Archive for June 27th, 2009

I’m just curious. Are you headed to Seward for the big Mt. Marathon race? How about Seldovia, across the bay from Homer? I hear they have a great  parade? Below, our friends Tammy and Alicia were having a snowball fight atop Chilkoot Pass…they celebrated both Independence Day and Canada Day!!

One of my favorite destinations is Dawson City–up in the Yukon. They combine their Canada Day celebration on July 1 with an Independence Day party for the visiting Yankees (we’re everywhere, y’know!).

Other friends of mine always head back to McCarthy, in the heart of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Oh–they’re tough, too. They camp out. Here, we camped at the foot of a glacier deep in the park. FUN! Big shout-out to St. Elias Alpine Guides and to Wrangell Mountain Air.

Wherever you go–take some pictures and send me some of the best ones, along with a description of what’s going on.

My wish for July 4 travel? Heck, that’s easy. I wanted a slot to go check out the USS John C. Stennis. My friend Randy got to go spend the night on the ship–he promised to send me some snaps–I’ll post ‘em when I get ‘em.

Don’t be bashful–share some of your great travel experiences with the class. The world wants to know what a great time we’re having in Alaska! Be a real evangelist. It’s fun!!

Can we talk? Here it is, mid-July, and it’s tough to pull bargains out of the airlines–unless you know where to look.  That’s where USTravel comes in. There are a couple of destinations that stand out as super-bargains, because of intense competition.

Anchorage-Minneapolis. This is a tough market for Sun Country Airlines, who is going up against Northwest Airlines. Both carriers offer non-stop service. Because of Sun Country, the fare to the Twin Cities from Anchorage has dropped by H-A-L-F. Right now, there are fares as low as $325 roundtrip. YOU CANNOT GET THEM until September. But Sun Country has some great rates for mid-July travel as low as $434 roundtrip. Let the professionals at USTravel round up some seats for you. Call Kelly Jo on Monday: (907)561-2434. Or, toll-free (800)544-2217.

Anchorage-Denver. The big airlines have kept up the pressure on Frontier Airlines all summer. And Frontier Airlines is the reason the rates are cheap. Most of the discount seats have been sold through late July. Some cheap seats now are available–about $450 roundtrip, between Aug. 10 and Sept. 22. Availability changes all time, so call USTravel and have them check the latest availability for good prices. Remember, Kelly Jo and the other fine folks at USTravel also can make arrangements for your car, hotels and tours as well.

When you get Kelly Jo on the line, ask her about her “Christmas Markets Tour”, departing Anchorage on Dec. 5. Shop the handmade crafts and hearty treats at the lively Christmas Markets of Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Stops include Zurich, Lucerne, Innsbruck and Salzburg. Call on Monday: (907) 561-2434 or toll-free (800)544-2217.

If you haven’t done it, make plans to sail on the mighty  Ptarmigan, which sails several times each day on Portage Lake, just 54 miles from Anchorage along the glorious Turnagain Arm on the way to Seward. It’s just a one-hour cruise, but it takes you RIGHT UP CLOSE to the Portage Glacier. Check it out! Click here for a $5 coupon!

Plus, Gray Line of Alaska is offering travelers a $500 discount on tours six days or longer. This includes self-drive tours to Valdez or Homer, rail tours, escorted tours and more! Call Gray Line at (800)544-2206 for more details on this special program.

Choose from several rail/accommodations specials, too. I like the three-day/two-night option to Denali from either Fairbanks or Anchorage. From Anchorage, the package includes two nights at Denali Park, plus roundtrip train transportation. The cost is $399 per person, double. From Fairbanks, the cost is just $299 per person. Other options are available, including a one-way package and one-night packages, too.

You really cannot overstate how much fun you will have on the train! Gray Line travelers enjoy the full-dome treatment with McKinley Explorer train cars. Call now or visit online for more details.

I’m excited about Alaska Airlines’ new destinations: Austin, Houston and Atlanta. For the rollouts (Austin on Aug. 3, Houston on Sept. 23 and Atlanta on Oct. 23), Alaska will offer some special fares and double miles. Already, the Austin fares are loaded. From Seattle, it’s about $120 each way. From Anchorage, it’s $249 each way. With taxes, the total from Anchorage is $539 roundtrip.

Heaven knows there are a gob of Texans in Alaska–and many of the folks in the Lone Star State are ready to head north to cool off. Alaska’s Austin and Houston flights will mean the carrier serves three airport in the state, including Dallas/Ft. Worth.

Oh, don’t forget about Alaska’s offer of double QUALIFYING miles through June 30. I managed to sneak in a trip to Chicago and I got a BUNDLE of bonus qualifying miles. You have just a few more days to make it happen!

Win some prizes on Alaska’s “North of Expected” game. Heck. I signed up. I played. I fumbled. Maybe you can win where I lost. Heck–you cannot win if you don’t enter. Learn more on the special website!

Whoa. Bug season is upon us, in case you hadn’t noticed. Flies and ticks–but mostly mosquitos.

Call me crazy–but I enjoy seeing the flying suckers dazed and confused when they run into the “Buhach Cloud”. I guess it’s like a nuclear winter for bugs.

In the garage, we generate a bunch of heat–working on stuff, sharpening hooks and blades, moving cars around and such. So mosquitos naturally swarm there. There was a time that I just took the WD-40 and sprayed it in th eair. It stuck to a bunch of bugs–but did not intimidate the others.

I’ve gotten somewhat smarter over the years. Now, I take a pie plate, pour some Buhach on there and light it. It seems to do the trick. Whether you’re in camp, on the river or just fiddling in the garage, Buhach will keep the bugs away.

Buhach got its first big break when people discovered it in 198 during th ebig Klondike Gold Rush. More than 100 years later–we’re still using it to keep the bugs away!

Would you like a free can of Buhach? Heck–I have a couple of cans on my desk. Send me a note–tell me why you need it. From the folks who send me a note, I’ll pick some random winners. NOTE: Your subject line MUST say “Buhach: Mosquitos Fear it.” I know–crazy, eh?HA!  My email is: zoom@gci.net . Learn more about Buhach online.