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2014 Visitors Guide
VISITORS GUIDE
Relax while traveling the state on the Alaska Railroad By Jeff Richardson jrichardson@newsminer.com
The Alaska Railroad offers a unique vantage point for visitors to the Last Frontier, providing both industrial muscle and a relaxing way to see the vast state. The railroad hauled more than 5 million tons of freight in 2013, much of it consisting of petroleum and coal products. But it also serves as a busy passenger service, giving nearly 500,000 passengers a leisurely look at some otherwise inaccessible scenic areas. The railroad stretches from Seward on the Kenai Peninsula to the Fairbanks North Star Borough. With that territory to cover, it offers six separate passenger trains and a variety of runs. More than half of Alaska Railroad passengers arrived aboard cruise ships in 2013, with most of them taking the short runs
arts
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Denali programs
July 12: Evening of salsa with Saber Cubano Dance. Learn to salsa in a one-hour class from 5-6 p.m., watch a professional
Come & Join Us! Journey Christian Church
from Whittier and Seward to Anchorage. Aside from those visitors, the most popular passenger train is the Denali Star, a daily summer service between Anchorage and Fairbanks, with stops in between at Talkeetna and Denali. The Aurora train runs from mid-September through mid-May, providing a winter weekend service between Anchorage and Fairbanks. Other summer passenger trains include the Coastal Classic (daily service between Anchorage and Seward), the Glacier Discovery (daily summer service from Anchorage to Whittier, with whistle-stops at Spencer Glacier and Grandview) and Hurricane Turn (a first-Thursday service between Anchorage and Hurricane, and Thursday through Sunday between Talkeetna and Hurricane). The railroad has a passenger service fleet of 44 railcars, including 11 passenger coaches and six dining cars. It
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www.fairhillchurch.com
455-4433 www.journeyalaska.org
11505837-5-10-14VG
Regal Cinemas on Airport Way
Affiliated with Church of God from Anderson, IN
907-457-5522 • 907-457-2167 101 City Lights Blvd., Fairbanks, AK 99712
18505093-5-10-14VG
Sunday worship at 10 a.m.
Contact staff writer Jeff Richardson at 459-7518.
Chena Lake
performance at 7:30 p.m. and then join the fun of salsa dancing at 9 p.m. at Tonglen Lake Lodge. July 19: Jazz Quintet at Denali Wilderness Princess Resort’s Bistro at 9 p.m. July 20: String Quartet at Tonglen Lake Lodge, time TBA. July 25: Caitlin Warbelow/ Celtic crew at Tonglen Lake Lodge, 7:30 p.m. July 26: Steel Drums at 49th State Brewing Company, 7 p.m.
Worship Services Saturday at 7 p.m. • Sunday at 11 a.m.
also features a variety of cars specifically for enjoying scenery along the route, with six bi-level “ultradomes” with a glass-domed compartment with a viewing platform and reclining seats, and six Vista Dome Coaches, with reclining seats beneath a dome in the middle offering 360-degree views. Seven low-level dome coaches have seats arranged around tables, a small galley and service bars. The railroad also offers 10 vacation packages, running from two days to 10 days. Offerings include glacier cruises, Alaska’s National Parks by rail, a “Rails and Trails” package featuring backcountry hikes, and a basic tour featuring stops in Anchorage, Talkeetna and Denali. Information about the Alaska Railroad’s various passenger and vacation plans is available online at www.alaskarailroad. com.
Recreation Area. Free hospitality passes for senior citizens and the handicapped are available upon request. Fees range from $1 for bikers and walkers to $5 per vehicle. Tent camping is $10/night and the fee for vehicle campers is $12. Firewood is available and pedal boats, rowboats, canoes and kayaks can be rented. Residents use the area year around, especially the groomed cross-country ski trails and trails for running and walking. It also is a popular site year around for horseback riding, dog mushing, skijoring, snowmachining, cross-country skiing, running and walking. Interior Alaska Gun Dog Association hunt tests, Fairbanks Retriever Club field trials, and the annual trebuchet and catapult competition are summertime events. For more information, call (907) 488-1655 or check out www.chenalake.com.