Alaska TravelGram

The atmosphere is comfy here at Fletcher’s, just off the lobby in the Hotel Captain Cook. 

“The Cook” is the nicest place in town. Take that to the bank. It’s a great location right in the middle of downtown Anchorage. There’s easy access to all the Iditarod events tomorrow, plus shopping, dining and entertainment at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. 

Last week we talked about the hotel’s health club, complete with weight rooms, sauna, racquetball, pool and massage therapy. And we really like the fancy coffee bar at the Whale’s Tail.

But Fletcher’s is great for several reasons. First, they continue to serve lunch all afternoon. That’s good because I can’t keep a schedule. This way, I can just stumble in and grab a bite.

And it’s delicious. I started out with a pear-arugula  salad. There’s a fair dose of Gorgonzola cheese, walnuts and a white wine vinaigrette. Then I moved onto the Grilled Pesto Shrimp. Yum. Topped off with a yummy “Cloudline” Pinot Noir. I remember the Cloudline. It’s an Oregon vintage that I had at my 50th birthday party. Many years ago. HA!

If you’re really hungry, pick one of the entrees, such as the Seared Pork Chop or the Pan Seared Halibut.  Those are right off the fresh sheet. But there are plenty of other selections from the menu: pizza, salad, steak, pasta. Take your pick. 

Our bartender, Dirk, is quick and efficient. Stop in at Fletcher’s for a bite. It’s at the Hotel Captain Cook.  Tell Dirk Scott sent you. Also, ask about the Weekend Special at the hotel, as low as $125 per night. 

We flew Condor last spring to Frankfurt. They do a great job, flying from Anchorage, Fairbanks and Whitehorse to Frankfurt. The 10-hour flight shaves about 14 hours of travel time off the well-slogged path through the Lower 48 and across the Atlantic.

Never mind it’s cheaper. Here are the magic dates:

Anchorage-Frankfurt May 13

Frankfurt-Anchorage May 24

These are the Golden Dates when you can travel for just $650 roundtrip, including all government taxes and airline fees. Check with USTravel to get these dates. USTravel’s ticketing fee is additional.

Of course, from Frankfurt, you can hop connecting flights or a fast train to get where you’re going. USTravel can make all the arrangements: 907 561 2434 or toll-free 800 544 2217.

This flower-seller pulled up next to our flat in Rome each morning. That’s our coffee shop in the background under the “P”. We loved visiting Rome. You will, too.

Check out these web specials. Pay special note to Fairbanks and Bethel. Right now (as in T-o-d-a-y) you can fly on Era up to Fairbanks for $139rt. And you can come back any day between now and Mar. 5. Suh-weet.
You remember Era, don’t you? In addition to convenient service to Valdez, Homer, Kenai, Cordova and Kodiak, they now fly to Fairbanks and Bethel.
The gate is just steps from the curb–and these web prices are g-r-e-a-t. 
The Bethel rate of $189 also is valid through Mar. 5. 
Here are some other great destinations:
Anchorage-Kodiak through Mar. 3: $149rt
Anchorage-Cordova through Mar. 3: $139rt
Anchorage-Kenai through Mar. 2: $79rt
Anchorage-Homer through Mar. 2: $129rt
Anchorage-Valdez through Mar. 3: $139rt
Check the website for the fly/stay and fly/drive packages!  

Wow, the whole town turned out for Sunday’s “Running of the Reindeer”! This is the first year for this event–and it will definitely be a part of next year’s lineup!

Check out this video from Alaska Podshow.

Be sure and subscribe to the Podshow feed. Just go to the website and download the “HD” episodes. Great!

 
Also, when you’re downtown, check out the luminous WILDFEST Ice Castle, constructed in Town Square and open to the public free of charge tomorrow (4 p.m. – 10 p.m.), Saturday (11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.), and Sunday (11 a.m. – 8 p.m.). The WILDFEST Ice Castle is 90 tons of fun for the whole family! Fairbanks ice carvers Steve and Heather Brice have been working on the castle all week. We met the Brices up at Chena Hot Springs in Fairbanks, where they carved all the artwork in the Ice Hotel. Fabulous. 
Don’t miss it! 

