LOVING LIVING LIKE A LOCAL IN LISBON #1: THE GOOD LIFE ABROAD

Posted on October 17, 2026 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

After traveling on ten small group tours with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) and enjoying every single one, we hadn’t planned on changing course. But thanks to a gal we met on our very first tour with OAT, we learned of a new (and very different) concept: The Good Life Abroad (TGLA). She had learned about the company from other OAT travelers who had enjoyed their first TGLA experiences, so she booked a month in Paris. She suggested I check out the TGLA Community Facebook page to see what other TGLA travelers had to say about their experiences. That was in spring of 2025, and after reading many posts, we were convinced. We booked a month in Lisbon, Portugal, for September 13 – October 13, 2026.

Since then, I have continued reading more positive posts from other travelers who chose to live like a local with TGLA. And, our friend loved her month in Paris! We were so excited when September 13 arrived.

The Good Life Abroad, founded by Andrew Motiwalla, is designed for 55+ active adults who would like to live in a foreign city for an extended period and engage deeply with the local culture and community.

This is exactly what we were looking for as an alternative to the small group tour experience where we only stay in any given city or town for a few days before moving on. Our previous visit to Lisbon wasn’t even that long; it was for one day during a cruise in 1998. What can you possibly experience in a city in a day? It was barely scratching the surface as a tourist. Bruce and I prefer to be travelers.

For me, I was yearning to go full circle. My international travels began by backpacking through the South Pacific for one year after college, in 1984. I was truly living like a local, even working in a couple of different cities in Australia. I had missed that immersive experience and wanted to enjoy it again—this time in more comfort as a senior, living in an apartment rather than bunking in youth hostels.

The TGLA program includes an apartment, usually in the same building as the others in TGLA “community.” Our group of 14 were split up in two buildings near each other in the central Chiado area of central Lisbon. We were located at Lisbon Best Apartments Chiado Camoes, overlooking Praca de Luis Camoes.

Three days each week, there are activities planned for the group by the community manager, who is also available throughout the week to answer questions. On Tuesdays, we met up at a restaurant in a different neighborhood each time to enjoy the local cuisine. This was a great time to catch up on what we all did during our four days exploring on our own.

On Wednesdays, a cultural activity was planned, either a walking tour, market tour and cooking class, or tile painting workshop. Thursday evening was happy hour, the final one being during an awesome sunset cruise. We also did a side trip to Sintra with lunch. All of these activities are included in the cost.

Lisbon has an excellent metro system, which our community manager, Jen, taught us how to use during our orientation tour. She provided a card loaded with 10 Euros, which we could refill as needed. Bruce and I found it easy to get around by using our card for not only the metro, but the “electrico,” electric tram, bus, and ferry across the Tagus River. For areas not as easily accessible, we used Bolt, a less expensive and more popular option than Uber. It is such a reasonably priced option that locals use it a lot. Since Lisbon is a VERY hilly city with cobblestone streets, our group used Bolt often.

In Europe, many people use WhatsApp to communicate, since it is free. Jen set up a group for us, so that is how we all communicated with each other. Jen would post the location of our next meet-up along with a map link and other information. It worked out great!

Our month in Portugal was a wonderful experience! More details and photos will appear in upcoming posts, but for now I will leave you with photos of our apartment and views from our living room balcony. (I opted against using a camera for this trip and shot all photos with my Google Pixel 8a phone. Although it was convenient, since I was using my phone for GoogleMaps navigation, the downside was the noticeable wide angle distortion on some of my pictures.)

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

This little terrace was just inside the entry to our apartment; an unexpected surprise!

Our kitchen included a large refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, coffee maker, and washer/dryer combo all located behind the white doors. There was also a two-burner induction stovetop and microwave in addition to the sink. All dishes, glassware, pots and pans, utensils, and cutlery were included, along with dish soap, laundry detergent, and coffee pods. There was even an exercise mat and two large umbrellas, in addition to a safe. Jen gave us a tote bag with goodies!

I did a double-take when I entered the beautiful marble bathroom. That’s a TV on the mirror wall! There was also one in our bedroom and living room in the 600 sq. ft apartment! We only have one TV at home!

This was our building, and that’s Bruce standing on the balcony enjoying the view.

The view to the right. The electrico came by our building and stopped nearbye.

Luis de Camoes is the centerpiece of the square.

