Yesterday, Sarah and I left Seward on the 6 pm train for Anchorage. The weather in the morning was sunny and gorgeous, but by the time our train departed, it was back to the usual rainy weather. The trip was still pretty, but we both wished it had been nicer so we could have seen a little farther. Still, we made the most of it, and had a nice trip to Anchorage, where we stayed in a hostel for the night.
In the morning, we packed up and headed to the Anchorage Museum, which was absolutely amazing! Sarah and I were both especially impressed with the exhibit, Living Our Cultures, Sharing Our Heritage: First Peoples of Alaska, on long-term loan from the Smithsonian's National Museums of the American Indian and of Natural History. The exhibit was massive, with over 600 objects covering 10 Native Alaskan cultures. The display was visually stunning, with large glass cases, little text, and beautiful lighting. In lieu of text inside the case, touch screens were set up next to each case with outlines of each object on exhibit. Visitors could touch that object on the screen to find out more, including images of the object, explanatory text, discussions about the object between museum staff and native elders, and archival images of the object in use. The exhibit was so engaging and unique that I wished I had much more time to explore it.
At 3 pm, I had to tear myself away from the exhibit and head outside the museum to catch a bus for Denali. I said goodbye to Sarah, which was hard because I won't see her until next spring when I go to Florida to defend my thesis project. (Thanks, Sarah, for everything! I had a great time with you in Seward!)
The trip to Denali took 6 hours. I slept a little in the beginning of the trip, but the scenery became lovely as we neared the park. After getting off the bus, I caught a shuttle to the Denali Mountain Morning Hostel where I am staying. It was a long day of travel and I arrived absolutely exhausted!
Crossing the railroad tracks
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