Archive for May 21st, 2009

Congratulations to Wendy Shapiro, who won the special Alaska Vacation package from Alaska HDTV.com and Alaska Travelgram!

Wendy will be flying Alaska Airlines north to Alaska, staying with Princess Alaska Lodges during her stay–and riding the Princess Rail Tours cars between locations!

Congratulations, Wendy!

Head down to Seward to see Skittle, the northern sea otter pup. The Alaska SeaLife Center staff says the northern sea otter pup has done very well in captivity. He now eats solid food such as squid and clams, and can effectively groom the thick coat of fur that keeps him warm and dry in frigid water.

As soon as Skittle arrived at the Center, efforts began to find him a permanent home at a zoo or aquarium with a sea otter exhibit, and he is now scheduled to move to the New York Aquarium on Coney Island sometime in June.

Visitors to the Alaska SeaLife Center may be able to see Skittle swimming and playing in the harbor seal exhibit for the next two weeks or more, as long as he responds to training and behaves himself.

I love the Kenai River. I’ve dip-netted at the mouth, skipped rocks on Kenai Lake and hiked or floated past almost every mile of the river, including Skilak Lake and the beautiful Upper Kenai River.

Take an early-season scenic float down the river. Drive down from Anchorage and stay at the glorious Kenai Princess Lodge. There are great rates right now, as low as $99.

Then, float with our friends at Alaska River Adventures. You’ll see them just past the Kenai River Bridge there in Cooper Landing. Or, call them at (907)595-2000. Tell them Scott sent you! Highlights of the float include:
a. Scenic beauty (like everywhere in Alaska) jade green river, towering mountains. You just can’t get enough of this!
b. Wildlife. A half dozen active eagle nests are right on the river. Watch for mama moose with the kids come to the river in the spring and stay until the bears come! Salmon swarm upstream–and the bears come to do some fishing. Watch for Dall sheep and mountain goats on the cliffs and ridges above the river. Plus–Bird Brains love this trip. Lots of cool birds–everything from ouzels to harlequins. Bring the binoculars and your camera.

c. Safety first. it is safe for all ages and experience levels (and for cameras) – no real whitewater, just some fun small rapids. Come early. Stay late. Call Alaska River Adventures: (907)595-2000.

I just go toff the phone with Kelly Jo McGee over at USTravel. Guess what? Europe is HOT! Why? Fares are down. Crowds are thinned out. It’s a buyers market and that means there are DEALS.

First, remember you can fly nonstop from Anchorage or Fairbanks to Frankfurt on Condor Air. Heck, that’s what I’m doing next week! See you on board!

PARIS, BORDEAUX, LOURDES and MONACO. Take this wine tour, plus a side trip to Lourdes.  Start your trip with two nights in Paris and enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. A guided sightseeing tour includes a visit to Notre Dame Cathedral and an ascent to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower. Then continue by high-speed “TGV” train to Bordeaux and enjoy an excursion to St. Emilion for a tour of the most famous wine region of France plus a wine tasting (YUM!). Travel via Biarritz to Lourdes, where two nights offer enough time for a guided walking tour and to follow the pilgrims to St. Bernadette’s Grotto. Stop in the medieval walled “Bastide” city of Carcassonne on your way to Nîmes. In Nîmes, enjoy a walking tour. Visit Pont du Gard, the 2,000-year-old Roman Aqueduct, and Avignon. Also stop in famous Aix-en-Provence and Cannes before arriving at your beachfront hotel in Monte Carlo in the Principality of Monaco for two nights.

COSTA RICA. Kelly Jo really likes Costa Rica, too. Check out the Costa Rica
The Coast To Coast Adventure! Mountain Biking, Hiking and Whitewater Rafting. This trip is for the truly adventurous. From the Pacific coast to the Atlantic shores of Costa Rica, you will bike, hike and raft in one adventure-filled expedition. From the picturesque cliffs and beaches of Manuel Antonio, you will challenge the Continental Divide! Then, drift peacefully to the Atlantic shores.

Call Kelly Jo today. Let her plan an adventure for you! (907)561-2434 or toll-free: (800)544-2217.

I’m trying out Magellan’s newest rolling carry-on this week. Check out Magellan’s online store. They do a great job. I’m getting ready for a big trip to Spain–and their goodies come in handy: converter plugs, packing cubes, quick-dry synthetic t-shirts.

It’s no surprise, though. The shop is run by the McManus family. Husband and wife used to work for PanAm–so they’ve been travel gadget-hounds for years.

Their latest rolling bag features all sorts of pockets and comes with handy packing cubes:  socks, toiletries and undies slip neatly into zippered mesh bags for handy retrieval. There’s an outside sleeve that’s perfect for my laptop (13-inch MacBook). Then there are all sorts of sleeves and snaps to keep everything organized. But, heck, when I was packing at 6AM the other morning, I just threw everything in, sat on it and zipped it up. It wasn’t until I got to my Aunt Sue’s place in Ft. Wayne, IN later that night that I spread everything out on the bed and put everything neatly in its place. Now, here I am in Seattle with everything jumbled up again. But when I roll it on my Alaska Air flight, everything fits nicely in the overhead bin. And everybody (including me) is happy.

So check out Magellan’s new house brand. In addition to the roll-aboard, they also make an under-the seat version, as well as larger 24-in. and 27-in. to check in the belly (for an additional airline fee, of course. ACK).  And tell ‘em Scott sent you.