Riding the Alaskan Railroad

It's true the Alaskan Railroad caters to tourists and wouldn't be a viable commute option for Alaskans, but for this tourist, a full day ride along the rails was a perfect Alaskan day. The train called at Fairbanks where we boarded as GoldStar passengers. After more than a week of backpacking and camping, boarding the train as a first class passenger was a serious luxury. From our seats in a domed car, we had panoramic views of the Alaskan countryside. The train winds its way south from Fairbanks through the outskirts of Denali National Park, past small towns, over a three-hundred foot high bridge, and twelve hours later pulls into Anchorage. It rarely goes more than forty miles per hour and sometimes slows to no more than ten miles, which is perfect for picture-taking, napping, reading, and stepping out onto the open air porch of the GoldStar car. A walk through the coach cars assured me that riding the rails for less would still be a luxury.

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