Exploring the Galapagos Aboard the National Georgraphic Islander

There are adventurous travelers and there are travelers who really enjoy
being pampered more than a great adventure. I have vacationed the complete spectrum, I have pinched pennies while vacationing in Gatlinburg Tennessee and stayed in a very expensive vacation home with a private maid in Saint Jean de Luz, France. I will admit that the vacation home with a private maid was a nice way to experience France.

But, I am an adventurer at heart probably born from my days as a kid where I grabbed a fishing pole or net and waded creeks and ponds to see what was there. My favorite type of travel is where you see things up close and personal with exposure to the people, culture and wildlife. This might require you to hop on a rubber landing raft and land on a beach where no one lives or it might require you to reach down and pet a whale. Adventurers run between 8 and 98 years old generally.

This is a great exploration of one of the most unspoiled areas anywhere in the world. Last week's trip to the Galapagos Islands was four days, today I will be discussing a 10 day trip. We will be traveling with a cruise company called Lindblad Expeditions.

Lindblad is similar to a couple of the other small cruise companies because their focus is on teaching you more about unique locations. You will exjoy the commentary of Galapagos experts as you explore the unspoiled region aboard ship. You will also use their Zodiak inflatables and kayaks to see the action at water level. This is a wonderful itinerary for someone who wants to enjoy the magic of the Galapagos Islands and the great explorers who proceeded you.

Day 1: Arrive in Guayaquil in the evening and arrive at the Hotel Hilton Colon.

Day 2: Fly to Galapagos in the morning and board the National Geographic Islander. You will visit Baltra for you introduction to Galapagos wildlife.

Day 3: Visit Bartolome and Santiago with beautiful lava and golden sand. Enjoy the walks and a chance to snorkel with penguins. You will also see the Galapagos fur seal and exploring some tidal pools.

Day 4: Explore Santa Cruz and the Charles Darwin Research Center. You will go on a hike in the highlands to watch the giant tortoises feeding.

Day 5 & 6: Anchor off the port of Puerto Villamil. You will have a lot of exploring to do here which includes: visiting the local lagoons, unspoiled beaches, tortoise breeding center, caves. In the water you will search for dolphins, sea turtles, whales and ocean sunfish. Enjoy Fernandina Island, the youngest island in the Galapagos.

Day 7: Explore Champion Islet off the island of Floreana. This is a wonderful snorkel site and home to many sea lions. Emjoy your time snorkeling with the sea lions. You will also enjoy the company of flamingos and other shorebirds as you enjoy your lunch.

Day 8: Explore Espanola and it's blue footed boobies and sea lions. You will be snorkeling and strolling the island. This island has marine iguanas and waved albatross which are found only on this island

Day 9: Disembark the ship. You will fly to Guayaquil and enjoy a free evening to explore the city. You have the option of adding an extension here if you would like to visit Quito.

Day 10: Fly home from Guayaquil if you are not taking an extension to your trip.
This trip would be on the top ten list for many people. Here is a recap of just the highlights you would see:

• Snorkeling with sea lions
• Snorkeling with penguins
• Whales
• Marine Iguanas only found on one island
• Waved Albatross only found on one island
• Galapgos land tortoises
• Whales
• Ocean Sunfish
• Sea Turtles
• Charles Darwin Research Center

I hope you have the time and money to make this trip. Have an great adventurous day
For More Info click here

Exploring the Galapagos Islands

There are adventurous travelers and there are travelers who really enjoy being pampered more than a great adventure. I have vacationed the complete spectrum, I have pinched pennies while vacationing in Gatlinburg Tennessee and stayed in a very expensive vacation home with a private maid in Saint Jean de Luz, France. I will admit that the vacation home with a private maid was a nice way to experience France.

But, I am an adventurer at heart, probably born from my days as a kid where I grabbed a fishing pole or net and waded creeks and ponds to see what was there. My favorite type of travel is where you see things up close and personal with exposure to the people, culture and wildlife. This might require you to hop on a rubber landing raft and land on a beach where no one lives, or it might require you to reach down and pet a whale. Adventurers run between 8 and 98 years old generally.

