Alaska Journal #34: Aboard the McKinley Explorer Domed Train

The final leg of our cruise/land tour was aboard the McKinley Explorer which took us from Denali to Anchorage.

Holland America Tours operates ten domed passenger railcars on the Anchorage-Talkeetna-Denali-Fairbanks route of the Alaska Railroad.

The domed roofs allowed an unobstructed view of everything we passed en route to Anchorage.  

Lynnette and Alice are getting their seats for the trip, along with everyone in our traveling group.

Hi, Alice!

Hi, Lynnette!

We started at Milepost 347.7. 

We left the train at Milepost 114.3, Anchorage.

I took my first photo aboard the train at 10:00 am and my last at 3:30 pm, so I'm assuming that those times indicate pretty accurately when we started and ended our trip on the McKinley Explorer.

The train route is approximately the same route that we took by motorcoach from Seward to Denali.

What could be better than a beer on a train?  Maybe, two beers!

We dined on the lower level.

The flowers aren't in my beer bottle but in a vase on the dining table!  We were seated at a table with a couple whom we didn't know.  It was fun visiting with them and hearing about their travels.

A couple at the table across the aisle from us were from Rockford, Illinois, not far from Beloit.  That was fun to discover.  

See the reflection in the window?  That looks like an empty beer bottle to me!!  I must have liked it, although I always drink to the bottom, no matter what.  

If I remember correctly, it was raining on the motorcoach trip.  If it has to rain, why not when we're en route rather than out in it!!

Lon's hat?

Notice the flower.  It appears we're still in the dining car.

Goodness...still eating!

That's a stairway and a wheelchair lift on the right.

Perfectly synchronized walkers stroll past the Kahiltna Bistro.

We came alongside some friendly folks riding a raft on the river.

We saw a few moose momentarily during our time here in Alaska.  They almost always ran back into the woods or I fumbled with my camera before I could get a good picture.  I really wish we would have gotten a good look at one.  

I could have quoted from the Ride Guide to the Historic Alaska Railroad, (Custom Edition Published Exclusively for the Holland America McKinley Explorer) which we received or on second thought, I purchased when we boarded in Denali.  I didn't find it to be that interesting so for fear of boring you, as well, I chose not to share the material in it.  If anyone is interested, I will lend it to you.  Just let me know.

Alaska Journal #35, my final photos, will cover our time in Anchorage on June 10th and 11th, prior to our flights back home.