If you are new to my blog, you can subscribe on the home page to receive notification of future posts, and then unsubscribe at any time!

Coming up next: LOVING LIVING LIKE A LOCAL IN LISBON #2: CHARMING CHIADO

SEATTLE & ALASKA #12: SCENES FROM SEWARD

Posted on August 27, 2026 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Seward is known as “a drinking town with a fishing problem.” That sounds about right. A town of about 2,700 people, they take their drinking AND fishing quite seriously! As a matter of fact, Seward’s local economy is largely driven by commercial fishing. Seasonal tourism is also big, especially with the cruise ships that call on Seward from mid-May to mid-September.

Located approximately 120 miles from Anchorage, Seward is situated on Alaska’s southern coast on Resurrection Bay. The views of the snow-capped mountains from the town are gorgeous, which we thoroughly enjoyed during our first dinner in Seward. (I included a few of those scenes at the end of post #10.)

Here are a few more scenes from around town, shot following our glacier cruise:

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Coming up next: SEATTLE & ALASKA #13: WONDERFUL WILDLIFE & A TERRIFIC TRAM

SEATTLE & ALASKA #11: A GORGEOUS GLACIER CRUISE IN KENAI FJORDS NATIONAL PARK

Posted on August 26, 2026 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

The first thing I did when I woke up was look out the window. It was sunny; check! The next thing I did was look up the wind forecast; check-check! I had a good feeling about the day ahead…

Six hours is a long time to be on a boat if the wind kicks up and the water is rough. We were scheduled for a Kenai Fjords National Park Glacier Cruise, and I really didn’t want to spend it hanging my head over the back of the boat. And I really didn’t want to spend it with others doing the same! But during our safety talk after boarding, the captain made a point of telling us that was exactly where he wanted us to be if we got seasick. Lovely…

To cut to the chase, after you see these pictures, you will make the brilliant deduction that is not what any of us were doing at the back of the boat—or the front of the boat, for that matter. It was all hands on deck, but on our cameras and cell phones shooting pictures!

It was an awesome six hours! We were given a wildlife guide with a map of our route, the “Classic Kenai Fjords Park Tour,” which included passing by Bear Glacier and Holgate Glacier, and then stopping at Aialik Glacier. If we were lucky, we would also break for whales.

Along with the map were labeled photos of what we might see. We could fill in a little bubble to keep track. I laughed. What were the chances? Well, to make a long story short, we saw (if not photographed) almost everything, including a Bald Eagle that I forgot to fill in! No orcas? No surprise; our tour leader had seen them on less than 20% of the cruises she had taken with her tour groups.

What I didn’t get a good photograph of were the otters or birds, but I had photographed puffins while they were nesting in Iceland, very close to where I was standing; check out this post. I also got some close-up whale shots shown in this post.

Here, then, is what I did capture on this amazing day cruising the Kenai Fjords:

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Those are all harbor seals! The captain said those were the most seals he had seen all year.

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better (after seeing otters, harbor seals and the glaciers), we saw this humpback whale!

These are Steller Sea Lions, and they are endangered.

I was so fortunate to be right at the center bow of the boat when the captain cranked the engines to head back to Seward. What a sight! A pod of Dall’s Porpoise rode the bow wake, staying with us until we picked up too much speed to keep up. At 7 ft 7 in. long, these are the largest of the porpoises and have a tiny head and no distinguished beak.

Next up: SEATTLE & ALASKA #12: SCENES FROM SEWARD

SEATTLE & ALASKA #10: ALASKA HERITAGE CENTER, ANCHORAGE & SEWARD

Posted on August 24, 2026 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Throughout our tour in Alaska, our tour leader, Julie, and bus driver, Bobby, shared a lot of interesting information about Alaska during our bus rides. Qualified residents, for example, receive an annual dividend from the Alaska pipeline amounting to about $1,000. To qualify, a resident must live in Alaska for two years. This dividend is much needed, because the cost of living in the state is very high, even though there is no state income or sales tax.

Our first stop of the day was at the Alaska Native Heritage Center, in Anchorage, where we learned about Alaska’s Indigenous cultures. The guided village tour was interesting, and I enjoyed watching the games demonstration, The exhibits in the museum were also excellent, so it was a worthwhile visit!

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

These lamp shades are made from harbor seal hides, commercially dyed salmon skins, seal intestines, and thread.

