Archive for October, 2009

Okay, it’s snowing a little bit! So Alyeska Resort is getting ready for the white stuff. There are a couple of great ski-n-stay packages. One for weekdays and one for weekends. Weekdays, between Dec. 1-17, you can stay for $109 per person, double. That includes overnight accommodations, a full-day lift ticket for each adult and breakfast. Add $20 per person for weekend stays–and every day 12/20-12/30/2009.

Below, I snapped this shot leaning out the window of a small plane (Ya–the window was open!!). That’s the roundhouse in the foreground–and the hotel at the bottom of the hill.

In the meantime, before the lifts are running, take advantage of fall specials at the resort. Here are a few deals:

a. AUTUMN GETAWAY: Overnight accommodations, breakfast for two and a $30 resort credit. Prices start at $158 for two people!

b. Autumn Stress Relief. Spend the evening at Alyeska Resort. Swim in the pool (see above!!). Enjoy a great meal. Take advantage of the on-site spa. In fact–with this special you get a $100 spa credit, plus breakfast for two. Prices start at $109 per person (double occupancy).

c. Alaska Autumn Special. This is the quintessential deconstructed package. It includes overnight accommodations and an in-room movie! Prices start at $65 per person (double occupancy).

d. Alaska Autumn Family special. This includes overnight accommodations, a movie, a 16-inch pizza, breakfast for two adults and free breakfast for up to three children! Prices start at $198 per night. Add another room for $100 per night.

Check online for the latest deals: www.alyeskaresort.com . Call for reservations or more information: (907)754-1111. Do you want a real-time look at what’s happening on the mountain? Check the site for the webcams, or read the Lift Crew’s blog, “As the Bull Wheel Turns“.

How did she know? That’s the thing about a good travel agent–she can read your mind. Kelly Jo sent me a not about a great deal on one of the Big Island’s best hotels: The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.

But how did she know it was one of MY favorites? I used to live in Kona–and we’d go up to the Mauna Kea Beach and swim all day. It’s a glorious beach, north of the airport up on what’s called the Kohala Coast.

Back in 2006, there was an earthquake–and the resulting damage meant they closed the hotel and worked on it for three years. FINALLY, it’s reopened in its remodeled glory. It’s amazing what $150 million can buy!

For a limited time (between now and Dec. 18), you can get a $250 per person resort credit ($500 per couple, sharing a room) at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.

Go ahead–book no later than Mon., Nov. 2 and take advantage of the Anchorage-Honolulu sale on Alaska Airlines. Take a dip in the ocean for me!

Oh–there are other Hawaii deals, but you have to act quickly!

Spend six days/five nights in Honolulu in January 2010. Check out these prices:

a. Castle Maile Sky Court Hotel, incl. RT air from Anchorage: $627 per person, double occupancy.

b. Aqua Aloha Surf and Spa Hotel, incl. RT air from Anchorage: $650 per person, double occupancy.

c. Miramar at Waikiki, incl. RT air from Anchorage: $657 per person, double occupancy.

Taxes and fees are additional. Special pricing also available from USTravel cities, including Kodiak, Fairbanks, Dutch Harbor–and more. Also, these are just the “leader” prices from Alaska to Honolulu. Of course, the professionals at USTravel statewide can put together the perfect Aloha Getaway to the Neighbor Islands. Heck, there also are cruises available through the islands. Call today: (800)544-2217 or (907)561-2434.

If you want up-to-the-minute info on Alaska travel deals and steals, follow my Twitter feed. Sounds weird, huh? Sometimes it seems that way. But it’s a running commentary in bits of 140 characters or less. Sometimes it’s a link to a special deal. Sometimes it’s a cool picture or video. twitter.com/alaskatravelgrm

Every now and then I can snap a good shot from the airplane. Here are a couple. Below, here’s a shot a snapped from Alaska Airlines flight 529 between Burbank and Seattle last week. We’re just east of Colfax, CA in this shot, flying at around 38,000 feet. Off the starboard wing, we see Lake Tahoe–just as big and blue as you can imagine!

Earlier in the flight, we were just over Visalia, CA and I looked out the winder to see Yosemite National Park! Behold! Look closely and you’ll see El Capitan, Half Dome and…in the far distance…Mono Lake!

Each year, we put out a 2-for-1 travel coupon book for Alaska. Everything is 2-for-1: cruises, flightseeing, accommodations, tours, activities, admissions. Everything.

And each year, we put better offers in the Great Alaskan TourSaver, IMHO. This is our 12th year. The price for the book is $99.95. There’s about $26,000 in travel deals. Of course, you’d need to quit your job and JUST travel around to get all these deals. But at the heart of the matter is this: I spend all year digging up the best deals on God’s little patch of paradise here in Alaska…and these are them. HA!

Here are some of my favorites for 2010.

a. 2-for-1 Flightseeing in Misty Fjords National Monument

b. 2-for-1 Heli-adventure in Juneau, including Mendenhall Glacier landing

c. 2-for-1Halibut fishing in Seward and Homer

d. 2-for-1 Rail/lodging package from ANC to Denali National Park

e. 2-for-1 accommodations in Homer, Seward, Kenai, Valdez, Fairbanks, Anchorage, Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Talkeetna…more

f. 2-for-1 Cruise into Kenai Fjords National Park

g. 2-for-1 weeklong adventure into Lake Clark National Park, incl. air fare from ANC.

h. 2-for-1 air fare between Anchorage-Fairbanks and between Fairbanks-Barrow. Wow!

i. 2-for-1 admission to Museum of the North, Alaska Native Heritage Center, Anchorage Museum, Alaska SeaLife Center, Alaska Raptor Center

j. 2-for-1 rafting on Kenai River, Matanuska River, Nenana River

k. 2-for-1 adventure to Wrangell-St. Elias Nat’l Park including flight, accommodations, glacier hike

…more more more

We’re still putting the Great Alaskan TourSaver book together to ship around Thanksgiving. But I just have to give a B-I-G shout-out and let you know what’s coming!