Touring Anchorage

Alaskan Natural Adventures
nature travel, wildlife tours, adventure travel and general travel to Alaska

 

Alaska's Iditarod & Northern Lights

 

 

Special Escorted Tour - Iditarod and Northern Lights including the Mushers Banquet and a a PRIVATE breakfast with a musher.

February 28 to March 8, 2010

 

For years visitors from other countries have come to Alaska in winter to take advantage of its particular location which provides the world's best views, and best reliability, of the magical phenomenom called the Northern Lights. This has not been the case from the lower 48, where Alaska has been seen as a summer destination. Knightly Tours, established in Alaska since 1969, is determined to introduce the winter beauty of Alaska to Americans, and have combined the excitement of the start of the famous Iditarod dogsled race with the Northern Lights, a combination that's hard to resist. Join this single departure Escorted tour, taking in both ceremonial and actual Iditarod starts in Anchorage & Wasilla, attendance at the Mushers Banquet, breakfast with a musher, Fairbanks' Ice Carving competition, the Northern Lights from the central Alaskan resort of Chena Hot Springs. Plus, enjoy a scenic tour along Turnagain Arm, with the mountains towering one one side and Cook Inlet, discovered (for Europeans) by Captain James Cook, on the other.

ITINERARY

 

Day 1 - Sunday, February 28: Home City/ Anchorage/ Fairbanks
Fly to Alaska today; after arrival in Anchorage fly to Fairbanks. Upon arrival you are met and transferred to your hotel. Settle in and get acquainted with your guide and the city of Anchorage. Overnight Fairbanks.

Day 2 - Monday, March 1: Fairbanks/Chena Hot Springs
This morning you will enjoy a Welcome Breakfast, where you will meet your fellow adventurers and your guide; together wel review the logistics of the trip and set out the schedule. Later in the morning we leave Fairbanks for a scenic 60-mile drive east along the scenic Chena River Valley to Chena Hot Springs to enjoy the wonders of the hot springs and search for the Northern Lights. (B) Overnight Chena Hot Springs 2 nights

Day 3 - Tuesday, March 2: Chena Hot Springs Resort
Chena Hot Springs Resort is recognized internationally as one of the best places in North America to view the northern lights. You will enjoy the unique Rock Lake natural mineral hot pool, exquisite Moose Lodge and gourmet meals. Optional activities include northern lights Aurorarium, Snow Coach Aurora Tour atop one of Alaska's oldest mountains, cross country skiing, snowshoeing or snowmobiling. For the adventurous there will be a variety of dog sled ride opportunities with veteran Alaska dog mushers. (B)

Day 4 - Wednesday, March 3: Chena Hot Springs / Fairbanks
This morning contineu to enjoy the Hot Springs and optional activities. After lunch we return to Fairbanks. On the way make a stop at the Ice Park to see how the ice carving is going for participants in the World Ice Art Championships. The World Ice Art Championships attract ice carvers from around world. The park encompasses 25 acres, and hosts visitors and the carving competition for three weeks in March. At this time, the competition is "icy" as the carvers showcase the intricate, complex, larger-than-life multi-block final competition. You won't believe what you see! (B) Overnight Fairbanks

Day 5 - Thursday, March 4: Fairbanks / Anchorage & the Mushers' Banquet
This morning after breakfast we visit the Ice Park and see some of Fairbanks, home to the University of Alaska. We ahve more time to appreciate the artistry of the carvbers to create boith large and intricate sculptures in ice; who could believe that many of these are made with something as seemingly crude as a chainsaw. We then transfer to the Airport for a midday flight to Anchorage; on arrival we tour Anchorage, Alaska's premier city. We head out of the city and along Alaska's only National Scenic Highway, the Seward Highway. Here on the eastern edge of the Pacific Ring of Fire the road skirts Turnagain Arm. 14,000 years ago we would have been unable to drive here as the landscape was covered with late Wisconsin glaciers (to say nothing of cars not being invented). Turnagain Arm was named by English Captain, James Cook in 1778; althopugh many know of his southern Pacific exploits fewer realize his explorations of the far North American continent. We stop at Beluga Point, a 4,000-year old Alutiiq Eskimo hunting site, where the second highest tides in the world occur with a 38-feet surge. Tonight we attend the Mushers' Banquet where you enjoy the festivities as you celebrate the great achievement of the serum run to Nome. At the banquet you will have a chance to bid on an opportunity to ride in one of the sleds during the race start in Anchorage. (B,D) Overnight Anchorage 4 nights

