50 ways Alaska tops bucket list of travel for 2009

12-11-2008

If you’ve ever had your own “bucket list” of places to visit before you die, and it included Alaska, 2009 is the year to book a trip. 

 

To help celebrate Alaska’s 50th anniversary of statehood in 2009, two Alaska outfitters, Denali Park Resorts and Glacier Bay Lodge & Tours, have compiled a list of 50 fun things to do in our nation’s largest state. For hard-core outdoors fanatics or those looking for a relaxing way to take in the culture and history of Alaska, Alaska has a little something for everyone.

 

1.            Celebrate Alaska’s 50^th birthday with Denali Park Resort’s “Statehood Special,” which offers a second night for only $50 if you stay on a Thursday or Friday. And if you’re celebrating your 50^th birthday in 2009, you get the second night FREE! (www.denaliparkresorts.com/specials/index.cfm)

2.            Take advantage of the Sourdough Special –throughout the entire 2009 season (May 12-Sept. 20), all four lodges at Denali Park Resorts are offering a 50 percent discount for Alaska residents. Rooms start at $136.96 (www.denaliparkresorts.com/specials/index.cfm)

3.            Ride down the Stampede Trail, the same rugged trail that Chris McCandless traveled through in the 2007 motion picture Into the Wild, adapted from Jon Krakauer’s best-selling non-fiction book

4.            Climb North America’s highest peak – At 20,320 feet, Mt. McKinley is the centerpiece of Denali and offers a challenging adventure. Test your mountaineering skills—just make sure to go in the warmer months!

5.            Get a permit from the National Park Service and go backcountry hiking or backbacking

6.            Take in the theater – Cabin Nite Dinner Theater, a Yukon Gold Rush musical (meal included) (www.denaliparkresorts.com/activities/index.cfm)

7.            Go for a ride on the Nenana or Alsek in a white water river raft

8.            Experience four-star dining – Denali Park Resorts has a strong emphasis on sustainable cuisine, showcasing locally produced and eco-friendly ingredients including fireweed syrup-glazed duck and cardamom-crusted Alaska caribou (http://www.denaliparkresorts.com/lodging-food/index.cfm)

9.            Catch Gold Fever – visit a historical re-creation of a turn-of-the-century Gold Mining Camp and try your luck as a prospector

10.          View the Northern Lights – in person or on the screen. Late August to early September is perfect to view the aurora borealis (the McKinley Chalet Resort will give you a wake-up call during prime viewing) or catch a daytime showing at the Northern Lights Theater

11.          Go deep into the heart of the park through a new tour called the Kantishna Experience where an NPS ranger and bus takes you to Fannie Quigley’s famous cabin 90 miles in the park. (www.denaliparkresorts.com/tours/kantishna.cfm)

12.          Fill ‘er up at Fanny’s Family Flapjack Feed, a popular all-you-can-eat themed breakfast in an authentic, log-paneled roadhouse at the McKinley Chalet Resort

13.          Click away in a guided Photo Safari

14.          Take a vintage photo as a dogsledder, miner, mountaineer or saloon gal at Sourdough Studios

15.          Watch grizzly bears eat blueberries – they eat up to 200,000 daily!

16.          Indulge in a massage – McKinley Village Lodge offers onsite massage services

17.          Learn – Denali National Park new Visitor’s Center and the Murie Science Learning Center offer a variety of learning programs

18.          Enjoy fireside tales from long ago

19.          Tour on Four Wheels or Four Legs – Take an ATV tour or try a horseback safari

20.          Tee off at Midnight – Enjoy a game at Black Diamond by the light of the midnight sun under the shadow of Mt. McKinley

21.          Go back in time with a Covered Wagon Ride

22.          Take in a Glacial View from a different height with a heli-hiking expedition or flight-seeing tour of Mt. McKinley

23.          Experience the Call of the Wild – Moose, Dall sheep, grizzly bears, wolves, and caribou are just some of the wildlife that inhabit the park, an internationally designated biosphere reserve captured in the Tundra Wilderness Tour (www.denaliparkresorts.com/tours/tundra-tours.cfm)

24.          Hit the trail – Denali Park Resorts offers hiking excursions perfect for the entire family, from the novice to the experienced hiker, including Horseshoe Lake Trail, Mount Healy Overlook Trail and Savage River Loop Trail.