Before continuing to Seward, we had a couple of hours to explore Anchorage on our own. A city of about 300,000 people, the downtown area was small enough to easily get around on foot, which we did after walking part of the Coastal Trail.

Although Anchorage has the typical sports teams you would expect in any city, such as baseball, basketball, and hockey; there is one unique sport that it is best known for: the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The race begins in the city and covers a distance of 938 miles to Nome, which takes 8 to 15 days. Teams of between 12 to 16 dogs and their musher begin the race, but at least five of those dogs must be on the towline at the finish line. We learned a lot about the Iditarod when we visited four-time champion, Jeff King’s Husky Homestead, which I wrote about previously.

While walking through town, we saw the starting line as well as a mural with the names of all the Iditarod champions, including Jeff King:

Continuing to Seward, our group had dinner at a restaurant overlooking the marina in town. The skies had cleared, so we thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful evening views while we dined. It was a wonderful way to end the day!

This shot was taken through the window of the restaurant to the fish cleaning station on the pier below. This little guy was enjoying the scraps thrown over by the fisherman.

Coming up next: SEATTLE & ALASKA #11: A GORGEOUS GLACIER CRUISE IN KENAI FJORDS NATIONAL PARK

SEATTLE & ALASKA #9: A MEANDERING MILL TOUR & ANOTHER FANTASTIC, FABULOUS FLIGHT!

Posted on August 23, 2026 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Considering how fortunate we were to have beautiful weather the previous two days in Alaska, I didn’t mind the gloomy skies and some sprinkles during our tour of Kennecott Copper Mill.

The fourteen-story mill had an interesting history, and we saw it from top to bottom—literally. After hiking up a steep hill, we entered the mill from the fourteenth story and made our way down each one, climbing down ladders each time.

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

At the top of the steep hill entering the 14th story of Kennecott Copper Mill

The view to the right of the glacier off in the distance

Two of the big names in the partnership that developed the copper mine, mill, town, and railway to transport the copper were J.P. Morgan and Daniel Guggenheim. Built between 1906 – 1911, the entire project was highly controversial. Political battles between conservationists and those having financial interests in copper were fought in President Theodore Roosevelt’s office at the White House. Taking into consideration the deep pockets of both Morgan and Guggenheim, it is easy to understand how they won out.

Meanwhile, the mines, employed by Greek and Scandinavian immigrants, were a horrible place to work. It was dark, dirty, freezing cold, and the work was dangerous. To add to the misery, the mill was isolated— a 45-minute tram ride each way, and the miners worked seven days a week.

At its peak in 1924, Kennecott was producing 10 to 12 million pounds of copper—enough to fill 10,000 rail cars—each year. What the workers didn’t know, it was the beginning of the end, because ore was no longer found as fast as it was extracted.

In 1932, the global copper market was hit by the Great Depression, and the mines closed until 1935. When they reopened, it was with fewer workers. The ore dwindled and production declined. In 1938, Kennecott was closed for good.

In the end, Morgan and Guggenheim’s $100 million investment returned $200 million. A net of $100 million? Not bad!

Following our tour and lunch back at the lodge, our group headed back to the “airport” for our flight back to Chitina where we met up with Bobby and the bus. This is the view of the mill and town from the plane:

Although the weather wasn’t as beautiful as it had been during our first flight, the scenery was still gorgeous.

Our fellow tour mates coming in for a landing

This time, Kyle was our pilot, but we had the same plane and passengers:

We stopped at Majestic View Wilderness Lodge for dinner:

On our way to Seward, we saw this moose. It was a tough shot out the window in low light in a moving bus

Wasilla, along the shore of Lake Lucille was our destination for the night.

Next up: SEATTLE & ALASKA #10: ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE CENTER, ANCHORAGE & SEWARD

SEATTLE & ALASKA #8: RAMBLING TO ROOT GLACIER

Posted on August 21, 2026 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

“KennIcott” or “KennEcott”? I can’t tell you how many times I changed the spelling in my notes; I was constantly confused. But I later learned the spelling with an “I” refers to the glacier that was named for Robert Kennicott, an explorer and naturalist from the 1800’s that had visited the region twice. “Kennecott” with an “e” refers to the Kennecott Mines or the company town at the base of the mill. The misspelling was on the incorporation paperwork, and it stuck.