Exploring the Galapagos Islands

I will describe more than one trip to the Galapagos Islands but today I am going to focus on a ship which was specifically designed to provide adventurous travels in the Galapagos in a nature friendly way. When you think about the most incredible nature destinations the Galapagos would be on the top 5 in anyone's book I believe and number 1 in many eyes.

Here is some info on the Galapagos from wikipedia.com
The archipelago has been known by many different names, including the "Enchanted Islands" because of the way in which the strong and swift currents made navigation difficult. The first crude navigation chart of the islands was done by the buccaneer Ambrose Cowley in 1684, and in those charts he named the islands after some of his fellow pirates or after the English noblemen who helped the pirates' cause. The term "Galápagos" refers to the Spanish name given to the Giant Land Tortoises known to inhabit the islands.
The adjective "Galápagan" may be used to describe things from or related to the islands.
Noteworthy species include:

• Galapagos land iguanas
• Marine Iguana
• Galapagos tortoise (Galápagos Giant tortoise), Geochelone elephantopus, known as Galápago in Spanish, it gave the name to the islands
• Galapagos Green Turtle, thought to be a subspecies of the Pacific Green Turtle, Chelonia mydas agassisi
• Trepand Sea Cucumbers, the cause of environmental battles with fishermen over quotas of this expensive Asian delicacy.
• Flightless Cormorant, Phalacrocorax harrisi
• Great Frigatebird and Magnificent Frigatebird
• Blue Footed Booby, Sula nebouxii, popular among visitors for their large blue feet which they show off in courtship
• Galapagos Penguin, Spheniscus mendiculus, the only living tropical penguin
  Waved Albatross, Phoebastria irrorata, the only living tropical albatross
• Galapagos Hawk, Buteo galapagoensis, the islands' main scavenger and "environmental police"
• 4 endemic species of mockingbirds the first species Darwin noticed to vary from island to island
• 13 endemic species of buntings, popularly called Darwin's finches. Among them is the Sharp-beaked Ground-finch Geospiza difficilis septentrionalis which is sometimes called the "Vampire Finch" for its blood-sucking habits, and the tool-using Woodpecker Finch, Camarhynchus pallidus
• Galápagos Sea Lions, Zalophus californianus

OK, let's get back to your trip. What do you think of when you hear 'Galapagos Islands'? The first thing that comes to my mind is an incredible variety of unique species. Because of the isolation of the Galapagos islands the species found here are often unique to this area. There are unique crabs, fish, tortoises, birds. Retracing the steps of Charles Darwin in his journey of the Beagle has to rank highly with any adventurous traveler.

For a specialized trip to the Galapagos Islands we recommend the ship named Galapagos Explorer II. This ship has 50 suites with outside views and was specifically designed to explore the Galapagos Islands. You will have six expert naturalist guides on board to help you learn about the islands on a ship which is environmentally friendly to this pristine area.

Activities will include snorkeling, star gazing from December to April (with expert help), beach explorations, glass bottom boats, whale watching and hiking explorations. There is even a Naturalist Room where you can help scientists who are performing experiments on the Galapagos area.

Here is a sample itinerary. As you can see this is an active trip with a lot of exploring packed into a short amount of time.

Saturday AM: Arrival by air to Baltra Airport
Saturday PM: Cerro Dragon, Santa Cruz Island
Sunday AM: Bartholemew Island
Sunday PM: Puerto Egas, Santiago Island
Monday AM: Punta Espinoza, Fernandina Island
Monday PM: Punta Vicente Roca, Isabela Island
Tuesday AM: Semour Norte
Tuesday PM: El Chato (Highlands), lave tunnels and Wild Giant Tortoises, Santa Cruz Island
Wednesday AM: Loberia or Islas Lobos or Tijeretas or El Junco and Interpretation Center, San Cristobal Island
Departure from San Cristobal Island

Please keep in mind that this itinerary could change according to what species is most active at the time so you might do something different. But, it doesn't really matter because the first charts of this area were drawn in 1793 and explored in the Voyage of the Beagle in 1835. Since then this area has changed very little and remains one of the best exploratory trips available.

