Day 2: Right to the rails.

To complete my journey to Fairbanks, I elected to take a train, rather than flying from Anchorage to Fairbanks, or bypassing Anchorage entirely and flying straight from Seattle to Fairbanks. My reasons for not doing either of these were numerous; it was cheaper, I wanted to see Anchorage, but most of all – I like trains.

Taking the train, you get an actual feel for the land you’re passing through, rather than a postcard-sized aerial view through a tiny window on a cramped airplane. Likewise, I tend to find traveling by train relaxing, and not stressful like flying and driving often can be. As I’m writing this, I’ve been on the train for more than 11 hours, and I haven’t become bored or tired of it yet (nor have I reached for my iPod or a book). Plus, there’s something old-fashioned inside of me that gets excited by the sound of train whistles or the conductor shouting “All Aboard!”.

I’m told that the vast majority of Alaska’s population lives along the railbelt. I am also told that it’s not exactly a chicken-or-egg type situation – many of the towns along the way got their start as construction camps along the railroad when it was being built during the 20s.
I’m also delighted to say that not very much has changed here since the 20s. The railroad is well-maintained, and the Alaska Railroad (not Amtrak!) keeps its rolling stock clean and modern. However, in spite of all this, the land along the railbelt today is indistinguishable from the way it was when the railroad was constructed.

I’ve been on the train for over 300 miles now, and I think we’ve passed through three, possibly four “towns” for the duration of the trip. The vast expanse of wilderness out here is simply staggering. The views are absolutely breathtaking, and I’ve also spotted moose, caribou, and bear along the way. In addition, there has been no shortage of snow-capped mountains, glistening blue rivers, and majestic deep valleys. There are even bits of ice on the ground along the way that have yet to melt for the summer.

I had dinner in the dining car. Although it was initially a bit awkward grabbing dinner alone, I must say that eating in the dining car was an absolutely fantastic experience (again, it’s probably that weird nostalgia for living in a time before my parents were born). Although a bit pricey, the food was pretty good. Leaps and bounds better than airplane food (and Amtrak food) at the very least. Not exactly a 5-star restaurant in New York, but still not half-bad.

I might be the only Anchorage-Fairbanks passenger on the entire train. Because it’s still early in the tourist season, the train’s not that crowded, and we let off most of our passengers at Denali National Park (and picked up a bunch more). Two of the cars on the train have “domes” on the top of that are essentially a second-level that extends for about half the car, and is more or less a big glass bubble. Because they’re in obvious high-demand, you’re normally asked to switch out every twenty minutes, though since the train’s been so empty, I’ve been able to stay up here for the majority of the journey. The first-class passengers of course have an entire car that’s like this, where they’re allowed to stay for the entire journey – we’re also pulling a few cars behind us owned by a cruise line and a tour operator that are the same way. Looks like I got the same experience for a lot less money ☺. In between cars, the vestibules are a bit larger than on other trains I’ve been on. Along the same line, the exterior doors only close up to waist level, allowing you to get a breath of fresh air, or to lean out and take a picture. In retrospect, leaning out of a moving train for the sake of a picture might have been a poor choice. I know I’m going to get a frantic phone call from my mom regarding the past two sentences….

According to a mile marker we just passed, I’m only 10 miles away from my destination in Fairbanks. Apart from a small antenna (probably military) on top of a hill in the distance, there is absolutely no sign of civilization here, which is absolutely fantastic. I had my summer in New York… now’s the time to take a walk on the other side.

Tomorrow will be my first day at the University. I just passed the University and the building where I’ll be working, and the one where I’ll be living. The view is absolutely breathtaking. This is going to be a great 3 months.

Until later, ciao!