Pre tour- We had a three day tour, via rail on the McKinley Express, originating from Fairbanks stopping in Denali for a tour, via bus, and the night, then terminating in Anchorage. We were disappointed. We did not fully realize that, on average, only about 1 in 4 actually see Mt. McKinley. We were part of the other 75%. We also saw very little wildlife. Sorry, but, unless I missed something, I personally feel the Rockies in Colorado, Glacier National Park, and in Canada driving up to Banff are more attractive than what we saw. Am I glad we did it? Yes. Would I do it again? No. For me, it is not so much what you see as, for those of us from the "lower 48", realizing where you are.

The trip itself on the train was actually good. The hosts pointed out many sights along the way and they also shared lots of history. The guide on the second leg was very experienced and personable. I think he talked and was very entertaining nearly the entire 8 hours of the trip.

Luggage - Once the luggage arrived in our room in Fairbanks, later than we expected, it followed us perfectly and even met us in Anchorage and then on the Spirit. That was great! We did not see or touch our luggage after exiting the plan upon our initial arrival in Fairbanks and only changed tags in the hotel in Anchorage. Very well done. Read more