4
Sep
Days in Denali
Filed under What's next, North America, USA | 2 Comments
Leaving the Anchorage hostel was a struggle with only a couple hours of sleep. This is the disadvantage to sharing accommodation with large groups returning late and drunk. I had decided to retaliate by being extra loud when I left before 7am to catch my northbound train, but the group beat me to it. They were already up and occupying the bathroom. C’est la vie. A wicked glare will have to do.
Lucky for me, there was a coffee bar at the train station. I ordered an ‘Alaskan Sludge’ (added espresso shots to a traditional black coffee) and sat waiting for the whistle to blow for boarding. I chatted to other tourists with anticipation for the journey ahead, and took several photos in front of the shiny black display engine. The visitors from Kentucky were amused by my accent-it seemed as though the intensified coffee gave me an Irish lilt. Although I insisted I was Canadian, I gave in to the part and clicked my heels like a leprechaun for my own Kodak moment.
Once I nestled into my window seat on the top deck, I pulled out my guidebook and tattered travel notes. For the next eight hours I would be covering terrain that helped form ‘the wild frontier’ tag line known to all visitors. As ‘the last frontier’ is actually written on the Alaskan license plates, I figured it was time to delve into a bit more geographic history at the same time.