I hope you are now extremely interested in going to the Galapagos. How can an explorer not take this chance if time and money are available?

Next week I will describe some longer trips that also include the Galapagos. But, if you are only interested in the Galapagos this is probably your trip.

For more info please go here

The Northern Alaska Coast & Bering Sea

There are adventurous travelers and there are travelers who really enjoy being pampered more than a great adventure. I have vacationed the complete spectrum, I have pinched pennies while vacationing in Gatlinburg Tennessee and stayed in a very expensive vacation home with a private maid in Saint Jean de Luz, France. I will admit that the vacation home with a private maid was a nice way to experience France.

But, I am an adventurer at heart, probably born from my days as a kid where I grabbed a fishing pole or net and waded creeks and ponds to see what was there. My favorite type of travel is where you see things up close and personal with exposure to the people, culture and wildlife. This might require you to hop on a rubber landing raft and land on a beach where no one lives, or it might require you to reach down and pet a whale. Adventurers run between 8 and 98 years old generally.

This trip is one of the most unspoiled explorations available. What makes this trip special?

This cruise not only allows you to explore the Alaska Coast it also goes above the Arctic Circle and into the Bering Sea. Kodiak and other seldom visited islands and cultures are included. Cruise West is known for great exploratory cruising off the beaten path. Their small cruise ships provide something similar to a yacht feel. Most of the time they are cruising the ship will be diverted for closer looks at bears, whales, orcas, seals and more. This ship stops at small ports of call where you can meet people who still live according to ancient customs. The climate changes are forcing these people to change their locations and habits because their food is not available in the same areas, this is a disappearing culture.

This is a great trip for people who have never seen Alaska but want to see everything, but it is also a great trip for someone who says "I've seen Alaska". Until you have made this trip you haven't seen all of the treasures of Alaska.

Guest speakers on wildlife and history, free shore excursion at each port, up close to shore wildlife viewing, wildlife detours when appropriate, Zodiak boat launching from back of ship when appropriate. If you want to see Alaska as it was many years ago this is your trip.

Itinerary

Day 1 - SET SAIL FROM VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Board the Spirit of Oceanus in Vancouver. Enjoy a great view as you cruise under the Lion's Gate Bridge. This begins your discovery of the best of Alaska. After dinner your exploration leader will provide an itinerary talk and discuss the next 25 days.

Day 2 - CRUISING BRITISH COLUMBIA

You will cruise the sheltered waters of British Columbia as you move along the Great Bear Rain forest. The captain will take you past the most scenic areas as everyone searches for whales, dolphins and other wildlife. There is a chance to see a white furred black bear, called the Spirit Bear. Enjoy a great program in the evening after dinner.

Day 3 - CRUISING BRITISH COLUMBIA

You will visit a remote village on British Columbia's coast and see a First Nations culture. The Kitasoo/Xaixais First Nation are coastal people with an ancient history that is alive and well today.

Day 4 - MISTY FIORDS AND METLAKATLA

This is one of my favorite places in Alaska (Misty Fjords). Enjoy the beautiful Behm Canal where six inlets come together. You will be joined by a National Forest Service Kayak Ranger to learn even more. You will see incredible, steep cliffs at the water's edge and view harbor seals, seagulls and pigeon guillemots.

You will also visit Metlakatla on Annette Island. This island was set aside in 1891 for the exclusive use of the Tsimshian Indians and other Alaska natives. The Tsimshian indians will provide a dance performance at their tribal house.

Day 5 - PETERSBURG

Today you will visit a Norwegian founded fishing village named Petersburg which is found on Mitkof Island. You will be entertainedby the Leikarring Dancers who will perform traditional Norwegian dances in traditional dress. You will be able to explore this fishing community and sample some homemade Norwegian pastries.