Day 6 - Friday, March 5: Private Breakfast Reception with a Musher
This morning our group will enjoy a private meeting with musher*. He (or maybe they) will provide insights into the sled dogs, their many characteristics and attributes, the years of breeding and training that goes into putting together a team. The strategy, hardships, technical aspects and joys of life on the trail - the race itself - will be described by someone who has been there. We'll get a good understanding to what equipment, planning and logistic it takes for the two week race from Anchorage, across 1,150 miles of wilderness to Nome on the Bering Sea coast. What it takes to win this extraordinary sled dog race will soon emerge from the discussion. This afternoon you have free time to attend some lectures on the race and learn even more in anticipation of the race start tomorrow. (B)

Day 7 - Saturday, March 6: Race Day
The ceremonial Iditarod start will begin in downtown Anchorage, where thousands of fans and media from around the world join in this world-famous event. The #1 position is reserved for Leohard Seppala, one of the most famous mushers who carried the diphtheria serum to Nome over the original Iditarod Trail. Today the successful bidders on the "Idita-Rider" auction will ride in the sled of a musher as they leave the start chute.

Day 8 - Sunday, March 7: Race Re-Start and on to Fairbanks
We'll leave Anchorage for a short drive to Wasilla. We visit the Iditarod Sled Dog Race Headquarters and then we will watch the Race Re-Start, as real race to Nome begins from Wasilla. Mushers will hook up their dogs and race across more than 1,000 miles of Alaska's wilderness. The dogs sense that this is "go time" and their level of excitement is unmatched. You will have a far better and closer look at the teams and mushers than is usually available in Anchorage. Then it's Go! With a rooster-tail of snow behind each sled speeding down the chute, mushers wave to fans as they head off on the "Last Great Race". After wishing the mushers well we return to Anchorage. Later tonight we will have a farewell dinner to recount the sights and sounds from our trip (B,D)

Day 9 - Monday, March 8: Anchorage / Home City
Sadly our northern adventure ends today. As members of our group of adventurers will have different flights, individual transfers to the airport will be arranged for your flight home. (B)

 

Cost:

$2699 plus $98 tax (per person based on double occupancy) / $3699 plus $179 tax (per person single occupation). Does not include airfare to Faribanks and from Anchorage; the flight from Faribanks to Anchorage Day 5 is included in the cost.

Inclusions: 4 nights Captain Cook Hotel, 2 nights Fairbanks Princess Hotel, 2 nights Chena Hot Springs, 8 breakfasts, 2 dinners including the Mushers' Banquet, private transfers, all admission, race lectures Day 6, airfare Fairbanks to Anchorage. This tour is escorted throughout.

 

SPACE IS RESTRICTED - CALL NOW 1 877 285 1170 TO SECURE YOUR ALASKA IDITAROD ADVENTURE

 

 

ALASKA SKIING

Extend your stay by skiing Alaska at the Aleyska Resort - The most northerly ski resort in the US, where the base is just 250ft above sea level, and the summit 3900ft. No need to acclimate or fear altitude sickness - just arrive and ski. Despite the low altitude, Aleyska has 2500ft of vertical drop, over 1400 skiable acres, and is ranked in the top 20 ski resorts in the US. Snow averages 630", but is about 740" at the peak, and can be much higher. There are bowls and long slopes, with the 68 runs divided between a mix of 11% beginner, 52% intermediate and 37% advanced. Lift capacity is over 10,000 skiers per hour, so lines are non-existent. Be the first on your block to Ski Alaska!

 

 

* Lance Mackey, our musher of the last few years, is unable to join our group this year. Our new man will also be an experienced race musher. Perhaps the "group luck" of the last few years will repeat itself.