Boat, bus, train necessary to experience all of Alaska

Getting around Alaska can be a challenge. A tour guide told us: “You could fit eleven North Carolinas into one Alaska!” While North Carolina is known as the Good Roads State, Alaska has a limited highway system.

The only way to get to places in the southern part of Alaska is by boat or plane. These are places we really wanted to see – places like Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway and Glacier Bay.

Our cruise ship, The Westerdam, was perfect for navigating the southern part of Alaska. Once we docked in Seward, we hopped aboard a bus and took a long ride north to Denali. Along the way, we learned about the magnitude 9.2 earthquake that struck Alaska in 1964. Sunken fields from the quake can still be seen.

We took two train rides. The first trip was out of Skagway high up into the mountains of Gold Rush territory. Our second train trip was from Denali to Anchorage at the end of the Alaskan journey. This was a sweet ride aboard the McKinley Explorer. The Explorer features dome railcars perfect for viewing moose, eagles and bears along the way.

Tomorrow I will tell you about our favorite part of the Alaskan trip.

Here’s a hint: environmentalist John Muir called this place: “the paradise of poets.”