Day 6 - TRACY ARM AND FREDERICK SOUND

Cruise through Holkham Bay with two beautiful fjords. Cruise on to Tracy Arm which has emerald green seawater with steep cliffs of granite. The narrow fjord stretches for 25 miles and comes to the incredible North and South Sawyer glaciers. You will surrounded by great beauty and quiet as Arctic terns buzz by and harbor seals check out the ship.

Frederick Sound has a very large humpback whale population. The rich waters attract many forms of fish and shrimp which the humpbacks feed on. This is an area where you expect to see humpbacks and sometimes they are very close.

You will cruise the Wrangell Narrows which is too shallow for large cruise ships. You will snake along this 21 mile stretch looking for Sitka black tailed deer, bears and sea birds.

Day 7 - SKAGWAY

Enjoy a cruise through Lynn Canal with it's snowcapped mountain peaks. Relive the gold rush in Skagway, this is where the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898 started. You will tour Skagway in a touring car. This is also the start of the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway.

Day 8 - GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE

You will be joined by a Park Service Ranger and a Native Interpreter as the captain explores the remote bays looking for wildlife. Your guides will give you interesting information on this changing area as the glaciers have retreated significantly in the past 200 years. As the ship approaches the Marble Islands you will have a chance to see sea birds such as Murrelets, Puffins and Kittiwakes. There are bears and mountain goats along the shoreline and seals, otters and humbacks in the rich waters here.

Day 9 - SITKA

You will take a different route than other ships to Sitka. You will cruise through narrow passageways between Baranof and Chichagof Islands. You and the crew will be searching for Bald Eagles and Sitka deer along the shore. Enjoy an included tour of the Sitka National Historic Park and the beautiful Totem Poles along the trails. When you board the ship you will begin cruising other narrow channels including Peril Channel which is appropriately named for larger ships.

Day 10 - EXPLORING THE ALASKA COAST

You will be cruising the beautiful and unspoiled Alaska coast and making a Zodiak landing if weather permits.

Day 11 - PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND

Enjoy an area which is rarely visited, Prince William Sound. You will be cruising narrow passages and viewing steep cliffs along the shore. As you enjoy the scenery you will be searching for otters, humpbacks, orcas and sea lions. You will also see puffins and other birds in this area. This area was greatly impacted by the Alaska Oil Spill in 1989 but it is not obvious at this time.

Day 12 - WHITTIER

Spend the day in Whittier. You can visit their Museum or choose optional acitivities such as kayaking or a trip to Anchorage. As you explore this area you will gain a better understanding of the environment.

Day 13 - WILDERNESS CRUISING

You will be searching for beautiful wildlife and scenery. Enjoy thousands of sea birds on Granite Island which is home to rhinoceros auklets, fulmars, murres, puffins and kittiwakes. This is one of the top bird watching locations anywhere. This area is also home to humbacks, orcas, minkes, bear, moose, mikes and mountain goats.

Day 14 - KODIAK

Kodiak lies at the boundery between the treeless expanse of the Aleutians and the spruce forests to the south. Trees are slowly gaining a foothold again after being stripped from the area in the last ice age. You will enjoy sightseeing at the Baranov Museum, the Fish Tech Center and the Alutiiq Museum.

Day 15 - KATMAI NATIONAL PARK

Enjoy cruising the shoreline of Geographic harbor and watch for Brown Bears digging clams. You have a chance at up close views of Brown bears from inflatable excursion crafts which can also land on the beach for exploring. There is a visible ash flow from the Novarupta Volcano eruption in 1912. Three different pilots will board the ship which are trained experts of the Bering Sea.

Day 16 - SHUMAGIN ISLANDS

Enjoy an inflatable craft landing on an uninhabited island if conditions permit. You will enjoy the tidal pools and 20 million year old petrified wood. The only surviving forest of that type is in Szechuan, China. Explore the tundra and take a guided walk to see birds, tundra flowers, arctic foxes and sea lions. Enjoy your exploration of Haystack Rocks

Day 17 - DUTCH HARBOR

Unalaska has been inhabited by the Unangan Natives for over 9000 years. Dutch harbor was bombed by the Japanese during World War II. You can still see visible remnants of the war and bombings in this area.

