Land Tour – Mt. McKinley

We disembarked from the ship at what I refer to as the crack of dawn (actually it was still dark). They walk us across the dock and right over to the train. This occurred at the port in Whittier. The train is very nice with about 20 tables per car and abut 20 cars. We traveled along the water and enjoyed the mountain and glacier scenery. Each car has a narrator that provides information about the area and sights.

Our first stop was Anchorage, where a number of passengers departed. The rest of us continued on the 5 hour ride to Talkeetna. The train ride was not overly smooth...pretty jostling ride, but the time went quickly and the sightseeing kept you engaged.

At the Talkeetna station, we boarded buses and were provided the opportunity to see town or head to the hotel...we chose to visit the town. Talkeetna is famous as it is the town most climbers come to prior to starting the journey up Mt. McKinley, referred to as Denali here in Alaska. We got some lunch and wandered the little shops. Unfortunately, it was not too long of a visit as it was pouring rain the entire time. It is a very small town...maybe three blocks by two blocks.

We then caught the bus to the hotel, the Mt. McKinley Princess Lodge. This lodge is about an hour's drive from Talkeetna. At a certain point along the drive, the power grid ends. The McKinley Lodge is completely run on generators...and its not a small place. There are about 20+ buildings, three restaurants, and who knows how many other staff and maintenance buildings. The lodge is only open from May through September and all staff are seasonal...many come back year after year, some are college students, others retired folks working a short time of the year.

The weather stayed cloudy through the evening and we did not get to see Denali.