25.          Let us be Your Guide – A series of guided 3-hour hikes are available through Denali Park Resort’s Explore Denali program, including a casual hike by the Nanana River; an invigorating moderate hike into the spruce forest; and a personalized trip along the Denali highway with a van and short walks with photo opportunities (http://www.denaliparkresorts.com/activities/detail.cfm)

26.          Take in the Birds and the Bees/the Flowers and the Trees – A sub-arctic ecosystem, Denali also features rare taiga and tundra plant life, as well as over 650 species of flowering plants. Learn more by taking the Natural History Tour (www.denaliparkresorts.com/tours/natural-history-tour.cfm)

27.          Go on a leisurely River Safari

28.          Celebrate Hungry Hour – At 10:00 p.m. every night, the Lucky Miss Saloon (McKinley Village) and the Nenana View Bar (McKinley Chalet) offer complimentary snacks and half-price menu offerings

29.          Meet the friendly locals and learn about Alaska through their perspectives and experiences

30.          Drop a Line – Look for arctic grayling in clear mountain streams or lake trout in Wonder Lake

31.          Put the Pedal to the Metal – Denali ranks as one of the most bike-friendly national parks. A newly constructed bike path allows visitors to ride directly from local hotels into the park, where bikes are permitted on the full length of the park road (90 miles). The McKinley Chalet Resort offers half- and full-day bike rentals through the Explore Denali program

32.          Catch Sled Dog Champions in the Husky Homestead Tour, a visit to the sled dog kennels where visitors can see first-hand the speed and strength of these cold-weather athletes

33.          Get fit while on vacation – Whether it’s a leisurely stroll along the river or an adventurous trek in the mountains, Denali has plenty of opportunities to stay active

34.          Relive the Klondike Gold Rush at the McKinley Village Lodge – the themed lodge offers gold panning, an authentic Alaskan saloon, the Lucky Miss, and casual Alaskan cuisine in the Gold Rush Dining Room

35.          Relax with friends or make new ones while you enjoy the view from the highest lodge in Alaska—Grande Denali Lodge

36.          Go off-grid – Set up shop at one of the seven campgrounds in the park and exist as one with Mother Nature and her beautiful wildlife

37.          Treat yourself – McKinley Chalet Resort offers luxurious rooms and fine dining with true Alaskan flair at the Nenana View Grille

38.          Let us be your chauffeur – Denali Park Resorts offers complimentary shuttle buses between each of the four lodging properties and Denali Visitor Center, Wilderness Access Center or the Lynx Creek Convenience Store

39.          Invest in some snowshoes – this practical winter footwear makes it easy to get outside and exercise in the winter

40.          Hop on the ferry in Juneau and cruise over to Glacier Bay National Park. Glacier Bay Lodge and Tours operates a ferry service using the “Fairweather Express II,” a 149-passenger catamaran

41.          Catch a glimpse of magnificent tidewater glaciers, ancient snow-capped mountains and the best of marine and coastal wildlife on the Glacier Bay Day Cruise at Glacier Bay National Park

42.          Soar over the Brady Icefield in a flight-seeing tour – See the snow-capped Fairweather Mountain Range, alpine and tidewater glaciers, fjords, bays and alpine lakes from an aerial perspective

43.          Get up close and personal with the humpbacks – Glacier Bay Lodge and Tours’ Whale Watching Dinner Tour allows guests to mingle and watch Humpback, Minke and Orca whales

44.          Kayak in Glacier Bay – The national park has been voted one of the top five kayaking destinations in the world

45.          Taste fresh local seafood favorites at Glacier Bay Lodge’s Fairweather Dining Room, choosing from Dungeness Crab, halibut, salmon and more…

46.          Or fish for your own halibut and salmon in the Bartlett River

47.          Bring home souvenirs that celebrate and support Alaska’s native culture, including authentic artwork, jewelry and carvings

48.          Discover the cultural and natural history of Glacier Bay with a film from the Visitor Center, available through the National Park Service

49.          Listen in on presentations given by park rangers every night as they provide insight into various aspects of the national parks

50.          Help the environment while vacationing – As Glacier Bay National Park’s only overnight lodging, Glacier Bay Lodge and Tours is a participant of ARAMARK Parks and Destinations’ PlanetEVERgreen program, allowing guests contribute to such green initiatives as recycling and waste management

 

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