Alaska Grand Tour I

Day 1. Home to Anchorage
Fly to Anchorage today. Check into the Wesmark Hotel Downtown Anchorage perfectly located near shopping, restaurants and Anchorage’s top attractions.   Drive past the Log Cabin Visitor Center, Alaska Railroad Depot, and Museum of Art & History. Get a peek at Resolution Park and the Captain Cook Monument as well as Ship Creek Viewpoint, which overlooks Cook Inlet. The stop at the 25-acre Alaska Native Heritage Center and tour this unique museum devoted to the unique cultures and traditions that make up this great state. Relax, unpack, and enjoythe hotel for the next 3 nights.
Included Meals: Dinner
Wesmark Hotel Downtown Anchorage

Day 2. Anchorage
Drive along Turnagain Arm, a fjord of water which boasts some of the highest tide waters in the world, keeping an eye out for Beluga whales. Continue along one of America’s most scenic roads, the Seward Highway. Stop at the Begich-Boggs Visitor Center and browse the exhibits on glaciology. We’ll stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center Wind along the Kenai Peninsula to the lovely village of Seward. Enjoy an included Sealife Center tour with a chance to watch puffins fly through underwater skies and meet sea lions and harbor seals eye to eye. Later, stop for a photo opportunity at Exit Glacier.
Included Meals: Breakfast

Day 3. Anchorage
After breakfast experience Prince William Sound from the water’s perspective. Get ready for an adventure as we board an excursion boat for a cruise with a naturalist guide who will help us spot bald eagles, whales, sea otters, and porpoises. The ice builds and builds around us as we gently float around the tide waters of Barry Arm. View 26 tidewater glaciers in Barry Arm and College. Listen for the unmistakable rumbling of a calving glacier, waiting for the moment when a huge block of ice crashes into the sea. This will be a day you will long remember as Prince William Sound is the best place to see glaciers!
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4. Anchorage to Denali NP
Head north into with a stop at the Iditarod Trail Headquarters to learn about the “Last Great Race.” Motor in luxury on this beautiful drive to Denali National Park with several photo opportunities along the way. Journey into the grand interior giving you an idea of how vast the “last frontier” really is. Lunch today is overlooking scenic Lake Lucille. Your hotel is nestled among beautiful scenery and wilderness. Join us this evening for an Alaskan Cabin Nite Dinner including entertainment.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
McKinley Chalet Denali Resorts

Day 5. Denali NP to Fairbanks
Morning is the best time to see wildlife in the park, so an early departure is in order as we tour deep into Denali National Park. Keep in mind that you are entering a self contained undisturbed preserve and the animals are in their natural habitat. Truly an experience to remember as you may see your first wild grizzly bear, wolf, moose, or dall sheep. If weather permits, you may see Mount McKinley towering over 20,230 feet. Fairbanks is our home for the next 2 nights.
Included Meals: Lunch
Wesmark Fairbanks Hotel

Day 6. Fairbanks
Board the Sternwheeler “Discovery” for an exciting cruise along the scenic Chena and Tanana Rivers. You’ll hear native guides share their unique culture and traditions at a recreated Athabascan Indian Camp. You’ll also see sled dog demonstrations. Lunch is at the famous Pumphouse Restaurant. Later visit the El Dorado Goldmining Camp and learn about the goldmining techniques and its colorful history. A photo opportunity is given at the Alaska Oil Pipeline.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 7. Fairbanks – Beaver Creek
View the Pipeline Suspension Bridge before motoring through some of Alaska’s most spectacular scenery. We’ll make a stop in Tok, a unique Athabascan Indian trading village before arriving in Beaver Creek, a remote village where caribou population is higher than the human one. This evening we’ll enjoy the rousing Yukon Rendezvous Dinner Show.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Westmark Beaver Creek

Day 8. Beaver Creek to Whitehorse
Travel the famous Alaska Highway through the Yukon Territory. Lunch is arranged at a local restaurant in Haines Junction.   Arrive in Whitehorse, the capital of Canada’s Yukon Territories. It is here that the largest gold rush in history exploded over 100 years ago attracting thousands of goldminers searching for riches. This evening choose an optional (extra cost) show featuring the hilarious Frantic Follies, an 1890’s vaudeville show featured at your hotel.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Hotel: Westmark Hotel

Day 9. Whitehorse to Skagway
Wind through beautiful alpine valleys and along the “Windy Arm” of Tagish, viewing lovely Bennett and Tutshi Lakes. In Frasier, board the Vintage White Pass & Yukon Railroad for a thrilling journey along the route of the Klondike Gold Rush. This eye opening rail excursion will be among the highlights of your vacation as your parlor car winds you through spectacular scenery narrow-gauge railway. View Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point and Dead Horse Gulch. Arrive in Skagway, a frontier Gay Nineties town which was the gateway to the Yukon during the Gold Rush of 1898. Your hotel is located in this unique town featuring wooden sidewalks and old fashioned saloons. Dinner is on your own to choose from the many restaurants.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Skagway Inn

Day 10. Skagway – Juneau
A catamaran cruise along the Inside Passage allows an up close and personal experience. An on-board naturalist guide helps us identify wildlife and answer any questions you may have. Cruise along breathtaking Lynn Canal, the deepest and largest glacier fjord with many rushing waterfalls. Our scenic cruise ends in the unique little village of Haines where we’ll embark on a soft adventure few have ever experienced. Visit the Chilkat Eagle Preserve by a float raft on the peaceful Chilkat River which offers spectacular views of the Chilkat mountains. As you float along, keep your eyes open and cameras handy and look to the trees to spot the majestic Bald Eagles, while keeping an eye out for the bears and wolves that prowl the riverbank. Enjoy a picnic lunch in this wilderness setting. Continue through the inside passage aboard a private charter catamaran to Juneau for a relaxing three night stay. A naturalist will speak about passing scenery with stops for wild and marine life! Arrive via Juneau’s harbor with sweeping views of Juneau, Alaska’s Capital. Your hotel is the Baranof Hotel located in the charming downtown with shopping, attractions, and restaurants all within walking distance.
Included Meals: Breakfast,Lunch
Hotel: Baranof Hotel

Day 11. Juneau
Accessible only by water or by air, Juneau is America’s most remote capital city. Stroll through this charming and historic town. View Mendenhall Glacier rising over 200 feet. Visit the fascinating Gastineau Salmon Hatchery to learn about Alaska’s salmon and marine life.   The afternoon is free for individual pursuits. This evening we journey to a remote wilderness clearing for an outdoor salmon bake with entertainment.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 12. Juneau
Today is designed for choices. You may take the optional (extra cost) full day cruise on Glacier Bay or you may want to take one of the excellent fishing options out of Juneau. Another option is the spectacular Tracy Arm Fjord cruise. Others may just want to relax or do some shopping in the wonderful shops surrounding your Juneau hotel. Attend a private Tlingit presentation before boarding a tramcar adorned in colorful Tlingit art for an exhilarating ride to the top of Mount Roberts for views of Admiralty Island, Glacier Bay, and the Chilkat Mountains.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 13. Juneau to Home
This morning we board our flight for home with memories of a grand adventure in Alaska & the Yukon!
Included Meals: Breakfast

Departure Dates:
July 9 – 21, 2008   13 Days
July 22 – August 3, 2008 13 Days

Deposit Due: $100 per person
Final Payment Due 45 days prior to departure.