Free is one of my favorite words. Call me jaded and cynical–but that’s just how it is! That’s why I love the Great Alaskan TourSaver. Because when you buy the book for $99.95 (that’s where the money changes hands), you have more than 140 offers to bring your companion along for free. There’s more than $22,000 in travel offers where your companion goes F-R-E-E. Let’s be clear: this is one of those deals where it PAYS to know someone with a TourSaver book! HA!

Right up there next to “free” is “2-for-1″. That, I think, is my second-favorite phrase. Everything in the TourSaverbook is 2-for-1. For hotels, it means you pay the regular rate for the first night and you get the second night free. For cruises, it means you pay the original rate and your companion goes f-r-e-e. 

All the coolest things to do in Alaska are in the book, including:

a. Charter fishing in Seward, Kodiak and along the Kenai River.

b. Glacier cruises in Valdez, Wrangell, Whittier and Seward. 

c. Bear-viewing trips in Wrangell.

d. Denali flightseeing trips from Talkeetna (fixed wing) and Denali Park (rotor wing). Choose from glacier landings, summit flights or heli-hiking!

e. Hotels in Juneau, Wrangell, Skagway, Fairbanks, Anchorage, Seward, Valdez, Talkeetna, Copper Center, McCarthy and Whitehorse.

f. Rental cars in Anchorage, Juneau and Ketchikan.

g. Tram ride in downtown Juneau.

h. Wilderness Lodge at the edge of Gates of the Arctic National Park (Bettles Lodge).

i. Wilderness Lodge in Nikolski (week-long adventure!).

j. Alaska rail tours between Anchorage, Denali Park and Fairbanks.

k. Admission to Alaska SeaLife Center, Alaska Native Heritage Center, Alaska Wilderness Conservation Center and Diamond Tooth Gertie’s! 

…much more.

Check the TourSaver.com site today and see all the great offers. You only have to use one coupon to get your money back. And the rest, they say, is free! Ah, my favorite word! Catch a big fat King Salmon on the Kenai River, just like my son, Drew. There are two coupons for 2-for-1 salmon charters in this year’s Great Alaskan TourSaver. By the way, we flew back to Anchorage after catching this fish and grilled it up on the BBQ t-h-a-t e-v-e-n-i-n-g. Yummmmm. 

I was visiting earlier today with one of my wine gurus, Mike McVittie over at Brown Jug. Mike is always experimenting with new wines–and I’ve turned him on to some new wines after returning from trips! 

Our neighbor to the south, Washington State, is putting out some great wines. In fact, Mike and his crew at the Wine Club are hosting a Washington State wine tasting next Saturday at the Hotel Captain Cook. 

I looked over the wine list for the tasting–he’s got some great pours set aside.

Set aside this Sat., Mar. 1. The tasting is at 7pm at the Endeavor Room at the Hotel Captain Cook. Wine club members pay $35. Nonmembers: $40.  The tastings are grouped into four flights:

Flight 1:

2005 Barnard Griffin Fume Blanc

2006 De Lille Chaleur Blanc

Flight 2:

2003 Ethos Merlot

2003 Whitman Merlot

2005 Doyenne Syrah (OMG–This is GREAT wine!)

Flight 3:

2003 Kiona Lemberger

2006 Hedges CMS Red

2005 Murray Cuvee

Flight 4:

2005 Soos Creek Artis Series

2004 Woodward Canyon Art Series

2005 Andrew Will Champoux

Over the last year, I’ve spend quite a bit of time traveling in Washington–and a little bit of that time tasting the fine wines they produce there. Don’t miss out on this tasting! Call (907)563-3286 to reserve your place!

 Scott Slone of Alaska Podshow enjoys a glorious seafood medley at Winterlake Lodge: Alaska King Crab, silver salmon and some other goodies from the sea. Our wine? A beautiful Pinot Noir from Estancia. We grabbed a big box of wine from Brown Jug for our trip out to Winterlake. As soon as Carl saw it, he remarked “Ah, I see you’ve brought coals to Newcastle!” There’s no shortage of good wine at Winterlake Lodge, especially during one of Kirsten’s Culinary Weekends!