This is primarily a town that survives on fishing and crabbing. The sightseeing here includes the WW II memorial park, Bald Eagles and the Museum of the Aleutians.

Day 18 - PRIBILOF ISLANDS

These islands were uninhabited until Russians discovered that this was a pupping ground for Alaska fur seals. They enslaved some Aleuts and moved them to the Pribilofs to help manage the fur seals. The Russians left and the Aleut families remained on the islands.

You will enjoy an inflatable landing excursion on St George to view fur seals and seabirds up close. You may also spot a reindeer here.

Day 19 - YUKON DELTA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Enjoy an inflatable shore excursion to Nunivak Island in the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. You will be looking for Musk Oxen and Reindeer. There are only 215 known eskimo residents of this 1.2 million acre island.

Day 20 - EXPLORING THE BERING SEA

The captain will choose exactly what options are safest based upon the weather conditions. You will start by taking a tour of Provideniya in Russia. You might also visit

Novoye Chaplino a Russian Yupik village
Savoonga, considered the walrus capital of the world
Yanrakynnot, Chukchi hunters here hunt walrus and whales. Home of Whale Bone Alley
Little Diomede - Separated from Russian's Big Diomede by less than two miles and the International Date Line.

Day 21 - EXPLORING THE BERING SEA

Visit native communities and see how they rely on the sea to survive. The Cold War (called the ice war here) between Russian and the US had a terrible impact on the people in this area. Families living on different islands were separated from each other and not permitted to see each other.

Day 22 - EXPLORING THE BERING SEA

You will learn that these amazing people who survive here are threated by warming temperatures as the ice melts. These people are dependent upon the ice for survival and their cultures are being impacted by the lack of ice! This is one of those places you visit and notice how happy people are without cell phones, electronic toys and traffic jams.

Day 23 - THE ARCTIC CIRCLE

Cruise into the Chukchi and cross the arctic circle where it intersects the International date line. You can see humpbacks, grays, orcas and bowhead whales. This is a day of relaxation and enjoying this incredible sea.

Day 24 - NOME TO ANCHORAGE

Visit Nome and enjoy a sightseeing tour before flying to Anchorage. You will enjoy dinner and stay at the Sheraton Hotel.

Day 25 - ANCHORAGE

Fly back home or take an optional tour

OPTIONAL TOUR 1 - Denali

This is the optional tour to Denali National Park which adds four days

Day 1 - ARRIVE IN FAIRBANKS - Stay at Pike's Waterfront Lodge and enjoy a cheese and wine reception

Day 2 - FAIRBANKS SIGHTSEEING, TO DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE - Sightsee Fairbanks, University of Alaska Museum and the Alaska Pipeline. Travel to Denali via motorcoach and stay overnight

Day 3 - EXPLORE DENALI NATIONAL PARK - Take a guided trip deep into Denali exploring the scenery and incredible wildlife. There are also optional activities such as flightseeing and river trips.

Day 4 - DENALI TO ANCHORAGE VIA RAIL AND MOTORCOACH - Enjoy more activities in the park then take a domed railcar to Talkeetna then a deluxe motorcoach to Anchorage. Spend the night in Anchorage at the Sheraton hotel.

Day 5 - FLY ANCHORAGE TO JUNEAU where you will be getting on the cruise ship

Whew, that would be a great trip. For more info on Cruise West trips please click here

Alaska Adventure Tours

There are adventurous travelers and there are travelers who really enjoy being pampered more than a great adventure. I have vacationed the complete spectrum, I have pinched pennies while vacationing in Gatlinburg Tennessee and stayed in a very expensive vacation home with a private maid in Saint Jean de Luz, France. I will admit that the vacation home with a private maid was a nice way to experience France.

