Alaskan Railroad

The Alaskan Railroad starts in Seward and ends in Fairbanks which was our last destination on the land cruise prior to our departure and end of the cruise and land tour.

We boarded the train at the Visitor's Center in Denali Park and spent about 3 or so hours riding through the changing landscape which was mountainous to start and relatively flat by the time we arrived at Fairbanks.

Weather in Fairbanks is amazingly mild by comparison to other places in Alaska.  The sun was actually shining there most of the time since we were considerably inland and away from the rain forested coastal areas.

Most descriptions of cruises to Alaska fail to belabor the fact that rain gear had better be a key issue when you pack your bags.  Dressing in layers of clothing was mentioned but relatively continuous  rain and overcast conditions would not make fair-weather people overly exuberant to sign up for a cruise if it were a prominent issue in the promotional literature.   

As with most vacation trips we have taken, the most truthful thing that one should keep in mind is the fact that "a place is what it is, and not what one would necessarily like it to be".  Most of the natural beauty and wildlife in Alaska results from "what is there" and not "some docile paradise which accommodates flatland tourists".