Anchorage
The largest city of the state and a key navigation hub, Anchorage is also known for its cultural sites and museums, apart from being the gateway to the massive wilderness areas around, like Talkeetna, Chugach and Kenai. While here, experience native culture firsthand at the Alaska Native Heritage Center or visit the largest and most diverse museum – The Anchorage Museum, which houses artifacts and exhibits from Artic Alaska; has a hands on science center for kids; houses an art gallery of significant artists from the state and also boasts of a travelling planetarium and a space gallery for children, all under one roof. Anchorage is also the depot for Alaska Railroads, and the boarding point for your train journey, across this magical state.
Seward
After a stunning ride of 114 miles from Anchorage, skirting through the 60-mile-long Turnagain Arm on Cook Inlet and after crossing over mountain passes, deep river gorges, running dangerously close to three spectacular glaciers, the train pulls into the second stop of the itinerary – Seward. With picturesque expanses of the sea and the mountains, overlooking the forests, Seward is a stunningly beautiful port town, bustling with several restaurants, an active nightlife and excellent shopping opportunities. The downtown offers intriguing tales of the historical evolution of the port town, with its rustic, old world charm still intact! A visit to the Alaska sea life center – the only cold water marine science facility for rehabilitation for injured sea animals in the western world, is highly recommended. It is quite popular among children, with its tide-pool touch tank, which allows them a closer glimpse of the aquatic and bird life in the marine ecosystem. The city is also a crucial gateway for popular cruise trips to the famous Kenai Fjords, glaciers and wildlife reserves in the vicinity and is also ideal for water sports like kayaking and whales & bird watching activities which can be equally rewarding and wondrous, especially with kids!
Talkeetna
A gateway to Denali (Formerly Mt. McKinley) Talkeetna serves as a base camp and is a popular destination for mountaineers and adventure lovers. With close proximity to the popular Denali nature reserve and Anchorage, it is also one of the most visited spots by tourists. With wooden cabins and clapboard buildings dating back to the 1940’s, the main street of the town paints a charming and rustic figure, with the frosted peak overlooking the quaint going on’s of the inhabitants. Apart from hiking and adventure trips to the surrounding neighborhoods, Talkeetna is also fabulous for fishing and river float trips or also a flight seeing tour of Denali.
Denali National Park
Hop onboard towards 6 million acres of wilderness surrounding the 20,310 feet of Mt. McKinley, the highest mountain peak in North America. The Denali National Park and Preserve is also one of Alaska’s most unchartered wildernesses. Though the mighty peak is visible only 30% of the days in a year, it is a rare and majestic site, ascending 18,000 feet above the surrounding landscape, in a massive heap of rock, ice and snow. Denali offers a unique geographical mix of tundra, spruce forest and glaciers which create an intriguing wildlife ecosystem that is home to grizzly bears, wolves, moose, caribou and Dall sheep. First time tourists can witness the enchanting expanses through a 53 mile guided bus journey, encountering the wildlife in its most natural habitat. For the adventure seekers, there is a compelling spread of choicest activities like hiking, mountaineering and biking.
Fairbanks
The final destination of this train trip, Fairbanks is one of Alaska’s best kept souvenirs. Located strategically between the Arctic, Canada and Denali, Fairbanks is often viewed as a pit-stop for Arctic bound adventurers. Known once for its Gold rush inhabitants, Fairbanks today houses a modern University campus that gives it a youthful feel. Among its worth visiting sites, is the architecturally abstract igloo-and-aurora-inspired University of Alaska Museum of North that houses rich exhibits related to the geology, history, culture and intriguing trivia of each region of the state. It also houses the Rose Berry Alaska Art Gallery, which chronicles 2000 years of northern artifacts and many more interesting museums like the George son Botanical Garden, the Fountainhead Antique Auto museum and the Fairbanks Community and Dog Mushing Museum. Also worth an experience are the Riverboat Discovery Cruise and a guided tour about the city’s Gold Rush History. The magical side of Fairbanks is reveled in the winters, where it is transformed into a ground zero to witness the aurora borealis – the Northern Lights. The annual winter Yukon Quest – a 1000 miles dog sledge race, unique to this landscape, also originates and terminates here.