But, I am an adventurer at heart, probably born from my days as a kid where I grabbed a fishing pole or net and waded creeks and ponds to see what was there. My favorite type of travel is where you see things up close and personal with exposure to the people, culture and wildlife. This might require you to hop on a rubber landing raft and land on a beach where no one lives, or it might require you to reach down and pet a whale. Adventurers run between 8 and 98 years old generally.

Last week's entry covered the tours done by major cruise companies and these are a good, comfortable way to see Alaska. This week we are going to discuss adventure tours which are available. You can enjoy the expertise of Alaskan residents while truly exploring Alaska. There are options available for families with kids under 12, fishing expeditions up to a week, bear watching of one day to one week, The Iditarod, Scenic Explorations up to 10 days.
The activities you can expect to do on these adventure tours include:

• Seeing Denalii National Park from the ground and from an airplane
• Whitewater rafting or a scenic river float
• Visiting an Iditarod dog sled kennel and getting a ride
• Visiting a gold mine
• Fishing for salmon
• Fishing for Halibut
• Walking on a glacier
• Visiting the Alaska Sealife Center
• Visiting the Alaska Wildlife Center
• Hiking
• Biking
• Alyeska Tram
• Kayaking
• Seeing wildlife such as bears, moose, caribou, sea otters, seals, bald eagles and a variety of sea birds.

Some of these tours are open to individuals with only a small 'penalty' for not having double occupancy, so don't hesitate because you are not traveling with a group. You can also request which options you want on your adventure and create a custom adventure. Here are two of the best:

Family Adventure With Children Under 12

Who says you cannot have adventure with younger children? Here is the itinerary for a trip with younger children, adventurous but reasonable for younger kids.

Day 1 - Arrive in Anchorage and check into your paid hotel and explore on your own. Meals and activities on this day are not included

Day 2 - You are picked up at the hotel and travel along the Turnagain Arm (very scenic) toward Seward. There will be stops at several wildlife viewing possibilities.

Tour the Alaska Wildlife Center which cares for injured or orphaned Alaska wildlife. You can see bear, moose, musk ox and other wildlife that was rescued in some way.

Tour the Alaska Sealife Center which is geared toward studying and restoring Alaska's marine life.

A six hour scenic dinner cruise into Kenai Fjords National park will give you viewing of sea otters, sea lions, eagles and other marine life. The coastline is beautiful edged by a temperate rain forest.

You will stay in Seward overnight

Day 3 - Visit Portage Glacier and it's observatory
Have lunch at the Sourdough Mining Company in Anchorage
Enjoy an easy hike to Thunderbird Falls in Chugach State Park. Enjoy the mossy forest of birch trees and ferns and arrive at the falls thundering down a rocky cliff.
Have dinner before arriving at Wasilla lodging.

Day 4 - You will enjoy a scenic drive along the Matanuska River to it's very beginning which is the Matanuska Glacier. Enjoy a three hour guided glacier hike with information on glaciology and geology. After having lunch you will raft the Matanuska River. Enjoy dinner in an Alaskan family restaurant and go to your Wasilla accommodations.

Day 5 - Visit Talkeetna, a frontier town with beautiful views of Denali. Travel to Denali and enjoy flightseeing over green valleys and pass through the great gorge. Fly deep into the park over glaciers and ridges for great views of the park. This flight takes one hour. Continue touring Denali and enjoying wildlife and scenic views along the way before checking in at the lodge.

Day 6 - Spend the day touring Denali park. Enjoy the beautiful wildlife and scenery.

Day 7 - Depart Denali and head to Anchorage. On the way you will stop and visit an Iditarod musher's sled dogs. Meet the dogs and puppies then enjoy a short ride in a wheeled cart. Arrival in Anchorage cannot be guaranteed for departures earlier than 6:00 pm.

Iditarod Adventure

What adventurous traveler wouldn't enjoy seeing the Iditarod and hopefully the Northern Lights? This tour is only open to travel groups of 8 or more. Even though most tours are open to individuals this one is not.

