Return Journey to Anchorage

1 & 2) Resurrect Art Coffee House 3) Mile 0 of the Iditarod Trail 4)Buoy Tree in front of someone's house 5) 7 Dwarfs Falls from train 6)View of front of train on sharp curve 7) Trail Glacier 8) Moose 9) Ghost Forest near Portage, AK 10) Dome car 11) Dall Sheep along Turnagain Arm

I like doing things more than once. It gives me a chance to move beyond the excitement and start to notice more details. I also feel less compelled to take pictures and am therefore more inclined to really experience the moments. That said, I have included some pictures so that you can get a sense of some of the sights that I saw as I took the train from Seward to Anchorage. This was my return journey, after three days in Seward. Although I didn't get into Anchorage until 10:15 p.m. it was light like the middle of the day the whole ride (I always notice this and am taken with surprise when I look at my watch). I am also glad that I didn't do the roundtrip in one day as the majority of passengers had.

I very much enjoyed Seward. Beyond the incredible outings which included walking up to the edge of a glacier, sea kayaking to the Gulf of Alaska (the largest open body of water in the world), and taking a tour boat to spot wildlife, I found myself charmed by the small town pace. My last day in Seward I played local: taking the school bus shuttle to the grocery store, going to the postoffice (of course!), the library to read Magazines, the park to just sit still on the water, and my (now regular) coffee shop called Resurrect Art Coffee House to write, contemplate teaching, and eavesdrop on conversations. I was officially made local by the bus driver who noticed my suitcase and asked if I was on "the ship." When I replied that I had come by train he said, "Well then we call you a local, no matter where you are from. " Turns out there was a cruise boat crowd in town which I hadn't crossed paths with until the bus which quickly filled up to take them all of 4 blocks to their docking station. Being included always feels good.

Once on the train the greatest discovery was the dome car, a car that was elevated with windows in many directions (forward, backward, up and out). The conductors asked that people only stay 20 minutes so that everyone could have a chance but there was never a crowd so I stayed for the duration of the trip. The light and views kept me alert for the whole ride, even with the gentle rocking of the train. I noticed when I walked through the lower levels more than half of the people were asleep. We spotted a moose eating, an mature and immature eagle pair, and dall sheep sprinting up the mountain side. I recognized many of the "sights" along the way, including my favorite - the ghost forest. It was formed when these tree roots were submerged in salt water during the 1964 Good Friday earthquake. It killed them but preserved them. They will stand for hundreds of years more, just so. It is quite striking.

I got into Anchorage and splurged on a cab to take me to my hostel. My body was achey from the previous day's kayaking and I think I feel a cold coming on. The luxury of not caring my bag up hill was well worth the $5 cabfare. I slipped into my bunk bed at the Alaska Backpackers Inn and slept the night through. Somehow it was only this morning that I realized all the hostel walls are painted by travelers. It is a nice assortment of art, inspirational quotes, and hopes for a life of adventure. It makes me remember why I stay in hostels in the first place.