The train departed Seward on time at 6:00 PM for the trip back to Anchorage.
What really surprised me is that the cruise train is kept in Seward. Our conductor reminded me that only Princess uses Whittier and that all other cruise lines use Seward.
I went to the dining car for a wonderful pot roast dinner and we passed a waiting freight train. I then rode in the front seat of the rear dome car all the way back beyond Spencer Glacier. The clouds had lifted as we rolled through the beautiful Alaska scenery, but I was low on film by this point (those whales did me in!) Where else can you ride a dome car in daily service on a mainline during the summer in the United States?
We crossed Snow River which had many forks.
Riding in the dome car brought back a flood of memories from other excursions I had been on in fantastic cars such as these. It was so peaceful just to sit back and watch the scenery from the dome windows.
The overlook for Trail Glacier at MP 44.3. The rock and dirt in the middle of the glacier is a medial moraine. Trail Glacier got its name because a trail was built upon its face, since it was easier to walk the glacier than fight the brush, river and rugged terrain down in the valley.
A beautiful waterfall that I missed this morning.
The train started down the loops as Bartlett Glacier appeared at MP 48.2. Named in 1907 for Frank Bartlett, Alaska Central Railroad civil engineer, the glacier is visible just 800 feet away from the tracks. Deadman's Glacier rises above.
A look between the rocks of Bartlett Glacier.
The train on the lower loop. The series of five tunnels and the Placer River Canyon looked fantastic from the dome.
Icebergs floated in the lake in front of Spencer Glacier before we descended to the bridge across the Placer River.
As the last daylight was still shining, a last look at Spencer Glacier. I talked with our on-board guides until we reached Portage and worked on my story until after Girdwood, as darkness took complete hold then chatted with On-board Supervisor Karen Smith most of the way back to Anchorage.
I would like to thank the Alaska Railroad train crew of Engineer Duane Kauke, Fireman Forest McCahon, Conductor Harry Ross and Brakeman Duane Frawk for this great trip aboard their train. A special thanks to the dining car staff of Server Rachel Musgrove, Server Joanna Littau, Head Cook Steve Mullikin and Cook Mike Teveira for those two delicious meals I enjoyed. Thank you to Debbie Lenor of the on-board gift shop who sold me the last Alaska Railroad route guide for the 2004 season. I would also like to thank Onboard Supervisor Karen Smith*, Tour Guide Samantha Strunk* and Tour Guide JR Johnstone for pointing out all the points of interests. (* means they were also on the cruise train with me). We arrived at Anchorage at 10:14 PM and I walked back to the Captain Cook Hotel for the night.
On Our Way Home! 9/1/2004As I always say, "all good things must come to an end" but in my heart, I wished this trip did not have to. My mother and I arose early and walked across the street after tagging our bags to be picked up and enjoyed a French Toast breakfast at a reasonable price. I used the Captain Cook Business Center one last time and after checking the weather, we turned our keys in and walked out to a waiting van to the airport. The driver drove us by Earthquake Park then onto the airport and soon we were waiting for our flight.
Alaska Airlines Flight 884 9/1/2004Our plane was a 737-700 and arrived from Fairbanks. We were seated by 9:37 AM and the rain held off until after we arrived at the airport so it was great weather for the entire trip. At 10:06 AM, we reversed out of the gate and took off at 10:13 AM for was a flight above the clouds with only a few breaks when you could see islands and a few mountain peaks sticking out. We touched down at Seattle at 2:05 PM on the roughest landing of my life and pulled into Gate D2 and all we had to do was to go to Gate D12 in an hour and I walked there in less than five minutes.
Alaska Airlines Flight 564 9/1/2004We boarded the 737-400 at 3:00 PM for a scheduled 3:18 PM departure to Orange County, reversed out of Gate D12 at 3:19 PM and took off at 3:29 PM. Other than the Columbia River, it was more clouds all the way across Oregon into Nevada. As we crossed over the Sierra Nevadas, I could see all of the California Delta, San Pablo Bay, San Francisco Bay, one pillar of the Golden Gate bridge and the Pacific Ocean. Talk about a once-in-a-lifetime view. Everything had to be just right, the sun angle, weather conditions and visibility to produce such an excellent scene. It was the best clear day I had ever had on a plane looking to the west over California. We touched down at John Wayne Airport at 5:48 PM and arrived at Gate 13 at 5:56 PM then collected our bags and waited for my wonderful and beautiful niece, Danielle, to arrive to take us home. That ended this fantastic adventure to Alaska and back.
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