Alaska TravelGram

  Above, the captain of the Fairweather puts the pedal to the metal headed south from Haines to Juneau. Between Nov. 1, 2011 and Mar. 31, 2012, you can trim 30 percent off of your fare. The special discount applies to “Mirror Image” roundtrips. For example, Haines-Juneau-Haines or Homer-Kodiak-Homer. To the right, Kodiak photographer/innkeeper/naturalist/captain Marion [...]

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What a great time “AKFam” is having on their two-week ferry excursion through Southeast Alaska. Floating their way through some of Alaska’s finest country!  Above, the “Trusty Tusty” sails into Kodiak. We’ve got some great fares to talk about, with no tax (because of the “Gridlock Gloriousky” in Congress). Listen up for the deals. Listen [...]

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HA! Both Erin and I were on the road, so Ethan Tyler was our guest-host.  Think “Whittier and Prince William Sound”. In the studio: Kelly Bender of Lazy Otter Charters in Whittier. Her motto: “Anything but fishing!” That includes sightseeing and water taxi. But I love the amphibious landing craft (pictured above): perfect for that [...]

Although I’ve traveled extensively on Alaska’s Marine Highway (the ferry), there are several trips on my “bucket list”. Above, the “Trusty Tusty” (m/v Tustumena) sails into Kodiak. Taken from the deck on Marty + Marion Owen’s B-n-B, the “Cliff House”.   I talked with the ferry people last week to get some talking points on [...]

Whoa. What a long, strange trip it’s been. Anchorage Rep. Sharon Cissna harnessed an intermodal posse of resources to work around the TSA in Seattle. This, after she was turned away for refusing to be “felt up” by agents at SEA-TAC. (Click here for a little more background from an article I did for the [...]

Got the sticker…and the t-shirt! Above: I leaned over the side and snapped this pic coming into Wrangell, Alaska. I’ve “driven” Alaska’s Marine Highway to Kodiak, Seldovia, Whittier, Valdez, Cordova, Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, Wrangell, Skagway and Haines. On the Columbia, the Matanuska, the Kennicott, the LeConte, the Taku, the Fairweather and the Chenega. Sure–there still [...]

That’s “the ferry“.  Above, a willing passenger snapped this shot aboard the m/v LeConte on a sunny January day between Sitka and Juneau. This winter, there is a 30 percent discount through Mar. 31, 2011 on routes for “mirror round trips”. The discount applies to adults, kids and vehicles. CHECK THE WEBSITE. There is new [...]

Chumming it up with news anchors Dave Stroh and Andrea Gusty over at KTVA CBS 11 here in Anchorage. Above, here’s a shot of mountains, water and sky as we’re approaching the Haines Summit on our way to Haines. Fabulous road trip! You can watch the latest travel news “Live at Five” or see it [...]

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Photo: Wow–I TOOK these pictures! Above, on the valley floor by the shores of the Chilkat River, I turned around to see leaves of gold, framed by the rugged peaks of the Chilkat Mountains. That’s my trusty Avis RAV4 on the left. It served us well on our circle tour through Canada. Left, the wake [...]