As spring quickly approaches I had to reminisce about the amazing train ride that my son and I took on the Aurora Winter Train from Fairbanks, Alaska to Anchorage, Alaska in December. I definitely must say that our journey aboard the Alaska Railroad was one amazing winter adventure that we will always remember. The Alaskan Railroad team’s performance was exceptional for our journey. First, the ticket agent was extremely professional and absolutely kind. My son is a railroad fanatic and he was so excited to receive an Alaska Railroad armband, ink pen, and a travel booklet from her. There was a gift shop in the station as well, thus I was able to purchase a Alaskan Railroad train for him and a
t-shirt. He loved the items tremendously however, I loved the professional service which was given.
We arrived at the train station early so we had to wait until the conductor called for boarding. This process was orderly and quick. All the seats aboard the train were occupied, however, there was ample space to store your personal items, clean restrooms, and a dining area as well. The staff onboard was the friendliest I had ever met and were gracious enough to share an abundance of information with the passengers regarding the wildlife, towns, and simply the way of life for those who call The Last Frontier home. I loved their stories and how they not only did their required jobs but went above and beyond to connect with passengers.
I was amazed to see people bringing their mail to the train and also boarding the train from some quite isolated areas. My ride on the train allowed me to peek into a world that I didn’t even realized existed. That’s the amazing thing about train travel: it allows one to sit back, relax, and view the world from a train window which provides such a different perspective.
The ride from Fairbanks to Anchorage is approximately 12 hours; however, time passes quickly and is so pleasant when you are from New Orleans where snow is rarely seen. We loved the winter wonderland view from our windows even though we only had a few hours of daylight. The Alaska Railroad took my son and I on the most amazing winter journey. We saw endless snow and somehow felt that we were in a permanent snow globe. Many people don’t enjoy cold temperatures but I must say we loved every moment of our journey aboard the Aurora Winter Train. Our favorite part was when we had an opportunity to exit the train for photos for a few moments. The train was decorated with Christmas lights and it made for our storybook moment. Our arrival in Anchorage was bittersweet because we had such a magnificent time. It was somewhat sad for me because this trip to Alaska marked the end of my son’s journey with a guy called Santa. I am truly happy that I chose the Alaskan Railroad as one of the activities that marked a closing to one of his childhood memories. Thanks for an amazing journey! We definitely hope to travel on the Alaska Railway again. All Aboard!!!