Saturday, July 30, 2021
The Coastal Classic (Anchorage to Seward) departs the station at 6:45 a.m., and passengers need to arrive at the depot one hour ahead of time. It was tough for this old retired guy to crawl out of bed at 4:30 a.m. but thoughts of riding the train propelled me forward. They say the early bird gets the worm. I've never eaten a worm, and I am pretty sure I don't want to. Maybe I should go back to bed.
Of course the reward for the early wake-up was to ride one of the most scenic train trips in the world. Okay, that thought has me moving faster. Maybe I could take a nap on the train? Anybody who believes that, stand on their head.
The Anchorage depot was abuzz with activity. Terry perused the gift shop and found a few fun items. Alaska Railroad employee Mike Gerenday was busy loading passenger luggage with a forklift. We briefly exchanged waves.
Humanity currently faces many looming questions: Are we causing climate change? Will this pandemic ever end? Is GoldStar worth paying the extra money? First, consider the Alaska Railroad no longer permits open vestibules, so the only way to get the open area experience is paying for the GoldStar upgrade. Second, there are many extra benefits such as 360 degree viewing glass-dome ceilings, all-inclusive meals in the lower level dining service, free beverages and two complimentary adults beverages and tour guide narration. Third, the comfortable seats recline and feature fold down tray tables. They can also be reversed if desired.
Adventure Class passengers are not permitted to walk through the GoldStar cars. However, GoldStar passengers can walk through Adventure Class if you want to stretch your legs, purchase souvenirs or just check out the rest of the train. GoldStar passengers are given a gold pin to wear, so the crew can identify GoldStar passengers.
As we were still in the midst of COVID-19, masks were required while onboard the train. Additionally, there was a dedicated custodial porter who sanitized surfaces, door handles, and rest rooms hourly. Each passenger car had a touchless hand sanitizer dispensers.
Our train left promptly at 6:45 a.m. with Keith Aleksoff and Scott Siegmann as engineers and David Grabowski as conductor. Our bartender had drinks in our hands almost immediately. I chatted briefly with conductor Grabowski and then headed out to the second level outdoor platform. Ahhhhh! It was quite a thrill for me, wind in my hair, no glass between me and my photos, listening to the sounds of the train. Nirvana! We spotted moose and lots of eagles as well.
On this train trip we opted for the Resurrection Bay Wildlife Cruise to Fox Island. In 2018 torrential rains caused a washout of the tracks, and our trip to Fox Island was cancelled. Sniff, sniff. Today our train made it all the way to Seward. We caught the shuttle at the depot which took us to the Kenai Fjords Tours boat dock. The walk from the shuttle to the boat was about 200 feet. Wheelchair service was available upon request.
The 4.5-hour tour included reserved seating in a heated cabin, narrated wildlife and glacier cruise in Resurrection Bay, as well as lunch at Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge. As I am limited mobility I spent most of my time seated in the lower cabin while Terry spent a great deal of time up top. There was lots of great scenery, and we spotted two humpback whales.
The Fox Island excursion left a lot to be desired. It was a 450 foot walk from the boat to the building. The food was served cafeteria style and consisted of salmon (bland and dry), salad (iceberg lettuce), canned corn, roll and punch. There was suppose to be an interpretive presentation, but none took place. While on Fox Island you are confined to a small stretch of beach. Basically, you kill time walking on the beach until the boat crew will let you back onboard.
As we got onboard the crew handed us a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie. Oh, what a nice touch! As we pulled away from the dock the boat captain explained the origin of Fox Island was that it was indeed initially a fox farm. Alfred and Billy Lowell established the first fox farm in 1901. By September 1905 the island had more than 400 foxes. The brothers built a dwelling and three feed houses on the island. Unfortunately, they had a tough time selling foxes, so they sold the business. It change hands several times, but was never successful. As an interesting footnote in 1910 New Yorker Rockwell Kent, illustrator, painter, print-maker, writer and adventurer, traveled to Seward with his son in search of adventure. The pair got into an 18-foot dory loaded with 100 pounds of supplies and were towed to Fox Island. The pair lived there for over six months.
Our ride back to Seward was packed full of wildlife: numerous sea otter, tufted and horned puffins, Stellar sea lions, Dall's porpoises, three orcas, sea stars, jelly fish, coastal goats, eagles and a puffin too fat to fly. Without a doubt, this part of the trip was very exciting!
"You Can't Always Get What You Want," Mick Jagger, The Rolling Stones
When we booked the trip, GoldStar class was not available on the return trip to Anchorage. We hoped for two GoldStar cancellations, but alas it was not to be. With that said, it gave us the perfect opportunity to compare GoldStar Class versus Adventure Class. In my opinion, there was no comparison.
In Adventure Class, the seats are surprisingly spacious. However, there were no free drinks or free meals. My"grab and go" turkey and cheddar sandwich set me back $7.50. Of course, you are welcome to bring your own food.
You view the scenery from smaller windows. You can go to the shared dome car (ours was #500) for some better views, but it was extremely warm and your visit is limited to 20 minutes. There was no open air platform as the ARR is now required by the FRA to keep upper vestibule doors shut. On our train we had no commentary.
Adventure Class is almost half the price, but for my money, GoldStar Service is completely worth it. It was the experience of a lifetime that I will certainly never regret taking.
There was a comical moment in the dome car. Someone on the right side of the train shouted, "Moose!" A man on the left side of the train wanted to see a moose so bad. He came flying out of his seat, stumbled across the aisle and fell into an empty seat. Unhurt and undaunted, he sat upright and scanned feverishly for his quarry. It was then the moose spotter declared it was only a fallen tree.
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Dome car #500 |
In the dome of #500 |
My Adventure Class dinner |
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Scenery as viewed from the dome car |
Dome car view of entering the tunnel |
A beautiful end to a fun day |
On our return trip, we had an unexpected bonus of seeing the bore tide in Cook Inlet. What Are Bore Tides? It is a rush of seawater that returns to a shallow and narrowing inlet from a broad bay. Alaska's bore tide is only second to the Bay of Fundy and can build six to ten feet tall and reach speeds of ten to fifteen miles per hour. Also, it is the only one bordered by mountains, making it very unique and dramatic.
With a blast of a Nathan five chime horn, our train pulled into the depot at 10:30 p.m. I was pretty beat! After Terry made a quick trip to the gift shop, we retrieved "our" car and headed for "home." We pulled into the Rudd's residence at 11:17 p.m. with plenty of sunlight still shining in the Land of the Midnight Sun.