Yesterday was a travel day and chance to recover from jet lag. We left Anchorage at 8am and boarded the train for the Princess McKinley Lodge. The first moose siting came as we passed Elmendorf Airforce Base on the edge of Anchorage. We were told that moose roaming the streets in Anchorage is fairly common. The train is a lot cleaner and upscale than Amtrak. Had breakfast on the train next to picture windows so you didn't miss anything. Actually, the dining area is best for pictures because there is no glare from the bubble dome.
The train stops in Talkeetna and we get a bus for the trip to the lodge. You can also get off in Talkeetna and then catch a shuttle back to the lodge. We'll be back Friday for our glacier flight.
The lodge is great. We found out that it just opened for the summer and we were the first group through. Lots of college kids staffing the restaurants and lugging baggage, but also lots of other folks our age and older drining shuttles, working in the gift shop, etc.
Now for the best part. Few people get to see "The Mountain" when they visit because of the clouds. We were thrilled to get a glimpse of the peak on the trip in, but that was nothing compared to what happened later. The sky cleared in the afternoon and the mountain was in plain view all day. A waiter who had been here for two weeks said it rained the day before and the place was covered in snow when he arrived.
It's now Friday morning and the sky is completely clear and temps are 50-70 today. We got lucky.
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