10. Riding America's Most Northern Train - Alaska Railroad

That's our cue for the finale of Downey Lodge Travels by Train. I'm Mike, and this week we are taking this train, the Alaska Railroad, to America's most northern train station. To bring you up to speed, I've been traveling by rail from the most southern train station in America to the most northern, which is our final destination in Fairbanks, Alaska. Along the way, I've ridden America's fastest, oldest, steepest, longest, most luxurious, Highest and most scenic steam train before boarding the longest ferry in America to get us from the lower 48 to here, Whittier, Alaska. Welcome to the finale of Downey Live Travels by Train America. And if you didn't know, I'm traveling with my editor, Matt, and my other editor, Warwick. And so I think this is our cue to board. This is the adventure of Alaska. So our trip today starts in adventure class, but these guys don't know it. But tomorrow's trip, The car is tall, spacious, the seating is muted retro styling, which I love, quite comfortable. Comfortable? Oh, look at all the leg room we've got. So our journey tonight starts with a two and a half hour trip from Whittier to Anchorage, where we'll spend the night. And then we have a 12 hour train ride from Anchorage all the way to Fairbanks. But the interesting part about this specific route we're riding on right now is this tunnel coming up right here. This tunnel is the only tunnel in North America to be shared by both trains and vehicles. It's only a single directional tunnel, which means traffic has to alternate as it goes back and forth. And then trains take priority as they come through. Now finally, we're back out in the daylight to see Alaska. But we're not out here for too long until we enter a second tunnel. This tunnel is so narrow at one point that they slow the train down almost to walking pace so that the train doesn't sway back and forth and hit the sides of the tunnel. I just thought that was interesting. Let's continue northward to Anchorage. What a day to be on the rails. Wow, look at this. Now, I'm told to keep an eye out for one of the old cabooses still in use up here. That's an actual caboose. I can't believe they still use cabooses. Alaska is the largest state in the United States and nicknamed the Last Frontier. And from here, well, I can see why. There's nothing here but majestic wilderness. You have to admit, the blue and yellow stands out here in the gray and green. The trains look good. Not only is our passenger car here on the Alaska Railroad quite comfortable, Why couldn't... There you go. This is better than first class on airplanes. This is better than, this is practically a lay flat pod. Just need cucumbers on the eyes. Yeah. We've been on it for about 20 minutes now and there is water on both sides. The scenery in Alaska is remarkable. We just got here. Have you been on a real train before? Only city trains. Only city trains. Welcome to the wilderness of Alaska by rail. Feels like a movie. All you have to do is sit back and relax. We've lost it. It feels like I've been transported back in time and I'm experiencing what travel is like back in the day. Yeah. I mean, these rail cars were probably built in the 1950s, maybe the 60s. Yeah. Wow. I think you might hear a lot of that. It's one thing to keep your eyes open and enjoy the scenery, but it takes a sharp eye to spot wildlife. You have to be louder, you don't tell a whole. Oh yeah there, oh yeah. Good eye, our first moose. Did you see it? No I didn't. On our left is the inlet and on our right is the Chugach National Forest and we follow along the Seward Highway for most of this trip. I don't even know what side to look out. You've got mountains on this side, you've got the mud flats on that side, the river. This is amazing. Sitting inside and watching the view pass by is calming, and this view really feels like we're headed towards the end of this trip. Maybe it's just the lighting. Maybe it's having been traveling for the last nine weeks, but this feels like the beginning of the end. What we've completely forgotten at this point is that this isn't our big final train ride to the most northern station in America. That's tomorrow. This is just a two-hour trip to get us from Whittier to Anchorage, and it's already exceeding our expectations, which should be a little teaser to you that tomorrow is one of the best train trips I've ever experienced. But now we're starting to notice a few more buildings and homes than before, which means we're pulling in to Alaska's largest city. Oh, bye everybody. Hey, buddy. Bye guys. Here we go. Thanks Faith, see you tomorrow. That was just the first leg of our trip. We'll be right back here in 12 hours for our 12-hour journey to Fairbanks. Anchorage is the hub for the Alaska Railroad Service, and it's home to 300,000 residents. But tonight... That number is three hundred thousand and three. But we're not here long. Here we go. Day two. And today's trip is much busier than last night's train. This train between Anchorage to Fairbanks is really a tourist attraction in itself. So the guys don't know it yet, but yesterday, I booked us on the Adventure Class, one of these trains. But we are now going on the Denali Star in Gold Class. Because it's the finale. We had to. Car A? Welcome aboard. Oh, already. So let's take a look at our home for the next 12 hours. And so our car goes up. Gentlemen, welcome to Alaska Railroad Gold Class. Damn, bro. I'd like to immediately point out the massive size of the windows. Uninterrupted. Welcome aboard Matt. I feel bad. You said yesterday this is your first train experience and this is going to be one of the best in the world. Okay. So we have the large passenger area with the big viewing windows, but if that's not enough to see the scenery, we have the outdoor viewing deck. On the second floor. And even the viewing deck has a glass ceiling. So really, you'll never miss anything. This whole train is designed with one thing in mind. To let you experience as much of Alaska as you can. So we have to wear this pin. It says Gold Star Service. Because