Confusion solved! And I remember it all fondly as I look back on my pictures and think about how much I enjoyed just being there in that environment.

During our first morning, we woke up and immediately took in the gorgeous, expansive view from our balcony. The clear sky was a beautiful shade of blue, and I looked forward to the day ahead.

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

The plan for the group was to hike to Root Glacier, in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, a massive park the size of Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Switzerland combined! And that’s just one of the national parks in Alaska. I didn’t realize just how huge Alaska was until Julie, our tour leader, told us ten Georgia states could fit into Alaska!

Most of the people I have spoken with who have visited Alaska have only done so by cruise ship. We have enjoyed that experience, too, but were grateful this time to see some of Alaska on land, including this park as well as Denali and Kenai Fjords.

After our fly over the park the previous day, I was excited to explore some of it on foot with local guides leading the way and sharing their knowledge with us. Although we had the option to get fitted for crampons, so that we could walk on the ice once we arrived at the glacier, most of our group decided against it. To get all the way onto the glacier involved traversing a very steep downhill (and then uphill) section and more miles than most people wanted to hike.

Walking through Kennecott to the trailhead

The first stop was at Jumbo Falls where the majority stayed to enjoy their box lunches. I had intended on stopping there as well, because I don’t have hiking boots. (I can’t find any to fit my skinny feet and skinnier heals!) The trail ahead was beautiful, though, and I was determined to get a better view of the glacier. I left Bruce with the larger group and continued hiking until I knew my running shoes would be too dangerous to avoid a fall. I was grateful to be able to make it all the way to the glacier before the steep decline. The view was amazing and well worth the effort!

Five of us decided to turn back at that point and return to town. Our round-trip hike amounted to five and a half miles.

While Bruce rested back at the lodge, I headed out to explore the interpretive exhibits of the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark. The General Store and U.S. Post Office had wonderful exhibits to poke around; we would be touring the mine the following day.

Post boxes at the town post office, built in 1917 and restored in 2006.

Original products that were stocked at the General Store, in 1917.

I also enjoyed kicking back on a rock by the creek, just listening to the water run by. Beautiful!

Coming up next: SEATTLE & ALASKA #9: A MEANDERING MILL TOUR & ANOTHER FANTASTIC, FABULOUS FLIGHT!

SEATTLE & ALASKA #7: OUR FABULOUS, FANTASTIC FLIGHT!

Posted on August 19, 2026 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Waking up to a gorgeous day put pep in our step! We were excited about what we would be experiencing on this day.

Our group set out on our drive to Chitina, following the road less traveled— Denali Highway (Alaska Route 8). This mostly gravel highway is completely avoided by other tour companies, and rental car companies do not allow their cars to be driven on this route.

Before the Parks Highway was built in 1971, this was the first road access to Denali National Park. This poorly maintained highway was an obstacle course for Bobby, our bus driver, but he did an outstanding job avoiding potholes and the worst of the bumps. Why did Odysseys Unlimited choose to travel this road on their Alaska tours? This is one reason:

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

That, my friends, is Mount Denali. At least that is the name the state of Alaska renamed “Mount McKinley” in 2015, because the Koyukon people, who were native to the area had referred to the mountain by that name for centuries. Just because a gold prospector named it “Mount McKinley” in support of the presidential candidate (and later the 25^th U.S. president), it shouldn’t, in my opinion, have made it official. The Obama administration rightfully changed it back to Denali, but our current occupant switched the name again to Mount McKinley.

Mount Denali has a summit elevation of over 20,000 feet and is the third most prominent and isolated peak on Earth. We were incredibly fortunate to have seen the entire mountain clearly; only ten percent of visitors ever do, because it is usually shrouded in clouds. Only thirty percent of visitors see just a portion of the mountain peeking out from those clouds.

We stopped to take in the gorgeous views of the mountain at a lake, and I felt grateful for the opportunity.

We continued our journey, and at one point, when we reached the bridge crossing Susitna River, Bobby stopped the bus to let us out, so we could walk over the bridge while he continued driving to the other side. The views were stunning, and it was nice to be able to take some photos off the bus.

That’s Bobby with his rechargeable Magic Mesh bug zapper. It really worked! I had a go of it on the bus when some mosquitos tried to join us for the ride.

There were more incredible views during the bus ride, some of which I successfully captured on the bumpy road:

By this time, we were off the gravel portion of the highway.

