Day 1 Anchorage, AK

Our journey to the great state of Alaska begins with our flight to Anchorage. Upon arrival, a Riley motor coach will be awaiting our arrival.

Day 2 Denali National Park, AK

Our morning will be spent at Happy Trails Kennels, home of the four-time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser and his family. We’ll see the training facility and kennel along with get the opportunity to meet the athletes, the stars of Happy Trails, the dogs! Next, we’ll continue to the historic village of Talkeetna which is nestled at the base of North America’s tallest peak, Denali. Lunch will be on your own here. We will continue to Denali, our home for two nights. After getting settle in our rooms, we’ll head out for some fun at the Alaska Cabin Nite Dinner Theater. The show tells the story of Fanny Quigley, a real pioneer in Kantishna back in the gold-rush days of the early 1900s—the same area that is now deep inside Denali National Park. The story is performed in an authentic, log-paneled roadhouse, and the actors and actresses do double-duty as your servers for the all-you-can-eat dinner. (B, D)

Day 3 Denali National Park, AK

Today’s adventure is one you will never forget! “Mildwater” River Rafting down the Nenana River. You may see moose, sheep, caribou and bear, as you raft downstream 11 miles. Hold on and enjoy this mild water introduction to rafting in Alaska. The most scenic portion of the river gives you a thrilling yet pleasant rafting experience. Afterwards, the day is at your leisure to relax at the hotel, explore the town or do an excursion such as flight seeing, ATV tour, Dog Sledding, biking and more! (B)

Day 4 Fairbanks, AK

Today will be spent aboard a special bus for the Tundra Wilderness Tour of Denali National Park. We’ll see incredible scenery, learn history of the park road and have some of the best opportunities to view the park’s wildlife on this 6-8 hour tour. Keep an eye out for Dall sheep, moose, caribou, wolves and grizzly bears. We’ll also hope that we can become part of the 30% club and get to see “the great one” aka Mount Denali as only 30% of visitors to this area ever get to see it at all because of the almost constant cloud cover. Afterwards, we will continue our trek north to Fairbanks on the Parks Highway, where we will spend the next two nights. (B)

Day 5 Fairbanks, AK

Our Alaskan adventure continues this morning! After a short tour of Fairbanks, we’ll stop at the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline. It was built as a means of transporting crude oil from the oil fields at Prudhoe Bay on Alaska’s North Slope to Valdez. Then we will head out to Gold Dredge 8 and strike it rich! Ride a replica of the narrow-gauge Tanana Valley Railroad while the conductor tell tales of prospectors who arrived by the thousands during the gold rush. We will see first-hand how the dredge worked the gold fields, then receive a brief but informative course on gold panning before panning for ourselves. This afternoon we will have an included lunch before we board the Riverboat Discovery to cruise along the Chena and Tanana Rivers. We’ll experience a real Alaskan Bush Pilot in action as he takes off from the river; see the home and kennels of Iditarod Champion, the late Susan Butcher and see her champion sled dogs in action; learn about the area’s Native cultures, lifestyles and experience frontier living first hand with a tour of an Athabascan Indian Village. Tonight, dinner is included at the Alaska Salmon Bake. Afterwards, we’ll walk over to Pioneer Park and see the “Golden Heart Review” a lighthearted, comic look at the colorful characters from early and present day Fairbanks. (B, L, D)

Day 6 Valdez, AK

We’ll be departing Fairbanks along the Richardson Highway, the first road known to gold seekers in 1898. Enjoy magnificent views of the Chugach Mountains and Alaska Range. A stop will be made at the Delta Junction Visitor Center, where you may have your picture taken with the monument that marks the end of the Alaska Highway or another favorite, the giant mosquito sculptures. We’ll visit the Copper Center Visitor Center Complex to learn about Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Continuing to Valdez, we’ll travel through the beautiful Thompson Pass with it’s narrow chasms and jagged slopes. The highway winds through the Keystone Canyon passing Bridal Veil Falls as it plummets to the roadside. We will make stops along the way for photos. Upon arrival into Valdez, we will check into our hotel located right on the harbor. (B)

Day 7 Valdez, AK

Today we board a boat for a cruise of Prince William Sound passing Bligh Reef, where the Exxon Valdez spilled. We will cruise the majestic waters of Prince William Sound from Valdez to Columbia Glacier where you have a chance to view history in the making as Columbia Glacier retreats back into the Chugach Mountains. Our captain will travel the shoreline of the Valdez arm looking for the critters that call the Sound home. Watch for harbor seals, sea otters, sea lions, whales, porpoise, eagles, puffins and other wildlife. He/She will share stories about the history of the Sound from early explorers, gold and copper mining, oil shipping, commercial fishing and the 1964 Earthquake. We’ll see and float within thousands of icebergs, many larger than the boat we are in. It is recommended to bring a coat, gloves and hat if you plan to go outside of the boat. Lunch is included onboard. We will arrive back at the Valdez Harbor and the rest of the day is on your own. (B, L) *Today you can have the option to spend the day fishing instead of doing the glacier cruise if you would like. Please call our office for more information and pricing.

Day 8 Anchorage, AK

This morning we travel on the Richardson Highway again. We’ll make stops at Horse Tail Falls in the Keystone Canyon and Worthington Glacier on our way back through Thompson Pass. Along the way, we see beautiful mountains, lakes and rivers. Our stop for lunch (on your own) includes a view of Sheep Mountain, at an elevation of 6,300 feet. Sheep are often seen high up on these slopes. We’ll get a view of the Matanuska Glacier, the largest glacier accessible by a personal vehicle. This Glacier once reached all the way to Palmer, where we will make a stop at the visitor center and see the Matanuska Valley Agricultural Showcase Garden. This is our chance to view the vegetables you hear about all the time! We will continue to Anchorage. Upon arrival, we will visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center to experience a sample of Alaska’s Native culture. More than just a museum, the Center proves an opportunity to explore the indigenous cultures of Alaska firsthand, cultures that continue to adapt to modern society, yet still maintain a vibrant identity for the Native people of Alaska. Next, we’ll see the downtown area, where there will be free time to shop and explore. (B)

Day 9 Home

We say goodbye to our new friends and to this spectacular place. We will never forget the time we enjoyed in “the last frontier.”