this is what gets us into the dining car downstairs. And we'll show you that. We're getting three meals today. We haven't left the station yet, but apparently it's breakfast time. I'm okay with that. I'm hungry. Nice to meet you, hungry. I'm Michael. That's it. We're off. Slowly. Out of town, here we go. I can't believe this is coming to the end of the series. I don't think it could have finished in any better way. Which means large windows in the dining room, but also serving local food, like the reindeer sausage. Wow that's nice. Slightly chewier but not really tasty. And typical me eh? 9am and I'm already chatting with other guests on board. But as I've said before the beauty is that none of us have anywhere to be. Now there's something I always like to do after eating a meal. All right I think it's time for our famous bathroom tour. Or a lavatory in this case. Okay, wow. Okay, wow. I like the sconce lighting in here. Little faux wood, little faux metal, great mirrors, good corner sink. Most importantly, tons of space, odd toilet angle, but I don't hate it. I think this is a great bathroom. Now the dining room isn't the only place where you get service. You can have drinks at your seat. Mimosas in Alaska, who would have thought? A little struggle. We do get to stretch our legs at a few stops along the way. So the nice thing about the Alaska Railroad is it has the upper deck, so you don't have to step out when it comes to the stations. But you know, I like to. This is Talkeetna, Alaska. Not much to see, but we have 15 minutes here. They called all aboard. We're coming. Oh gosh, we strayed too far. Warwick, I'll hold the train for you. Thank you, guys. All right guys, whew, whew. Barely. Just in time. Thank you, Colin. This is so different than Florida 10 weeks ago. Now, I should tell you, for the Gold Star service, tickets are just over $400, but they include three meals, two alcoholic beverages, and complimentary views of the endless Alaska landscape over a 12-hour trip. I have to say, I'm surprised that they just switched that switch manually. I guess this is Alaska. They still do that. Come on! I don't know where the time has gone. It's already 1230, so we're headed to lunch. I'm sitting down to lunch with these two, realizing how lucky I am to get to bring them along and have us experience the ending of the series together. Got a reindeer penne bolognese. Got myself a veggie burger. And I too went with the veggie burger. Looks good. So what do we do after lunch? You know me, straight back to the deck. It's just so green. I love it. And not another person, building, or vehicle in sight. Coming up here is one of the iconic moments along this stretch of track. It's the spot that for the first time on this trip has Matt saying, whoa, wow, very cool, holy moly. We're now crossing the Hurricane Gulch. The bridge span is 904 feet long. We're over 200 feet high, and it's actually just turned over 100 years old. How's it going? It's going great. Beautiful scenery, no signs of bears just yet, but I'm not giving my hopes up and having a great time. I'm excited to see what's in Fairbanks. I can tell you what's in Fairbanks. The most northern train station. This This is the halfway point of our trip, and that right there is our sister train, the Denali Star, headed south. We're gonna stop here and we're gonna switch crews with them. So the crew that's been with us headed north from Anchorage, we'll get off and then head back south on that train. And that way they get to spend the night at home rather than in another city. Hi guys, enjoy your trip. Come on Warwick, wave. I'm waving. Do the train wave. I'm waving. Hey. Bye. That's it, off they go south and I guess that means we're going north. When I started the series of this, it was just an idea of sure. You could technically connect it. I don't think I really expected to have the experiences that I did on this trip. Getting to ride America's fastest train, the oldest train, some of the most unique, like the steepest train or the highest altitude, which are both cog railways, there's just, Such a diversity of trains but it's not about the train it's about where you end up where it takes you and random adventures you have along the way and I don't know if you can tell but this is this has been a very fulfilling trip even though it's coming to the end I feel like we did it right. That's our cue. It's true, I come for the trains, but the moments off the train are just as memorable. Whether it's seeing the Washington Monument for the first time, riding in an Amish buggy, eating in the hotel where the World Bank was signed into order, or partying in San Antonio with my dad, off-roading with my mom in Utah. Driving the Pikes Peak Highway with Will, visiting Mesa Verde National Park, and of course, taking Will to see the Grand Canyon for the first time. These trains might be the destination, but they're only one part of the adventure. I think if I've learned anything from this trip, be nice to people, make the most out of the situation, and say yes to opportunities that come along, because everything's worth it with the right attitude. Wow. We're just entering the Denali National Park Reserve and along in the side is Mount McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America. It's hard to see with the clouds, but that might be it. It's such a popular tourist stop that it's also where we'll lose a lot of our new friends. This is Denali. Have a great trip. Bye. Nice to meet you. Bye AJ. Bye guys. Bye Colin. 4 p.m. in the afternoon and I have 2,671 steps. That's not a good look. All right, back on? Basically. Yeah, back on the train. This whole train car was full of passengers and now only the first four rows are full, but we're getting a lot of new passengers on, so it will be a different dynamic this afternoon. We just spent all morning getting to know these people and now we have to start all over. Don't worry. Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet. So they slow down the train for two reasons. The first is this is the scenic parts. They want to make sure you get all the photos you can get. The other reason is there are a lot of rockfall hazard areas. They're not worried about rocks falling and hitting the train, but they're worried about coming around a corner and there already being a rockfall. So they go nice and slow through certain sections, but I am not complaining. This is basically what I came here for. Running along these canyons is my favorite part. Some of the best scenery in the country passing you by slowly with just a little wind in your hair. And nothing wrong with that. Wow. Wow. We're back to the wow part of the trip. Wow. I can't wait for the ride. I'm scared to take a photo and hit the fly out. Oh, you'll fly out, yeah. With 12 hours to enjoy it all, you never feel rushed, you really actually relax and appreciate where you are. Experiences like this, you can only get on the train, under a bridge, with the right crew. I don't know if you needed a reason to come to Alaska, but this might be it. This might be it. Let's go, nature! Yeah! Which at the moment, is in the middle of nowhere. But in reality, you're in a comfortable train with nowhere to be but here. That'll never get old. Let me tell you, it's a good place to be. Oh wow! Two of them! Two of them! Woo! Let's go! We got booze! How do you see that? A keen eye. Sitting down for dinner. Cheers guys. Cheers. Last supper on a train for a while. What can I say but wow. Wow. Look at this. Look at this. Look at us. Thank you for doing that. But if this is your first time here, subscribe down below. And for dessert, we're having, very fittingly... Mousse! Triple chocolate mousse. Oh ----, what did you say? Get the train so you can get the mousse. This is both Matt's first time seeing a moose and trying a moose. Whoa. Like I say, when you're on the train, get the dessert. I feel like it's the perfect little size so you can't really feel guilty. I'm just gonna taste it. I'm just tasting the mousse. Are we getting sunshine? Is this happening at the end of the trip? Always have to end it on a bright note. The tough part about this trip is literally watching the mile markers count towards the end of the trip. But it's not the end of the journey. You see, this is episode 10 of 10 on this train trip across America. But I started this YouTube channel six years ago when I got laid off from my job, which is then when I decided to start the YouTube channel and follow my passion for travel. Following my gut, trusting myself, and being creative is what's gotten me here. Which, at the moment, happens to be Alaska, but in reality it means here, as in a full-time adventure vlogger. I get to travel for my job! Now, to pay for my travels at the beginning of my YouTube channel, I briefly worked at a junk removal company where I met my friend Riley, who is a very talented composer and audio engineer, and now I actually get to hire to master all of the audio on this series. This video isn't sponsored, so I figured I might as well take a second to To promote Riley Koenig Music, and thank him for all the work he's done on this series, and in case you're a YouTuber or a creative and need help with audio, I'll leave him linked in the description. But also, a year ago, I was filming Season 1 of Downey Live Travels by Train, and needed more editing help for my first big series. And I just so happened to have met Warwick at the right time, and he stepped up immediately to the huge workload to get us back on track. Pun intended. He's been critical to the team over the last year, and he's turned out to be a pretty fun friend too, which makes having him here all the better. And a big thanks to his wife, Kate, who helped create all the artwork and cards for this series that are almost all sold out, but you can still purchase them. And I've left a link in the description to her Etsy store as well. Seriously, the artwork is beautiful, and I would love to sell them out for her and just surprise her with that. Thank you, Kate. But I wouldn't have made it this far without this guy. Two years ago, I met Matt, and I hired him as my first editor, and he instantly improved my videos. I mean, really, he's the one who makes all my silly ideas come true. Without him, the Washington Monument wouldn't have fallen. It would just look like this. So, thanks for sticking with me, Matt. You're a good friend, and an even better editor. And I'm glad we're finally getting the chance to travel together. Alright, alright, I know you came here to watch an episode about a train in Alaska, and not a bunch of thank yous, but we do have to remember to appreciate those around us, because, These moments won't last forever, so whatever your dream is, remember, small steps now mean big progress over time, and the only person that's going to chase your dreams is you, so you'd better get started. It's the only reason I'm here. And if you can, find yourself a Warwick and a Mack. You'll go further together. In fact, they'll help get you all the way to Alaska. We didn't hear that. And here we are, arriving at America's most northern passenger rail station. Welcome to Fairbanks, Alaska. It's amazing how quickly these moments end. But remember, it's the beginning of the next adventure. So this is it. Fairbanks Station, America's most northern train station. I really hope you've enjoyed traveling across the country with me. From Warwick, Matt, and myself, a sincere thank you for watching. And I will see you in a couple of weeks in the UK for Downey Live Travels by Boat. See you then. If you thought this train series was great stick around because we'll be exploring the canal system of the UK with over 2,000 miles of navigable waterways and a mix of history and infrastructure where we'll travel on the iconic British narrowboat, through the deepest loch, ride on the famous Anderton lift, cross the highest and longest aqueduct and travel through the deepest The deepest and longest canal tunnel in the UK. So make sure you've clicked the subscribe button down below so you don't miss the first season of Downy Live Travels by Boat. I don't know where I'm going next, but I know I want you there with me. Next time. Let's go!