Last weekend I rode the Alaska Railroad from Fairbanks to Anchorage. It was a a spectacular way to see Alaska in the fall, as the colors are turning. One of the cooler things I've done. The weather was good, and the views were long. I'm told such clear views of Denali are rare, but we were viewing this massive mountain from different angles all day.
The train ride takes 12 hours, and has two stops. I paid the premium for the Gold Star service, just short of $200 extra, and I think it was worth it. They had a tour guides talking throughout the day, explaining what we were seeing, and warning us of upcoming views. The Gold Star service has an open air platform you can go out on to, and is in an elevated car with a dome roof. You also get three meals in the dining cart, which were very good (e.g. eggs and reindeer sausage; salmon chowder, arctic cod, et al.)
But the views were the thing. The colors of the Alaska are turning yellow--and its a very short season for this--before winter comes on hard. We went through open flats, narrow river canyons, 10 people towns, mines, along rivers and lakes. the whole bit. A good portion of the trip was through Denali National Park. I saw a few moose, some captive reindeer, a couple beavers, a few different types of salmon.
I was on the very last train of the season. The Alaska Railroad runs a winter train, on this route, but it less frequent and doesn't have the dome car. It would be fun to try out, though, at least when there are a reasonable number of daylight hours.
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