>>8785
>I hope you have gotten things better together.

Most of it was fine, actually. The Denali Star train from Anchorage to Fairbanks was long, and after about half the day the scenery does sort of all look the same - low flat ground covered in scrub-brush that's turning colors at this time. So, pretty, but in a way pretty boring too.

But every attempt to rent a car was mired in, if not misery at least frustration.

Lesson learned: never attempt to rent a car from the airport itself. Also, if you plan on attempting to rent a car, let the car rental place know at least a few days ahead of time so if they're willing to rent to you (airport is not) they'll have a car on site.
Probably, anyway.

Also, if you want to go up to the Arctic Circle, you need to get a different rental car, take the AlCan highway so you can use your own car, or expect to lose your damage deposit when they guess from the huge volume of dirt that you violated their 'only paved roads' policy.

Went part-way into Denali, but when I mentioned to a coworker wanting to see the Arctic Circle she replied, eyes wide (having lived there a decade, she'd just finished saying) "The Dalton highway is terifying!