This photo was taken during our lunch stop.

On our way to Chitina, we stopped at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve Visitor Center, which had some nice walking paths, beautiful views, and much-needed restrooms!

Upon arrival at Chitna’s little “airport,” (a tiny office and porta-potties in a parking lot located up a gravel path), our group of 25 (with Julie, our tour leader), was divided into five prop planes. Our pilot, Brian, chose Bruce for the co-pilot’s seat. Here is our takeoff:

As you can see, it was a beautiful day for a bush plane flight!

Down below is Kennicott Mill, which I will be writing about in a future post. Our lodge was located near the mill.,

I hadn’t flown on a small plane like this in years, and Julie hadn’t said much about the flight ahead of time, except to emphasize the importance of keeping our small bags limited to 30 pounds of weight for our two nights at Kennicott Glacier Lodge. Otherwise, notta. That was a good thing! I had no expectations, and when the plane lifted off and gained good altitude, the amazing views gave me a huge dopamine hit! I was lovin’ it!

When the plane landed, I had tears in my eyes. I was that taken by what I had just seen and experienced. I gave Brian a big hug!

The view from the balcony just outside our room.

Next up: SEATTLE & ALASKA #8: RAMBLING TO ROOT (GLACIER)

SEATTLE & ALASKA #6: DOUBLE DOG DAY IN DENALI

Posted on August 16, 2026 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Although we don’t have dogs, because we travel so much, we love them! The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has always amazed me, and I looked forward to learning all about it. But today was double dog day in Denali, so first things first!

First, we visited the Denali National Park Visitor Center where we had the option to catch a shuttle to see a demonstration of the husky dogs the National Park Service uses as working dogs in Denali. Heck yeah, count us in! We hopped on the first shuttle.

Denali is the only national park with a kennel of sled dogs. These huskies are a more reliable form of transportation to remote areas of the park in extreme sub-arctic conditions than an airplane or snowmobile. The dogs are adapted to cold temperatures down to -40 degrees, and they prefer being outside in the snow running rather than lounging around in a warm indoor setting. Besides, there is no problem starting their “motor” whereas a snowmobile can be finicky in those extreme temperatures.

The dogs assist rangers in everything from protecting the wilderness of Denali National Park to rescues. If equipment needs to be hauled in the sleds along with the rangers, the dogs will do it with enthusiasm. This is an excellent video about the training of the dogs and how they work as a team with the rangers.

Here are some of the dogs we got to meet:

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Following the demonstration, we returned to the visitor center where Bruce watched a couple of excellent films about the sled dogs and Denali, and I hiked the Spruce Forest Loop Trail and a portion of the Triple Lakes Trail. By the end of my hike, the clouds had started to clear and blue skies shined through. YES!

In the afternoon our group visited Husky Homestead, owned by Jeff King, four-time Iditarod race champion (1993, 1996, 1998, and 2006). His final win was at age 50, and he was the oldest musher to ever win the grueling 1,049-mile race. Husky Homestead is where he trains sled dogs, and it is open for tours and demonstrations.

Have you ever wondered how sled dogs are trained during the warmer months when there is no snow? Check out this short video clip I shot during the demonstration:

Fake snow; a humorous touch to the presentation on dog sleds and the Iditarod race!

Meeting the pups was the best part!

Sunny scenes from around our lodge:

Coming up next: SEATTLE & ALASKA #7: OUR FABULOUS, FANSTASTIC FLIGHT!

SEATTE & ALASKA #5: DRIVING THROUGH DENALI

Posted on August 14, 2026 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Ok, I am just going to say it now, so you can bail on this post if you want to: This was our least favorite day of the trip. What should have been one of the highlights was just a downer.

It was cold and wet during our “Welcome to Denali Walking Presentation” (although our guide was excellent), and our “Denali National Park Bus Tour” was uncomfortably cramped on the old school bus they used for the tours. In addition to our jackets and daypack, we were given a boxed lunch at the lodge to take with us, and the tour included a box of snacks. It was challenging trying to juggle all of that plus my camera with absolutely no room to move during the nearly six-hour Tundra Wilderness Tour. Twisting to take pictures out the bus window resulted in boxes falling off my lap.

