Anchorage and the Train v.78

We arrived in Anchorage expecting to freeze.  We brought every cold weather clothing item we owned.  The locals kept telling us it was a little colder than normal for mid-April, and they just got an unusual late season snowfall.  It wasn't all that bad!  Kind of like Ohio...  Our earlier plan to go in December may have been a little different.  Or a lot!  

We had one day to explore Anchorage.  I wanted to get some Alaska based information on the 1964 earthquake.  Becca grew about 3 inches this year, and out of her snow clothes, so we just HAD to shop.

  We made friends with the ladies in the log cabin based visitor center.  They said the films in the Alaska Public Lands Information Center were very good, but security is ridiculously tight, since it shares the building with  Federal offices and the Court House.  They actually make you show ID, and run your bag through an x-ray machine... The earthquake film is excellent.  Lots of first hand experiences and footage.

USGS photo- 4th Avenue landslide dropped the buildings on the left side of the street a whole story!  photo link: http://libraryphoto.cr.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/show_picture.cgi?ID=ID.%20Alaska%20Earthquake%20no.%20%20%20%2046ct

We stayed in the Marriott downtown, which offered us a beautiful view of Cook Inlet.  It was filled with ice in the morning, melted by afternoon. We learned about Alaska's Bore Tide- when Cook Inlet has a high tide, it can come in like a wall as high as 10 feet high and at speeds of 15 miles per hour.  It can be surfed! Brrrrrrrrrr......

Cook Inlet from our hotel window.

We spent Saturday taking the train from Anchorage to Fairbanks.  The station crew wished us safe travels from the platform :).

Anchorage depot crew

View from our window as we rounded a curve

The day was clear and the scenery beautiful!  The train crew was very excited- apparently we got lucky- our view of Mt. McKinley was outstanding!  The train experience included a host, who pointed out landmarks, and told stories. We saw the cabins at Denali National Park (closed for the winter).  They look very inviting... When we saw a group of caribou climbing the hills, the train actually BACKED UP so everyone could get a peek.  The train was a truly fun experience!

A view from the train crossing a bridge

Mt. McKinley

Becca pretended we weren't with her on this trip.  She hung out in the dining car, and met a group of kids from Kodiak Island who were on an 8th grade trip.  They were visiting the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and attending "the Opera" while they were there.  At her request, we decided to go as well- time with new friends is precious!  It turned out to be "The Velveteen Rabbit", done by mostly kids.  Becca sat with her friends, and we enjoyed a fun performance.