We work up early to bright daylight as we head out on a damp cold morning in a 40ish degree weather. We took buses on a short 10 minute trip, from the hotel, to ride to the train. The train would be taking us on a seven hour guided adventure. As we rode to the station, we kiss Denali goodby and could tell as we rode out that there was so much unexplored and uncovered.
We finally boarded the trains and took stairs to the top of a double decker train car. The engines were marked Alaska Railroad. The cars were nice and the seats were comfortable. One the first floor there was a dining car featuring a full breakfast and lunch menu. Keep in mind the food in Alaska is usually shipped in and iced, so never expect the ripest flavors for fruits and vegetables, however, this food was delicious.
The top cars feature a tour guide and drink waitress. The cars feature a full bar with plenty of options and decent prices, considering you are hovering above the ground in the middle of no-where beautiful Alaska with no cares in the world.
The sights and views were amazing and never seemed to end. The tour guide was great and very knowledgeable about the region. Along the way, we saw the tallest house in Alaska, which was built on stilts to be able to see Mount McKinley over the natural Alaskan treeline. We saw two bears and one small moose on the trip.
After a couple of great meals, some snacks, drinks, and great views of the Alaskan frontier, we finally arrived at our destination in Anchorage Alaska.
We left Nenana Alaska and continued the rest of our trip to Denali. On the way there, we continued to take in the beautiful Alaskan scenery as high snow covered mountains were surrounded and covered in dense covered forest. This area of the state is especially beautiful and something words, movies, and pictures, do a bad job to actually explain how gorgeous this part of the world is. The bus driver pointed out the bus from the Alaskan based 2007 movie "Into the Wild" (Sean Penn) as we pass it and the road where the film was shot and took place. Seeing the surrounding area really showed how harsh conditions can be in the winter, where the movie took place.
We finally arrived out our location, the McKinley Chalet Resort, a Holland America owned hotel chain. The resort was beautiful and backed into a miraculous view of the Nenana river and surrounding mountains. The McKinley Chalet Resort included multiple bunking cabins and quarters, a newly built area to eat, shops, multiple restaurants, areas duck away to hide and enjoy the views. Moose are frequently spotted in the area and are told to walk through sleeping quarters at all times during the day.
This was certainly one of the most beautiful places we had viewed in Alaska so far and one place we didn't want to leave. With almost 20 hours of direct daylight and four hours of twilight, it was easy to crack open a bottle of wine or two and forget what time it was.
In this area there is so much to do including white water rafting expeditions, gold panning, salmon bakes, zip lining, a downtown shopping area, hikes, restaurants, river walks, trips to the Denali
National Park and Reserve, and so much more. A trip to the Denali National Park and Reserve can talk up one to multiple days depending on the activity wanted and is a short bus ride from the resort and right next to the trains.
We recommend Karstens as a great place to eat in the area for those who like upscale food and dining. Keep in mind that most food is flown in or not native so it is often times frozen or preserved. Karstens is a new restaurant that just opened at the resort and had many gluten free and vegan options (the sides.) The staff was also very knowledgeable on their dishes.
The Denali National Park and Reserve includes a full free museum which features full size replicas of Moose, Wolf, Goats, Ducks, Geese, and many other animals and trees. Facts of the state, Denali area, and how some of the first settlers survived in the region was interesting to read. The museum also includes a theater that shows a film with interesting facts about Denali, Mount McKinley and the surrounding areas.
Our group took part of a Mount McKinley photography excursion. The excursion was an alluring trip towards Mt. McKinley to capture some of the most beautiful pictures of the region. Along the trip a female moose was spotted by the group as it caught the attention of many people passing by on the road. Some beautiful shots were taken on this trip of local flowers and many mountain views as shown on this page.
After looking back on the trip, Denali was easily one of the best and most beautify places we visited on the trip, easily one of the places we want to stay longer at while there, and a place we will certainly go back to visit later in life.
Sadly we had to move on as the next day we would be taking an seven hour train ride south to explore Anchorage, Alaska.
The sights and views were amazing and never seemed to end. The tour guide was great and very knowledgeable about the region. Along the way, we saw the tallest house in Alaska, which was built on stilts to be able to see Mount McKinley over the natural Alaskan treeline. We saw two bears and one small moose on the trip.