If it had been a nice day with inspiring views, none of this would have bothered me at all. But not only was it a gloomy day, the wildlife I was hoping to photograph was so far away the guide used a video camera so we could view the animals on a TV screen in the bus. Having just watched the incredible videography on The Americas (NBC) the day before we left for our trip, seeing wildlife at a long distance didn’t compare.

We saw some caribou and moose at a distance, but the highlight was seeing (if not being able to adequately photograph) a grizzly bear, just one of 300-350 estimated to live in Denali National Park, which spans over six million acres and is roughly the size of Vermont. We were very fortunate, so I was grateful for the opportunity. This shot has been cropped as far as I could go without totally obliterating the image, but it’s admittedly bad:

I forgot to mention in my last post that on our way back from dinner, our group saw a moose with two babies not far from the side of the road—much closer than in the National Park. Very cool!

After the bus tour, I was in desperate need of some exercise and enjoyed a walk around the grounds of the lodge and beyond. The lodge is situated on the bank of the Nenana River, a glacial river along the eastern boundary of Denali National Park. I shot photos of the river and grounds (of course!), but why show you gray and depressing pictures of the river now when I have pretty ones in the posts to come? Here, then, are a few shots from the lodge grounds and adjacent property:

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Next up: SEATTLE & ALASKA #6: DOUBLE DOG DAY!

SEATTLE & ALASKA #4: ALL ABOARD! RIDING THE DENALI STAR TRAIN

Posted on August 12, 2026 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

The pilot on our flight from Seattle to Anchorage warned us our Seattle sunshine would turn into Anchorage rain, so we knew our weather luck had run out. We were just grateful for all the fabulous weather we experienced on our previous tours. If you look back on my previous blog posts, you will see just how lucky we were during our travels.

For that matter, we were just happy to be traveling again! We were supposed to go to France for a month last spring with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT); however, an unexpected medical issue arose with Bruce that required canceling the trip.

(As a side note, although we prefer the smaller group size with OAT—16 rather than 24—we chose Odysseys Unlimited for this tour because we preferred their itinerary. They also did a great job on our Canadian Rockies Tour.)

We arrived in rainy Anchorage with just enough time to settle into our hotel room, walk to a restaurant for dinner, and then relax back at the hotel before bed. Sometime between leaving the restaurant and returning to the hotel, downtown Anchorage lost power. Fortunately, we were able to take the stairs to our third floor room and get in with our card key. Our room had a huge window, and even though it was raining, it was still light enough in our room. It doesn’t get dark in Alaska during the summer until nearly midnight!

Relaxing in bed with nothing to do but talk, Bruce started singing, “Hello darkness my old friend…” I don’t know how Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel would have reacted, but I laughed hysterically. What else could we do but laugh at the situation? Thankfully, a couple of hours later as we were falling asleep, the lights came on and woke us up. Figures.

The following morning, we met up with our Odysseys Unlimited tour group and guide, Julie, for breakfast and introductions, before departing by bus for Talkeetna to catch the train to Denali. We arrived early, so we had time to take a wander through the little town before boarding the train. It was cold and rainy, so Bruce and I opted to duck into a bakery to warm up. Having just eaten breakfast, we passed on the incredible looking cinnamon rolls and opted for a small bag of cookies instead. I couldn’t stop staring at the bakery case, though; it sure was tempting!

For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.

Talkeetna Roadhouse Bakery is located across the street from this sign.

A t-shirt hanging on the wall of the bakery

Our group boarded the private dome car of the Wilderness Express, pulled by the Alaska Railroad locomotive on the Denali Star train route. Although it was raining, the ride was still beautiful, and the service outstanding. We tried not to think about what it could have been like on a beautiful day. All was forgotten, though, when we went to lunch in the dining car and tasted the smoked salmon chowder. It was delicious; the best chowder of the trip! And there were many during our two weeks in Alaska.

Watching the scenery pass by as we enjoyed our chowder, we were grateful for the wonderful experience!

Scenes shot outside from the train’s platform, and getting wet in the process!

A wood carving in the dome car; a nice touch!

Upon arrival at the Denali Park Village Lodge, we had learned that July had already been the wettest July on record in Denali, and it was only July 22. Would the rain ever stop? Stay tuned, I promise there are sunny days ahead!

Flower baskets were abundant on the grounds of the lodge. This post needed a splash of color!

Coming up next: SEATTE & ALASKA #5: DRIVING THROUGH DENALI