the journey continues

As we said farewell to our ship and headed on to the next phase of our travel, I was convinced that taking a cruise was one of the best ways to see Alaska. With unobstructed views of the scenery, experiencing nature and its serene beauty, cruising alongside the glaciers was a memorable and enjoyable part of our trip. After disembarking from the ship, we transferred to the Denali Express train for a leisurely 9-hour ride to Denali.

We were very appreciative to get excellent seats at the impressive Goldstar first class car. With a glass dome and etched glass dividers, it's the only car that has its own open viewing platform on the same level as the dome compartment, a great feature for taking photos of the views.


The dining service (shown below) on the lower level, looked neat with colorful glass art and white tablecloths. The kitchen was bright and gleaming with stainless steel counters and equipment.

We boarded the train before sunrise and so we were looking forward to having some hearty breakfast or brunch on the train. The food was very good and definitely worth trying. We came back for lunch and I tried a seafood eggs benedict version made with flavorful crab cakes. The poached eggs were cooked perfectly and the hollandaise sauce was light and creamy. We had a relaxing time and enjoyed every minute of our train ride.

an irresistable flaky pie made with mixed berries and apples for dessert

pancakes with reindeer sausage and eggs benedict

Along the way, we all got excited to see a family of dall sheep on the cliffs right by the railroad. The view of spruce trees in their yellow and green fall colors, mountains and rivers, shown above, appeared more like a painting than the actual scenery. Coming up next is the conclusion of our travel to Alaska ~ our land tours to Denali and Talkeetna :-)