|
|
|
|
Lunch in the dining car: chicken caesar salad on the left for my mom, and for me, Klondike Stew (with buffalo, beef, and moose)!
|
And for dessert, a Mt. McKinley chocolate mousse (heavenly!).
|
And here is the real thing: Mt. McKinley, covered by clouds, the highest mountain peak in North America, at over 20,300 feet in height, the centerpiece of Denali National Park.
|
Mt. McKinley from the dome car of the Alaska Railroad Denali Star Line
|
Mt. McKinley from the dome car of the Alaska Railroad Denali Star Line
|
Peaks of the Alaska Range from the dome car of the Alaska Railroad Denali Star Line
|
Alaska Range
|
|
|
|
Shot of the front of our train going around a curve
|
|
... and the trailing cars following ours.
|
More shots of the Alaska Range ...
|
|
|
|
|
Hurricane Gulch about 300 feet below us on the tracks
|
Hurricane Gulch, south central Alaska
|
|
Can't get enough of that Alaska Range!
|
Alaska Range
|
|
|
Passing over the Indian River, one of the only rivers in Alaska NOT fed by glaciers. It is therefore very clear, often appearing green due to copper deposits.
|
A beaver dam in the Indian River! Go Beavs! :-)
|
Indian River. We learned that the 5 major kinds of salmon inhabiting these rivers are Chum, Sockeye, King, Silver, and Pink
|
Crossing over the Susitna River (Athapascan for "sand"), on the second longest railroad bridge in Alaska.
|
Susitna River crossing
|
Shot from the bus ride back to the park from Talkeetna after disembarking the train. Many of Alaska's railroad crossing lights and lighted signs are powered by wind and solar energy.
|
Heading back home on the Alaska Highway, which had lots of construction going on in eastern Alaska and across the Yukon. They say up there that there are 5 seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter, and road construction.
|
|
|
The Honda hangs in there still!
|
At Border City gas station at Alaska/Yukon border
|