchorage.
Coming up on Day 3 — Today we meet the tallest mountain in North America — Denali. Standing at 20,310 feet above sea level it is the centerpiece of the national park bearing the same name.
