20 july, Monday

This was a day to remember. The ship docked during the night, supposedly about 1 AM but no one noticed as all were asleep. At 5 am things started to happen. The breakfast area open, the train out side arrived and people were moving. We had a disembarkation of 7 AM. We had been assigned to D car, table 16, which was a full length dome car. There were 7 such cars on this train heading to Denali Park. The train pulled out promptly at 8 AM and headed initially towards Anchorage. In leaving the Whittier area we had to wait for our scheduled transit thru the tunnel. It is the only way vehicles and trains can enter or leave Whittier. It is only one lane/track wide so traffic is one way.

Riding the train was a new experience for several on our car, they had never been on a train of any sort. We were lucky to see some animals along the way. The route thru Anchorage took us near the downtown area, a place I have not been for years.
As we left that area we passed thru Wasilla, home of Gov. Palin. After leaving there the engineer poured the coals to it and we moved rapidly north. The scenery along the way was beautiful and interesting. People living in the middle of no where, year round, was the norm.

Finally at 6PM some 10 hours later we arrived at Denali. When leaving the train we got on busses with the number of our building in the front window. We had received our hotel packet on the train with keys and maps. All we had to do is go to the room. The daylight was still strong as sun set was not until 11:29. The room was over looking the river and all the rapids. We went for fish and chips, outstanding, at the Bistro.