Alaskan Northern Lights & Iditarod Featuring the Alaska ...

Are We There Yet?, LLC

5902 Columbia Ave, St. Louis, MO 63139 Phone: (314) 304-3508

Email: Info@

Alaskan Northern Lights & Iditarod

Featuring the Alaska Railroad

February 24 ? March 3, 2019

Sun, February 24th ? Head North to Alaska!

Meet your tour directors Dea and Declan at the St. Louis Airport as we head for the Last Frontier! We fly out tonight at 7:00 pm on Alaska Airlines. On arrival we will be greeted at the airport. If there are no clouds, we may get our first showing of the Northern Light by going to the edge of the city to see the Aurora Borealis. Our arrival is 2:05 am and it should be really dark which makes for excellent viewing. Then we will be whisked away to our home while in Fairbanks, the Wedgewood Resort.

Mon, February 25th ? Trailbreaker Kennel and Northern Light Photography

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and enjoy some free time at the resort before we head to Trailbreaker Kennel, where Susan Butcher and her husband Dave Monson trained their dogs for the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest. Susan Butcher was only the second woman to win the Iditarod, and was the first musher to win 4 out of 5 years. She sadly passed away in 2006, and her husband, Yukon Quest winner Dave Monson, opened their kennel to other aspiring mushers as well as to those interested in learning about these incredible dogs. We'll even get a chance to partake in some sled dog activities! This evening we have an early dinner and enjoy a Northern Lights Photography Lecture by a renowned photographer who has chased and studied this amazing natural phenomenon around the world. Then bundle up as we head waaay out of town to hopefully see them for ourselves! (B, L, D)

Tues, February 26th ? Running with the Reindeer!

Enjoy breakfast this morning at the hotel before we head to the Running Reindeer Ranch, where we learn about these majestic creatures. Owned by a lifelong Alaskan, the reindeer roam freely, which means that you will be right among them as you learn how they are perfectly suited to a subarctic environment. After visiting with reindeer, it's no surprise that our next stop is North Pole, Alaska where we enjoy lunch at one of the best restaurants in town, Pagoda. Then it's off to the Santa Claus House, where you can prepare for next year's Christmas with letters from Santa, mailed from the North Pole! If you want to fill out your postcards while here, they will also be sure they receive the North Pole United States Post Office Cancellation. You can bring your own stamps from home or buy them there. Yes, it's the same amount to send postage from Alaska to the lower 48 as it is to send it right next door to your neighbor at home! This afternoon, enjoy the amazing ice carvings at the Fairbanks Ice Festival, where skilled carvers from around the world gather to compete and demonstrate their amazing artistry. (B, L)

Wed, February 27th ?Riding the Rails to Talkeetna

Today we bid farewell to Fairbanks, riding the Alaska Railroad through the frontier on our way to Talkeetna. The quirky inspiration for the town of Sicily, Alaska portrayed in the beloved TV show Northern Exposure, Talkeetna welcomes thousands of visitors during the summer, but is a serene place during the winter. On the ride south, enjoy lunch on board the train, and keep your eyes peeled for animals! When we arrive in Talkeetna, we stay at the cozy Susitna River Lodge, featuring lovely little cabins and a true Alaskan ambiance. (B, L, D)

Thurs, February 28th ? Musk Ox Farm and Iditarod Musher's Banquet

Before leaving town, we enjoy breakfast at the famous Talkeetna Roadhouse. Still operating as a roadhouse, it is where intrepid mountain climbers enjoy a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage and hotcakes that fall over the plate! The manager, who moved to Alaska from Tennessee to be a school teacher in the bush, will regale us with stories about her adventures over the last two decades living in the last frontier. A bit reminiscent of Flo in the TV show Alice, breakfast will be an event you will not soon forget. We continue our journey south and visit the wonderful Musk Ox Farm. These magnificent animals are more closely related to goats than oxen, and have hardly changed since the ice age! Their fur is incredibly warm. The farm continues its non-profit work by making yarn and woolen products from the fur that the Musk Oxen shed every spring!

This evening we have an incredible treat as we join the Iditarod mushers for the annual Musher's Banquet. Not only a way to meet the other competitors and fans of the race, it is also where the mushers draw their bib numbers out of a boot! They each say a bit about why they are racing and thank those that have supported them through the years. We then head to our hotel for the next 3 nights, the Lakefront Hotel in Anchorage. (B, L, D)

Fri, March 1st ? Alyeska

After breakfast today we head to Alyeska for some fun wintertime activities. You may take the aerial tramway, go snowmobiling, snowshoeing or visiting the spa. Choose what you want to enjoy as available due to timing at time of sign up. (B, L, D)

Sat, March 2nd ? Iditarod Ceremonial Start!

And they're off! Enjoy breakfast before we head to the Ceremonial Start of the Iditarod in downtown Anchorage, where you can visit with the mushers, walk among the teams, and partake in the party atmosphere that marks the beginning of the race! Stand at the line where every single team mushes and enjoy an up close and personal view when everyone is relaxed and at their best. This evening, we warm up with a farewell meal at a local favorite! (B, D)

Sun, March 3rd ?Farewell to Alaska

Enjoy a boxed breakfast from the hotel before we begin our journey home bright and early with a 7 am flight on Alaska Airlines. We arrive in St. Louis at approximately 6:00 pm. Thank you for traveling with us on this trip of a lifetime!

Price includes: Round trip air transportation on Alaska Airlines Adventure Class seats on the Alaska Railroad Deluxe Motorcoach Transportation throughout Alaska Explore the Musk Ox Farm Walk with the Reindeer Visit Trailbreaker Kennel and partake in Sled Dog Activities Watch the carving at the Fairbanks Ice Festival Enjoy a lecture on the Northern Lights by a renowned photographer Enjoy adventure in Alyeska with a choice of included activities 16 Meals: (6 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches, 5 Dinners), including the Musher's Banquet Enjoy the Iditarod Ceremonial Start in Anchorage Baggage handling at hotel 2 Professional Tour Directors with you from start to finish All gratuities including local guides, drivers and directors

$6,908 pp, sgl occ credit

$6,319 pp, dbl occ credit $6,204 pp, tpl occ credit $6,089 pp, quad occ credit

Save 3% on this tour! You can explore Alaska during the best time for Northern Lights for $6,129 pp, dbl occ when you pay by check or money order:

$6,129 pp, dbl occ

$6,701 pp, sgl occ check $6,018 pp, tpl occ check $5,907 pp, quad occ check

*3% discount off base price when pay by check or money order. (Note: Triple and Quad room rates include two beds per room, either double or queen sized beds)

Trip cancellation insurance available at an additional charge. Please see the Travel Insured brochure available from our office. Additional Insurance can be bought if you purchase optional tours later.

Make your reservations today with a $1,000 deposit, including Travel Insured trip cancellation and interruption insurance if desired. By purchasing Travel Insured at time of deposit, you will be covered for

all pre-existing conditions as well as protected if something happens on the tour.

Balance on tour is due Oct 25th, 2018 and no refunds will be given after that time except via Travel Insured Insurance. Space will be limited to 20 air tickets. After that price will be based on live air. Our maximum number on this tour is 30. There still may be a price increase before final payment if airline incurs a fuel surcharge. Following this a wait list will be formed. Please send a check along with your

name, address, phone number and all roommates' names if you are sharing a room.

*Ask about our special hotel rates at St. Louis airport hotel prior to and/or after the tour. *

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download