I
picked up my fish from J-Dock Fish Company and Cindy Clock drove me and
my stuff to the Alaska Railroad Seward Depot. With all my baggage
checked in, I boarded the train at 5:51 PM. My northbound Coastal
Classic train did not have the Aurora car and I was assigned to the "D"
car, which was the last car. The Coastal Classic had lost the
Aurora business car which had been the last car for several days.
Announcements were made by the
conductor and dining car and eventually I made my way to have
dinner.
I ordered a pasta dish with chicken and another Alaskan
Summer Ale, this time with a pint glass included for six dollars.
Another traveler was seated at my table and I noticed that she had a
NOAA pin on her lapel. I found out that this woman was a teacher
from Stockton, California, who had spent 3 weeks at sea on the NOAA
research vessel Rainier, which was in Seward. She told me that
she was part of a special program that places teachers on this boat to
participate in research or mapping. In her 3 weeks, the Ranier
had traveled from Sitka to Kodiak, and then to Seward.
The train
ride was very nice northbound traversing the same territory as my
Sunday June 27th ride. The difference today was the open
vestibule of the "D"
dome car. The doorway was only closed by a scissor gate which
made
good photography possible. As ususal the other passengers were
quite friendly and I
even bumped into a person who had been a guest Ballaine House.
