Article about Tour in Alaska

From: Sign-n-Tours & Travel - Dec 1, 2005

Our journey in Alaska and Yukon / Sept. 5-17
Sign-n-Tours & Travel
Our tour vie a small plane, coach , sternwheeler and McKinley Rail

On Sept. 5, after the DSA conference , 27 of us flew to Juneau Alaska early afternoon and settle in our hotel for a short time and then we all went out to explore the town to find so many stores with a big sale for the end of the season at half price and shops were full of people. It rained a lot that day , we went to some fine restuarant for a good meal and enjoyed our chats

Next day , everyone went out on their own to explore and visit museums , state capital and others , etc. and went for more shopping. It was raining on and off all day. Two more people arrived that day . It was a long wonderful day.

Sept. 7, We began out tour to several places and visit the town and went to the Mendenhall Glacier, the world's only drive in glacier which is huge like it was flowing to the lake and right by it was a big water fall like it was coming out from the mountain. We saw an eagle sitting on the the iceberg in the lake. It was a very beautiful landscape with lot of yellow trees . We visit the Glacier center which offer a spectacular view of the glacier face. After our tour , we headed to a small airport where we flew a six and nine passenger plane to Skaway that got us all in awe with our flight close to the mountins , viewing all the beautiful shape of snow capped mountain and glaciers. waterfalls. Had no luck to see any whales. We were so thrilled to have a chance to ride the bush plane.

Upon arrived in Skaway , we went to our hotel., some of us had a chance to view the town that had wooden sidewalk and unquie shops and stores. Many thing were on sale at half price. Back to our hotel for dinner and rest for the night

Next morning we travel by rail called the famous White Horse Pass Rail which we experience the breathtaking panorama of mountains, glaciers, gorges, waterfalls, tunnels and history sites from the colorful and comfort of a vintage parlors cars. Then at end of the ride , we board our coach to Whitehorse with a city tour. Then to our evening show called the Frantic Follies which was not suitable for us.

Another day , our coach departed for Dawson for our long day of sightseening along the Klondike Highway which we viewing all the beauty of yellow leaves and birch trees and spruce and saw many places where the forrest was destroy by fire. the mountains looked like gold .We stoped at one place where we had the biggest cinnamon rolls the size of our face, they were tasty and yummy with coffee..

Arrived at our hotel which is a unquie town with no paved roads and sidewalks , they had dirt roads and wooden sidewalk. All building were made of woods and no brick. We all went out to explore the town that most all were closed due to the end of the season .We had our welcome wine cheese and dinner afterward.

Then on to Tok by coach with several with stops in small areas , hardly any people live out there , like a wilderness, we stopped at one small place called Chicken which had 4 stores with unquie things . We stopped on the road to have our lunch box. We enter into Canada Arriived in Tok which had few stores and had our dinner at our hotel. There was something I saw that was by our hotel like a flower garden was a huge cabbage about 20-25 inches in size. It looked beautiful and so green.

Next day we arise early had breakfast and head for our ride on the famed top of the world Alaska Highway to Alaska's Golden Heart city , Fairbanks, we saw the pipeline , so huge and thousands of miles long.We stopped at the Gold dredge and tour the old minning town and did our panning for gold that many of us purchased necklace to put the gold flakes in them as a memory of out trip , afterward we had a hearty gold miner's lunch which was so tasty and yummy.We learned some lesson about the gold rush history .

Another day of adventure was the sternwheeler in Fairbanks, rated the number one boat cruise of the north. We viewing the life of Alaska and the heart of a family who had made the river of Alaska a way of life for 4 genetations , the Brinkleys, we saw a bush pilot taking of from the river and saw and met the famous 4 time Iditarod winner Susan Bucher and demonstration of dog mushing and visit the villages of the ancient Athabascan Indian culture at a fish camp. Alaska natives guides who have worked and lived in Alaska took us on a tour of the Chena Indian villages. Final back to our hotel after a long and interest day of learning..

We made our way to the train depot for a speculator jounrney to Denali via McKinley Explorer a luxury dome train through snow capped moutain valleys, viewing the beauty of yellow leaves , landscapes , forest and lakes. We made a stop and board our bus to the Tundra wild life park viewing the natural beauty of the park and Mt. McKinley in all their glory and final saw 2 grizzy bears in front of our bus and saw caribou , several small animals ,birds and white dall sheeps high in the moutains. It was a adventure day and a thrill for us.Back to out hotel in Denali.

Next day , we had a free day to explore near our hotel, some took a helicopter and plane flight to see the glacier and Mt Mckinley , some went shopping to take advantage of the half price. Then we attended a cabin night dinner with all the food we can eat with show , that our interpreter took part in the play which we all were surprise to see him perform.

Up early for another long journey by our train to Anchorage and overnight at our hotel. Arrived at our hotel, there were several deaf children and adults came to greet us and had a chat.

Next day we boarding our bus to visit the Native Heritage Center and Lake Hood and rode the day cruise to Portage Glacier and view it's beauty with a hue of blue color showing through the ice, it was very windy cold with little snow shower with rain, it was awesome. WE had a tour of the city in Anchorage and saw white dall sheeps on edge of rocks and by the hiway and we stopped to take photo. We had a farewell dinner that night which was the last day of our tour and time to say goodbye and return home with wonderful memories of our journey with old and new found friends in spite of having a lot of rain with few sunny days .We had many great meals and enjoyed the beauty of Alaska and the Yukon. Our interpreter is Simon Martinez of Newark, he did a fine job.

Tour group organized by Dorothy Garner /Sign-n-tours & Travel