Capturing the Moment

  Exploring Anchorage, Alaska: The land of the midnight sun 3 MIN READ 543 WORDS The famous Alaska railroad is what started everything here in Anchorage, Alaska. Now it is the biggest city in the state, and a jumping off site for so many amazing adventures. I've taken this beautiful train up to Denali National Park before, but this trip is all about exploring Prince William Sound. I flew in late last night to Anchorage, Alaska to start another season as Expedition Leader aboard the Safari Explorer, a small expedition cruise ship. However, even though this is my ninth season doing this in Alaska, it is my first season running trips in Prince William Sound. The last time I flew into Anchorage it was 2016. Heidi and I took our summer break to come up and explore Seward, Homer, and Denali. Seeing the famous blue and yellow Alaska train brought all the memories of that trip back. Check out the blog post from that trip here: 2016 Alaska Train Ride 2016 Alaska Train Ride My plane landed a...

Arctic Terns at Potter's Marsh Heidi at Turnagain Arm The drive south from Anchorage to the seaside town of Seward takes you through 2 hours of some of the most scenic driving anywhere in the world. And that is only if you don't stop anywhere to explore more...which would be a shame. Heidi and I had already traveled by scenic train, safari bus, and motorcoach, now we had our own little rental car which can only be described as a micro (smaller than a compact), and were ready to tackle the road to Seward. Strolling thru the wildflowers Fresh Water out of the cliff   Just outside of Anchorage the vast fjord called Turnagain Arm comes into view. It has been called that ever since Captain Cook's sailing master, William Bligh (of HMS Bounty fame), was sent in to see if this 45 mile stretch of water could be the elusive Northwest Passage that Cook was after. Instead it only led to another dead end to which Bligh in his disappointment referred to as the "Tur...

My favorite spot on the train Boarding our train to Denali Scenic Train Through Alaska    I have long heard tale of this scenic train ride through the heart of Alaska’s wild frontier. The Golden Star Line heads from mile marker 0 at Seward up North to mile 470 in Fairbanks. Along the way it passes glaciers, bogs, snow-capped peaks, tundra, forest, rivers, ponds, and if you are lucky maybe the great mountain itself, Denali, will peek out from the clouds. Sharp eyes can spot moose around the lakes, bears ambling through the woods, trumpeter swans on their nest, and bald eagles flying above. Most of the time is spent cutting through the wilderness, although towns like Whittier, Seward and Talkeetna provided brief glimpses of human population pushing back the wild frontier. When combined with the cities of Anchorage and Fairbanks, also located on the track, you can account for about 70% of Alaska’s population. It goes to show how important this railroad has been....