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Soulful, melodic strains of live music accompany the steady rhythmic swaying of the Alaska Railroad Corp. train as it treks along Turnagain Arm. Then the tour winds through autumn alpine meadows enroute to Resurrection Bay.
The Blues Train will journey Saturday, Sept. 22 from Anchorage to Seward, returning the following day. This is the third consecutive year for the event.
The event features the roundtrip train ride with a no-host bar, an overnight hotel stay and an outdoor barbecue meal. The cost is $209, which includes train and hotel fees, a few onboard drink tickets, the Seward barbecue dinner and music. The train leaves Anchorage at 1 p.m. Saturday, arriving in Seward at 5:30 p.m.
A 200-passenger train will have four single-level passenger cars and two bar cars, the Tikki Car and the Blues Van. The band, Rebel Blues, will perform continually. Blues Central, an Anchorage nightclub, will provide appetizers on the train. An onboard Alaska Railroad gift shop will feature Blues Train T-shirts.
Alaska Railroad employees brainstormed ideas for an initial Blues Train. Anchorage promoter Frank Dahl also envisioned a similar event several years ago. He was inspired by floating blues cruises in the Lower 48, but believed Alaska's weather might dictate an indoor train trip. Also, he's found many long-time Alaskans haven't ridden the Alaska rails, and such an event would draw first-time train riders, he thought. Dahl owns Blues Central and also organizes the annual outdoor music festival Blues on the Green. He presented the Blues Train idea to railroad officials, who helped organize the two subsequent successful events.
According to Dahl, Blues Train travelers enjoy the music-filled party amid remarkable scenery with someone else doing the driving.
"Rain or shine, it's just an exciting trip," Dahl said. "We've seen some magnificent wildlife, and the train slows down (for viewing)."
Last year the Blues Train carried 175 people, said Susie Kiger, Alaska Railroad's director of passenger sales and marketing.
"It's a very fun train," said Kiger, who has ridden the Blues Train for the past two years. "It has a lively, fun atmosphere."
Many people ride for the scenery and the music is a bonus, while others relish the music first with the scenery on the side, she said.
"People tend to wander back to the bar car for a spell and then enjoy some time at their seats taking in the breathtaking scenery along this route," she said. "The fall colors were amazing for last year's train ride."
The band, Rebel Blues, performed last year and will again fill the rear of the train with its rhythms.
Once in Seward, passengers will take shuttles to check in at their hotels, either the Hotel Edgewater or the Holiday Inn Express. Next up is the outdoor barbecue from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Pit Bar, also owned by Dahl, with more entertainment by Rebel Blues from 9 p.m. until 2 a.m. Shuttles and taxis will be available throughout the night to return participants to their hotel. On Sunday, a Bloody Mary Celebration will run from 10 a.m. to noon at the Seward Alehouse, owned by Dahl's daughter, Liz. The Anchorage-bound train departs Seward at 1 p.m., arriving at 5:30 p.m.
There is no music on the return trip, Kiger said. The railroad sells beverages and light snacks onboard for the south- and northbound trips. Box lunches can be ordered and purchased for the Anchorage-bound trip.
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"It's an exciting, real Alaskana experience-the combination of the Alaska Railroad, live music and the trip to Seward," Dahl said.
For reservations, call the Alaska Railroad at 1-800544-0552 or 265-2494.
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