Riding the Alaska Railroad is a dream come true for many a tourist and resident alike. It stays a dream for countless others who only venture to Alaska with their mind’s eye. We get to live that dream on a daily basis. And some days are more dreamy than others.
This was just such a day.
Portage Train Depot is right on the highway, near the Placer river, at sea level. We loaded up onto car A, the double decker with full glass viewing panels. We had quite the vantage point. We also had a Chugach USFS ranger as our guide for the trip. He had interesting local lore, history and flora & fauna information for us.
Sitting on the train while they off-load rafts on the Placer River, watching my kids unaware. Talking to their friends, sharing snacks, playing games. There may or may not have been some musical chairs with these assigned seats. They are in their element. The simple pleasures of life.
…what thrills me about trains is not their size or their equipment but the fact that they are moving, that they embody a connection between unseen places.
Marianne Wiggins
We rode from Portage to Grandview past Spencer, Bartlet and Trail glaciers. From the train station we traveled through marsh and flat lands, into cottonwood forests and gained more elevation until we were in hemlock and spruce forests. It’s cloudy with a little rain every now and then. Once in a while the sun pokes it’s rays through the fog and illuminates a mountainside. Glorious.
Just a little past Grandview Whistle Stop we topped out at 1061′ elevation where we stopped to gaze at Trail glacier. We stopped to see Snow White falls, named for its seven drops, the source of the Placer River.
We had a short stop at Grandview so we could hike up to a couple if vantage points. One to see the train and another to see a waterfall. We enjoyed the remaining flowers and berries and mushrooms growing along the trail.
Huckleberries 
Trail side shrooms 
The view of the train. 
A pretty little flower. 
A lovely waterfall.
We rode through 5 tunnels and over one trestle 104′ above the raging river below.
We saw snow drops, rock slides and a lake full of ice floes.
We passed over sheer rock walls, roaring rapids and glacial erratic in kettle ponds.
We learned about T-Bone Clark and Alaska Nellie and back country road houses.
The kids were amazed that the telegraph and telephone poles were still standing with some insulators in place.
Trains tap into some deep American collective memory.
Dana Frank
Best of all we got to experience some of Alaska’s rugged beauty with our friends. Memories for a lifetime.
#akadventure #homeschool #experience #akrr #learningisfun
The light at the end of the tunnel! 
Waiting to board.
Outside the Salty Dawg Saloon, Homer AK, after our kayaking trip.
Playing our grown up dreidle challenge game at Hanukkah.
He said he could eat the whole 5# block of cheese!
My little flower.
Visiting my Rickerd in the hospital after his aneurism surgery in August.
Pesach.
My holiday wreath at the office, Central Peninsula Advocacy Center.
Mark enjoying his 2nd, or 3rd? Childhood. What a sport he is! 
Lil Bit and the star of Willy Wonka.
Lil Bit & Lil Mister playing at Little Puffins.
Me & Lil Bit. She sure is growing up.
Our kayaking trip out of Homer.
Lil Bit and her violin instructor at Odies Deli, for a recital.
Thing 1 and her boyfriend at Pesach.
Her first formal recital.
Shirley Mae came to visit me! What a special treat!
Yom Kippur with Mark & Laquita.
Pirate’s 23rd Psalm driftwood art. Gifted to me by my fellow piratty dreadie at heart. 
Pesach flowers.
All spiffy!
Me and my girl at Salmonfest. 
Our violins.
Pretty lil butterfly at Mom’s house.
He wanted to be in the picture too.
Fishcamp sunset.
These two…
Lil Mister’s new Play-Doh set, he said look Mom, it’s you, she has dreadlocks!
Glorious cheese and fruit trays made by Mo.
Sukkot campfire.
Thing 1’s first multimedia art project.
Just us gals at our holiday party.
Hanging with my chicks at their birthday party.
Working on my copper salmon for the Kenai River Festival recycled art show.
Thing 1 helping my on a tile job.
Thing 1 with her new bunny “Francis” Franny, or bad bunny as I call her.
Solstice Sister’s dinner at Princess Lodge above Cooper Landing.
A glorious fire at Mo’s.
Miss Jane trying to infect Lil Mister with the bug.
Fun at Salmonfest.
Solstice Sisters dinner at Shawna’s before Niki leaves.
Wine & paint for Elaina’s birthday.
Fierce ninja warrior. He cracked his head open roughhousing with his brother. This child goes not do well with blood.
She wanted to try curly hair, so her sister put her up in rollers. Cute, but too much work.
Passing the time before our plane arrives. Our family trip to Kansas & Georgia to see family.
Epic ice unicorn. We had some killer icicles this winter.
Practice makes perfect.
Rock climbers out at Gray Cliffs.
Truth!
Dean’s siblings & Lil Mister in Georgia.
Solstice Sisters Fourth of July cookout. Photo bomber Thing 2.
Thing 2 learning to tape & mud. Working on the girl’s new room.Whew, what a upload of photos! 
I even scattered some grass seed. Who knows if it will grow or not, stuff might be 10 years old. I’m ready to try out my new pit, can’t wait to build that first fire!
Our Conductor Wanda.
Wormwood, I think.
One plant turned bright red in the midst of all the others.
A trio of ‘shrooms huddled together.
A piece of ice was fished out of the lake and inspected by all before being launched back out into the water. 
The glacier is so blue. But this piece was so clear, with tiny bubbles throughout. 
The wait for our return trip was filled with silly antics, arm wrestling and more specimen collecting.
The return ride seemed far shorter and before we knew it our trip was complete. 
We were off to Coast Pizza for dinner and then the drive home.
Alaska on my mind... 