Day 1 2/27/08 - Arrive in Anchorage and explore at your leisure. Hotel room is included, but meals are not.

Day 2 2/28/08 - You will be picked up by your Alaska Tour Guides. Your first stop is the Alaska Wildlife Center which cares for injured or orphaned wildlife. You could see bears, elk, buffalo (bison), moose or others here. Take a tram ride to the top of Mt Alyeska for beautiful views, I have personally done this and enjoyed it.

Enjoy lunch at the ski resort of Girdwood. Return to Anchorage and enjoy the Mushers Banquet. This is your chance to enjoy Alaska entertainment and possibly get autographs and photos.

Day 3 2/29/08 - Visit the kennel of a veteran Iditarod musher. Enjoy lunch and riding behind a sled dog team. Have dinner and check into your Wasilla hotel.

Day 4 3/01/08 - There are two starts to the Iditarod, the ceremonial start in Anchorage and the official start. Today you will attend the festivities and ceremonial start in Anchorage. Enjoy a visit to the Anchorage Museum of History and Art. There are also works displayed by famous Alaskan artists.

Day 5 3/02/08 - Official start of the Iditarod in Mat-Su Valley Enjoy an outdoor barbeque in Wasilla and the official race start. Take pictures and cheer as the mushers begin a 1150 mile ride to Nome. Try out snowshoeing and cross country skiing. You will have dinner and return to your hotel in Wasilla.

Day 6 3/03/08 - Enjoy the town of Talkeetna and it's incredible views of Denali. After having lunch you will take a flight over Denali. View the most scenic and desolate areas of the park. You will return to Anchorage. Departures must be later than 8 pm to guarantee arrival. If you wish to stay another night your hotel is not included in the price but arrangements can be made.

We will have one more article on northern coastal Alaska next week. If someone has driven Alaska and would like to share their experience I would love to post your thoughts.

Brian@freecruisebook.com For more info click here

Exploring Inland Alaska

Alaska Coastal Cruise - Glaciers And Inside Passage

There are adventurous travelers and there are travelers who really enjoy being pampered more than a great adventure. I have vacationed the complete spectrum, I have pinched pennies while vacationing in Gatlinburg Tennessee and stayed in a very expensive vacation home with a private maid in Saint Jean de Luz, France. I will admit that the vacation home with a private maid was a nice way to experience France.

But, I am an adventurer at heart probably born from my days as a kid where I grabbed a fishing pole or net and waded creeks and ponds to see what was there. My favorite type of travel is where you see things up close and personal with exposure to the people, culture and wildlife. This might require you to hop on a rubber landing raft and land on a beach where no one lives or it might require you to reach down and pet a whale. Adventurers run between 8 and 98 years old generally.

Today's adventure takes you to the interior of Alaska. There are three ways to explore the Alaskan interior. You can do it on your own with a tent, rent an RV and do your own thing. Or, you can take a tour which is more organized and pampered. Both of these are adventures because you will be seeing things seldom seen by anyone else on either option.

If you are seriously interested in renting an RV you should do this well in advance. RVs are already available for rental in 2008 and 2009!. Go Here. If someone has taken an RV trip we would love to get some details of your trip and include it in our adventure blog. We really don't have any details to describe an RV trip so we are going to focus on the tours available after taking a cruise.

There are three ways to experience Alaska after a cruise other than buying a tent and hitting the road on your own.

1) You can be part of a complete and experienced Tour Package which will handle all of your arrangements and take you to the most common destinations such as Denali National Park, Dawson City, Copper River before or after your cruise. These are usually part of your cruise package so we will discuss tours done by several cruise companies this week.

2) The more adventurous tours which include white water rafting, camping and more will be discussed next week. Make no mistake though, seeing wild Alaska is an adventure no matter how you do it.

3) You can stay at a hotel in Anchorage and take day trips. Most of these available options will be discussed next week also.

