To soften the disappointment of not getting to go on the bush plane adventure over Denali, we decided to take a ride on the Alaska Railroad.
Our train from Girdwood to Seward was slated to leave at 7am. Instructions on the website said to be at the depot an hour prior to departure. We arrived at the Girdwood train depot as instructed and no one was there. No workers, no other passengers. No one. The depot was also extremely small, no doors even. Essentially it was like a bus stop you see on the side of the road. So, instead of sulking about waking up early for no apparent reason, we headed to town to get some coffee. We went to Alpine Café and Bakery and found some pretty good coffee.
Good coffee has been hard to find on this trip. We came across several places advertising coffee, but didn’t actually have coffee. Often it was an old sign that hadn’t been changed. We have also been to coffee shops that are popular with the locals, but the coffee isn’t very good. It’s likely we’re just spoiled at home with coffee from Oliver’s Daily Grind. They really do make the best Americano.
Alpine Café and Bakery showcased an amazing collection of baked goods. We, however, planned on getting breakfast on the train so although tempted, we passed on the pastries and enormous cookies.
With our coffees in hand, we headed back to the train depot. We had a short wait before our train arrived and the boarding process was quick and painless.
Once on the train we located our seats, then headed to the dining car. The dining options were a bit confusing but in speaking to one of the staff, they were trying something new this year. I don’t know what it was like before, but wondered if this was an improvement.
After standing in line for at least half an hour, we made it to the counter. There, you can order your drinks and pick from a number of grab-and-go options. We each had a breakfast sandwich, of which they had a couple different kinds to choose. There’s a microwave at the front of the car if you wish to heat your food. Braxton got orange juice and Mike and I got Bloody Mary’s. I’m not sure why, but Bloody Mary’s are our train ride drink of choice.
The other option for food on the train is to order from the menu. I didn’t learn about that until after we purchased our breakfast sandwiches. If you are going to order from the menu, you need to place it within the first 30 minutes of departure. Well, we spent that time standing in line.
Did I mention it was raining again today? Well, it is! We saw so many sites along the three hour ride to Seward. Granted, we did have to peer through rain splattered windows to see them. Even so, the views were still pretty amazing. We saw lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and glaciers. Some of the things we saw are only visible while on the train.
Once in Seaward, we made our way to the Visitor’s Center so Braxton could get his National Passport Stamp. We then walked to the Alaska SeaLife Center and had a great time roaming around exploring and taking in all the exhibits. We definitely recommend going there if you find yourself in Seward, AK.
With our bellies growling, we headed for a lite lunch, then walked around the town a bit. It was nice being able to walk everywhere, albeit in the rain.
As you probably noticed by now, we enjoy visiting local breweries. Seward Brewing Company was our next stop. We had some yummy food and some tasty beer before heading back to the train depot.
The rain paused several times during our return train ride. It was nice to see the amazing views through a window that wasn’t obscured by rain.
Today was a great day. Maybe it even made up for not being able to do the bush plane ride.