ALASKA

ALASKA

Now is the time to think about Alaska!    2009 marks Alaska’s 50^th Anniversary of Statehood and a wonderful time to visit nature’s last frontier.  Alaska is one of life’s greatest adventures and truly a vacation of a lifetime!  

There’s only one way to ensure that you don’t miss any of Alaska’s majesty—a Cruise/Tour vacation.  This land and sea vacation includes two of Alaska’s undisputed jewels:  Glacier National Park on the cruise and Denali National Park by land.  Typically the 7 night cruise sails either from Vancouver, British Columbia or from Seward, Alaska and journeys across the Gulf of Alaska and through the Inside Passage. 

On this itinerary, you visit the ports of Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway.  Ketchikan, “Salmon Capital of the World” is the gateway to the Mystic Fjords National Park and a great place to visit the Totem Heritage Center or the Tongass National Forrest where you may spy a bear or other wildlife.  There are no roads leading to Juneau, Alaska’s capital city.  To visit Juneau, you must either fly in or come by boat.  It’s THE place to go whale watching, take in an authentic Salmon Bake or kayak to the edge of breathtaking Mendenhall Glacier. The Klondike ’49 Gold Rush began in Skagway, a sleepy little town of 400.  Follow the footsteps of the Gold Rush on the White Pass and Yukon Railway up the steep mountainside to White Pass.

Glacier Bay National Park and College Fjord are the stars of any Alaskan cruise!

Sailing where glistening glaciers await, you’ll see 10 story high rivers of cobalt blue ice or hear the thunderous crack as icebergs calve into the tidewater.   College Fjord, in Prince William Sound, is famous for 16 giant glaciers named after Ivy League schools. 

But the Alaskan Cruise is only a tiny sampling of the state!  You’ll see breathtaking scenery from your rail car as you travel to Denali National Park on the start of your land tour.   Mt. McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America is the centerpiece of Denali, a 6 million acre wilderness park.   Take the Natural History tour of the park to learn about the wildlife and vegetation, go whitewater rafting on the Nenana River or go flightseeing to experience Mt McKinley’s grandeur.    

In Fairbanks, an “old West” town, take a Sternwheeler cruise where you’ll see Susan Butcher’s Iditarod kennels and an authentic Athabascan village.   You can also pan for gold at the El Dorado Gold Mine, or arrange a side trip to the Pruhoe Bay oil fields on the Arctic Ocean. 

Princess Cruises is my favorite for an Alaska Cruise/Tour, offering a choice of 8 ships and 32 different itineraries.   Princess owns spectacular lodges in Alaska and operates glass-domed rail cars on their breathtaking “Direct to the Wilderness” train trip to Denali.  Cruises are offered sailing north or southbound, with land packages attached accordingly.  Alaskan Cruises sail from May 15 to September 15.  While I love having the benefit of the full “Midnight Sun” in June, late August and early September offer spectacular fall colors in the tundra of Denali National Park—however, nearly anytime is a marvelous time to visit the awe-inspiring grandeur of Alaska!

Call me today to custom-create an Alaskan Cruise/Tours for you and your family or friends this year!  Fantastic savings are available now!

New Comment