Archive for August 22nd, 2009

Aside from the glorious fall colors at Denali, you’ll be saving a fair amount of GREEN on these deals!

Think of it: Fall is coming now at Denali National Park. Make plans to visit between now and Sept. 20 and save!

Your $219 package includes two nights’ accommodations, a $50 gift card for tours and/or meals at the resort and 500 Alaska Airlines miles.
Optional activities include the MUST-DO ride into the park. I recommend the long ride into the park. It’s an 8-hour ride, but s-o-o-o worth it. This is your chance to see wildlife and scenery on the 85-mile road from the entrance back to Wonder Lake.

Or, choose a thrilling raft trip on the Nenana River. You can choose a “mild” ride or a “wild” ride.

Afterwards, save room for the “Alaska Cabin Nite” dinner theater!

Don’t miss out on this seasons’ best deal for Denali vacations. Take advantage of “The Colors of Denali” today.

Did you go to the Blueberry Festival today at Alyeska Resort ? I heard it was berry, berry good. ACK ACK! There’s plenty going on at Alyeska Resort, including:

• Sightseeing via the Alyeska Aerial Tram
• Historical Roundhouse Museum
• Bikes rentals and trail information
• Hiking on Winner Creek Trail to Hand Tram
• Guided Glacier Hiking and Rock Climbing (with The Ascending Path!)
• Tandem Paragliding
• Gold-panning at historic Crow Creek Mine
• Berry picking

Here are some k-e-w-l packages to spend the night and relax at Alyeska Resort. Did I even mention the SPA? The Sushi? Jeez. The list goes on!!

a. Lunch On the Mountain. Just $129 per person (double)! Includes deluxe overnight accommodations for two, plus a pair of Tram-and-Lunch combo tickets for Glacier Express.

b. Summer Stress Relief. This includes overnight accommodations for two, breakfast for two and $100 in spa credit! From $159 per person, double.

c. Alaskan Summer Family. Includes overnight accommodations, in-room movie, four all-day bike rentals or sightseeing tram rides, a 17-inch pizza, breakfast for two adults and free breakfast for up to three kids. The cost is $398 per night. Splurge for an additional room for $150!

Check the website for details, or call (907)754-1111.

Now that it’s hot again in Anchorage, catch a glacier cruise just 54 miles from downtown Anchorage on Portage Glacier Cruises. Sail on the mighty m/v Ptarmigan to the face of Portage Glacier. Oooh, it’s active, too. This is just a one-hour cruise, but you’ll get up close and personal with the glacier. BrinIceg your camera!!

Time to get on board the Alaska Railroad and ride to Denali this summer from Anchorage or Fairbanks. Spend two nights--that gives you time to take the LONG tour (Tundra Wildlife Tour) into the park, plus a raft trip on the Nenana River.

Gray Line of Alaska features private rail cars (the McKinley Explorer). Full-dome viewing on top, with a nice restaurant on the lower level. GREAT way to ride on the Alaska Railroad. Your accommodations are near to the park entrance and all the activities: river rafting, flightseeing, guided hikes and more.

From Fairbanks, the cost is just $299 per person for three days/two nights. From Anchorage, it’s a little longer–so the cost is $399 per person–and that includes your rail and two nights’ accommodations.

Space is limited. Call (888)452-1737 today or check online for more details.

I love my GCI Wireless Card. It’s the handy USB device that essentially brings hi-speed wireless to your laptop on the go. It works in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Soldotna, Seward, Wasilla, Juneau, Ketchikan and several places in between.

This is the perfect solution when you cannot count on the wireless connection at the coffee shop, or when the bad hotel people want to charge you $10-$20 to connect (b-a-a-d hotel!). This device works anywhere a cell phone works.

The Wireless Card is available for $20/mo. as long as you are a GCI cable customer.

My other favorite wireless device is my Blackberry smartphone. I finally figured out how to take a picture. Then there are voice commands, web access, email…this thing is way smarter than me. But I DID figure out how to change my ringtone–so I’m making progress.

Check with your local GCI store, or call the friendly folks at (800)800-4800 today.

I appreciate the hands-on approach I get from USTravel with my travel  arrangements. Last-minute plans to far-flung corners of Alaska (Ketchikan) are no problem for Kelly Jo and the professionals at USTravel. After all–they live here. Think about it: how many reservation agents know the difference between Shishmaref and Shaktoolik? Hoonah and Huslia? Here’s a snapshot of #1 son, Drew, at a scenic Ketchikan overlook on a sunny day (hope, pray for sun!!).

Travel to rural Alaska is just one specialty of a local staff. They also know where to find the best deals from Alaska to all points on the globe. it’s nice to know that in many Alaskan cities (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, Prudhoe Bay, Kodiak and Dutch Harbor), your USTravel agent is just a local call away–and they have their finger on the pulse!

What is Kelly Jo talking about today? (more…)