Parks

Yup–you’re gonna see ‘em. They’re all over on Alaska’s North Slope. This month only, though! Join the 2010 WARBELOW’S POLAR BEAR TOUR —Only in September.

In Fairbanks, fly a B-1900 up to Kaktovik on a polar bear adventure! Enjoy safely viewing and photographing polar bears, a majestic, yet threatened species, in this rare and special wildlife encounter, while the bears rest on sand spits and feast on whale meat. Included is a  walking tour of the Inupiat Eskimo whaling village of Kaktovik with an Eskimo tour guide, which is located along the coast of the Arctic Ocean on Barter Island. Kaktovik is the only village within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Price: $2,299 per person (Alaska residents and military personnel qualify for a 10 percent discount).

Tour includes: Round-trip airfare from Fairbanks, transfers, meals, guides and ground transportation. Sighting guaranteed or a full refund. Overnight stay in Kaktovik included.

ACT NOW: Departures on Sept. 4, Sept. 18 and Sept. 25, 2010

Space is very limited. For more information visit www.warbelows.com or call (800)478-0812. To book your tour call Mike Morgan at (907) 460-5151.

Fine print: All polar bear tours must be paid in full at the time of booking. This is a sightings guaranteed tour. 100 percent refund if polar bears are not viewed. Tour is non-refundable for any other reason.

Great hotel and air  and train deals for fall travel. Don’t miss it.

To recap:

Anchorage-Denver $335rt
Anchorage-Portland $400rt
Anchorage-San Francisco $377rt
Anchorage-New York $479rt
Anchorage-Washington, DC $441rt

Check with USTravel for best dates and prices: (907)561-2434 or toll-free: (800)544-2217.

Hotels:
Grand Denali, Denali Bluffs: $79 per night
Princess: 2-for-1 rail-n-stay to Talkeetna. 3 days/2 nights at Mt. McKinley Princess,  from $135 per person, double
Kennicott Glacier Lodge: $79 per night, per person, double includes breakfast

FALL DEALS ROCK!

Great video of our Mendenhall Glacier helicopter tour with TEMSCO Air. We flew an A-350 A-Star up from the Juneau base, landing on the glacier for a walkabout. Check it out!

Check out the full album online here. We had a great flight with TEMSCOhelicopters. Work, work, work. Video coming soon. TEMSCO has a fleet of “A-Star” helicopters–they shuttle you up to the glacier in groups of four or five helicopters. You get to walk around on the glacier for 15-20 minutes and take lots of pictures. The flight up takes about 15 minutes. This is a GREAT trip! It leaves from TEMSCO’s hangar near the Juneau Airport.

If you’re planning to visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center, it’s wise to plan out what you want to see and do. You can spend all day watching the dancers, visiting with the artisans and checking out the village sites! The center has lots of info on their website, including a daily schedule of events. Plan on spending two or three hours to explore the exhibits. But here are some highlights:

9:45am: Introduction to Alaska Native Cultures (Gathering Place)

10:00am: Trapping and Furs (Athabascan Village Site)

10:30am: Qayaqs and Canoes (Theater)

12:00n: Native Games (Inupiaq Village Site)

1:30pm: Guided tour of Village SItes

Check the web page for a full schedule online for a full description of special events.  All day, you’ll see dancers, storytellers and artisans working to share the rich Alaska Native cultures with visitors.

If you’re hungry–grab a bite at the restaurant. If you’re shopping for Alaska gifts, don’t miss the gift shop, with authentic Alaska gifts! Don’t miss it!