If you are taking the northbound cruise these tours would occur after your cruise. If you are taking a southbound cruise these tours would occur before your cruise. There are too many tours to list them all so I will list the ones that should appeal more to the adventurous travelers. If you want more information on all of the tours available go here. For simpler comparison all of the tours listed are for a southbound cruise, you would take your tour first and then take your cruise.


Princess Cruises Great Land History & Wilderness

This description is for a southbound cruise. You would start your trip with the tour and then take a ship going south to Vancouver.

Day 1 - Anchorage Meet your fellow travelers and tour guide to begin your trip

Day 2 - Anchorage/Denali Travel by rail from Anchorage to Denali National Park's Princess Wilderness Lodge and enjoy a music show in the evening.

Day 3 - Enjoy a morning trip deep into Denali National Park. The rest of the day is free to spend however you like, relaxing or taking an optional excursion

Day 4 - Relax or take an optional excursion in the morning. Take the train back to the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge.

Day 5 - Take a riverboat cruise from Fairbanks and enjoy a trip to the El Dorado Gold Mine. Spend the evening in Fairbanks exploring on your own.

Day 6 - Travel from Fairbanks to Dawson city and relive the Klondike Gold Rush. Enjoy Diamond Tooth Gerties in the evening.

Day 7 - Enjoy the history tour of Dawson City and the Gold Rush. In the evening you are free to enjoy anything you desire.

Day 8 - Enjoy a beautiful train ride to the Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge

Day 9 - Copper River. Enjoy a full day to choose from optional excursions to enjoy the Wrangell-St. Elias National park, America's largest national park.

Day 10 - Take a motorcoach sightseeing trip to Valdez. Then enjoy a catamaran crossing of Prince William Sound. Arrive in Whittier where you will board your ship and set sail.


Holland America

Day 1 - Arrive in Anchorage and check into your downtown hotel

Day 2 - Take a scenic luxury rail ride to Denali National Park and stay at a Denali lodge.

Day 3 - Enjoy a long Denali Tundra Wilderness Tour and luxury rail ride to Fairbanks

Day 4 - Tour the Dalton Highway and cross the Arctic Circle. Stay overnight at Coldfoot.

Day 5 - Pass through the Arctic National Park as you entire the land of the midnight sun. Stay overnight at Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Circle.

Day 6 - Enjoy an Arctic Circle/Prudhoe Bay tour while looking for king eiders and phalaropes. Fly to Anchorage after your tour and spend the night at a fine hotel.

Day 7 - Enjoy a scenic motorcoach ride from Anchorage to Seward and board the ship.


Cruise West

Day 1 - Arrive in Fairbanks and enjoy a wine and cheese reception at Pike's Waterfront Lodge

Day 2 - Enjoy breakfast and a riverboat cruise on Chena and Tanana Rivers, a tour of Fairbanks and admission to Alaska's Museum of the North. You can also take an optional flight above the Arctic Circle which is about 100 miles away.

Day 3 - Enjoy your breakfast in a domed railcar on your way to Denali National Park. After you reach Denali you will take a bus to North Face Lodge for lunch and enjoy dinner and an overnight stay. You will have leisure time to view wildlife and the incredible scenery.

Day 4 & 5 - Spend two more nights exploring Denali and staying at the North Face Lodge. More time to enjoy optional activities at Denali than most tours. This is your chance to explore on your own or with a guide.

Day 6 - Enjoy dinner on board the domed railcar as you leave Denali and travel to Anchorage.

Day 7 - Enjoy a city tour of downtown Anchorage and a lunch tour of the Anchorage Museum of History and Art. In the afternoon you have the choice of visiting the Alaska Native Heritage Center and dancing to a native drum presentation or see life-size replica village sites including the Aleut, Alutiq and Yup'ik/Cup'ik cultures. You have a choice of seven restaurants for dinner with the Anchorage dine around program.

Day 8 - Fly from Anchorage to Juneau where you will stay at the Goldbelt Hotel with time for exploring on your own.

Day 9 - Board the ship for your cruise.

Brian@freecruisebook.com For more info click here